by Miah Kattman
2/10/2011

The home used to be a small five room 1,110 square foot Circa 1800 home that Bernard purchased in March 2010. It has only had two owners previously, the Nutter and Mendez families, and was originally the annex of the Hollis Historical Hotel.

Today the home has two themes, according to Bernard, “green" and "colonial." The new eight-room 2,600 square foot home is Energy-Star rated and has many beautiful colonial details. The HVAC system is a Carrier system that is 96.6 % efficient. Heating costs are estimated to be just $736 annually.

"I wanted to use recycled or sustainable products," said Bernard. "But I also wanted to keep consistency throughout the home by using colonial columns and casings, carriage house doors on the garage, four panel doors in the home and great quality throughout."

The home has a gracious, open floor plan with 8'6" ceilings on the first floor. The foundation and original banister are the only parts of the home that hint of the days of yesteryear.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the home to Bernard is the kitchen and pantry. He stands inside the pantry closet & exclaims with his arms wide open, "It's huge!" The closets in the home will have custom shelving.

The kitchen is going to feature MRS Kitchen’s custom cabinetry, red birch floors, granite countertops and an 8' island, a GE cafe kitchen featuring stainless steel appliances (including a six-burner gas stove with a griddle and self-cleaning oven and a vented microwave), a double stainless steel under mount sink and more.

There is a hallway off the kitchen that will have ceramic tile flooring, a door accessing the porch, a powder room, a mudroom area with a large closet and a bench with wainscoting, shelf and hooks. The hallway also accesses an oversized 32' garage with carriage house doors and a doorway to the backyard.

The living and dining rooms will be open to each other and the kitchen, and all will have hardwood floors. There is a large picture window in the dining from which to enjoy views of the lovely, level yard. The living room has the potential to have a fireplace, but Bernard is waiting for a buyer to help him determine where to place it.

When you walk up the staircase you will notice lovely accent windows and the original banister. Bernard is considering placing a bookcase at the top of the stairs instead of an open rail, but again, is waiting for buyer input and preference.

The spacious master bedroom is 14' x 22' and offers oak hardwood floors, a large bed wall, a walk-in closet and a linen closet. It has a master bathroom that will feature a Kohler whirlpool tub with tile surround, an MRS Kitchen double vanity with granite countertops, a custom tile shower with a rain-head and handheld showerheads and a glass enclosure, toilet, ceramic tile floors, Kohler plumbing fixtures and custom lighting & a mirror. All bathrooms will have Kohler plumbing fixtures.

Bernard designed the home to have a sunny room with double windows off the master that can serve as an office with Internet access or a sitting/guest room.

The front bedroom is 12' x 17.' It will feature oak hardwood floors and two closets. The third bedroom is 12' x 13.' It also features hardwood floors and a large closet.

Everyone wants a second floor laundry room and 96 Church Street doesn't disappoint with its spacious laundry room with a window. The laundry room has ceramic tile floors and a washer/dryer hookup with an overflow drain to the basement.

The light and bright second floor hallway is wide with hardwood floors and a linen closet. There is also a second floor bath that will have ceramic tile floors, an MRS Kitchen double vanity with granite countertops, a toilet, tub/shower enclosure, custom lighting and a mirror.

A very appealing maintenance-free Cedar Impressions vinyl siding with Azec trim was used on the exterior of the home. A stately farmer's porch with columns greets visitors. The decking is Latitudes composite decking. The roof is a 35-year architectural shingle. The windows are Harvey Vicon Classic SDL windows, offering a 20-year warranty. The entry doors are Thermatru Entry doors.

Bernard used Comfort Foam closed cell insulation, which prohibits the growth of mold, mildew and fungus. Owners of the home will be kept cool in the summertime by central air conditioning. The home will be painted with three coats of acrylic latex paint on the ceiling, walls and trim. The electrical system is 200 amp service with cable, phone and internet.

Like every other detail of the home, Bernard is also paying close attention to the landscaping. He is going to use granite fieldstone veneer stone walls, custom pavers for the large patio area in the back, granite steps and paver walkways, and there is an asphalt driveway. He is also planning to have two planting beds around the house and porch and a privacy screening of Arborvitae to the left of the home. The yard will be graded, raked, loamed and seeded.

The basement has been very dry according to Bernard. It has 6' ceilings.

What is also fantastic about this home is its "walkability." 96 Church Street is just steps from the downtown area and shops, Lake Winthrop and the schools. It will be a pleasure watching Bernard finish this beautiful home. I will follow his progress and feature photos of the home as it is completed.

The home is priced at $624,900. For more details, please contact:

Barbara Kattman & Miah Kattman Browne
Exceptional Properties Specialists
William Raveis Real Estate
50 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02482

Barbara’s Cell: (508) 277-6675
Miah’s Cell: (508) 446-4469
Barbara’s Email: Barbara.Kattman@raveis.com
Miah’s Email: Miah.Kattman@raveis.com
Web Address: www.raveis.com/kattmanbrowne