KITCHEN BEFORE (PHOTOS BY MIMI LYONS & AFTER (PHOTOS BY STEVEN DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY)

Mimi Lyons and her husband, Scott Martinelli, had been looking for an investment property for a long time before they finally decided on a five-bedroom, century-old fixer-upper in the heart of Shadyside.

Shortly after closing on the house, a new search began—they needed a design-build firm that could renovate their house from top to bottom. After considering several major firms in the area, the couple met with John McCloskey, CEO of J. Francis Company, LLC. “Right from the get-go, I knew J. Francis was my top choice,” Lyons says, citing the firm’s experience renovating hundreds of century-old homes.

The J. Francis team began designing the whole-house renovation in October 2021. Lyons and Martinelli worked closely with Jessie Hoover, J. Francis’ design manager and senior project developer, and Joe Harenski, the project’s lead carpenter, and received regular updates throughout the 8-month renovation process.

DINING ROOM BEFORE AND AFTER

“The J. Francis team was super communicative. It was incredible—the whole experience,” Lyons says. “We were on the property quite a bit. It was so organized and clean. It was just so impressive.”

Built in 1920, the house needed major repairs. The foundation was supported by tree trunks, the kitchen leaned, and the bathroom floor had gaps that looked down into the second floor. Structural issues aside, the house was also impractical to live in. The third floor had a gas line in the bedroom and a clawfoot tub in the bathroom.

Upon the project’s completion, the home boasted new flooring, renovated bathrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen and an insulated third floor.

Lyons’ says her favorite room is the kitchen, but she also has soft spots for the hairpin banister, 9-foot ceilings, and the 12-inch baseboards—historical touchstones that were tastefully preserved.

“It’s such a great mix of modern amenities but also the old, too, so you don’t feel like we took away from the character of the house,” Lyons says.

STAIRCASE BEFORE AND AFTER

Lyons and Martinelli rent their new home through Airbnb, and if their children attend college in Pittsburgh, they’ll already have a place for them to stay.

J. Francis Company, LLC has been transforming Pittsburgh’s historic homes for 30 years by marrying modern functionality with the timelessness of century-old residences. McCloskey, who scaled the company in the ’90s, oversees a company of 33 full-time employees that tackles around 30 projects annually.

The company’s portfolio, recognized with awards such as “Best Contractor of the Year” from the National Association of Remodeling Industry and “Big 50 Contractor of the Year” from Remodeling Magazine, showcases expertise in renovating everything from individual rooms to entire houses, along with building exterior living spaces and home additions.

“A lot of times we’ll go out and meet with a customer and they’ll want to do an addition. But, you know, there are dust bunnies on their dining room table, and it’s used twice a year,” McCloskey says. In those cases, McCloskey will suggest removing a wall and reconfiguring the first floor—a more affordable way of achieving the desired extra living space.

The company also takes a client-centered approach by requiring that all employees undergo extensive background checks and regular drug testing, something not usually enforced by employers in the residential contracting industry. “We focus very narrowly on making the customer experience a super quality experience,” McCloskey says.

The effort shows—Lyons says she’s already recommended J. Francis Company, LLC to several people.

“Going with McCloskey was a no-brainer, and we’ve been happy ever since. J. Francis did a tremendous job,” she says.

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