We take a tour of kitchens – from fireplaces used for cooking in colonial times to marble counters of modern days. Follow the evolution of appliances from white to avocado to stainless, as well as cabinet finishes from natural to painted, as we uncover favorite kitchen scenes from long ago.

From precast concrete foundation walls to bathtubs and doors to windows, This Old House explores the places and people who provide building and finishing materials for our projects. Kevin visits factories in US and Canada to see how foundation walls, framing lumber, and doors are made, while Richard travels to see watch how a bathtub is fabricated and glass is melted for windows.

Featuring talented makers who make beautiful household items we meet a lumberjack who sources his own cypress from the bottom of a river and turns it into a unique table. In Detroit, a stained-glass artist restores original window panels. A family run business creates a metal stovetop hood. A painter shows a Lazure technique for the walls of a bedroom. Blacksmithing students forge an iron gate.

In the Arlington Arts and Crafts project, the homeowners improve their outdated kitchen. They meet with a designer to make a plan and select the finishes. For countertops, they decide on local marble. Kevin sees a metal range hood being assembled. Back at the house, a cabinet installer puts in each section himself. After the finishing touches, the homeowners show Kevin the new kitchen.

Kevin, Richard and Tommy set the stage for the restoration of our 1887 Queen Anne Seaside Victorian Cottage. The homeowners were excited about renovating a historic home in this oceanside community. Kevin met them to hear about their plans to preserve the historic details while updating the interior space for modern living and creating a new wing for a garage and master suite.

Decorative Queen Anne style barge rafters are reproduced for the addition. Richard Trethewey shows how Jeff Sweenor’s team hid the mechanicals in the house. At Jeff’s shop, Tom Silva meets Jeff and Riley as they rebuild old sashes and build new ones. Back at the house, they install a refurbished original window. Tom shows a new window with simulated divided lights that resembles the originals.

The original chimney bricks from the Queen Ann Victorian are cleaned and repurposed for a new, straight chimney. Staggered shingles are reapplied to match the original shingle pattern. Steel is brought in to support an open floor plan. Kevin O’Connor learns about the unique glass orbs hidden on Block Island. Richard Trethewey finds the plumber installing a new kind of shower drain.

After months of meticulous restoration, the stained glass windows are ready to be reinstalled in the dining room. Electrician Ben has an apprentice. Kevin meets them at the new breaker panel. Tom re-creates original shingles. During the Covid lockdown, Jeff and his crew demoed the porch and built a new one. Jenn has a landscape meeting with homeowners.

The original Seaside Victorian home had Yankee Gutters and the Historic District Committee wants the restored house to have them too. The Generation Next initiative continues with an apprentice learning from Jeff Sweenor’s electrician Ben Giles. Richard Trethewey and plumber Josh Jordan show how a tankless hot water system will never run out of hot water. Tom Silva and Jeff install porch corbels.

Mark McCullough describes to Kevin O'Connor how the masons put down a cobblestone apron on the driveway. Inside, the crew reinforces old floor joists to allow for a more open floorplan. Tom Silva helps Jeff Sweenor hang a drop finial on the exterior and then they install a swinging window in the cabana. Kevin meets with local paint experts to discuss choosing exterior colors on a Victorian house.

Kevin O'Connor and Tom Silva watch a technology expert hide sound speakers in the living room ceiling. Richard Trethewey discusses the efficient updates on outdoor condensers with the HVAC contractor. The garage doors are installed with side mounts. A prefabricated pool gets lowered into the ground. The interior designer and homeowner show Kevin their choices on design elements for the kitchen.

Kevin O'Connor watches as the outdoor kitchen with pizza oven arrives and is assembled. Tom Silva meets the flooring installer who's laying down engineered flooring in a herringbone pattern. Designer Kristen Martone works with the homeowner on the bathroom finishes. Jenn Nawada sorts through all the plants that have been delivered and Kevin sees an automatic cover going on top of the new pool.

