The house was little changed until 1985: Just another cedar shake split level distinguished mainly by the second chimney and the 3-bay garage. That year, architect Virginia Fanger designed a dramatic addition to the main floor, which was the front entrance floor and the third—or middle—of the five levels.
Virginia had made a career of designing buildings for the Catholic archdiocese ranging from churches to nunneries. She also designed her own house, where she lived until 1996 on the south side of Eliot St just past the Natick town line. Heading west on Eliot St, it is the first house in Sherborn, a distinctive contemporary. Her design for 262 Eliot added a bit more than 400 sq feet in which were a high-ceiling dining room, an extension to the kitchen, and an extension to the living room, along with 16 Velux skylights, six of which crank open.
The addition was built by master carpenter David Hall of Natick. It was his first project working alone, independent of his father who trained him. He built it in seven months with only one young helper part of the time and using no power tools to speak of except a circular saw and a drill. No table saw. No chop saw. (He did rely also on a boombox that was always set to play oldies.) Dave is retired now but was until recently among the most sought after craftsmen in MetroWest.
The addition nearly doubled the size of the kitchen, which now has ample space to seat four at a table and plenty of storage: ten drawers and 22 cabinet doors. It has two long work surfaces, one on each side. The sink side is granite and the other is maple butcher block. Two gas burners supplement the electric range. The high capacity hood over them vents straight up to the roof where there is a secondary blower wired in.
The kitchen layout might not be much for entertaining—no central island with bar stools, for example—but it is ideal for cooking with the six burners, the sink, and the fridge all in a triangle that is only a few steps across. The lighting is partly recessed, dimmable LEDs and partly classic mid century track lights, and there are motion activated LEDs under the cabinets.