Finds by Julie Completes Two Major Renovations, Designing Modern Technology Behind Old World Charm

Finds by Julie, Boston based lifestyle enhancement firm, interior designers, part of International Antiques Network completes two major renovation projects combining the best of new technology with classic, old world antique charm. End Quote

Boston, MA-NH (1888PressRelease) July 22, 2010 - Is it possible to preserve old world charm while adding modern, high tech comfort and efficiency? Boston based antiques, interior design and lifestyle enhancement firm, Finds by Julie, a subsidiary of International Antiques Network LLC (IAN), are world class specialists, a creative force bringing their clients the best of both worlds. Two major projects recently completed clearly demonstrate this talent.

Julie and Craig Hawley, co-founders of Finds by Julie and executive board members of International Antiques Network, working with their hand-picked team which includes five designers, three general contractors, and some 25 subcontractors, a Bang & Olufson rep and two fabric houses in London, brought their combined talents to bear in two major renovations completed in the last nine months.

The first was a total, five-floor renovation of a 200 year-old Beacon Hill, Boston brownstone, a two-family unit which they converted back into a single family home, restored to all of its former splendor, with some very modern touches. This was a 15-month project which included replacing all the HVAC in walls made of 200 year-old horsehair plaster. They put in three new baths, a first floor powder room that looks more like a grotto than a powder room, with an 18th century lavabo, a vessel sink made from a 200 year-old copper bowl with a gargoyle for a faucet head, and wallpaper made from crocodile skin. They assembled a French country kitchen suite facing a secret walled-in garden complete with herbs, flowers and a romantic French tabletop fire pit gazing off to an 18th century lavabo wall fountain; they brought back ceiling medallions from Venice, violins from London and a piano from Prague. They installed a built-in, lighted display cabinet for an exquisite Royal Crown Derby collection in the second floor dining room. For much of the furniture to be moved in, walls had to be removed and then replaced. Furniture was craned in through the windows and over the roof, and the city street had to be closed for twelve hours while this was going on. A Chinese wedding bed was craned 120 feet into the air over the tops of trees before coming to rest in the fifth floor bedroom. The ultra modern comforts and high technology included B&O equipment throughout, two new offices fully equipped, a biometric fingerprint reader front door access system, flat-screen TVs disguised as mirrors over the fireplace among others. The result is a beautiful home with its original, early 19th century charm concealing all the convenience and luxury that the 21st century can provide.

Upon completion of the project, the delighted owner was full of praises: "Finds by Julie is a gem. With a sense of style that takes that of Bunny Williams to the next level, Julie transformed our home into an elegant, but highly livable oasis! Such attention to detail in every way. Julie's forte is understanding how people want to live and then creating and styling what I would call lifestyle vignettes around those preferences. She has a keen eye for taking the unusual artifact and making it into its own statement. The result is a home that is unique, warm, welcoming and wonderful!"

The other major renovation project was a three-month facelift of a Marblehead beach house, including a new roof, new windows, new paint throughout, darker ceilings and lighter walls, a gentleman's office with a Hemingway feel to it, in dark colors played off rattans and palm trees, replete with nautical art - an office where anyone would love to sit and write. More furniture was chosen to supplement the great furniture already in the house, and new artwork found for all the walls. The result? The owner now prefers to spend the summer there and drive the 45 minutes into the city.

Not all of the projects undertaken by Finds by Julie are of such major scope. They specialize in remodeling kitchens (by Julie, for whom the whole adventure began in the kitchen) and offices (by Craig, who works hard to combine modern, high tech office equipment with the beautiful furniture and trappings of times gone by). Both trained by the Ritz Carlton LLC and schooled in butlering, they offer their clients a white glove service, managing the team behind the scenes, treating the client, and the vendors and subcontractors with respect, transparency and truth. Thus they have built special relationships with their clients who are, for them, "clients for life" and with their suppliers whom they trust and stand behind at all times. And speaking of clients, here also Finds by Julie is somewhat unusual. They are choosey about whom they serve, seeking people who "give back" - philanthropists who spend time and/or money on charitable activities. Most of their clients are those who hark back to earlier times, love the look of objects that have stood the test of time, but also need the appurtenances of modern times and high tech.

Finds by Julie delights in creating "the home that gives back." An eye for amazing, cool finds from earlier times, a space to set them in, a combination which is elegant, comfortable, relaxing and which enhances the lifestyle of the occupant. And their motto? "Don't just dream - do!"

http://www.findsbyjulie.com

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