Reviews

(8 client reviews)

I hired Matt Thenen & company to replace my existing 3 season porch. The structure his company built is so awesome. When I come home every day from work I still can’t believe the joy this room provides for my wife and I.

Working with Matt and his crew was a joy. You can tell they‘re invested in doing a great job. His crew was here every day until the job was finished which took about 2 months. The materials used are high quality and the workmanship impeccable. Communication was always good and if I had a question Matt would always return my text the same day.

If and when we have other work done on the house, we will definitely call Matt.

Skip Smith
Arlington, MA

At the time, I did not really understand what he meant, but after two years of living in the house that Matt restored, I always hear his words and I now understand completely what he meant. He had said “When I look at a restoration project, I let the house determine what needs to be done. I consider what the homeowners want to change or add, but I make sure that it fits with the house”. What we learned was that an antique restoration or addition needs to be done much more thoughtfully than a newer house. Living in this house now, I feel history alive every day; by the antique fireplaces in the bedrooms, the bee hive oven, the antique glass windows, the exposed beams and the “new” antique pine floors. Now we enjoy these things with the comfort of a new house.  We could not be more appreciative of Matt’s passion for old houses and his absolute perfectionism in tailoring our needs with the historic requirements that this house put upon him, including period detailing from at least two periods and hand-hewn beams reconstructed with tennon and mortise joinery. The restoration which took 9 months progressed flawlessly, and we enjoyed the process of restoration because of Matt’s professionalism and enthusiasm.

Sincerely, Jackie

We engaged Matt to restore an antique home, half of which was a two-hundred-year-old post-and-beam structure, and the other half consisted of multiple additions over differing time periods. Matt’s passion for antiques and unique knowledge of period detail allowed him to restore this home and blend the time periods seamlessly. We are delighted with our home and all who see it marvel at its charm, character and quality of execution.

Sincerely, Jack

View Project

MA Thenen did a major remodel of my 1880s Victorian home in Cambridge. The fact that always surprises people most is that they completed a total renovation of the kitchen in the house on-time and close to budget, while I was away in California! I walked back in the door to a finished kitchen. Matt's team focused entirely on my house throughout the process, and they were able to complete the project in 3 months. We communicated via email, and Matt was just amazing about thinking of details that never would have occurred to me. Soon… I was trusting him to make decisions, and I was absolutely thrilled with the results. The kitchen fits with the character of the house, is incredibly practical and convenient, and is full of light. After we moved back into the house, Matt's team continued working on a deck and a brand-new standalone carriage house for us. The workmanship on each was amazing, and in each case they provided a better product than what we had contracted for. The team was pleasant to work with, and we enjoyed having them around the house for several months. I'd definitely work with MA Thenen again in the future!

Susan

Unparalleled craftsmanship & unexcelled attention to detail. Do not allow anyone else to begin construction on your cherished Historical Treasure without consulting Matthew Thenen first.

Joyce and Walker

Probably some of the most telling compliments about M.A. Thenen came from the people who would be the most likely to dislike a builder: the neighbors on our street who had to endure the trucks, noise and disfigurement of our property for almost a year. Truly, after the renovation was done and we moved back in, people came to our house to tell us they had never seen a builder with such a strong work ethic, whose team showed up regularly and got right to work and took care to clean up daily both inside and outside the house. Matt and his team were incredibly thoughtful about the way in which they worked.

Matt seems like so much more than a builder. First, he was personally vested in our job. He didn’t just disappear once we started to go and work on some other project. Quite the contrary, he set up his office in our house and it became the nerve center for problem-solving on the project. He has a real willingness to tackle problems. He views problems that arise on a job as a challenge and takes them on with intelligence, common sense, and loads of experience. He thinks out of the box. He really understands the other trades involved in making the job come together, either because he has worked in the trade personally or has taken the time to understand it thoroughly. Plus, he is well liked and respected by the different trades, which helps the job run smoothly because the subcontractors are there for him.

Matt offers so much to a client: a personal interest in the job, a good creative and design sense, loads of experience, common sense, excellent organizational and planning skills, and a sense of quality. He will never cut corners, but also won’t spend money where it doesn’t make sense.

Julie

Some people see the onset of construction in their homes as an on-going nightmare. I see the team of Matt Thenen and Company as making dreams come true.  For three months, (and that was the projected amount of time the project would take), Matt and his crew came to our home, worked their magic and gave us a beautiful new space that we love and live in every day.

Our home was built in 1910 and the addition is contemporary.  Matt worked with the architect to ensure that the two spaces would blend into one and they do, almost seamlessly.  Matt's respect for his crew, the teams that were contracted to do the ceiling, plumbing, foundation or the flooring kept this project going smoothly.

At times when decisions had to be made that deviated from original plans, Matt guided us through the options. Everyone was involved and the outcome was positive all around.  Matt's craftsmanship and his high standards for design and materials guaranteed the quality and outcome.  We enjoy this sun-filled space every day.

The crew cleaned up before they left every night and respected the homeowners need for some order among chaos.  At the end of each day progress was evident and the next day lay ahead with anticipation.  It was great to be part of the process.

If the crew was taking off for the day, I always knew ahead of time and there was never a moment when they just didn't show up.  We started with Matt in a business relationship and we ended up as friends.

Debra

Centuries ago, the architect and the master builder were one and the same. Matt represents that time...and you cannot ask for more, than the hands of a Master Builder and the eyes of an Architect, on your job every minute of the day!

Sally DeGan, SpaceCraft Architecture

We have worked with M.A. Thenen Co. on several historic renovation projects in Lexington and on the North Shore. Matt and his team are true craftsmen, they understand period architectural details, and just as important they know how to make structures endure. With an inherent appreciation for historic structures, M.A. Thenen & Co. restores and builds seamless additions to historic New England properties.

Colin Smith, Colin Smith Architecture, Lexington, MA