Open living area with dark wood stairs, exposed ceiling beams, and a pink sofa beside a wood-burning stove

Heyman-Renou

LOCATION

East Bay, Rhode Island

SERVICES

,

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Custom Millwork

AWARD

Fine Homebuilding Best Remodel, June 2019 · RI Monthly Nest 2020 · The Bay magazine

Kitchen with mustard-yellow upper cabinets, navy lower cabinetry, open wood shelving, and a live-edge wood island

This total home renovation began with a colonial-revival style house that had previously undergone two additions. In recognizing the intrinsic value of the initial structure, Sixteen On Center sought to create a stark contrast between what was original and what was later added, an expression achieved through the use of knotty cedar on the exterior.

On the interior, the original structure is celebrated through exposed ceiling rafters and resurfaced hardwood floors throughout. Opening up the living space on the first floor and removing select load-bearing walls required adding a steel beam, which gave the home an industrial yet modern twist. This theme of modernization is especially prevalent in the kitchen, where the material combinations and color selections of the cabinetry – all custom and done here in our shop – create a vibrant and stimulating space.

The artistic eye and unique taste of our clients pushed us to a new level of custom work, where the inclusion of the clients’ own work, along with their selection of a few antique pieces, helps bring a revival aesthetic to the home. A primary example of this is the cattle yoke, an item that the clients presented and requested be incorporated into the kitchen design. Our team took this and ran with it, turning a piece of classic farm equipment into a featured lighting fixture.

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Exterior of a shingled colonial-revival home framed by trees, viewed across a meadow of tall grass
Front exterior of a white clapboard colonial-revival home with black-framed windows and a solar-paneled roof
Interior hallway and dark wood staircase leading past a black stove pipe toward a sunlit doorway
Detail of custom dark cabinetry with a raw wood countertop edge
Sitting area with a black wood-burning stove, upholstered bench, and a gilt-framed mirror beside a window
Rear exterior of the home showing a covered porch, stone foundation, and detached outbuilding across the lawn
Black-framed glass door and dark wood staircase leading down to a screened porch
Hallway with a weathered yellow barn door opening into a sitting room with patterned rugs
Bedroom with exposed wood ceiling beams, a wood-paneled headboard wall, and a quilt-topped bed
Laundry and mudroom area with a dark tile floor, built-in bench, and exposed ceiling beams
Bathroom with green subway tile, a glass shower enclosure, and a potted orchid on the vanity
Covered porch addition with cedar ceiling and colorful metal furniture, overlooking the yard
Screened porch with a wood-plank ceiling, large windows, and a small dining set
Screened sunroom with woven chairs, a glass table, and a wall of windows overlooking greenery
Elevated screened treehouse-style structure among the trees, viewed across the lawn

Project Highlights

  • Removed two massive chimneys that had divided the first floor into four small, disconnected spaces
  • Introduced a steel beam solution to maintain structural integrity while opening the living areas
  • Designed and fabricated custom cabinetry in-house at Sixteen on Center’s shop
  • Preserved exposed ceiling rafters and resurfaced hardwood floors to honor the character of the original home
  • Transformed a homeowner-supplied cattle yoke into a custom kitchen lighting fixture—antique farm equipment given new purpose as a featured centerpiece
Open living area with dark wood stairs, exposed ceiling beams, and a pink sofa beside a wood-burning stove