Theo and Jackie have been friends with Glen and Barbara “forever.” The couples have kids around the same ages and roots in the same town after histories of moving around. More pertinent, however, they both describe the other as fun and spontaneous. “They love being on the water, and we love being on the water. They love homes on the water, and we love homes on water,” says Barbara. Indeed, these fun and spontaneous couples love homes on the water so much, they built one together – 64 Howes Street in Hingham, Massachusetts.
For years, Glen and Barbara had wanted to live on the water. “Not across the street from the water and not up the hill from the water, but on the water,” says Glen. And, for years, home developers Theo and Jackie lived on the water – first at Lincoln Wharf in Boston and, most recently, on Crow Point in Hingham. So, despite notorious warnings to not mix business with pleasure, Glen and Barbara trusted their good friends, Theo and Jackie, to make their wish a reality. “We didn’t have final plans yet, but we did have a vision for 64 Howes Street when we asked Barbara and Glen if they might be interested in it,” says Jackie. Not knowing when the opportunity might present itself again, Glen and Barbara excitedly said “yes.” “We knew that they were going to treat this house as if it was their very own,” says Barbara. “And we knew that they were going to go above and beyond.”
Glen and Barbara were right; Theo and Jackie did go above and beyond to turn the once “old, worn, and, believe it or not, pink” 64 Howes Street into their friends’ dream home. First and foremost, they provided peace of mind by framing it in steel to withstand winds off the ocean. “I have learned ridiculous amounts about tides, conservation codes, and building codes,” says Theo. They also took full advantage of the acreage by building up three stories and of the views by installing ample windows. At the request of Barbara, they finished the house with modern, industrial details like brass fixtures, black beams, and wire spindles. “I enjoyed working on this house so much because it was so different than prior homes I had designed,” says Jackie.
64 Howes Street has been very different for Glen and Barbara too, having come from a “traditional, big house” in inland Hingham. “We have never looked back and I don’t think our daughters have ever looked back either,” says Barbara. “Who knows if we’ll stay here forever,” says Glen. “I guess that depends on what Theo and Jackie find next!”
For more by Theo and Jackie, check out 4 Foley Beach Road!
Thanks for editing, Mom.
