For the Love of Old Houses

For the Love of Old Houses

Old houses. Modern lives. Thoughtful change.

November 12, 2026 | 5:30–8:00 PM
Grand Banks, Gloucester, Massachusetts

Free to attend. Registration requested.

Every old house has a story.

The North Shore is defined in part by its older homes: houses shaped by generations of use, adaptation, craftsmanship, and change. They are also homes that can come with uneven floors, aging systems, complicated renovations, and plenty of questions about what should stay and what should change.

For the Love of Old Houses brings together local professionals who work with these homes from very different perspectives for an evening of candid conversation about what it means to buy, own, renovate, and care for an older house.

We’ll talk about how to recognize what is worth preserving, understand the realities behind the walls, prioritize improvements, and make thoughtful changes that allow an old house to support the way we live today without erasing the character that made us fall in love with it in the first place.

This isn’t a preservation lecture or a renovation sales pitch. It is a practical conversation for people who appreciate old houses and want to understand them better.

The Conversation

Older homes ask us to make choices: what to preserve, what to change, what needs attention now, and what can wait. Our panel will explore the realities and possibilities of buying, owning, and updating an older home, drawing on perspectives from real estate, architecture, construction, restoration, and interior design.

We’ll talk about navigating the unknowns, recognizing quality and craftsmanship, planning improvements thoughtfully, and finding ways to make older homes more functional for modern life without losing the character that made them worth loving in the first place.

An Evening at Grand Banks

The conversation is only part of the evening.

Doors will open at 5:30 for wine, food and time to explore Grand Banks, meet the panelists and connect with local craftspeople and specialists who work with older homes.

We’re also bringing together a small collection of businesses whose work reflects the same appreciation for craftsmanship, longevity and things made with character.

The formal conversation will begin at 6:00, followed by audience questions and time to continue the conversation afterward.

Schedule

5:30 PM
Doors open | Wine, food and conversation

6:00 PM
For the Love of Old Houses | Panel conversation

7:00/7:15 PM
Audience questions

7:30–8:00 PM
Drinks, browsing and conversation

Who This Is For

You do not need to own a historically significant house or be planning a major restoration.

This evening is for anyone who owns an older home, is considering buying one, is contemplating renovations, or simply wants to better understand the houses that give the North Shore so much of its character.

Whether you're wondering what lies behind the walls of a house you're considering buying or trying to decide what to do next with one you've lived in for twenty years, you're welcome.

Meet the Panel

Ramona Pettygrave Shah

Interior Designer | Ramona Pettygrave Interiors
www.pettygraveinteriors.com

Ramona creates historically informed, story-driven interiors that respond to the architecture, history and lives unfolding within them. Her work focuses on helping older homes evolve without losing the qualities that make them distinctive.

Alex Egmont

Founder | Heirloom Builders
www.hbgc.biz

Alex Egmont is the founder of Heirloom Builders, a Cape Ann construction company specializing in renovations, restorations, and new construction. Known for an exacting approach to quality and craftsmanship, Alex has a particular ability to look beyond the obvious problem and understand what a house truly needs. His thoughtful, practical approach helps homeowners navigate the complexities of older homes while making decisions that respect the existing structure, improve the way it functions, and stand the test of time.

Lori Bouchie

RE/MAX Beacon

Lori is a lifelong Gloucester resident and real estate professional with more than 20 years of experience serving buyers and sellers throughout Cape Ann and the North Shore. Her deep knowledge of the local housing market gives her firsthand insight into the opportunities, quirks, and questions that come with buying and owning the region’s older homes.

Anthony Macchi

AWM Architects

Anthony is a Gloucester-raised architect known for a thoughtful, creative approach to problem-solving and a sensitivity to the character of existing homes. Rather than imposing a design on a house, Anthony works with its architecture and the needs of the people living there, finding inventive solutions to the spatial and structural challenges that often arise when older homes are adapted for modern life.

Joshua Sidlowski

Dogtown Restoration
www.dogtownrestoration.com

Joshua Sidlowski is the owner and finishing specialist behind Dogtown Restoration Co. in Gloucester. With more than 16 years of experience in fine finishing, restoration, and historic preservation, Josh brings an artisan’s perspective to understanding what can be saved, repaired, and brought back to life in an older home. His work combines traditional techniques with a focus on craftsmanship, longevity, and respect for the original character of a piece or space.

Our Hosts

Grand Banks www.grandbanksbp.com

Grand Banks will host the evening in its Gloucester showroom and join the conversation with expertise on one of the most consequential questions facing owners of older homes: windows and doors, including the options between preserving an existing historic element and replacing it outright.

Trusted Local Resources

One of the goals of For the Love of Old Houses is to make the expertise surrounding older homes easier to navigate.

In addition to our panel, the evening will bring together trusted local professionals working across home inspection, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, financing, architectural elements and other specialties.

Attendees will receive a resource guide with participating professionals and businesses to keep as questions and projects arise.

Jameson Malgieri - Another Level Home Inspection - anotherlevelinspection.com

Lorenzo Burnham - Jerry Noble Electricians

Kevin Anderson - Central Cooling & Heating - centralcooling.com

Zachary Marques - Marques Plumbing and Heating - marquesplumbing.com

Brandon Pratt - the Pratt Team - Mortgage Lending / Loan Originator

Before You Come

Have an old-house question?

When you register, tell us what you're wondering about.

It might be a house you're considering buying, something you've discovered in the home you already own, a renovation you're contemplating, or simply an old-house feature you've never understood.

We'll use attendee questions to help shape the evening's conversation.

Event Details

For the Love of Old Houses
Thursday, November 12, 2026
5:30–8:00 PM
Program begins at 6:00 PM

Grand Banks
7 Crafts Rd, Gloucester, MA 01930

Admission is complimentary. Space is limited and advance registration is requested.

Questions?
ramona@pettygraveinteriors.com

Curated by

Ramona Pettygrave Shah
Ramona Pettygrave Interiors
With support from RE/MAX Beacon

For the Love of Old Houses was conceived as a gathering of people who believe an older home doesn't have to be frozen in time to be worth caring for. Through design, craft, construction and informed stewardship, these houses can continue to change while retaining the qualities that make them unlike anything newly built.