A young family with three boys wanted a home as durable as it was beautiful. Their 1990s center-hall Colonial in Boxford felt formal and dated, with swirled ceilings, narrow trim, and a kitchen divided by an oak peninsula.

We rebuilt the first floor around how the family actually lives. Widening the opening between the kitchen and dining room made the dining room part of everyday life. Silver-gray grasscloth wraps the kitchen and dining room, painted wood paneling replaced the swirled ceiling, and painted inset cabinetry replaced the dated oak.

As I told the magazine, “I think of all surfaces of a space, not just which paint colors are on the wall.” The result is traditional with a twist, and built to last.