Howell Design $ Build, Inc.

Age-old oak trees, moss-covered stone walls, clapboard houses with inviting perennial gardens and a quintessential New England main street. The timeless elements of style, beauty and grace.

Boxford, unlike many North Shore villages, has remained true to its rural roots by transitioning historic homes into livable spaces, and preserving community space for future generations. The community recently came together in an outpouring of support by raising $1.6 million to preserve Anvil Farm, a Boxford landmark. "Anvil Farm includes 28 acres of fields and forest with strong conservation values: the property protects pristine Hovey's Pond, an important watershed for the community, and it contains a diverse forest and walking trails that are also a habitat for important wildlife species," says Lina Storm, volunteer and owner of nearby MillBrook farm. "It also protects a heritage landscape of the highest priority as designated by the Essex National Heritage Commission in 20°5, and it maintains one of Essex County's most extensive vistas of working farmland and open fields."

For Stephen and Susan Howell, owners of Howell Design & Build, living in Boxford means cherishing its history, as well as being the visionaries charged with maintaining the integrity of several of its older homes. "At Howell Design & Build, we have a reputation for seamlessly merging the original home with carefully crafted additions that complement the character the existing house," shares Stephen Howell, owner. "MillBrook Farm was an exciting challenge for us.

We were contacted to rebuild a barn that had been original to the farm but couldn't be saved. The family who hired us were living in the 1845 post and beam farmhouse on the property, but wanted to use the barn as additional living space. We knew immediately that we could preserve the antique character of the property while creating a unique living space with modern amenities for the family."

Run and owned by the Chadwick family from 1927 to 1982, MillBrook Farm produced fresh fruits and vegetables that were sold out of the barn and to markets in Haverhill and Cambridge. Howell Design & Build managed the reconstruction project and partnered with architect, Tom Peterman, to create a natural extension of the existing house. "Howell Design & Build meticulously made our home 'one with the land' by preserving the property's agricultural tradition," explains Lina Storm, homeowner. "They took into consideration the 150 acres of conservation land surrounding our property – bucolic farmland, horses and the Belted Galloway cows across the street, as well as a stunning water view of Hovey's Pond. The renovation was designed to capture these views from every angle no matter where you are sitting in the house."

The rebuilt barn includes a glass breezeway, family room, master suite on the second floor and a columned connector to the garage. While the addition has an open and airy feel, it blends nicely with the character of the original home, its fieldstone fireplace and exposed, rough-hewn pine ceiling beams. The original barn doors were restored and reused on the exterior of the home, giving the homeowners privacy from the road as needed. Howell Design & Build built a custom staircase, combining heavy timber treads and stringers with light, sleek CableRail™ stainless steel and iron railings juxtaposing traditional and modern design elements.

Although historic restoration is a specialty of Howell Design & Build, they offer a wide variety of design and build services for unique renovation projects as well as custom homes. They operate a custom millwork and cabinetry shop, creating one-of-a-kind cabinetry or furniture that can be found in their own renovation projects or in stand alone projects for designers or individuals. Whatever the project, Howell Design & Build delivers exceptional distinction to discerning homeowners.

Celebrating the Central Hearth

Howell Design & Build (HDB) recently completed a renovation and addition on a North Andover 1950's antique colonial reproduction. The homeowners wanted to expand the home to accommodate busy lifestyles and four children, while creating open, interesting space that connected the home to the outdoors. HDB teamed up again with architect, Tom Peterman to create a custom-built hearth/entertainment center that mimicked the shape of the home's roofline, achieving a "house within a house" that provides both functionality and aesthetic interest.




