The owners love a lot of things about their home in Marblehead’s Shipyard neighborhood. They love being close to town. They love that the ocean is just a short walk away. And they love that it has plenty of bedrooms for their four children, ages 7 to 15. But the downstairs was a challenge. The kitchen, filled with dark cabinetry, opened to a standard dining room. A cramped side entry offered just one catch-all closet. The 1990s-era build lacked character in a town brimming with it. Overall, says the owner, there were some dead zones that required rethinking. “With four kids, a dog, and my husband working from home, we just didn’t have a lot of living space,” she relays.
For the renovation, the owners chose a local team: Jen Dulac, principal of Jen Dulac Interior Design, and builder Giovannucci Bros. Inc. They clicked with Dulac, a Marblehead resident, for her love of antiques and vintage finds. In fact, the wife asked to include a handful of antiques passed down from her aunt. “I didn’t want anything cookie-cutter,” says the owner. “I wanted the interior to have lots of character and personality but still fit the bones of our Colonial.” To produce modern comforts—without expanding the footprint—Dulac flexed her space-planning muscle. Specifically, she set her eyes on the untapped potential of the large open-concept kitchen and dining room. To give the family more hangout destinations, she expanded its usability by making three living zones out of two. She transitioned the dining room into a cozy sitting area, complete with a sofa and two swivel chairs by Coley Home. On either side of the sofa are an antique burnt bamboo side table and Barley twist table.
The coffee table is a Chinese antique: “I found it at a Jeremiah Lee Mansion tag sale, and had it refinished and raised up to a comfortable height,” describes Dulac, who admits to keeping all her finds in a shed on her property, ready for action when the right project comes along. Knowing the family still needed a dining spot, Dulac created an efficient corner banquette arrangement. East Boston–based woodworker Oscar Cruz crafted the custom oval table, inspired by a Dunes and Duchess design. Drawers in the banquette provide handy storage. This nook is a favorite spot for dinner and also for homework and morning coffee. Meanwhile, the nearby kitchen hums with activity. In this high-traffic zone, modest changes resulted in big lifestyle improvements.
Shrinking the stairway banister into a partial wall allowed for the inclusion of a dedicated coffee station for the husband’s espresso making tools. Along this same wall, a cleverly disguised “locker” for his jackets and shoes blends seamlessly into the cabinetry. The cabinets are by New Hampshire-based Crown Point Cabinetry. “We partnered rich walnut with painted cabinets in a soft cashmere tone that matches the walls,” describes Dulac. “The combo keeps the room feeling layered but not overly heavy,” she adds. Danby marble, a timeless choice, graces the countertops and the backsplash. Unlacquered brass in the deVOL faucet and Visual Comfort pendants adds a little bling to the neutral affair.
The La Cornue range in Midnight Blue anchors the kitchen; some window rearranging made way for its central positioning. “This was our jumping-off point for using blue as a uniting thread,” explains the designer. Blue meanders into the formal living room, which Dulac had upgraded previously. Here, an existing sofa partners with two new swivel chairs from Coley Home and a custom rug in a tribal print by Landry & Arcari.
In the refreshed mudroom, blue shines again on a set of new cubbies that organize all the accoutrements of kid life. On the floor, marble in two tones elevates this hard-working space. One of the wife’s top asks was for a jewel-like powder room, and Dulac happily obliged. The finished space features Soane Britain’s “Scrolling Fern” wallpaper, a custom Vermont Danby marble pedestal sink with brass legs, and a vintage walnut mirror sourced from England. At the outset, her clients asked for a blend of old-world charm and modern comfort. In return, Dulac delivered an interior that feels usable, stylish, and in line with its setting—proof that thoughtful updates have lasting impact.