This Old House

Winter Wrap Party

In the final show from Newton Centre, host Kevin O'Connor drives up to find all hands on deck for the last few days of the project. Landscape contractor Roger Cook mulches in the last of the plants and lays sod around the new patio. Inside, flooring contractor Pat Hunt shows Kevin the prep for the new oak floors and how the color is achieved through layers of dye and stain to match the 100-year-old floors in the rest of the house. Down in the basement, Kevin meets plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey to see the final heating installation and how he made smart use of some old radiators to heat the basement space. In the kitchen, Kevin finds master electrician Allen Gallant installing the new LED under-cabinet lights that use a fraction of the energy of traditional lights. On the final morning of the project, master carpenter Norm Abram meets up with architect Paul Rovinelli to see the finished exterior elevations, and inside, the dramatic new library and furnished home office space. Homeowner Bill Pierce shows Kevin the finished living room, with plenty of new built-ins for books, and the new family room that is already being used by the kids in the house. The highlight of the whole project is the new kitchen, where homeowner Gillian Pierce is already happily at work preparing food for the wrap party. Highlights include a new 30" range with burners up top, and two ovens below, and plenty of space for the family to gather around to keep her company. Lead by general contractor Tom Silva, the modest project (with a modest budget) succeeded in its goals of tightening up the old house, while adding on just enough space to achieve better flow and living space for the family. At the wrap party, friends and family arrive to celebrate another This Old House job well done.