Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIMBERLY HALLEN/BOSTON VIRTUAL IMAGING (9 WOODMAN) B uilding is back. While it hasn't yet returned to its pre-recession peak, many homeowners are happy to pay a pretty penny for their dream home. We talked to three high-end builders about the hottest bells and whistles on the luxury market. Custom builder Ed W. Tarca (E.W. Tarca Construction, 1 Ave. C, Hopkinton, 508-435-4290; ewtarcaconstruction.com) has seen clients become more and more specific, a trend he believes is driven by the Internet. "Back in the day you'd just get a folder of clippings from Architectural Digest. Not anymore. Clients can Google products and get ideas." How does that play out in home design? "The kitchen is by far the biggest thing that people want to invest a lot of money in," he says, especially for top-line Sub-Zero appliances. Other focal points for customization are bathrooms and closets. "We're spending more time designing and constructing above-average closets" with built-in safes, jewelry drawers—even a coffee station. Elaborate home theaters, on the other hand, have been fading ever since flat-screen TVs arrived on the scene. "You can get nice audio and a 70- or 80-inch screen in a multipurpose room instead of a dedicated room," Tarca says. "That's sensible New England thinking." As builders of spec homes, Sean Wilder and Alejandro Chavez (Wilder & Chavez, 44 White Place, Brookline Village, 617-487-8939; wilderchavez.com) focus on appealing to a range of high-end buyers (their homes typically sell in just a few weeks, proof that they're doing something right). The secret sauce? "Lots of open space," says Wilder. "Room counts are lower than when we started [in 2005], but [there are more] large, open spaces." The kitchen typically inte- grates with dining and living areas, so homeowners can socialize with guests while cooking, or relax with their families in a beautiful, informal setting. With the growing interest in green technology, Chavez says, "We put in what people will pay for." That means energy-efficient windows, Energy Star appli- ances, LED lights, and other features that lower utility bills. Green is also good for Robert Lawrence Jr. (255 Clapboardtree St., Westwood, 781-326-8655; rob@rlawrencebuilders.com), a custom remodeler who has some clients that spend top dollar for locally sourced materials and LEED certifica- tion. A specialist in remodeling and restoring older houses, Lawrence observes, "In these very traditional homes, people are trending toward very contemporary interiors, though not necessarily through the whole house. Bathrooms and kitchens will have a very contemporary feel." This might mean completely gutting an old kitchen and building an ultramodern one in its place, while antique moldings, wainscoting, and plaster in the rest of the house are restored "so that they look not necessarily new, but like they've been maintained to a very high level." One project restored the hidden passage (complete with a secret bookcase in the library) to a Prohibition-era speakeasy in the basement of a house built in 1929. "They have a ladder going down to it," he says with a chuckle. "It's a nice little thing to show off." BC House Proud WHAT DO LUXURY HOMEOWNERS WANT? THE BOSTON AREA'S TOP BUILDERS SHARE THEIR SECRETS. BY JENNIFER DEMERITT CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: E.W. Tarca Construction built a custom indoor lap pool for a client in Hopkinton; a new master bathroom by Wilder & Chavez boasts a clean, modern look; according to Tarca, homeowners want top-of-the-line appliances in their kitchens. " e kitchen by far is the biggest thing that people want to invest a lot of money in." ED TARCA 118 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM POWER BUILDERS 118_BC_BOB_Builders_Spring14.indd 118 2/6/14 4:28 PM