The East Side Trade-Off
We often see clients fall in love with the exterior of a home on the East Side of Providence—the brick details, the slate roof, the mature trees—only to walk inside and feel disappointed. The interiors of these 1920s and 30s homes were built for a different era. They are often defined by small, disconnected rooms and a distinct lack of “primary suite” amenities.
The trade-off usually feels like this: You can have the historic charm, OR you can have an open floor plan and a walk-in closet. You can’t have both.
For Project Forty Seven, we set out to prove that wrong.
Engineering the Open Concept
The first challenge was the first floor. Like many homes in the neighborhood, the kitchen was completely cut off from the living space. The solution wasn’t just “decorating”—it was structural engineering.
We removed the load-bearing wall separating the kitchen and living area. This required precise structural reinforcement to carry the load of the second story, but the result was transformative. It allowed us to create a spacious, light-filled kitchen with a cozy breakfast nook that now serves as the true heart of the home.
The “L-Shaped” Suite Strategy
The second challenge was the upstairs. Historic Providence homes rarely have adequate closets or en-suite bathrooms. Owners often struggle with where to find the space without building an expensive exterior addition.
Our solution was a strategic reconfiguration. We combined the existing primary bedroom with an adjacent smaller bedroom. By converting that smaller room into a dedicated walk-in closet, we created a luxurious L-shaped primary suite.
This approach allowed us to design a modern, spa-like bathroom and give the homeowners the storage they needed, all within the existing footprint of the house.
Efficiency in Execution
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this transformation is the timeline. Because we handled both the structural planning and the interior design and furnishings, we completed this entire “East Side Transformation”—from demolition to final pillow placement—in just six months.
View the before-and-after of this East Side Providence home renovation to see how we opened up a historic floor plan.