Elaborate interior window trim and custom storm windows; an updated electric meter and panels; working on the limestone hardscape in the backyard; assembling a Victorian style shed.

Transplanting trees and sod; installing a custom deck hatch; assembling a smart lock system; mounting a unique range hood.

Hanging the pantry door; finishing up the tiling and backsplash; creating a custom surround for the gas fireplace.

The historic Seaside Victorian Cottage is restored and expanded; a new addition matches the existing architectural details; new hardscape and landscape.

"This Old House" returns to Dorchester, Mass., to follow the renovation of a triple decker that was burned due to illegal fireworks.

Removing asbestos; a plumber works on dormant pipes; visiting a community garden; architectural historian Arthur Krim talks about three-deckers; pulling off the melted vinyl siding.

The original back porches on the triple decker are brought up to code. Ice blasting is used to get rid of the char and fire odor. New vinyl siding is installed on the entire house while homeowner Carol considers accent trim colors to coordinate with the siding. Framing begins inside.

Jenn Nawada brings together a team and supplies to build an urban patio in the backyard. Heath Eastman rewires part of the house with intact plaster ceiling. Charlie and Tom Silva hang a fire rated door off the kitchen. Richard Trethewey explains how a new tub is fitted in. Kevin O'Connor and Tom install a replacement window.

Tom Silva works with the new apprentices on the front door to allow it to properly open and close. The apprentices, who hail from YouthBuild, tell Kevin O'Connor about themselves, and the President of YouthBuild gives Kevin background on the program. Homeowner Carol looks at kitchen cabinets and countertop options. Richard Trethewey works with James Bouchard on the three separate HVAC systems.

Mauro Henrique teaches the apprentices how to fix damaged plastered walls. Plumber Ronnette Taylor shows Richard Trethewey the new sprinkler system. Carol and her sister select new tile for their bathrooms. The apprentices get a lesson on floor patching with Tom Silva. Antique glass expert Cathryn Blackwell shows Kevin O'Connor how shell fix the doors on the second floor china cabinet.

On the first floor, Tom Silva and Kevin O'Connor reinstall the upper cabinets that survived the fire. Tom teaches the apprentices to trim a window in the kitchen. HVAC contractor James Bouchard shows Richard Trethewey the plan for hot water and heating. Kevin joins Carol and her sister Willie to shop for appliances for all three levels. Mark Ferrante is tiling the first of three bathrooms.

Kevin O'Connor joins the apprentices as they take a two-day roofing class. Then they apply their new skills on a roof at a Silva Brothers jobsite. Back at the project, a new vinyl floor goes in the top floor kitchen. Mauro Henrique touches up the first floor saved cabinets. Tom and Charlie Silva install French doors to divide the living room from a new bedroom.

Kevin O'Connor checks out whats left to do in the triple decker before the move in. Mark McCullough is working at the front steps. Inside Heath Eastman shows Kevin a surge protector hes installing. Ronnette Taylor is putting in a toilet in the first floor bathroom, while the original hardwood floors are getting refinished in the rest of the house. Jenn Nawada and crew are installing fences.

The team arrives at the Triple Decker, which burned a year before. They discuss the hurdles of the build. Kevin O'Connor tours Willie's 1st floor apartment. Richard Trethewey shows off the sprinkler and heating systems. Tom Silva tours the 3rd floor unit. Jenn Nawada meets Fred Pendleton who is putting final touches on the patio. Charlie Silva gives Carol the key to her updated apartment.

This Old House follows the renovation of a Cambridge, Massachusetts 1887 two-family house becoming a bright, open Scandinavian-style one-family. In this Summer special we compress the efforts to restore this beauty into one episode. Follow the action as our team takes this old house from rundown to remarkable.

The number of people entering the building trades has declined over the past few decades. This Old House launched the Generation Next initiative to highlight the issue and encourage young people to consider the trades as a viable profession.

