Northshore Magazine

ne Real Estate were out of code, the team was able to keep features like one of the built-in bread ovens. Details like that matter, not only for aesthetics, but also for the building's value. Being able to retain a place's historical feel is important in markets like Newburyport, where the city's history as a mercantile and fishing hub is still important to tourists and residents alike. Seymour says Newburyport's higher-market buyers like modern design elements, but also appreciate the historical importance of the neighborhoods into which they're moving. "That feel is still there. The challenge we have as developers in 2013 [is that] people want open spaces, air-conditioning, all the mod-cons, [but] the fishing cottage sentiment is small rooms, no heat, low ceilings," he says. It was a delicate balance that they achieved at the Kent Street property, not only by doing things like exposing the original brick and retaining elements of the fireplaces, but also by building furniture and mantels out of some of the building's original beams. "When you take a whole building apart like that, it can be pretty scary, even for the most seasoned construction crew," Seymour says. But it paid off at Kent Street. The modern amenities, along with beautiful details, like inlaid lighting in the basement bar, made the difference between a generic redesign and one that wowed prospective buyers. "You can do vanilla; you can do [things like] stock cabinetry," Seymour says. "But you have to separate yourself from everyone else." Maintaining a balance between old and new isn't the only house-flipping challenge: Souhleris says that he and Seymour are "the odd couple" when it comes to their tastes, and that was evident during their work on Kent Street. "I constantly wanted to expose the brick and Dave thought I was crazy," Souhleris says. "I'd be knocking down walls; he'd be getting pissed off." Souhleris also laughs remembering Before and After Peter Souhleris added a modern touch to an old Federal house in Newburyport. 104 nshoremag.com March 2014 NB KJ NS Mar14 flipping.indd 104 1/16/14 5:31 PM

• Cover