

E16 | Lexington Modern | Accessible Made Modern
Season 45 Episode 16 | 23m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
The accessible renovation of the mid-century modern home in Lexington, MA is complete.
Just ten months ago, construction began in historic Lexington, MA, to make a 1960 mid-century modern home accessible for a family whose son has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Because the prognosis of the disease is a complete loss of mobility within a year, Charlie Silva and his team of experts fast-tracked this project to meet this deadline. Today, the crew is back to check out the transformation.
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Funding for THIS OLD HOUSE is provided by The Home Depot and Renewal By Andersen.

E16 | Lexington Modern | Accessible Made Modern
Season 45 Episode 16 | 23m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
Just ten months ago, construction began in historic Lexington, MA, to make a 1960 mid-century modern home accessible for a family whose son has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Because the prognosis of the disease is a complete loss of mobility within a year, Charlie Silva and his team of experts fast-tracked this project to meet this deadline. Today, the crew is back to check out the transformation.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipKevin: Today on "This Old House," just 10 months ago, construction began on this Mid-Century Modern with a mission in historic Lexington, Massachusetts.
The task -- Transform the space into an accessible home, but preserve the original character.
It was a race to the finish, but Move-In Day is here.
♪ [ Jack-hammering ] Man: That's it.
♪ ♪ ♪ Kevin: Hey, there.
I'm Kevin O'Connor, and welcome back to "This Old House" and to our project here in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Today is a day that is 10 months in the making and the culmination of the renovation of this 1960s Mid-Century Modern home, a project with an accelerated timeline.
And that was for good reason.
This family of five's middle child, Caffrey, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and it's a progressive disease that'll eventually rob him of his ability to walk.
So the whole purpose of this renovation was to make sure that Caffrey had the same access to this house as his parents and his siblings.
And Charlie wanted to make sure that that happened as quickly as possible, Charlie.
Hence the crazy schedule.
Charlie: It was, but what we did was we set our schedule based on the 10 months and where we had to be at the end of every month, and every sub hit their deadline.
Kevin: Good for them.
That's teamwork right there.
Charlie: Yeah, it was.
Tom: Yeah.
Well, the scope of the work here was huge, from a gut renovation of the main house to a new addition off the back.
Because, remember, Billy and Michelle wanted to move their bedroom that was up over the garage down back so they could be next to Caffrey's.
Richard: And not to mention, an entirely new geothermal heating and cooling system, plus solar to provide electricity for the house.
Jenn: Right, and accessibility drove this project inside and out to achieve all these level grades at the thresholds.
Richard: Right.
Kevin: And look at the results.
I mean, the transformation is unbelievable.
Tom: Yeah.
It looks great.
Jenn: Spectacular.
Kevin: What do you say we split up and we dig in?
Richard: All right.
Jenn: All right.
Tom: Absolutely.
Kevin: So, Tommy, some of the biggest differences obviously happened out here to the front of the house.
Tom: Yeah, I mean, think about it.
This whole front entry had to be redesigned.
And the garage that was built later, around the '90s, that actually took your eye away from the house completely.
But now, with this new steel beam as the focal point, it brings your eye right to it.
Kevin: Yeah.
And they used a nice mix of materials.
I mean, you mentioned the steel up top, but we've also got the wood veneer siding out front here, which we're seeing clean for the first time.
We had to take that plastic protective coating off.
Tom: Yep.
Kevin: And stone as well.
Granite and bluestone on this.
Check out this ramp.
Tom: I know.
The ramp is really nice.
It's ADA compliant, which is 1 in 12, which is the pitch of it, and then it has a nice, flat surface.
You don't have to worry about rolling back down onto the driveway.
And look at this front door.
It's a beautiful color, and it brings your eye right to the entry.
It's a welcoming sight.
Kevin: Well, you want to do the honors?
Give it a knock.
Tom: All right.
[ Knocks on door ] Kevin: Let's hope they're home, Tommy.
Yep.
They are.
All right.
Tom: Hey, guys.
