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....Beyond computer-aided design, Charlie Allen, founder and president of Charlie Allen Restorations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, notes that technology has vastly changed the way contractors and designers do business. "We're now virtually available 24-7 for clients....projects run much more smoothly with all of these immediate methods of communication."
— Design New England "Kitchen: It's Personal" |
January-February 2012,
Gail Ravgiala
...this Episcopalian church in Harvard Square has undergone a painstaking exterior renovation aimed at preserving a building that offers a rare link to early America. "It's about as important as they get," said Charles Sullivan, executive director of the Cambridge Historical Commission, referring to the buildings in his city. "It's been touched by so many events in American history." The restoration was led by contractor and church member Charlie Allen. His affection for the building is clear as he explains his work, from repairing the wide siding boards to refurbishing the gold-leaf orb and cross atop its bell tower....Allen says he always tries to put the building "at the table" during restorations, giving it a voice of sorts when choosing materials and techniques. Beside a desire to be safe from the weather, Christ Church has made one thing clear to him, Allen said. "Don't we all want to look like we always used to?"
— Associated Press "Massachusetts church shot during Revolution gets overhaul" |
October 8, 2011, Jay Lindsay
One of Cambridge's most revered historical landmarks is getting a facelift this summer just in time for its 250th birthday in October. Christ Church in Harvard Square is going under its first major renovations since the 1970s. Headed by Charlie Allen Restorations, a Cambridge company that specializes in the renovations of old buildings and houses, the church will receive new siding and molding and a fresh paint job...."In the case of this restoration, people are listening to the needs of the building, which is really exciting," Allen said. His team is excited for the citizens of Cambridge to see what's underneath the tarp, right in time for the church to celebrate its 250th anniversary of the inaugural services that took place on October 15, 1761.
— Cambridge Chronicle "Historic Harvard Square Church Gets Rehabbed" |
September 6, 2011, Megan Murray
The 1915 Colonial home on historic Brattle Street in Cambridge, MA, held all of the period charm and character its two university professor owners desired...except for two glaringly outdated spaces: the master bath and its attached dressing suite....With a desire to transform the decades-old design into something sleek, bright and spa-like, the homeowners sought the talents of a local contractor, Charlie Allen Restorations, which specializes in renovating and restoring period homes...
— Kitchen & Bath Design News "Bath Blends Spa Aesthetic with Historic Charm" | August 2011, Kim Berndtson
....Before a nail is driven into a wall, [Mark] Philben, who works for Charlie Allen Restorations Inc., meticulously plans renovations from concept to completion, making sure work gets done on time and on budget.
— Boston Globe, "Successful renovations take careful planning" | August 21, 2011, Cindy Atoji Keene
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Charlie Allen, founder of Charlie Allen Restorations in Cambridge, Mass., an award-winning renovation firm specializing in the remodeling and restoration of period homes, has been bringing historic homes back to life for more than 30 years. But the charm of long-standing residences, he says, need not be restricted to existing housing stock. Take a look at some of his recommendations for design elements that will ensure new homes age gracefully...
— Builder Magazine.com Design Details: Vintage Charm | July 7, 2011
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This small family loved the rich history of their 95-year-old house, but they weren't as fond of the dated design. Seeking a simple and bright spa-inspired space, they hired Charlie Allen of Charlie Allen Restorations to complete an overhaul of historic proportions, which started with a full gut of the room and reframing of the entire floor. To achieve the clean look, the room's lines had to be perfectly level—a real challenge in such an old house...
— Signature Kitchens & Baths "Historic Renovation" | Summer 2011
This bathroom is an oasis of calm—it's also somewhat of a surprise...."The elements are sleek with straight lines," says historic renovation specialist Charlie Allen, whose Cambridge firm, Charlie Allen Restorations, renovated the existing bathroom down to the studs. "It's quite a contrast from what you typically encounter in a creaky historic home—but it was fun to build a space in a way that was different for us."
— Southern New England Living "Soothing Spaces" | June 2011, Jaci Conry
We've all been hearing the stories of the roof collapses because of the heavy snow and we've all been worried about the snow causing damage to our homes and with more snow on the way, panic is starting to set in. Charlie Allen, founder of Charlie Allen Restorations in Cambridge, joined us this morning to tell us what we should be doing...
— Fox 25 Morning News | January 31, 2011, Gene Lavanchy
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As in the case with many older homes, the closets in this 1870s Shingle Style house in Cambridge were sorely lacking....The bedroom was in dire need of a substantial closet but it wasn't an option to add on to the home's footprint or reconfigure the bedroom...."We realized that the only place we could put a closet was in the turret. However, the turret is such a special aspect of the house, we didn't want to ruin it in the process," says Allen. Since it was essential that the windows remain intact, Allen's storage solution was to design custom cabinetry that fit between and underneath the windows in the rounded space...."
— Boston Globe "Small Changes, Big Results" | January 13, 2011, Jaci Conry
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As a contractor who specializes in renovating and restoring older homes, I've been in scores of them throughout the city—but none as old as the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House at 159 Brattle St.....
— Cambridge Chronicle | December 2, 2010, Charlie Allen
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Finding new uses for already-existing space is one of his specialties. "Attics and basements are an old-house contractor's friends," Allen smiles. Sometimes space solutions lie even closer to hand, as demonstrated in a Cambridge Shingle style house. A turret in the master bedroom, though charming, was unused space until he transformed it into a dressing room with panache....He has never gotten the dirt out from under his fingernails. "Harvard was the first place where I'd encountered a stigma against working with your hands," the Puget Sound native recalls. "I grew up on a 17-acre waterfront farm, where my dad, a mechanical engineer, came home from work every day, changed, and went to work!" Clearly, he brought that attitude with him, and New England is richer for it.
— Perspective New England | Fall 2010, Regina Cole
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Old-house fireplaces that have been decommissioned—thanks to flues co-opted to vent central heating systems—can be brought back to good working order with some thoughtful repairs.
— Old House Journal | January 2011, Charlie Allen
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"Restoring a Greek Revival or a Victorian home to its period means balancing the preservation of the building's historic fabric against the needs of modern daily living. Doing that well is an art that Charlie Allen '70 has been practicing for nearly 40 years in the Boston area....for his customers, the goal is to make their homes function well and look the period. The result is a testament to the link between utility and beauty."
— Harvard Magazine, "Charlie Allen's Art of Home Restoration" | July - August 2010, Jonathan Shaw
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The owner, and restoration expert Charlie Allen, saw the potential in this 1870s Victorian Mansard in Cambridge, MA. "It was a gem, really," [says Charlie.] "It could be a gem." The owner just couldn't afford to do everything at once, so Charlie came up with a master plan, then spread the work out over ten years. This kept the project from financially overwhelming the owner and also allowed her to stay in the house the whole time."
— NECN New England Dream House | March 21, 2010
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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 (he even pays for their continuing education). Together, he and his team bring period homes back to their original luster, room by room. Allen’s company is admirably forward-looking, too: Project Development Manager Mark Philben is a certified green remodeler.
— Boston Home Magazine, "Best of Boston 2010" | January-February 2010
Charlie Allen of Charlie Allen Restorations in Cambridge recommends the Boston Building Materials Co-op as a source for quality materials, including green products. Allen kept all the wood windows, original moldings, flooring, and plaster walls while renovating his own 1839 Greek Revival home. "Old houses...are inherently green, because you're not using energy to create the fabric," he says.
— Boston Globe Magazine, "Changes That Pay" | December 6, 2009, Aubin Tyler
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