Carpenter & MacNeille Architects and Builders

Carpenter and MacNeille was the design/build team for a kitchen and living room renovation project at our home in Essex. We chose them because of their attention to detail, and we loved that the design shop and woodworking shop were so closely integrated. This was our third kitchen renovation and by far the smoothest. We loved working with our designer, Hattie Holland - she gave us several designs to choose from, and then helped us work through all the details as we progressed through the project. Hattie's design was very creative, allowing us to maximize the use of our smallish kitchen. The work in our living room ties the whole downstairs together, making the whole house much more livable. All of the team was highly skilled, thoughtful, and sensitive to our living in the house while the project was underway. We can't say enough good things about our head carpenter, Bob Kellard who managed the project (and us!) so well. We have nothing but compliments for C&M, and recommend them to anyone who is looking for the best design/build for their home!

Carpenter & MacNeille built a 3,000 square foot carriage house for us in Gloucester, MA. The project included a first level with space for 3 cars and a workshop, a lower level for machinery and tools, and a second floor including an office, bath, exercise studio and enclosed porch. This was a challenging project, as it involved in essence one level of commercial-style construction married to a high-end residential project. In addition to the construction quality, which was top notch, we were particularly impressed with C&M's project management skills. Planning, logistics, budgeting, etc. were all clear, transparent, and accurate. We have had C&M do a few much smaller home improvement type projects as well. While they are far from the least expensive option, their quality is so good and their project management and follow-through so far above average that we think they are worth it and would certainly use them again.

We hired Carpenter & MacNeille for a comprehensive renovation of a large oceanfront 19th century house 8 years ago. It was a rewarding experience in every way. The entire team--the architect, project manager, contractors, craftsmen, interior designers, and office staff--were committed to excellence and demonstrated the highest level of professionalism. We were very concerned that the new part of the house should be in keeping with the old, and with the ingenious design and the attention to detail in the finish work, visitors have a hard time telling the difference between the old and the new. While the end product is lovely and perfectly meets our needs, an ancillary benefit of working with Carpenter & MacNeille is that we have kept up both a business and personal relationship with the firm. We could not have had a better experience!

We chose Carpenter & MacNeille because they offered us such complete service. Our renovation was a bigger job than we had ever done, and they could guide us through the architectural plans, permitting, construction, interior design, and then maintenance. Everyone we have worked with has been professional, skillful, and friendly. We now have the house of our dreams, and highly recommend their work.

I used Hattie Holland, an interior designer at Carpenter & MacNeille, to help us redesign the layout, furnishings and lighting of the family sitting/dining room off of our kitchen. The challenge for Hattie was that other than a first meeting or two, everything had to be done long distance. Taking direction from the rest of the house, Hattie sent several layout suggestions and 3 different design boards with fabric samples and furniture pictures juxtaposed on my existing space. It was quite efficient and any one of the combinations would have been beautiful. Along the way Hattie made suggestions about several small things, changing light fixtures and moving the television, that made a dramatic difference in both appearance and utility, all to the better. When I arrived everything, including floor refinishing and an unexpected furnace failure, was perfect, better than imagined.