[ Indistinct greetings ] Kevin: Hey, guys.
Thank you very much.
Tom: Place looks great.
Kevin: Yeah.
We found the house -- bright green door.
Michelle: Yeah.
[ Laughter ] Well, it's reminiscent of the Mid-Century Moderns in Palm Springs.
Kevin: Terrific.
So, how does it feel to be home?
Billy: It's great.
It's a really beautiful home.
Kevin: Good.
We're glad to hear it.
Tom: So, do you miss the treadmill in the front foyer here?
Billy: Not at all.
But I do like the extra height in the basement.
Tom: Oh, I bet you do.
Yeah.
Billy: That's good.
Kevin: And, Caffrey, how do you feel about all the extra floor space?
Caffrey: I love it.
Kevin: That's terrific.
Marlowe, you got your bedroom back, right?
Marlowe: Yeah.
Kevin: The swing is there.
You like?
Marlowe: Mm-hmm.
Kevin: All right.
I like to see those smiles, Tom: Wix, I see your artwork on the wall there.
It's absolutely beautiful.
Michelle: He's our artist in residence right here.
Kevin: So, Wix, you made this?
Wix: Yeah, I made most of it at camp, and then continued to work on it here.
Kevin: Look at that.
Hung on the wall right in the center of the dining room.
That is terrific.
Wix: It's great, I love it.
Kevin: Good.
Well, there's lots to see.
And so I personally would love a tour.
Who wants to volunteer for -- Michelle?
You?
Michelle: I got you, Kevin.
Kevin: Thank you very much.
Michelle: Yeah.
Kevin: That's awesome.
Michelle: Kids, why don't you go hang out in your rooms?
We'll catch up with you later.
Marlowe: Okay.
Tom: And, Billy, I'd love to see the primary all furnished.
Billy: Great.
Let's take a look.
Tom: Okay.
Kevin: Well, Michelle, where do you want to start?
Michelle: Well, we're in the dining room, so let's start in the dining room.
Kevin: Let's do that.
Michelle: All right.
Kevin: So this is new space you guys added?
Michelle: That's right.
So, the original house, this was the front of it.
Kevin: Right.
Michelle: And so, this is the new addition that we put on the front of the house.
Kevin: So it connects to the kitchen?
Michelle: Exactly right.
We wanted a dedicated dining room but it connects to the kitchen, and, you know, all very, you know, wide open.
Kevin: Nice view to the front patio there through sliders.
Michelle: That's right.
Kevin: All right.
And also connected to the front of the house.
Michelle: That's right.
And so, do you remember Andrew?
Kevin: I do.
Michelle: We met him a couple weeks ago when we were at the glass studio?
Kevin: I remember.
Michelle: He's now finished with his light fixture that he's made there, and he's now installing it.
Kevin: Custom made and quite the process.
Michelle: Yeah.
That's right.
So I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Hopefully, it's done by the end of today.
Kevin: Speaking of process, quite a bit went into your floating staircase.
Michelle: Yeah, that's right.
So, I really wanted something very modern, very open -- nice, floating staircase.
And as you recall, in the previous version of the house, upstairs was where the primary bedroom was.
Kevin: Back there.
Right.
Michelle: That's right.
Which, you know, clearly, that was very far away from Caffrey.
We wanted to relocate it down here.
That was one of the main things that we wanted to do.
Kevin: So, essentially, guest suite, offices type of space up there.
Michelle: That's exactly right.
Kevin: Beautiful oak treads.
Michelle: Yeah.
Kevin: We've got the metal, the railings, the steel -- a consistent look throughout.
Michelle: That's right.
Exactly.
Kevin: All right.
Michelle: Here's the mudroom this way.
Kevin: Perfect.
Great place to hang my jacket, if I may.
Michelle: That's right.
Go ahead.
Right here.
Kevin: Thank you.
Wow, look at this room.
I love it.
Michelle: Yeah.
We think it's really cool.
So, we've picked this terrazzo-like tile here, right?