A family sets out to restore a derelict house in a Detroit neighborhood.

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This 1880 Country Cape started as a small house on a large piece of land but was added on to over time. The crew meets the new homeowners and their architect and gets a tour both inside and outside to learn about their future plans.

Appliances, building material and radiators are salvaged from the house before the major demolition begins. Outside, an arborist sprays the old Hemlock trees on the property to protect them from damaging insects. Time to cut off the garage addition.

The old foundation gets modified for the new basement with an opening for a doorway, and the new foundation has to be tied into the old. On the first floor, the crew installs a beam in order to remove some of the wall that abuts the front staircase.

The foundation is waterproofed. Mauro and homeowners discuss exterior paint colors. Tom and the designer look at newel post options. Kevin talks to architectural historian about Cape style homes. The new foundation is braced for backfilling.

Kevin helps Tom to adjust where the old house is out of level with new addition. Then he meets Mark to look at stone veneer. Charlie needs to raise the rafters on the back dormer for more headroom. Kevin and the homeowner and designer look at tile.

Kevin, Tom, and Charlie install a five-layer Flitch beam. Jenn watches a tree company attach a cable on an old Hemlock for support and then prune an overgrown Crabapple tree. Tom and Charlie prepare for a footing to support the corner chimney.

Kevin and Mark cut a slot in the chimney for flashing to keep moisture out. Homeowners get a tiling lesson. The Silva crew transitions from old to new floor and hide the evidence. Kevin finds Charlie and the kitchen designer laying out the kitchen.

Tom and Charlie remove a window and frame for new double hung windows. A non-profit creates affordable housing for vets by renovating an old school. A new deck has living space below. New bathrooms in an old house creates plumbing challenges.

Kevin finds walls going up at the addition. Tom shows the evolution of framing hammers and guns. Richard and crew dismantle the old boiler. Heath plans for electric panels and inspects new light fixtures. A new ridge beam supports the addition.

Kevin takes a trip to Pennsylvania to meet with master craftsman Paul Grothouse. Charlie has an idea to improve a thermal break for the front dormers of the original house. Jenn and landscape designer Maria begin planting away from the construction.

Kevin and Tommy install a skylight. Richard talks about ducts. The homeowner's mother shares her craft for the house. Kevin tours a range factory in Pennsylvania established 1880. Charlie and Tom repair the original wood gutters on the house.

Richard talks about the importance of radiant floor heating in the garage and walks through the installation process with plumber Abe Bilo. Next, Richard and Mark discuss the concrete pour. Mark discusses the steps as his team takes over the pour.

Kevin talks about the Dracut School Project and visits Alison Hardy at her shop to discuss her work of repairing windows on the historic building. Richard finds Abe Bilo and his crew as they dismantle the old boiler system and prepare for a new.

A composite deck is installed with the ease of a clip system. The basement is sprayed with environmentally friendly foam insulation. HVAC zoning for this home's complicated layout is discussed. A battery backup is installed for the new solar system.

Only one more week to go and the house is busy with activity. Electrical fixtures are installed, as are the kitchen counters and shelves. Painting is happening everywhere, and the large bathroom receives a unique Tadelakt treatment.

After months of setbacks including bad weather and material delays, the Concord Country Cape is ready for the homeowners to move in. They walk through their updated modern and light-filled space with Richard, Jenn, Tom, Kevin and Charlie.

A small town in a big city, West Roxbury, MA is the home of our new project-an 1890s Victorian once a single family turned multi-family and back to a single family. Our crew meets the homeowners and builder and discuss future plans for this gem.

Construction is underway. The first floor is opened up, windows are installed, and the old rosin paper siding underlayment is replaced with a new high tech house wrap. Outside, it's landscaping and Pruning 101. Kitchen cabinet selections are made.

Elms are subject to Dutch Elm Disease; but not the one purchased from a local nursery for our home. Back at the house, new window trim and fiberboard siding is installed. Moving plumbing drain could be a puzzle. Possible solutions are discussed.

