Northshore Magazine

October 2014

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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186 "This is one of those kitchens that, rather than coming out and hitting you in the face, there is a quietness to it that speaks very gently and softly," Kelsey says. Creating a harmonious fl w between the new addition and the old restored house was actually not that difficul Kelsey says. "In all these older homes, the vocabulary is already there. If you listen, the home will tell you what materials to use and how to use them. So actually, designing the kitchen was quite simple. We looked at the details in the rest of the house and adapted them to the detailing on the cabinetry in the kitchen." One compromise the couple did make that was out of character for their Federal-period home was the ceiling. The previous owners had pulled down the flat plaster, a characteristic of a Federal period house, to expose structural sup- ports. The Parkers liked the height of the ceilings and the look of the wood beams and didn't want the expense of putting in Contemporary Colonial While the design stayed true to the Federal style, allowances were made for the homeowners' lifestyle and personal tastes. new ceilings throughout. "We went back and forth," Kelsey says, but, ultimately left the beams exposed. Which meant carefully fi ting the origi- nal crown moldings around the exposed beams. The thoughtful preservationist team came up with a design that would al- low the Parkers, or future homeowners, to slip in a new plaster ceiling if it was ever desired, without removing or damaging the original crown. Thinking of future owners is typical of the Parkers' entire approach to the pro- ject. "We strongly believe that old houses should be restored for future genera- tions," Sue says. "We feel that we are sim- ply the current stewards of this historic, beautiful home." wilsonkelseydesign.com ● n

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