Which is, you know, a nod to the original terrazzo that we found in the house.
Kevin: A perfectly smooth transition to the oak.
Michelle: That's right.
That's exactly right.
Which is perfect for our family, and it's a nice, big, wide-open space.
Kevin: Cubbies for everyone, right?
Michelle: Well, every kid has to have their own cubby.
Otherwise, there's going to be fighting.
So that was important.
Kevin: Great storage.
And immediately adjacent to the garage, so you could enter this way, decamp.
Michelle: That's correct.
Drop all our junk and then come on inside.
Kevin: Love it.
All right.
Michelle: All right, let's go to the living room.
Back here through the foyer, pass the front door, and again, wide-open spaces, right?
That's what it was all about for us.
Kevin: Caffrey loves them.
He's already proclaimed it.
Michelle: That's right.
So, here we are in the living room.
Kevin: Right.
So original house still... Michelle: That's right.
Kevin: ...but very different from what was here.
Michelle: Yeah, that's right.
Actually, Marlowe's bedroom used to be here.
So, now it's a new living space for the entire family.
Kevin: Awesome.
Michelle: And, you know, as you can see, we have the fireplace here.
Kevin: Beautiful.
Michelle: And if you remember, Kevin, what the fireplace was in the old house, right?
You couldn't use it, and it leaked.
Kevin: It was the water intake valve.
Michelle: Exactly.
That's right.
That's exactly right.
Kevin: So this is a big improvement.
Michelle: Yeah.
So, a big focal point.
You know, a nice piece for the room.
And we really wanted to dial up some of those Mid-Century Modern vibes in here, which we've done with the wet bar and some additional built-ins here.
Kevin: Every inch of it reads Mid-Century Modern.
Michelle: That's right.
Kevin: You've got the light fixture here playing off of what's in the front foyer.
Michelle: Exactly.
Kevin: You've got the consistency with the oak and the steel in the railing to the front stairs.
Michelle: That's right.
And that's our lower level.
Kevin: Yep, bedrooms and play space down there.
Michelle: And there's more to see back here, Kevin.
So, this is the hallway where most of the bedrooms are.
And we have our laundry room in here, which is nice.
Centrally located, easy for everybody to use.
Kevin: It's a hard-working room, so it's nice it's near the bedrooms.
Lots of storage, washer/dryer, sink.
Michelle: And we have a steamer over here, too.
Kevin: I've heard those are awesome.
Michelle: Yeah, it's really great.
And, of course, we have this green terrazzo tile.
Kevin: Right.
Michelle: Which I know you're not a big fan of, but I love it.
Kevin: It's your house.
You're the only one who has to love it.
Busy for my taste, but that doesn't mean anything.
Michelle: It's a fun tile.
If you're gonna do laundry, you might as well have some fun.
Kevin: So I've heard.
♪ Jenn: Hi, Marlowe.
Marlowe: Hi, Jenn.
Jenn: How are you?
Marlowe: I'm good.
Jenn: Nice to see you.
You want to give me the tour?
Marlowe: Yeah.
Jenn: Awesome.
So, let's start over here.
Marlowe: This is my bed.
Jenn: Love it.
How'd you pick out the double-decker?
Marlowe: Um, I don't know.
I feel like I wanted a little nook under here, like this.
Jenn: Ooh.
So what do you do in the nook?
Marlowe: My homework, I study.
Jenn: Yeah.
It's a nice, cozy space to just study and really focus, right?
Marlowe: Yeah.
Jenn: I really like that.
Hang up pictures and stuff.
Now, tell me about this wallpaper.
Marlowe: I like it because it's pink, and the design.
Jenn: Thumbs up on that.
It's a good color, pink.
And then, over here, what do we have?
Marlowe: This is my desk.
Jenn: Okay.
So you have two desks?
Marlowe: Yeah.
Jenn: Okay.
Marlowe: But I'm gonna use this one as like a vanity, because my mom's gonna give me her desk mirror, so... Jenn: Okay.
So this is like the beautification station.
