When I came to Cambridge from Washington State in the 1960s to attend Harvard, I was struck by the architectural richness and diversity of the city’s streetscapes. Raised by a do-it-yourselfer, I wasn’t afraid to pick up a hammer and soon found myself working nights and weekends as a contractor, renovating and restoring period homes in the neighborhood. In 1978 I founded Charlie Allen Restorations.

For more than three decades, my team and I have restored and renovated scores of period homes large and small in the Greater Boston area, from modest one or two room projects to full house remodeling. We know how your house was built, and with decades of experience, exactly how to remodel it to fit your modern-day lifestyle without losing any well-earned charm.  Please take a minute to review examples of our work HERE.

Taking a home from “before” to “after” is hard work.  But it doesn’t have to be painful.  We’ve developed a thoughtful process that improves the journey for our clients.

Thank you for visiting our online home — and if you’d like us to visit your house, please call us anytime.

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THE HOMEOWNER'S GUIDE
A Quarterly Newsletter from Charlie Allen Restorations

The latest edition of our newsletter is out. Read it here
or view previous issues.

IN THE NEWS

CHARLIE IN THE BOSTON GLOBE MAGAZINE
“I was a good student activist at Harvard, but then I had to make a living.  I had an on-again, off-again thing with remodeling through the '70s.  And in about 1978, I said this is good, this is what I'll do, and that's what I've done.  Trying to answer those seemingly competing interests—“I love my old house and want to retain it's authenticity or its charm or its style, but I need to change it”—that still gets me up in the morning....It's really heart-and-soul stuff for me.”
- Boston Globe Magazine “First Person” | January 13, 2013,
Joel Brown (view article)
“When your contractor is frequently compared to Honest Abe, you know you’re working with someone special. A Harvard grad with a Lincolnesque beard, Charlie Allen has pursued the art of historic restoration and renovation since 1978. Over the decades, he’s amassed a veritable trophy case of preservation awards while recruiting an equally talented staff...”
- Boston Home, “Best of Boston 2010”

Harvard Magazine profiles Charlie in their July/August 2010 issue: "Charlie Allen's Art of Home Restoration"

Watch: Charlie on NECN: New England Dream House, Keeping your older home's charm

Boston.com: Charlie identifies 10 problems in older homes