Location: Chestnut Hill, MA

Completed: Fall 2023

Contractor: JSO Builders

 

The design expands and modernizes an existing four-bedroom, three-bath split-level ranch constructed in 1965 with two strategically-placed additions which are linked by a new exterior dining terrace. The southernmost master suite addition steps down from the main house to follow the slope of the existing landscape. The addition utilizes a flat roof to minimize its scale, while separating its mass from the mass of the main house. The master suite adds a new bathroom, and it incorporates a large sliding glass door which connects to the exterior dining terrace. On the west façade of the house, a kitchen addition achieves similar aims, allowing for a much larger and more open kitchen/dining/living space with expansive views of a reconfigured landscape, as well as easy access to the new dining terrace. Beyond the two additions, each existing space was carefully rethought to improve the function and flow of the existing house. The main stair was refinished with new guardrails which are true to the mid-century sprit of the house, while a new mudroom provides a punch of color and more organized storage on the lower level. The aggregate of these changes is a brighter, more open, and more unified house which has been updated for modern living.