Episode 15: The Big Finish

Elms Interior Design: This Old House Cambridge 11

 

This Old House wraps up its Scandinavian redesign of a New England Queen Anne.

Norm arrives to a rainy morning in Cambridge. The weather, however, isn’t stopping Roger, who is putting in the last of four granite posts. Inside, Norm finds Tom reinstalling a little piece of nostalgia from the old house: an old-school doorbell that the homeowners wanted to keep. Next, Kevin finds Sally and kitchen designer Kathy Marshall settling Sally’s stuff into her new kitchen and showing off its functional features: appliances, storage, sink, faucet, chopping block drawer, and even a hideaway step stool. Downstairs, Kevin finds John with no man cave, but rather great space for the kids, a workshop of his own, and Richard, who’s given him high efficiency mechanicals. Richard welcomes back energy auditor Jimmy Seaborg to see how we did on tightening up the building. Back outside, Kevin meets landscape architect Greg Lombardi to see his plan realized. There were some adjustments because of budget, but the design intent is still intact: hardscape and plant material work together to create separate areas of use and function. The other great outdoor space is the roof deck; Norm recaps the work out there and then meets interior designer Andrew Terrat for a tour of the master suite. The second floor is all about the kids so Sally shows Kevin the highly functional laundry, and how the girls each had a say in the colors and details of their own rooms. The heart of the project is really the first floor. Designer Dee Elms walks Kevin through the entry foyer, hallway/mudroom, powder room, built-in hutch, living room, and dining room. As Andrew shows Kevin the highlights of the kitchen, the crew and homeowners gather for one last hurrah…until the newly installed doorbell rings! Everyone flows out onto the front porch for a last look at the exterior and a farewell cheer with the neighbors.

Watch the full episode at ThisOldHouse.com

Episode 8: Plaster, Shingles, Radiant Heat

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This Old House injects some Scandivanian style into an old Queen Anne located in Cambridge, Mass.

Kevin and Richard get a taste of culturally diverse Cambridge by visiting what’s known locally as Japan Town. Back at the project, it’s all about Italy today, as our plaster Bob Bucco is hard at work. Bob introduces Kevin to his father, Vito Bucco, who started in the trade 60 years ago. Norm shows how Tom has matched the exterior trim details and how the clapboards are going on over an underlayment that will let them dry out. Then, up on the roof deck, he lends a hand as Tom creates a staggered shingle pattern on the half walls to match what is on the existing house. Kevin heads to Boston’s South End to visit interior designers Andrew Terrat and Dee Elms to see how they are planning to execute the homeowners’ vision of “Scandinavian Modern.” Back at the house, Richard and project plumber Abe Bilo add floor warming radiant heat to the first floor from below, and a state of the art condensing boiler to fuel both the radiant and the hydro air systems.

Watch the full episode at ThisOldHouse.com