Custom trim ready for intsallation.
Bringing an 1800s historic home back to its original grandeur, while seamlessly upgrading it for 21st-century living, is a delicate balance between preservation and modernization. Italianate Revival beautifully pairs the visible preservation of historic craft with a quiet, high-performance technical rebuild.
Much of our most critical work is intentionally hidden. To ensure the home runs beautifully today, we stripped the structure down to its original frame to install entirely new infrastructure, including an all-electric power system running on solar energy, geothermal wells, and a complex stormwater management system. On the surface, our team stabilized and repointed the original quarry-faced redstone foundation and brick masonry, securing the house against future settling.
Outside, a newly excavated sunken terrace provides an walk-in transition to the lower level. By lowering the floor here, we transformed a once-damp, unusable basement into a dry, light-filled wellness space with generous ceiling heights. Finally, we reimagined the surrounding landscape, turning the revitalized yard into a functional outdoor courtyard that seamlessly bridges the main house and the historic carriage house.
Grading the new yard.
Finishing the sunken terrace.
Carriage house get's new skylights.
A redesgined the floor-plan.
Leveling the new backyard.
Installing new copper gutters.
Looking up at a shower skylight with freshly installed tile.
Inside, we brought clarity to a layout that had become fragmented over time, opening up the home visually while still honoring its formal, historic proportions. We began by reorienting the main entrance to the side of the house along the driveway, creating a highly functional and welcoming everyday entryway.
From this new front door, your eye is guided down a long-range visual axis. This central hallway serves as a simple organizing spine, passing cleanly through the kitchen and connecting the core of the house straight to the backyard. Beyond the lawn, the carriage house stands as a striking modern counterpoint. While we preserved its historic form and siding, we added a lower extension featuring large, steel-framed panoramic glass windows. It feels distinct and contemporary, making it clear that this is a fresh new chapter for the property rather than a mere reproduction.
New main entrance gets stairs.
Sauna get's fitted in the new spacious basement.
Shower tile getting finished.
Custom trim getting transported.
Trimming finishing touches on-site for installation.
Front door getting refinished.
Kitchen cabinets from the Birdseye woodshop getting installed.
Preservation and contemporary design do not have to be opposites. To ensure the house retained its specific, historic soul rather than feeling generic, we treated its architecture as a legacy to carry forward.
We undertook a meticulous cataloging process, mapping and drawing every piece of original trim in the house. Our team captured the bold, unique profiles characteristic of the 19th-century Italianate style—including heavy crown moldings, deeply recessed window casings, and tall baseboards. Using these drawings, we replicated and reinstalled the historic trim across all rooms, tying the rich history of the home to its newly remodeled spaces.
Photography by Elias Gillen
New baseboards in place.
Trim organized and ready.
Birdseye metalshop installing the new fireplace doors.
