Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1325707
46 WINTER 2021 ally, low ceilings and poor lighting made the spaces feel cramped and dark and the tile kitchen countertop was falling apart. The hood above the gas stove needed upgrading and the kitchen still had a Dutch door, presumably for a milkman's deliveries, complete with its own stoop and slate walkway tiles. Furthermore, the eat-in kitchen space was always cold, partly due to the area's windows, which wore so many coats of paint they couldn't properly close. What's more, the windows had been placed so high, the family had no outside views. To tackle these problems and more, Smithson and her husband engaged an architect to redesign the space. Then, they hired Steve Howell of Howell Custom Build- ing Group to put the plan into action. "When I first met with the Smithsons, they were struggling to wrangle the project into a budget range," says Howell. "Our role was to help figure out the cost for the renovation and value engineer it—basically, to capture and prioritize what they wanted and needed to do and deliver the biggest bang for the buck." Pragmatic improvements included replacing the home's old-fashioned electric and heating system and adding spray foam insulation. Next came reconfiguring the space. Howell and his team removed enough walls to create one intergrated main floor living space that Furnishings are kept contemporary and a bar area was added to the lower level family room. inspire nshoremag.com/nshorehome/