Saltbox Restoration

A 1980s interpretation of a New England saltbox is renewed for contemporary California life, balancing a lighter, more open interior with the warmth and character of the original house.

After four decades of deferred maintenance, the restoration began by taking the house back to its bones—removing extensive rot and mold and repairing deteriorated framing before rebuilding its systems and envelope. The interior was reorganized around a more open kitchen and two new bathrooms, while new skylights and carefully placed openings bring daylight deeper into the house.

Rather than erase the building’s history, the renovation works with it. Original wood was reclaimed wherever possible, while new windows, doors, floors, and finishes were selected to reinforce the warmth and modest material character of the house. Hydronic radiant floors and an electric heat-pump system quietly bring contemporary comfort and performance to a building that was originally constructed without central heat.

The result is less a reinvention than a careful recalibration—preserving the familiar character of the saltbox while making the house lighter, warmer, healthier, and better suited to another generation of use.