This Old House: Cape Ann

Beautiful and Thoughtful Design Transforms a Shingle Style Home

This 1891, shingle-style house with captivating historic charm that once served as a summer cottage on Cape Ann needed an overhaul and much tender loving care. SV Design’s architecture and interior design teams immediately recognized an opportunity to transform the unkempt, 1970’s style summer cottage into an elegant and blended home encompassing functionality, lifestyle, and curb appeal.

To begin, our team of architects and interior designers analyzed the site and structure. What we discovered led to a complete renovation of the exterior and interior, as well as an addition, to eloquently balance historic elements with modern, transitional design and efficiencies. The massive upgrade of mechanical, electrical, and energy-efficient windows and solar panels created a much more sustainable home. Historical details like the original leaded glass windows in the main entry, gliding pocket doors, hardwood floors, and intricate details along the staircase and its balusters were preserved.

Interior spaces were thoughtfully designed, walls reconfigured, and rooms expanded to improve functionality and overall flow of the house. One major highlight of the home is the dining room, which is now elongated in length and features a custom c-shaped legged dining table, perfect for large dinner parties.

Each space is adorned with modern, yet timeless design. Our interior designers ensured no detail was overlooked -- from mantels and fireplace inlets, door trim, crown molding, paint colors, wallcoverings, and a stunning Venetian plaster dining room ceiling. Tile and stone selections are a neutral mix of marble and porcelain slabs. Bold blues and greens were incorporated into the kitchen cabinetry and butler's pantry, and this color palette was carried throughout the first floor.

SV Design worked on this project with the This Old House television show and the Silva Brothers Construction crew.

The project premiered on PBS’s This Old House in 2020. To view the exciting episodes of this renovation and addition project, visit the PBS and This Old House apps. To check your local PBS listings for reruns, click here.