Marlowe: Yeah.
Jenn: I really like it.
And it's going to be nice with the natural light coming in this really skinny window.
Awesome.
Marlowe: And then over here is my reading nook.
Jenn: Oh, that's the perfect place.
And then the sun will come in, and it can be all cozy, and you'd be very studious in a lounge mode.
And then your plants -- A girl after my own heart.
Are you going to add any to this addition?
Marlowe: I think I'm gonna add some pink flowers.
Jenn: Some pink flowers?
I think it kind of goes with the vibe in here.
Marlowe: Yeah.
Jenn: Great.
And then you have built-in shelves.
Fantastic.
And tell me about this.
Marlowe: This is my hanging chair.
Jenn: Mm-hmm.
Marlowe: [ Murmuring indistinctly ] Jenn: What do you do in the hanging chair?
Marlowe: I read mostly.
Sometimes I just like to swing.
Jenn: Yeah.
It's a nice meditative zone.
I love it.
Marlowe: Yeah.
Jenn: Well, thank you for the tour, and I'm going to go meet up with Charlie, and I'll see you around on the other side?
Marlowe: Okay.
Bye.
Jenn: All right.
Bye.
♪ Richard: The highlight of this new, wide hallway is this wall of glass.
This is really a nod to the Mid-Century Modern roots of this building.
The light comes in unbelievably here in the afternoon.
Now, the hallway connects the original part of the building to this new addition at the back, and they made it so it's all at one level for accessibility.
You can see it here.
That finished grade on the first floor is exactly the same as the bluestone outside.
And that doesn't happen by accident.
Now, on this side, there's an elevator.
Hey, guys.
How are you?
Nice to see you, Wix.
How are you?
Hey, Caff.
Caffrey: Hi.
Richard: Nice to see you.
Caffrey: See you.
Richard: Where you guys been?
Wix: We were just downstairs.
My bedroom's down there.
Also, like, the rec room and stuff like that.
The gym is also down there.
Richard: Great.
Wix: And the elevator's perfect for Caffrey to be able to access the entire house.
Richard: So this has changed a lot, hasn't it?
Caffrey: Yeah.
Richard: Can you give me a little tour of your new bedroom and new bathroom?
Caffrey: Sure.
Richard: Great.
Lead on.
Wow.
What do you like about this?
This is pretty interesting.
Caffrey: Yeah.
I like that it's colorful and modern.
Richard: Did you help pick out all the colors?
Caffrey: Yeah.
I even helped paint it, too.
Richard: You did?
Caffrey: Yeah.
Richard: Michelangelo you are.
Caffrey: Mm-hmm.
Richard: Who's that on the bed?
Caffrey: Mr. Chicken.
Richard: Mr. Chicken.
Cool.
Well, what else do you like about the room?
Caffrey: There's a door over there.
Richard: So you can go right out to outside, which is pretty cool.
Caffrey: Yeah.
Richard: These shades are pretty cool too, right?
Wix: Yeah.
Let me show you how to operate them.
You can put them down with just one click of the button.
Richard: Look at that.
Wix: And back up again.
Richard: Boy, that is terrific.
That looks great.
You got built-ins right here, and you got a new bathroom.
Caffrey: Mm-hmm.
Richard: You gonna show me that?
Caffrey: Sure.
Richard: All right.
So, a lot different than your old bathroom, huh?
Caffrey: Uh-huh.
Richard: What didn't you like about the old bathroom?
Caffrey: It was too small and had, like, um... Richard: The curve?
The curve?
Caffrey: Curve, yeah.
Richard: No more curve here.
And it's plenty wide, isn't it?
Caffrey: Yeah.
Richard: What else you like?
Caffrey: I like the bench, and I like the buttons.
Richard: Yeah.
So, those buttons are pretty cool.
You can just hit one, and it'll come out a different head.
Caffrey: Yeah.
So it's just at one temperature.
Richard: Right.
And the hand shower you got.
Caffrey: Mm-hmm.
Richard: And what about this thing?
Pull it down.
