Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/660193
76 SPRING 2016 Deborah Farrand of Dressing Rooms Interior Design. "The clients loved the old house, but we had to address some real concerns before it could become a great family home," says DeGan. "It had a tiny kitchen, no mudroom, and no real family room." Architectural and structural faults were obstacles, and included "a lack of air-condition- ing, ice dams, leaky windows, and poor drains," accord- ing to Ratte. "We needed to modernize the home, while maintaining the original historical structure." Through- out the project, Ratte faced another challenge that often accompanies classic New England homes: "Nearly every wall, ceiling, and floor in the home was crooked," Ratte explains. "To preserve the original structure of the home, we built perfectly aligned walls, ceilings, and floors within the warped frames that were already in place." The team consulted with architect and historian Jane Griswold, who worked to maintain the home's historical character and ensure that changes would be approved by the Historic District Commission; their collaboration earned a preser- vation award in May 2015. Contending with the original structure would be a feat for DeGan and Ratte: The historic barn connected Of note in the kitchen is the range hood, which was built using wood from the former barn. vignettes nshoremag.com/nshorehome/