At the house, out front we get to know the contractor while Ipe is being installed on the porch ceiling. Out back, a brick patio is laid. Inside, a dual fuel HVAC system is installed and ducts ran. At the Dracut Centre School, corbels are restored.

The front porch gets a new set of granite stairs and a brick walkway. A new backdoor seals the house. The homeowners decide on a finish for the floors. A cable rail system is installed on the back stairs. A trade school in Philadelphia is visited.

Work on the exterior of the home is almost complete. A tub and radiant floor heating are installed in the upstairs bathrooms. The homeowners shop for interior lighting. The homeowner and his son install drywall in their new mancave.

Aluminum gutters that mimic wood are beginning to get installed. Inside, trim goes around the new back door and the existing wood flooring is patched. Upstairs the master shower is waterproofed and prepped for a linear drain.

New kitchen cabinets and range hood are installed. The homeowners' daughter talks Boho Chic with an interior designer. The challenges of laying out large format tiles in a small space are discussed. A cracked stained-glass window is repaired.

A quartz countertop and hidden receptacles are installed in the new modern kitchen, while original crown molding is matched in the dining room. It's time to hang the interior doors. Hardware installation marks the beginning of the finishing details.

It's a wrap on our West Roxbury Project. A single-family turned two family and back to a single-family Victorian has a new modern look with a better planned living space for the family of four. The whole crew is present for the reveal.

It's off to the races on a new project in Saratoga Springs, NY; but first, the crew gets a history of the bustling city. They meet new homeowners Evan and Whitney and Evan's mother Susan. The house has been in Evan's family for seven generations.

Working with a tight budget, the homeowners take on demo and backyard preparations. The architect shares his vision for the project, and a local docent shares the history of the springs of Saratoga Springs. The builder installs an air scrubber system.

From no wiring to BX wiring, electrical in the 1864 house is addressed, but first a visit to the tracks. Unfortunate demo discoveries mean changes to framing and living plans. A temporary buttress wall supports the old foundation.

Saratoga is home to secret summer gardens and mansions. The old 170-year-old basement is getting an addition with ICFs, a new slab, and a concrete bulkhead staircase, but first the radon gas must be addressed.

The original foundation needs repointing. A steel beam is installed in the new basement. Trends in plumbing fixtures are explored. A truss system is the solution for the 3rd-floor living space, which leads to a visit to the manufacturer.

A new chimney facade is made to look old with a brick veneer; selecting kitchen cabinets; cleaning the exterior of the house in preparation for paint; a hot air balloon ride.

Replacing an old flooring system; saving an old porch; exploring tile options; installing steel I-beams and trusses.

Drainpipes are hidden in the coffered ceilings; draining water from the screened-in porch; installing a diffusion vent and single staircase connecting the first to the third floor; a do-it-yourself skate rink brings neighbors together.

The old electrical service is upgrade. Cold weather inverter heat pumps will heat and cool the house. An original window sash becomes an awning window. A vocational student has a welding project for the backyard. Various types of insulation are used.

New water and sewer lines are run. The house is brought up to code with fire sprinklers. A new slate hearth is installed. Original 1890s chalkboards are restored and reinstalled at the Dracut Centre School. Doghouse dormers are made watertight.

Vocational school students build a table for the Dracut Centre School. An alternative to wide plank hardwood flooring is used at the project house. An automatic low impact irrigation system is installed. The ICF foundation gets a stucco-like finish.

An entryway landing in the walk-in pantry poses a problem for installation of the cabinets. The builder comes up with a custom solution. The homeowners shop for paint supplies and get a lesson on preparing and painting the exterior PVC trim.

It's a wrap on the multigenerational 1864 Dutch Colonial. Once a singlefamily, then expanded and cobbled together into a three-family, the home has been reconstructed into a two-family with an open floor plan. The crew gets a tour of the finish.