The Addition With The View | Nick Portnoy Builders

Belmont Hill Garrison Colonial - Belmont, MA

A project born from the damage caused by the Snowmaggedon winter.

We gave the exterior a complete facelift including a new entry portico, all new windows, doors, cedar shingle siding, and trim (We left the original slate roof). A small single story addition off the back made room to relocate the kitchen and create a functional mudroom and expanded dining space. On the third floor, we solved long standing ice dam issues and updated two bedrooms.

Credits

Architecture: Elizabeth Cole Architecture

Photography: Shelly Harrison Photography

Victorian Kitchen - Watertown, MA

A reimagined kitchen perfectly at home in its Victorian era home. This kitchen was a finalist in the Subzero Wolf Kitchen Design Contest.

Credits

Kitchen Design: New England Design Works

Photography: Jared Kuzia

Stick Style Victorian - Watertown, MA

Stripped this house to its sheathing and started fresh. This allowed us to properly retrofit insulation, add a 21st century WRB, and completely restore all of the original (and very charming) period details from the home's original construction.

Credits

Photography: Matt Delphenich

Blue in Brighton Kitchen

This kitchen graced the cover of Boston Home magazine and for good reason.

Credits

Kitchen Design: New England Design Works

Photography: Jared Kuzia

Second Empire Renovation - Belmont, MA

A largely interior renovation that, with the help of a small addition, simplified a circuitous first floor plan, creating a new kitchen, mudroom, and half bath. Upstairs, the second floor was reconfigured to create a primary suite while maintaining four bedrooms.

We also solved a long standing wet basement issue, which allowed us to create a finished exercise room and an additional bathroom.

The kitchen (a showstopper designed by Karen Swanson) was featured in the December 2020 issue of House Beautiful.

Credits

architecture: Elizabeth Cole Architecture + NPB

kitchen design: New England Design Works

photography: Jared Kuzia

Grove Hill Carriage House - Newton, MA

A structurally compromised carriage house that required the use of steel beams to reinforce. We finished the second floor to create an accessory dwelling unit with a large entertainment space. We used alot of reclaimed wood to celebrate the building's carriage house origins.

Credits

Architecture: Elizabeth Cole Architecture

Photography: Shelly Harrison

Cross Gable Addition - Belmont, MA

A cross gable addition to the rear of the house, this addition added 3 floors of living space. On the first floor, we enlarged the living room, which now opens to a new kitchen and mudroom. The second floor features a proper primary suite and an expanded hall bathroom. The third floor gained two additional bedrooms and a bathroom. And to make sure the exterior felt cohesive, we resided the house in its entirety with new cedar shingles.

Credits

Architecture: Zaff Architecture

Photography: Matt Delphenich

A Watertown White House - Watertown, MA

A complete facelift of the building's exterior, including siding, trim, and porches. I wrote an article for the Journal of Light Construction about the technique we used to reconstruct the eaves here.

Credits

Photography: Matt Delphenich

This Old Greek Revival - Belmont, MA

This classic Greek Revival, located in Belmont's Pleasant Street Historic District, was in serious need of repair. We reframed a portion of the roof to create extra living space on the third floor, while also tackling all of the (extensive) repair work. A significant effort was made to restore the original eave details, with all new Spanish cedar wood gutters for a historically authentic result.

Credits

Photography: Matt Delphenich

A Modern Brownstone Kitchen - Boston, MA

We combined the kitchen and an adjacent room to create the additional space needed for an improved kitchen layout and, of course, the island. Set within the traditional footprint of a South End brownstone, we also created room for a built-in banquette and some additional seating.

Credits

Kitchen Design: New England Design Works

Cabinetry: Bespoke Woodwrights

Photography: Jared Kuzia

Triple Decker Penthouse - Cambridge, MA

The renovation to this top floor unit in a traditional triple decker created an open floor plan with a new primary suite and kitchen. We also enclosed a back porch for additional living space.

Credits

Design: the (talented) homeowner

Photography: Shelly Harrison

Davis Square Victorian – Somerville, MA

A top to bottom renovation, in every sense of the phrase. Fully gutted, we added a two story addition, two dormers, and lowered the basement floor by over a foot. On the outside, we recreated all the original Victorian era details to have the house blend in seamlessly with its historic surroundings.

This project received a Preservation Award from the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission.

Credits

Architecture: Boyes-Watson Architects

Landscape Design/Build: Blade of Grass

Photography: Shelly Harrison

Federal Style On The Battle Green – Lexington, MA

A house with a fascinating history... originally built in the Second Empire style, a prominent architect bought this house in the early part of the 20th century and converted it to the Federal style it is today (although some of the original Mansard roof can still be seen from the back yard). Our work (not as ambitious) was to add a 2 garage and connector addition. This allowed us to relocate the basement stairs, create a more open layout on the first floor with a large kitchen opening to a spacious deck. The second floor was renovated to create a primary suite and expanded hall bath.

Credits

Architecture: Zaff Architecture

Photography: Matt Delphenich

Primary Suite Addition - Lincoln, MA

A rear wing addition to a small ranch house, this created a primary suite on the main floor while the basement level was finished to create an additional bedroom. We had alot of fun on this project executing on a range of unique details from the board form concrete retaining wall to the built-in sauna to the vaulted board & beam ceiling.

Credits

Architecture: Tiny Desk Designs

Photography: Matt Delphenich

An Addition with an Angle

A two story addition on a corner lot that angled to follow the property's setback requirements. The angle is cleverly disguised on the interior so that it is never seen. First floor created a mudroom and eating nook and the second floor was for a primary bath and closet.

Credits

Architecture: James Forren

Photography: Shelly Harrison

Harvard Sq. Carriage House Condo - Cambridge, MA

This renovation of a Harvard Square carriage house introduced a number of modern details while still celebrating the building's original character. Alot of great details on this project... our favorite being the stair closet millwork & steel balustrade that was so beautifully designed by the architect, Dan Hisel.

Credits

Architecture: Hisel Flynn

Photography: Matt Delphenich

A Victorian Turns Modern - Somerville, MA

This house required just about everything you can think of... most dramatic of which was a new foundation . We also reframed all the floor systems, resheathed the house in its entirety, and added an addition off the back. The end result was four floors of (fantastic) living space.

Credits

Architecture: Runcible Studios

Photography: Matt Delphenich

Cape Turned Garrison – Cambridge, MA

A small house, originally built as a Cape, and later expanded upwards. We took this house down to the studs, reconfigured the interior floorplan for a more contemporary layout, and added the kitchen addition off the back.

Credits

Architecture: Ezra Block

Photography: Matt Delphenich