Franklin St. Project

Your home is a reflection of your personality, so what better way to learn more about us than to show you our home. This is the personal home of the owner, Dustin Shaw, and was completely renovated by Shaw + Co. Builders. The home went on the market earlier this week and is already under contract.

This home was purchased in 2014 as a worn and dated cape cod that had been used for a rental for many years. The home was completely renovated from top to bottom and a 950 square foot addition was added to the back.

Shaw + Co. Builders can help you transform any property into the home of your dreams. Contact us to find out more.

Changes to the original exterior included painting the trim to match the new addition, removing shutters and storm doors, installing new gutters, adding slate and brick steps, and updating the front door lighting.

The original slate roof was kept in the front. The roofing in the rear is synthetic slate on the original part of the house and a metal roof on the new addition. A concrete walkway and patio was added as well as a custom privacy fence.

The new addition features HardiePlank siding in both traditional lap pattern as well as board and batten. The rear-facing windows were set off-center to better allow for the function of the living spaces inside.

We took a low-maintenance approach to the lawn and landscaping. This means that in early spring there are often patchy areas in that fill in by early summer.

Like most old homes, the layout of the original home included many small rooms that weren't ideal for modern living. The old kitchen and dining room were combined to allow for an oversized dining room and to make way for the pantry and coat closet that mark the beginning of the new addition.

Wide plank white oak floors were added to provide consistency between the old and new portions of the home and were blended with the original oak floors in the original portions of the house. Floors were all refinished with a no-VOC oil finish for a modern, matte look.

On the first floor, the new addition consists of an open kitchen and family room area with french doors leading to the oversized backyard. This layout provides an ideal "heart of the home" that is perfect both for families and for entertaining.

We love natural light, but privacy is also important in city living. To help with both of these we added transom windows and a frosted glass door to the side of the house that faces the driveway and neighbor's property.

The kitchen peninsula features wood paneling that was finished to match the floors. This was done to help this side of the space feel more like a living area than part of the kitchen. There is also a hidden cabinet at the end of the peninsula for storage.

The kitchen features full overlay cabinets, carrara marble countertops with a waterfall edge, custom open shelving, and KitchenAid appliances. Custom kitchens are a Shaw + Co. Builders specialty and we wanted to make this home reflect that.

The difference between a customized kitchen and a builder-grade kitchen is all about the details. The counter-depth refrigerator is custom framed so there is no unsightly gap up top and it looks like a built-in fridge. The microwave was framed in place. The floating shelves were made to fit the space and the upper cabinets extend all the way to the ceiling. The professional range provides an eye-catching focal point and is a must-have for aspiring gourmets.

Flush undercabinet lighting, recessed lighting, and pendant lighting were all added on separate switches to ensure that the right lighting was available for the task at hand. A waterfall edge was added to the carrara marble countertop to add a modern look and to help transition the space between kitchen and living area.

On the other side of the main floor, the formal living room was updated to include barn doors and new lighting. The original fireplace mantle was painted and left in place to keep the charm of the 1940's home.

The study was originally a downstairs bedroom but over the years a french door had been added to open it to the living room. Fully custom, wall-to-wall bookshelves with an integrated desk were added to transform this room into a warm study and workspace. The barn door and side door also shut completely allowing this room to be used as a private guestroom when needed.

(Owner's note: the intent was always to place a sleeper sofa in this room, but since we also had an upstairs guestroom we used an Aerobed if we had guests requiring more than one room.)

The downstairs powder room was relocated when the new addition was added and we decided to have some fun with this space. A Toto pedestal sink and toilet were chosen to help transition between the older more traditional part of the house and the more modern addition. Metallic nautical wallpaper gives the small space a dramatic look and a vintage ship's porthole was re-purposed as a mirror.

The original basketweave tile floors and bathtub were kept in the remodel of the upstairs hall bathroom. The medicine cabinets are also original, but needed some refinishing and new hardware. The original tile was in poor condition and had to be replaced. We opted for subway tile with a gray grout and added a recessed niche with glass shelves.

We added wallpaper and custom paneling to the walls to finish off the space. The paneling was done with PVC to add water resistance.

The original portion of the house had two good-sized bedrooms that just needed new paint and lighting. The larger of the two bedrooms was made smaller by about 4 feet and the doorway moved to allow for the new addition. The original built-in drawers were left in place and add great storage space.

Upstairs, the entry to the new addition was made by turning a window into a doorway. Once again wide-plank oak floors were added in the same finish as the original oak floors. The large walk-through closet was designed to allow for sliding or bi-fold doors, but we found that we preferred the easy access of no doors at all.

One of the downsides of older homes is that they rarely have a true master suite, and if they do it is often cramped and awkward.

We wanted to ensure that the master bedroom felt bright, airy, and provided a restful oasis in the home. To do this we added a vaulted ceiling and lots of windows to allow in natural light.

Shaw + Co. Builders loves doing upscale bathrooms and our own master bathroom is one of our favorite spaces in the house. The room features a custom exotic hardwood accent wall and sliding door that, along with the soaking tub, lend a spa feel to the space.

The full-wall mirror over the vanity was added to allow light to reflect around the room. Pendant vanity lights were added to avoid having to cut into the mirror. The oversized vanity provides more than enough storage and counter space. A separate toilet room provides privacy and is a feature rarely found in city homes.

When we designed the shower we decided to do the type of luxury shower usually only found in million dollar homes. We added a frameless glass shower door, elongated white tile, a custom bench seat, and flattened river rock floor tile. This shower also features a steam shower and three showerheads (standard, rainfall, and hand-held).