Paul Sullivan built his Massachusetts home close to three decades ago, so he knew the time had come to revamp the outdated Colonial-style house. Located in Canton, Massachusetts—a desirable Boston suburb about 20 miles from the city—the house, though functional, needed a refresh.
“When I built this house 30 years ago, I was on a much more limited budget, so I didn’t put as much into the home at that time,” Sullivan said.
A few years ago, before Covid struck, Sullivan and his wife, Marianne, were prepared to upgrade and modernize the first floor to fit the couple’s lifestyle. Sullivan worked as a managing partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and as a lead partner for Bain Capital in Boston, and his wife was an AVP of Capital Market Operations at Citibank in New York City, but both are retired now.
Beyond their control, the year-long project took longer than they had expected due to several pauses during the pandemic.
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The renovation project took longer than expected because of Covid-related delays.
Susan Hayward Interiors
The scope consisted of a home office, a porch that was reimagined into a wine room, a breakfast area and the kitchen—a gathering and entertaining space and the most crucial room in the redo. The design would be modern yet tailored, adhering to the house’s style.
“We wanted to maintain that traditional, classic and timeless look because it’s a Colonial home,” he said. “But wanted to get a bit more upgraded in terms of quality materials, appliances and features, and a fresher aesthetic.”
Sullivan worked with Milton, Massachusetts-based designer Susan Hayward and D.J. deMello Custom Building and Woodworking in Canton to gut and rework the first floor. Since he’s an avid home chef, a state-of-the-art kitchen was a top priority in the redo. A reimagined space includes two islands for prepping and dining, a hammered copper farmhouse sink from Native Trails, five custom Thermador ovens and storage galore. The team even designed a custom built-in dog house inside a cabinet for their four-legged family member.
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The team even designed a custom built-in dog house inside a cabinet for their four-legged family member.
Jared Kuzia Photography
The kitchen’s cabinet design and materials contribute to the timelessness. Meanwhile, a sun-soaked dining area swathed in a leaf motif grass cloth provides an intimate setting for meals off the kitchen. For the finishing touch, Hayward selected an industrial-inspired pendant light from Ralph Lauren for above the table.
“We kept the colors soft by going with a warm white on the cabinets (Benjamin Moore Cotton Balls), a neutral yet classic quartzite on the counters (Taj Mahal), and subway tile backsplash,” Hayward explained. “The breakfast nook was created to incorporate the owners’ existing table and chairs, which didn’t fit well in the room. Creating the corner banquette allowed for the use of the furniture while providing a cozier dining option.”
An external porch at the opposite end of the kitchen morphed into a moody, climate-controlled wine room Hayward envisioned as a “porthole” experience. The design team removed the eternal window frames and installed dark wood with nautical accents, custom cork wallpaper by Candice Olsen for York Wallcoverings and Thomas O’Brien porthole-style lights from Visual Comfort.
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A before view of a porch that was converted into a wine cellar.
Susan Hayward Interiors
The finished cellar is a moody, climate-controlled space.
Jared Kuzia Photography
Hayward transformed the once utilitarian office into a serene study reflecting an Old World aesthetic. “The shining star of the study is the stunning walnut shelving and built-ins,” Hayward said. “These custom additions by D.J. deMello were the springboard for the design.” Hayward installed traditional Arhaus lighting and incorporated AERIN wall panels for color.
A utilitarian office turned into a serene study reflecting an Old World aesthetic.
Jared Kuzia Photography
Mansion Global caught up with Sullivan, who shared the ups and downs of the renovation and why he and his wife chose remodeling over purchasing a new home.
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We describe our aesthetic as… Traditional verging on transitional.
The biggest lesson we learned from the renovation was… You really have to be flexible and make sure that you can afford the adjustments that take place as you move through the renovation.
The one tip we’d offer to someone undertaking a renovation is… Make sure you have alternative living arrangements while you are doing a kitchen renovation.
Our biggest surprise was… Sometimes having empty space is better than having unnecessary furnishings or trying to functionalize every area, especially if you like to entertain.
Our favorite room after the renovation is… Marianne’s office and the kitchen.
The original kitchen was 30 years old and feeling dated.
Susan Hayward Interiors
The owners said this dining area was one of the dramatic changes besides the kitchen.
Jared Kuzia Photography
The most dramatic change is… The kitchen and the dining area. The dining area was a sunroom converted into a banquette with great views and beautiful sunlight.
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The one material we discovered is… Walnut. I never realized how spectacular walnut can be, it really added a lot of character to Marianne’s office, and it’s such a beautiful wood with so much dimension.
The one expense we didn’t expect was… When we started taking down some of the walls we realized that the initial construction of the home didn’t have the appropriate support beams in place, so the expense of adding new support beams was certainly not anticipated.
We decided to renovate instead of building a new home because… The acre of land that we have, the location—and the home is only 30 years old. I had also previously installed new windows, furnaces, air conditioning units and other updates before the major renovations, so to tear it down would have been a shame.
The total cost of the first-floor renovation was… $400,000.
A reimagined space includes two islands for prepping and dining, a hammered copper farmhouse sink from Native Trails, five custom Thermador ovens and storage galore.
Jared Kuzia Photography