Collaborative Process
The ensuing collaboration, which also included structural engineers
from Structures Workshop, had several goals: to create an inviting,
cohesive space conducive to entertaining, to create intimate spaces
with the vast open volume of the room and to do it all frugally.
“We did this on a very tight budget,” MacKean says.
To save where they could, McDonough and MacKean contributed
sweat and materials. They painted the ceilings themselves and
refinished the original hardwood floors. MacKean spent a day at IKEA,
sketching out what he wanted for kitchen cabinets. Once he had the
layout set, he bought the frames sans the door, constructing them
and as many side components as he could himself using plywood.
Laurenzi’s redesign for the kitchen maintained the location of the
sink and stove to prevent water and gas lines from having to be
replumbed. Yet still, says McDonough, Laurenzi gave them the roomy
kitchen they wanted.
“Anastasia is incredible at conceptualizing the amount of space you
need to feel comfortable,” she says. “I can have eight people cooking
and they’re not uncomfortable or on top of each other.”
Other materials were recovered from various places. The master
bathroom tiles — vintage 1970s Mexican tile originally intended for an
indoor pool — were salvaged from a relative’s barn. Twenty years ago
MacKean and his brother had salvaged (and saved) several three-panel
doors from a house that was being demolished; those doors were
refinished and used in the main room.
CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: This arched doorway was
revealed during the demolition of the old space; it subsequently
became the new entryway into the master bedroom. An open
shower featuring a glass partition and French drain prevent the
bathroom, which also includes a soaking tub, from feeling
cramped. The loft offers overnight guests a surprisingly private
retreat that still feels like part of the main space.
80 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l
MARCH 2020