Remodeling & Restoration in Trolley Square, DE

Trolley Square is one of Wilmington's oldest intact residential neighborhoods, built mostly in the first decades of the twentieth century. The row homes here have tall ceilings, original trim worth saving, plaster over wood lath, and floors that have settled in three directions over a century.

Kitchens are the hardest and most rewarding work in this neighborhood. Fitting a modern kitchen into a nine-foot-wide rear room without gutting the home's character means custom cabinetry built to the actual wall dimensions, not stock boxes that assume plumb and square. We template on site.

Structurally, party walls, cast-iron waste stacks and knob-and-tube remnants are the recurring issues. We open exploratory areas early, before the design is locked, so the surprises show up in the budget rather than in week four.