The Cambridge TV House: Updating a Classic Queen Anne

As the renovation proceeded, an outside-inside sleight of hand began to emerge. From the exterior, it appeared as though a classic restoration was in the works: The original siding was repaired, sanded, and repainted, for example, and replacement windows were installed in existing openings to keep the facade looking period-appropriate. But inside, a radical transformation was taking shape. One material in particular visually ties together the three levels of the modernized interior. The whitewashed southern yellow pine used as a ceiling inset in the family room became a design motif for built-in shelving there and in the dining area, for the rounded handrails Tom crafted for the stairways, and for accents in the master bath. Even the kitchen's vent hood is made from it. "We felt that building the hood from the same butcher block as the island top would have been too contrived," says kitchen designer Kathy Marshall, who collaborated with Sally on the built-ins.

Shown: Nestled between the kitchen and family room, the dining area includes a generous window seat with deep drawers in an existing bumpout—a perfect daydreaming spot.

Small-duct heating and AC: The Unico System