A quiet Chatham home receives a thoughtfully phased renovation by Fitzgerald Custom Homes as they honor its original character, and are presented a BRICC Award by the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, proving that the most meaningful transformations are built on trust, patience, and exceptional craftsmanship.

There’s a reason classic fables endure across cultures and generations. These stories linger not because they promise instant change, but because they speak to something deeper: that growth takes time, transformation isn’t linear, and the most beautiful outcomes don’t erase the past; they honor it.

You wouldn’t know it now, but when Deb and Roland Trailor first encountered their Chatham home, it wasn’t love at first sight. “We called it ‘The Ugly Duckling,’” Deb jokes, invoking the familiar fairytale. They spent two years looking for the perfect home, in the perfect neighborhood. Like Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling though, the home had something essential: character. What it needed wasn’t a reinvention but rather understanding, imagination, and the right partners to help it make a transformation.

When it came time to select those partners, it was important to the Trailors to find professionals who understood their personality and goals for their new home. Working with Erik Tolley of ERT Architects, they were introduced to Tom Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Custom Homes. “Right away, Tom and his team felt like family,” agree Deb and Roland. They stuck with the same team for all three phases of their remodel: kitchen, garage, and porches. “That alone is a statement to our confidence in them,” says Deb.