Updating a 1970's Concord Colonial - Opening up Living Spaces

Custom built-in bar next to new solarium

This 1970’s colonial home is owned by an older professional couple juggling demanding careers and committed to aging in place.  They wanted to improve the kitchen-family room connection, create beautiful spaces in which to read and write, and to better utilize an existing screen porch.    

Porch before

For this project, Hands-On Construction converted the porch to a year-round solarium, updated family room finishes and created large openings between the solarium, family room and existing kitchen. 

Family room fireplace / New painted wood trim

We converted the family room brick fireplace to gas and added a beautiful a wood mantle and granite hearth. We provided custom painted wood built-ins on three walls to house a media center, bar and some of the couple’s extensive book collection. And we replaced existing barn board wainscoting and dark beams with a painted wood trim package that was a better fit to the classic elegance of their home. New carpet, paint and wallpaper finished the transformation.

New solarium overlooks wooded lot

Engineered beams and walls in the new solarium allow for a vaulted ceiling and oversized windows.  Old-fashioned bubble style skylights were replaced in the low-pitch roofing.  Stucco hid exterior insulation applied over the poured concrete slab to preserve the slate floor.  A zoned ductless AC and baseboard heating system improved homeowners' comfort.  And a larger landing and new stair improved access to the patio and wooded back yard. 

Some of the other improvements we made ---

• We installed a french door between family room and kitchen to allow for some sound separation during tv viewing
• Better situated lighting for aging eyes and reading
• In the media center, our consultant designed for a one touch controller
• We maximized the homeowners' views of a lovely, private, wooded lot
• Construction Details:



Solarium looking into kitchen

• We called in a structural consultant for the beam
• Installed flashing detail for exterior insulation
• Used split wood shutters so top half is operable above furniture
• Made extensive roof-siding-trim repairs to make the building shell weather-tight and provide ice-dam protection

Architect: Rick Eifler

Designer: Merill Comeau

Photography: Mori Insinger