Chestnut Hill Retreat

We first connected with this client after they had already worked with a general contractor to bring the historic home back to a livable state. However, they quickly found they were disappointed with the finishes and rapidly failing paint job.

The story behind this beautiful Chestnut Hill colonial captivated us from our very first meeting. The owner’s husband had purchased the home as a surprise anniversary gift for her after it had sat in a trust and fell into a state of disrepair, having been her childhood home decades ago. Their dream for the home was a peaceful retreat where they would be able to spend time with their large family (they have 6 children) and have income potential in their later years with a fully legal basement rental apartment conversion.

The couple had some unique criteria, including that we source as much as possible through consignment sources to limit long lead times and to be more environmentally conscious. Otherwise, they gave us carte blanche to source the furnishings for the home after aligning on the overall concept. We were also given the green light to balance new and vintage items to create a fresh look that gave homage to the character of the home while breathing new life into the space.

Key design features included adding picture frame molding to the living room, master bedroom, entryway stairwell and landing, and three of the bathrooms. We worked with a painter specializing in historic homes to properly address the issues with the failing paint, prep the walls and trim, and create a blank canvas for the new molding designs. Overhead lighting was added to the main living room and fixtures were replaced throughout with the exception of a few key fixtures that held sentimental significance to the family. The backsplash, faucet, and hardware in the kitchen were also replaced to create a higher end look more suitable for the cooking and entertaining the family plans to do here for generations to come!

Gallery photos below include: Photos from our final install + 4 “before” photos of the house in it’s original state when we came on board the project.

Credits

Annie de Castro
Owner and Design Principle

Jess Harrington
Owner & Founder of JessFinessed / Partner in consignment sourcing + final install & styling

Lis Sartori
Design Associate / Final install & styling

Photography: Amie Keefe, KC Films and Photography