Sold! Architect’s Own Contemporary Shingle Style

A singular home with sumptuous detail designed by architect Robert Adams for his own family, 76 Meriam St lives up to its stated mission as “a private suburban oasis.” After 20 years under this single family’s ownership, this truly special property is ready for the next stewards to enjoy living in one of the premier addresses in Lexington. Set up a private driveway atop historic and centrally located Meriam Hill, the property offers a serene sense of privacy while being in close proximity to Lexington Center, schools, and conservation land. The long driveway approach is heated and provides a transition from town to country into the private sanctuary and visitors are welcomed under deep overhanging eaves.

About the Architect

Robert Adams graduated MIT with a degree in architecture. One of his first mentors was early New England modernist, Henry Hoover. In addition to his private practice, Mr. Adams has worked with several elite firms, including two stints with The Architects Collaborative (TAC).

Specifications

Year occupied: December 2002 (new construction)

Design Team:

• Architect: Robert W. Adams AIA, Lexington, MA
• Landscape architect: Rick Lamb LA, Cambridge, MA
• Interior designer: Kathy Irwin, Groton, MA

Construction Team:

• General contractor: Paul Glover, Woodside Builders, West Townsend, MA
• HVAC: Doug Wright, Wrightway Heating and Cooling
• Plumbing/Radiant Heat: George Dixon
• Custom exterior/interior doors and windows: American Custom Design Woodworking, Tilton, NH
• Cabinets: American Custom Design Woodworking, Tilton, NH

Areas (per architect’s measurements):

• First floor: 4,486 SF (of which garage is 738 SF)
• Upper level: 561 SF
• Lower level: 1,303 SF (of which boiler room is approximately 100 SF)
• Total area: 6,350 SF (finished and heated living area total is approximately 6,082 SF)
• Plus more room to expand in a huge unfinished attic space

Site and Landscape Features:

• Lot size: 39,147 SF
• Frontage: 134.61’
• Center courtyard size: 1,444 Sf
• Entry terrace size: 797 Sf
• The natural oak, maple, and traditional purple rhododendron grove has been augmented with a comprehensive woodland garden, featuring white azeleas, white rhododendrons, pink dogwoods, clump birches, a magnificent copper beech, several varieties of ferns, lilacs, two holly, andromeda, courtyard weeping cherry, amanogawa cherry at entry; many vinca, cotoneaster at driveway apron site wall
• Radiant heated driveway, from entry walk, and black granite walkway in courtyard leading to rear door. Sensor located opposite smaller garage door. Tekmar system controls, including timer (for bringing driveway up to temperature before a storm arrives) located in the boiler room
• Garage floor epoxy coated
• Terrace Stone: French limestone ”Villebois Gris” honed, 2 CM thick, laid on 4” concrete substrate

Outdoor Appliances:

• Lynx grill, with rotisserie (natural gas)
• Lynx two-burner cooktop (natural gas)

Granite:

• Front door and courtyard 4” steps: flamed “Cambium Black”
• Courtyard 4’ pathway: flamed “Cambium Black”
• Counters at Lynx appliances: 3” honed “Cambium Black”
• Courtyard 4’ X 10’ table: 3” thick honed “Cambium Black” (three benches made of red cedar/stained go with the table)
• Site walls: “Essex” (CT), dry lay

Exterior Materials:

• western red cedar roof shingles, with breathing layer, dipped stain; lead-coated copper valleys
• Roof is a ‘cold’ roof, with eave to ridge ventilation; ridge vent custom lead-coated copper
• Internal gutters, lead-coated copper, with 3” copper leaders collected underground and daylighted in the front yard.
• Western red cedar wall shingles dipped stain; restained 2019.
• Western red cedar running trim at roof edge: restained 2019
• Chimneys: “Essex” (CT) stone, dry lay, with 2” bluestone capstones. furnace flue has a stainless steel liner
• Custom windows, painted; repainted 2021
• Custom doors, 1 3/4” mahogany, natural finish, with mahogany storm doors with interchangeable storms and screens
• Garage doors (18’ and 9’) Clopay 1 3/4” insulated, embossed metal face, painted
• Mail flapper door at the garage by Morrell Metalsmiths, Colrain, MA
• Front decorated wrought iron handrail and fence with gate at courtyard by Morrell Metalsmiths, Colrain, MA
• Rear yard fully fenced and gated for dogs: black 4’ high vinyl covered chainlink with top rail, by Reliable Fence.
• Drip and spray irrigation for the entire site; head end located boiler room
• Seasonal wall hydrant for courtyard part of irrigation system
• Firewood alcove in courtyard holds 1/2 cord

Insulation:

• Below slab: 2” styrofoam
• Exterior walls: 6” blown-in cellulose – R-21
• Roof: 10” blown-in cellulose – R-35
• Between floors: 9” unfaced fiberglass
• All interior walls: 4” and 6’ unfaced fiberglass

Interior Materials:

• Wood floors: 1 x 8 quarter-sawn white oak, tung oil finish
• Carpet main and upper level: 100% wool cut/loop pile
• Carpet lower level: low pile acrylic loop
• Stone floor: French limestone “Castlestone” (flamed then honed)

