Before & After: Downsize, Upgraded

In what’s increasingly becoming a trend amongst empty-nesters, this Cambridge-by-way-of-suburbia couple chose to downsize their family home in favor of something smaller, and decidedly more cosmopolitan. Stephen Hart, of Hart Associates Architects, helped create the couple’s urban sophisticate vision in Harvard Square condo that was badly in need of updating.

BEFORE: The stairway as it existed when the couple bought the apartment.

BEFORE: The kitchen was in need of an overhaul.

BEFORE: Downstairs, the hall let little light in.

BEFORE: Another shot of the hall.

AFTER: The entry stair, redone.

AFTER: The staircase is now well-lit and open.

AFTER: The new kitchen, dramatically improved.

AFTER: Modern, neutral furnishings don’t compete with the apartment’s stunning view of the Charles River.

AFTER: The master bathroom is the opposite of dark.