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How do home renovations dreams become reality?  They take shape when a homeowner brings their ideas to the Morse Team.  The development of a project requires communication and time for the homeowner and the development and design team to thoughtfully and creatively design a project. Thinking through the challenges of a project renovation in the planning stages sets the stage for a smooth project.  The Morse Team works with the homeowners to select materials and finishes that will complete the look. Applications for permits are made and the crew is prepared.

The day of the pre-construction meeting is an exciting day for the homeowners and the Morse Team.  They have listened, designed, redesigned and listened some more to arrive at this day.  Anticipation and excitement run high!  Home renovation is disruptive to family schedules, work schedules and at times overwhelming, but the end goal is clear and the Morse Team will navigate the process each day bringing the day of the post-construction meeting in sight.

Our clients came to Morse with dreams of expanding their garage to create more storage and hobby space and to expand the cozy family room over the garage to a large area to entertain guests and relax.

Working with the Morse Design and Build team, the homeowners saw their space planned exactly as they had hoped.  Many skilled hands and minds are involved in a home renovation.  Consistency and responsiveness by the Morse Team made the homeowners comfortable with the flow of workers in and out of their home.  Communication was key throughout the project.  Space to ask questions and to address concerns is part of a successful project.

From the initial visit, through design and pre-production of the project, the Morse Team responded promptly and decisively to the questions the homeowners raised.  The relationship that develops during a project between the client and Morse is strengthened by weekly meetings and daily updates. Prior to the project, these homeowners were strangers to Morse, now they are friends and repeat clients in an additional project.

Our clients came to Morse with specific hopes - a garage they could park in, an office space, and a master suite with an en-suite bathroom. Working with Maxwell Architects, LLC Morse helped them create the vision, design the space and construct the project.

By converting the existing garage into living space and building a two-story addition on the side of the house, the couple’s dreams for the project became a reality. In place of the existing garage, Morse constructed an office with a mudroom behind that has direct access to the garage. The two-car garage was oversized to provide ample room for parking as well as tool storage, sports equipment and yard care equipment. Upstairs, the master bedroom now connects to a walk in closet, a dressing area, and a new master bathroom. The whole house was re-sided bringing together all of the changes and creating a beautiful finish on the project.

Our team helped a growing family breathe new life into their three story home. The team relocated the third floor staircase from the center of the home to the perimeter, stacking it above the staircase from the first floor and reclaiming the square footage into bedrooms. Removing an old wood stove and opening up walls transformed the first floor living space. Wood floors were refinished and made beautiful again. Dining area wrapped with custom-built bookcases. Kitchen was expanded bringing in more light. On the second floor, an existing bathroom was remodeled with an adjacent laundry room. New dormers on both sides of the house allowed for expansion of living space on the third floor, creating a large office/open area, a separate bedroom and a full bathroom.

When Wendy C. and her family returned to the Boston area from a seven-year stint in Switzerland and Singapore, they were faced with a choice. Do they renovate the single-family home that Wendy and her husband purchased in Allston before they were married, or do they sell and buy a new home?

The couple opted to stay put and renovate. Their 1890s home had some structural issues and essential systems needed updates, but they loved their house’s character and location. Their two children had grown up speaking German in Switzerland and their home was fortuitously just a short walk away from the only German International School in the Boston area.

Wendy and her husband wanted to modernize the home without sacrificing its historic integrity. They focused their search for a renovation contractor on firms with experience updating historic houses. “We selected Morse because we felt they really understood our goal to update the house without losing the historic character that we loved,” says Wendy.

The first phase of the renovation included what Wendy calls “behind-the-scenes updates,” such as structural and systems improvements. For the second phase, the couple envisioned transforming a hodgepodge of unfinished and partially finished attic space into a flexible area that could easily transition from a work or craft space, to guest quarters, to a hang-out area for their two children.

Wendy and her husband knew exactly what they wanted and had created a design. The trick was to demonstrate that the renovation was compliant with Allston’s strict building regulations. “Ours is one of the only single-family homes in the area. Most were converted to multi-family housing decades ago and some of the conversions were unsafe. Regulations were tightened as a result,” Wendy explains. The couple had to hire a lawyer to show that the house had always been 2 1/2 stories of living space and would continue to be used as a single-family home. After a six-month delay, a building permit was finally issued and Morse could begin the renovation.

Morse worked on the project during the COVID pandemic and completed the renovation late in 2020. A warren of partially finished rooms has been replaced by a large area for working or playing with cozy nooks for flopping and reading, as well as an adjacent area that can be transformed into a guest bedroom or additional workspace. A wet bar, full bath and ample storage complete this third-floor hideaway.

Wendy and her husband thoughtfully planned their home so it gets progressively more modern with each floor. “Our third-floor renovation carries through the design and architectural themes on the other floors, yet adds more contemporary touches,” Wendy says.

Wendy’s husband currently uses the space as his office while he works remotely, and Wendy laughs that the rest of the family “almost forgets it is up here.” However, the family loves the flexibility of the space and looks forward to putting it to use in many ways in the years to come.