Caffrey: It's like a handlebar.
Richard: Look at that.
Nice and secure for you.
That's awesome.
Caffrey: Mm-hmm.
Richard: Great.
That's an improvement.
Caffrey: Mm-hmm.
I'll show you my sink.
Richard: Your sink.
All right, so what do you like about this?
Caffrey: I like the automatic sink.
Richard: Yeah.
So you don't have any handles.
That's great.
Your old sink was a vanity which had no room underneath to get a wheelchair under.
There's plenty of space there.
So, you also have a new toilet, right?
Caffrey: Yeah.
Richard: Look at that.
Like a magic toilet.
Caffrey: Yeah.
Richard: Isn't that cool?
Caffrey: Mm-hmm.
Richard: So, this is a toilet.
It's also a bidet.
And it's all kinds of buttons here.
You're going to get used to them.
It'll dry, it'll wash, it'll do everything.
It doesn't play any music, but it's pretty cool.
Caffrey: Yeah.
Richard: All right.
So, that's gonna be great.
How about these grab bars?
Caffrey: They're really helpful.
Wix: There's even this one over here that goes all the way down, nice and sturdy.
Richard: Great.
Well, it took a lot to get everything in the right position.
There's a lot behind the walls.
And you know what happened?
We actually learned a lot about how to do a proper bathroom like this.
So thanks.
Caffrey: Yeah.
Richard: You guys are awesome.
Wix: It's great.
Richard: Great.
Let's get a snack.
♪ Billy: Right off of Caffrey's room is our primary bedroom.
Tom: Yeah.
Nice location.
Billy: Here's our bathroom on the right.
Tom: Yeah.
Nice, big bathroom.
I love the natural light from the big window.
Big, giant soaking tub.
Gotta try that out, huh?
Billy: It came out well.
Tom: Yeah.
It's nice.
Billy: And here's our closet.
Tom: Yeah.
You got a lot of storage in here.
I like the color.
Billy: It's very nice.
And this blue color was a great suggestion from Mauro, and we ended up using it in a number of places throughout the house.
Tom: Yeah, looks good.
I like that color blue.
Billy: And then the bedroom through here.
Tom: Yeah, this is a beautiful room.
I love the natural light that comes in with all these windows, and I have to say, of all the bedrooms that I've built over the years, this one probably has the biggest window that I've ever done.
Billy: It came out really nice.
It's a great way for us to have that access and be able to take advantage of it.
Tom: Yeah.
Well, you're bringing the outdoors in, and that's great, and that's what you try to do.
Billy: Yeah.
Tom: Well, this is also a really contemporary house.
I love the modern feel.
I love the simplicity of it.
But who picked out the wallpaper?
Billy: I'm going to go with Michelle on that.
I am not a design person, but I think it does great to accent that wall and give a little depth to the room.
Tom: It sure does, and it looks great.
Well, I have to say, it must give you peace of mind to be right next to Caffrey's bedroom.
Billy: Yeah, it does.
His ability to come in and get us when he needs, but our ability to get to him, if necessary, as well, is great.
Tom: It's really great.
The whole place is beautiful.
Billy: Thank you.
♪ Charlie: Well, Jenn, accessibility really drove your landscape design.
Jenn: It was the most crucial part of the design.
It's a zero-threshold entryway, right?
So inside and outside are the same level.
There are no steps.
So this walkway that goes all the way around the house and the patio is the same level as the inside.
Charlie: It is level, but you put a slight pitch into it to a drain that you can't even see.
Nice job.
Jenn: Well, the water needs somewhere to go, right?
Charlie: It does.
Jenn: So, in order to have a level surface here and widen the space to put the walkway in, we had to push back the slope, therefore our retaining walls.
Charlie: And I must say, the granite veneer looks absolutely stunning, and you can't even tell there's a poured concrete wall behind it.
Jenn: I think it looks beautiful.
We have these bluestone treads that are acting as the cap.
So, this is a sitting wall, right?
