Big progress is being made as the finishing touches go into place at the Westford House. Kevin O’Connor begins his tour upstairs, admiring the freshly painted rooms and the intricate craftsmanship in the newly installed crown molding. On the first floor, he stops to take in the restored main staircase, now featuring its original treads and detailed handrails brought back to their former glory.
In the front parlor, Kevin meets stained-glass expert Cathryn Blackwell, who is in the process of repairing and reinstalling the home’s original stained-glass windows. She explains that while the curved warping in the glass was initially believed to be fire damage, it’s more likely the result of gravity acting on improperly stored panels over time. Cathryn also walks Kevin through the difference between leaded and copper foil-stained glass—these windows are copper foil, which means each piece of glass is edged with adhesive copper strips instead of lead. This technique makes the windows lighter and more suited to the homeowners’ style. Kevin watches as she begins soldering the pieces into place.
Upstairs, plumber Brian Bilo is hard at work in the bathroom, installing a custom vanity repurposed from an antique dresser. Because of the dresser’s internal structure, the plumbing had to be modified to sit higher. Brian also added a grated drain to bring the setup to code and prevent overflow.
A few weeks ago, Kevin headed to Vermont to visit artist Lisa Curry Mair, who’s painting a custom mural for the dining room. The piece, inspired by the town of Westford, blends historical charm with a whimsical twist. Lisa walks Kevin through her creative process, and he watches her bring a new section of the mural to life. Flash forward to today; at the house, Lisa and her installer, Charlie begin prepping the dining room walls for installation.
Outside, solar expert Dan McCarthy and his team are completing the solar panel installation. With the support structure now in place, they’re adding 36 modules—enough to cover nearly the entire electric bill for the main house.
Around the front, Kevin checks in with electrician Heath Eastman as he installs a new light fixture on the front portico. From there, they move upstairs to the main staircase, where Heath and Kevin work together to hang and wire a beautiful antique chandelier.
Out back, Kevin meets up with Charlie Silva, who is overseeing the installation of the new garage door—one of the final exterior upgrades to the home.
Original Air Date: May 22, 2025, Season 46; Ep. 25 25:09
Products and Resources
- Window restoration: Blackwell Stain & Lead Glass
- Side trip: Canvasworks Designs
- Plumbing contractor: Bilo Plumbing and Heating
- Garage door installers: Middlesex Overhead Door
- Garage door manufacturer: Everite Door
- Solar installation: ReVision Energy
- HVAC systems manufacturer: FW Webb
