Brookline Village Conversion Challenge

Turning a two-family home into a single-family home requires extensive engineering and design expertise. Especially if the owners want the option to reverse the process some day.

The family wanted to be able live in the whole house for the next few years, but also wanted the option to convert it back to a two-family without jumping through too many hoops. The house is in a tight-knit neighborhood and within an easy walk of a trolley line, so this sort of adaptability will be a real asset over time as housing needs shift.

We renovated and enlarged the first-floor kitchen by combining the small existing kitchen with a nearby bedroom. We renovated and updated the bathroom, working with the artist/owner to add her handmade tiles to the walls. Outside we built a deck and a spiral staircase leading to the second floor, which will serve as a second egress from upstairs if the house is divided again. Large windows bring more light and a feeling of spaciousness into the house, with the airy and inviting kitchen serving as the central family gathering space.