And we have landscape lights that are recessed underneath, and that's going to illuminate the walkway.
Charlie: And the two different levels gave you a great place for plantings.
Jenn: Right.
So, I have some hydrangeas and perennials down here.
And at the top, we have boxwoods.
That's going to make a nice hedge and stay low.
And the arborvitaes over here for oncoming traffic lights.
It's going to just make a very, very nice privacy nook.
Charlie: Looks really nice.
Jenn: Thank you.
Charlie: And this patio is something the entire family is going to be able to enjoy.
But this is really Caffrey's backyard.
Jenn: 100%.
Charlie: And this is accessible from three different places -- the kitchen, the hallway, as well as Caffrey's bedroom.
Jenn: I mean, it's really going to be a functional space for everyone to navigate around and use.
And you know what else I like out here is this drainage strip.
I love how we integrated it into the patio so it's part of it.
Charlie: And it works great.
Jenn: It really, really does.
As you may remember, in my original design, I had the fire pit placed right here, but then after reviewing many different scenarios, it was going to be a fixed point, and we thought it would be in the way, so we thought we'd shift it to this part of the patio.
Charlie: And it looks great.
Jenn: It really does.
It's right next to the hydrotherapy pool.
You have this beautiful view of the woodlands.
It's a great location.
Charlie: And the pool is something the entire family can enjoy, but it's really for Caffrey to help maintain flexibility, and the lift will help him access the pool in the future.
Jenn: Absolutely.
And, you know, this whole landscape project?
Couldn't be happier.
Turned out really well.
Charlie: I think it came out great.
♪ ♪ Kevin: Hey, guys.
Michelle: Hey.
How's it going?
Kevin: Good.
So, Michelle, 10 months ago, I think, if I remember correctly, you told me this was your favorite room.
Michelle: That's right.
Kevin: How about now?
Michelle: Well, I think it still is, right?
Kevin: Is it?
Michelle: Yeah.
I mean, one of the reasons why we got this place was because of this Mid-Century Modern charm in this room.
Kevin: Right.
Michelle: And it was my favorite room before, and it's going to be my favorite room still.
Kevin: Which is funny, because it hasn't really changed much at all from way back then.
I mean, you wanted these brick walls saved.
Charlie and Mark went to great lengths to do that.
But, if I remember correctly, almost the same furnishings, right?
Billy: It had a lot that we wanted to keep.
You know, we added the new windows.
We added a little bit of window space over here to bring in a little bit more of that light.
Kevin: Right.
Billy: But that just added to what made it so great originally.
So it's nice to keep that history in the house.
Kevin: All right.
Well, let's take a walk.
So, the floors are new, obviously.
The brick stayed.
Michelle: That's right.
Really, really like the shape of this wall.
Michelle: Yeah.
I mean, having the exposed brick on three sides of this room was really something that we loved.
Kevin: Great sort of surfaces and materials and character here.
But also, this wall sort of defines that room to separate it from what has got to be the main event.
Michelle: Yeah.
Kevin: The new kitchen.
So, when I first came here, you had a little galley kitchen.
Michelle: That's right.
Kevin: Which was actually in pretty good shape.
But, given your family, given Caffrey's, you know, eventual needs, it was narrow.
It just wasn't going to work.
Michelle: Yeah, exactly.
And so, what we really wanted to do was have a much bigger space where we can all cook together and congregate.
Those were things that were really important.
And then, even, like, the choices that we've made in terms of appliances were all really done with accessibility in mind.
Kevin: Right.
Michelle: Could have been either the height at which we put the appliances or the way in which they open, having side open, which makes it much more user friendly for somebody in a wheelchair.
We have automatic sinks and some push, you know, to open cabinets and our dishwasher.
All of these things really just make it so much easier for everybody, right?
But really had that accessibility in mind, especially for Caffrey.
Kevin: The materials and the details are lush.
This is quartzite, right?
Michelle: It's a natural quartzite.
That's right.
Kevin: So natural stone, which is a great look.
And also, you were very particular for the back wall of the coffee station.