Cabinets:

• Natural Wood – American beech
• Painted wood: poplar
• Display shelves family room and dining hall: 1/2” tempered glass
• Shelves in the kitchen for glassware 3/8” tempered glass
• Laminate counters studies (3), and laundry
• Interior doors: custom 1 3/4” 3 panel, poplar painted. with Baldwin cylindrical latch/locksets

Fireplaces

• Count Rumford style
• Family room: 36” X 36” Essex Stone, Dry Lay, with French limestone raised hearth
• Living room: 42” X 42” Dakota mahogany flush hearth and surround; Honduran mahogany mantle.
• Fire screens and andirons by Morrell Metalsmiths, Colrain, MA

Ceiling Faux Beams (10’ Ceilings):

• Living/family rooms: Honduran mahogany
• Primary bedroom: poplar, painted

• Dining room chandelier By Morrell Metalsmiths, Colrain, MA. Chandelier goes with the house
• Faux finishes in kitchen, family, living and primary bedroom by Steve Blossom
• Linen wall covering: entry and powder room

Stones:

• Kitchen counters: “Verde Fuoco”
• Primary and guest bath counters and primary bath/shower walls: “Blue Macauba”

Draperies, Drapery Control, and Window Coverings (sheers, draperies, and all side panels go with the house)

• Powered drapery hardware by Lutron
• Family room two-way pull sheer only (wood valence) (side panels)
• Living room two-way pull sheer only (wood valence) (side panels) 
• Dining room one-way pull sheers only (two elevations) (wood valence) (side panels)
• Primary bedroom two-way pull sheers (two elevations)
• Primary bedroom two-way pull draperies (two elevations) (fabric valence) (side panels)
• Guest bedroom: sheers only (fabric valence) (side panels)
• 1 1/2” painted wood horizontal blinds: den, main level studies, guest bath, primary suite bath and walk-in closet

Kitchen/Laundry Fitout/Appliances

• Franke main sinks (2) with drainage grooves, one with ISE disposal
• Franke bar sink
• Elkay surface-mount deep laundry sink
• Awra single-handle faucets, with pull-out heads; fixed head at bar sink.
• Jennair downdraft cooktop, radiant inserts
• Kitchenaid 30” wall ovens
• 36” wide built-in Sub-Zero refrigerator
• 36” wide built-in Sub-Zero freezer (in the pantry)
• Bosch dishwasher
• In-Line wine refrigerator
• 700-watt Kenmore microwave (freestanding) in upper cabinet
• 32” back-up Amana refrigerator/freezer in garage (can stay with the house, if desired)
• 5.3 CF Magic Chef chest freezer back-up freezer in garage (will be removed)
• Maytag top-load washer and front-load dryer.

Mechanicals:

HVAC:

• Gas-fired Viessmann boiler 140,000 BTU
• 119-gallon indirect-fired hot water storage tank, Viessmann, with stainless steel liner
• First-floor radiant heat zones: garage; family/kitchen; living room; den; two studies; library hall; laundry room; guest bedroom; guest bath; primary bedroom; primary bath; primary suite walk-in closet
• AC-only units for primary suite and guest bedroom
• Remainder first-floor public spaces hydro-air units for lower and upper levels
• Main level AC units variable speed.
• Tekmar controls for the radiant system
• Aprilaire filters all units

Plumbing:

• Toto comfort-height toilet with soft-close seats, except powder room standard height
• Faucets and shower controls/heads by Grohe
• Towel bars and grab bars by Ginger
• Undermount round lavatories by Kohler
• 6’ Kohler jacuzzi primary bath
• Wall-mounted drying rack primary bath (electric)

Electrical:

• 400-amp, underground entry
• Lutron Homeworks lighting control system for the first floor
• Incandescent and halogen lamping throughout.
• Exterior garage/courtyard soffit lights, three site lighting bollards, and “76” sign light at driveway controlled by Homeworks system (on at sunset, off at 11 PM)

Low Voltage:

• Every room hardwired CAT 5 data cable, phone TV/internet provided by Verizon (FiOS)
• TVs located: den (smart tv), family room (in closet), primary bedroom (wall cabinet), exercise room (wall cabinet)
• Distributed sound system: ceiling speakers kitchen, family, living, dining, two offices, main level, exercise room, lower level study
• “Control 4” sound system Alexa voice-activated (installed 2021)
• Panasonic 3000 phone/intercom system (two lines); currently located kitchen, den, two main level offices, guest bedroom, lower level study. Portable units located in primary (2), kitchen/family, and exercise room
• Security System: the original system was updated to Alarm.Com, By Help, inc., May 2021
• System keypad controls in the mudroom, outside the primary, and in the upper-level hall
• All exterior doors have contacts except the small garage door
• Smoke detectors both hardwired and wireless
• Glass-break sensors in family and living
• CO monitors laundry and boiler room; high temp monitor in the boiler room; water leak sensors laundry and boiler room
• Driveway traffic sensor can be activated
• The system can be controlled remotely