		The following article appeared in the Fall 2007 issue of North Shore Living Magazine. Howell Design & Build Preserving History Through Thoughtful Design by Amy Caggiano Photos by Erik Roth
		Age-old oak trees, moss-covered stone walls, clapboard houses with inviting perennial gardens and a quintessential New England main street. The timeless elements of style, beauty and grace. Boxford, unlike many North Shore villages, has remained true to its rural roots by transitioning historic homes into livable spaces, and preserving community space for future generations. The community recently came together in an outpouring of support by raising $1.6 million to preserve Anvil Farm, a Boxford landmark. "Anvil Farm includes 28 acres of fields and forest with strong conservation values: the property protects pristine Hovey's Pond, an important watershed for the community, and it contains a diverse forest and walking trails that are also a habitat for important wildlife species," says Lina Storm, volunteer and owner of nearby MillBrook farm. "It also protects a heritage landscape of the highest priority as designated by the Essex National Heritage Commission in 20°5, and it maintains one of Essex County's most extensive vistas of working farmland and open fields." For Stephen and Susan Howell, owners of Howell Design & Build, living in Boxford means cherishing its history, as well as being the visionaries charged with maintaining the integrity of several of its older homes. "At Howell Design & Build, we have a reputation for seamlessly merging the original home with carefully crafted additions that complement the character the existing house," shares Stephen Howell, owner. "MillBrook Farm was an exciting challenge for us. We were contacted to rebuild a barn that had been original to the farm but couldn't be saved. The family who hired us were living in the 1845 post and beam farmhouse on the property, but wanted to use the barn as additional living space. We knew immediately that we could preserve the antique character of the property while creating a unique living space with modern amenities for the family." Run and owned by the Chadwick family from 1927 to 1982, MillBrook Farm produced fresh fruits and vegetables that were sold out of the barn and to markets in Haverhill and Cambridge. Howell Design & Build managed the reconstruction project and partnered with architect, Tom Peterman, to create a natural extension of the existing house. "Howell Design & Build meticulously made our home 'one with the land' by preserving the property's agricultural tradition," explains Lina Storm, homeowner. "They took into consideration the 150 acres of conservation land surrounding our property – bucolic farmland, horses and the Belted Galloway cows across the street, as well as a stunning water view of Hovey's Pond. The renovation was designed to capture these views from every angle no matter where you are sitting in the house." The rebuilt barn includes a glass breezeway, family room, master suite on the second floor and a columned connector to the garage. While the addition has an open and airy feel, it blends nicely with the character of the original home, its fieldstone fireplace and exposed, rough-hewn pine ceiling beams. The original barn doors were restored and reused on the exterior of the home, giving the homeowners privacy from the road as needed. Howell Design & Build built a custom staircase, combining heavy timber treads and stringers with light, sleek CableRail™ stainless steel and iron railings juxtaposing traditional and modern design elements. Although historic restoration is a specialty of Howell Design & Build, they offer a wide variety of design and build services for unique renovation projects as well as custom homes. They operate a custom millwork and cabinetry shop, creating one-of-a-kind cabinetry or furniture that can be found in their own renovation projects or in stand alone projects for designers or individuals. Whatever the project, Howell Design & Build delivers exceptional distinction to discerning homeowners. Celebrating the Central Hearth Howell Design & Build (HDB) recently completed a renovation and addition on a North Andover 1950's antique colonial reproduction. The homeowners wanted to expand the home to accommodate busy lifestyles and four children, while creating open, interesting space that connected the home to the outdoors. HDB teamed up again with architect, Tom Peterman to create a custom-built hearth/entertainment center that mimicked the shape of the home's roofline, achieving a "house within a house" that provides both functionality and aesthetic interest.
HOUSE WITHIN A HOUSE OFFICE: HDB Custom Woodworks (a division of Howell Design & Build) created the custom built-ins for this study/craft area to provide functional, organizational space. The wide pine floors, wainscot paneling and exposed timbers all maintain the character of the colonial home. LIVING ROOM: The cathedral ceiling, timber-framed family room looks like a natural extension of the original home. While timber-framing was used in many antique colonials and is a traditional construction method, it allows for an open floor plan, creating airy, contemporary space. The centerpiece of the home is the custom-built center fireplace and entertainment center. HALLWAY: The "catwalk" bridge, open to the family room below connects the original second floor to the new second floor. An interior window in the master bedroom (at the far end of photo) offers views to the family room below, or across to the craft area.