A roughly 200-square-foot addition at the rear of the house, built where an underused sunroom had been, gave the long, narrow kitchen the proportions it needed. Shimmery white subway tile runs in a bond pattern, then shifts to herringbone inside a framed panel behind the range. | Photographs by Joyelle West

Easy Elegance: This Colonial Glow-up Delivers Family-friendly Functionality

Jennifer SperryOctober 1, 2026

Renovations have the power to turn good into great and elevate ordinary into extraordinary. But successful ones require the ability to see possibilities hidden inside existing frameworks. This ability to reimagine is central to Refined Renovations, a full-service design, build, and interiors firm with locations in Wilmington and Wellesley. Owner Jim Buhrer founded the company more than 20 years ago with the goal of bringing design and construction together under one roof. When a young family reached out to Refined Renovations about refreshing their North Shore colonial, lead designer Ashley Deschene and build lead Ethan Robert collaborated on

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Easy Elegance: This Colonial Glow-up Delivers Family-friendly Functionality

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