You spec'd this oak, and this is the flooring that we actually used.
Michelle: That's right.
Right.
Repurposed flooring.
And we really wanted to have this fluted-wood wall detail here.
I mean, it's really a nod to a lot of the wood paneling that we saw in those, you know, Mid-Century Modern homes of yesteryear.
And that was something that was important to us.
Billy: It continues across underneath the island, as you can see.
And we built that fluting all the way across in the floor underneath this piece of cabinet and made this a removable so we can adjust to any future needs we have -- increasing the seating, decreasing the seating as necessary.
Kevin: You'd never know it looking at it right now, and it's perfectly functional in its current state.
But when the time comes for that to come out, that's going to make a huge difference for Caffrey to be able to come up here and really enjoy, you know, the family and the counter and all that.
It's actually a very smart plan.
Michelle: Yeah.
Kevin: Because, you know, you guys have given a lot of thought to the way your family's going to use this, and it certainly takes a team to pull it off.
Charlie, you nailed the schedule.
Charlie: Not too bad.
Kevin: Not too bad at all.
You said it took the entire team to come together.
This project was not without its challenges.
I can name a few, but you probably have a big one?
Charlie: Probably right where we are here.
There's no attic above us.
This is all a concrete slab from one end of the house to the other, and it all had to be removed to get our mechanicals in for our ductwork.
So, believe it or not, we cut a hole through the side of the house... Kevin: Yeah.
Charlie: ...saw-cut the floor, brought our excavator in, took it all out.
Probably dug down, what, a couple of feet, put our trenches in for our ductwork, sprayed closed-cell over the top of it in the entire slab, up the sides, re-graded it, compacted it.
Kevin: [ Chuckles ] Charlie: More concrete, right?
Sleeper system, insulation, subflooring, then we put radiant panels in, and then the oak floor we're standing on.
Kevin: So much work.
And you did it partly because we had this huge energy code, these hurdles to meet.
And, quite frankly, you crushed it.
Charlie: We really did.
Kevin: [ Chuckles ] So, we're going to end up with an efficient house, a beautiful house, but also an accessible house.
Michelle: That's right.
Kevin: And none of that happens without an incredible team.
Architects, designers, all of the subs have come together.
We could not be happier for you guys.
It's been a pleasure working with you.
Tom: Well, Billy and Michelle, as Kevin said, it took an enormous amount of teamwork to make this all happen.
What do you think of your new house?
Michelle: Yeah, it's really a spectacular house.
It's going to work wonders for our family.
We're so grateful for all the work.
Tom: It really is beautiful.
Billy: Thank you so much.
Kevin: And you guys aren't off the hook, either.
So, Wix, what do you think?
I mean, you got that downstairs almost all to yourself.
Wix: It's great.
I love it.
[ Laughter ] Kevin: Marlowe, the swing is in, your room is all finished.
You happy?
Marlowe: Yeah.
Kevin: All right.
And, Caffrey, a lot of this was done for you.
What are your thoughts?
Caffrey: I love it.
Kevin: That's what we like to hear.
The smiles say it all.
Well, that's a wrap for all of us here in Lexington.
But don't worry, we have got more to come.
Next, we are off to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, for an 1880s Victorian, and we're going to have two generations of living.
So until then, and for all of us, I'm Kevin O'Connor signing off for "This Old House."
All right.
Tom: All right.
Kevin: It's a wrap.
[ Applause ] Well done, guys.
Here we go!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Kevin: Next time on "This Old House," we start a new project here in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.
Woman: So, the whole idea is we're gonna make it a multi-generational home.
Shared and personal, private spaces.
Kevin: Right.
Zack: I'm pretty excited about this house.
I think it's got good bones, I think.
The framing's solid.
The foundation's good.
I'm really worried about this exterior more than anything else.
Kevin: Can you guys already imagine your new front porch when it's all cleaned up?
Woman #2: Oh, I can't wait.
- Home and How To
Hit the road in a classic car for a tour through Great Britain with two antiques experts.
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