Inside a Modern Renovation of a Historic Cambridge Victorian

The 1890 house is painted Yorktowne Green with Salamander trim, both subdued colors from Benjamin Moore’s Historic Collection. By contrast, the front door is bright Lichen Green.

In the foyer, Scribble Being, a painting by Tom Friedman, hangs to the left of the doorway leading to the living room, where dark gray-green walls are a backdrop for the leather B&B Italia sectional sofa. Above it is Continental Curiosities by Kyungmi Shin.

The exterior facade and landscaped yard fit into its neighborhood of historic homes in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

A window nook painted Benjamin Moore Twilight gives an otherwise neutral family room a pop of color.

Built-in bookcases by Conor’s Custom Carpentry fill an entire wall in the living room/library. The pedestal table by Half Crown Design surrounded with Platner Lounge Chairs by Knoll serves as a game table or can be extended to seat ten.

Against a backdrop of a new wall of windows in the dining area, the kitchen island seems to float above the oak flooring. It is sheathed with vertical oak slats and topped with black granite.

A pair of thirty-inch handmade bronze Bonnie pendants by Ovature Studios add a sculptural element to the room.

The dark gray Shaker-style cabinets by WLC Cabinetmakers are accented with sleek T-shaped oak pulls.

Windows were added above the bed in the primary suite. The custom headboard is designed with built-in nightstands. The designers lowered the vaulted ceiling by three feet and chose the Stand By Mobile chandelier by Aqua Creations Studio for a stunning finish.

The primary bedroom is large enough to accommodate a sitting area outfitted with a Ligne Roset sectional sofa.

The window in the spa-like primary bathroom offers a treetop view from the soaking tub; the Technicolor floor tiles by 41zero42 have a faux wood-grain finish.

This child’s bedroom has a built-in reading nook nestled into shelves reachable by a moveable ladder.

Banks of new windows at the back of the house bring light and views into the basement-level recreation room, the first-floor dining area, and a second-floor home office; the single window on the top floor is in the primary bathroom.

Tree-stump steps lead to a whimsical backyard play fort painted to match the house.

Renovating a Victorian Home in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Modern and fun. That’s the design directive Squarehouse Studios was given by clients who had purchased a house that was neither. The 1890 three-story Victorian in Cambridge, Massachusetts, had been recently renovated with resale in mind. The process yielded a residence with its period exterior appearance intact,
but with interiors that, in real estate lingo, leaned toward a more widely appealing transitional decor.

The new owners, a married couple with daughters ages ten and twelve, preferred something bolder, more colorful, and more personal. “They wanted to feel it belonged to them,” says Mary Flo Ouellette, who along with Steven Santosuosso, founded Squarehouse. “They were drawn to a clean, modern style but also wanted to preserve some of the home’s original architectural character.”

To achieve this desired look would be no small undertaking. “This project was a full gut renovation,” says Santosuosso. “We transformed every element: exterior facade, landscaping, interior walls, trim, windows, finishes, lighting, built-ins, furniture, art, and styling accents.”

Bold Interior Design That Balances Contemporary Style and Historic Character

To help execute those plans, they brought in Sally DeGan of SpaceCraft Architecture and Joe DiLazzaro of Opus Master Builders, who had both worked on the earlier renovation. The design team completely reworked the kitchen, added banks of new windows to the back of the house, tweaked the first-floor plan for better traffic flow, converted two of the four bedrooms on the second floor into home offices, and transformed the third-floor bonus space into a luxe primary suite.

“The custom kitchen is modern, but not too modern,” says Ouellette. The dramatic color scheme combines dark gray Shaker-style cabinets by WLC Cabinetmakers with black granite countertops. A large island is wrapped in vertical oak slats that add warmth and draw the eye like a magnet.

An aura of calm prevails in the adjacent dining area. A row of five simple two-over-two windows opens the space to natural light and creates a traditional backdrop for a modern twelve-foot ash table by Loki Custom Furniture whose simplicity of form belies its detailed craftsmanship. “You need to notice the table, but not too much. We wanted to keep your eyes on the windows,” says Santosuosso. Above it, a ninety-six-inch-long Thin-Line Pendant by Sonneman is an inspired finishing touch.

Customized Living Spaces

The living room/library combines two spaces. One is a comfortable seating area furnished with a Bend-Sofa sectional by B&B Italia in a rich orange-brown hue set against dark smoky green walls. The other is anchored by a built-in floor-to-ceiling bookcase and a round pedestal table by Half Crown Design that is perfect for playing cards and board games or doing puzzles.

The children’s bedrooms remain on the second floor, while the third floor is now an impressive parental getaway tucked under the gabled roof. “The primary suite is massive,” says Santosuosso. “We lowered the ceiling three feet to make it feel less so. We wanted it to feel large but cozy.”

Outside, the house is painted in Yorktowne Green with Salamander trim from Benjamin Moore’s Historical Collection of colors. Enhanced by a manicured landscape, the property fits right into its historic neighborhood. Inside, a new story is unfolding.

Project Team
Architecture: SpaceCraft Architecture
Interior design: Squarehouse Studios
Builder: Opus Master Builders
Landscape design: Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design

Styled by Kaylei McGaw / Anchor Artists