ForResidentialPros.com QR August 2014 17
Neither the Andersons nor
Palmer would disclose the proj-
ect's budget, although Palmer
says cost was not "the primary
concern" for the owners. (Mike
is an executive with an executive
search firm, and Eliza runs the
household and is a board mem-
ber with the Community Charter
School of Cambridge. Both
are 50 years old and Harvard
alums.) The Andersons and
Charlie Allen Renovations pre-
planned the renovation several
weeks in advance of construc-
tion, which kept change orders
to a minimum, Palmer notes.
CHALLENGES OVERCOME
Although the project came in on
time and on budget, it did pres-
ent one major challenge. The ceil-
ing height made installing walls
to compartmentalize this space
impractical. So the family and
renovation team came up with
a solution to separate the sitting
and sleeping areas with a prom-
inent wooden console with a
retractable flat screen TV inside.
The TV faces the sitting area and
the console, says Palmer, "creates
a very visual block."
One problem, though: The
Andersons didn't want the
power lines to the console to be
exposed. So that meant drill-
ing holes through the concrete
floor, which have radiant heat-
ing coils embedded. Palmer says
her company needed to call in a
thermal imaging expert to locate
the coils so subs could work
around them during the wiring
installation.
The coils also led to another
unexpected consequence of the
Andersons' decision to give the
room some warmth by painting
the floor in a light blue and
gray checkerboard pattern.
The polyurethane coating
unfortunately didn't respond
well when heated and began
to yellow almost immediately.
Palmer says the yellowing was
a "product defect" and the
problem was remediated by
using a different finish. QR
John Caulfield writes from Old
Bridge, N.J., about remodeling
and design.
Custom-ordered floor-to-ceiling
shelving can be reached with the
library ladder that slides along
the wall, around the piano.
COMPANY INFORMATION
Charlie Allen Renovations,
Cambridge, Mass.
charlie-allen.com
Full-time employees: 7
Average annual revenue: $2 million
Annual remodeling projects: 15
Residential: 100 percent
Single-family: 50 percent
Multifamily: 50 percent
Design-build: 100 percent
PROJECT INFORMATION
Project location: Cambridge, Mass.
Completed: April 2013
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Cabinets: Metropolitan
Countertops: Corian Verde
Toilet: Kohler
Shower floor: Kyoto Antracite
mosaic floor tile
Shower faucet: Kohler
Sink and sink faucet: Kohler
Flooring: Concrete, painted in a
checkerboard pattern