DE SIGN the magazine of splendid homes and gardens september/october 2014
new england
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features
september/october 2014
110 | renovation
116 | landscape
124 | interiors
132 | architecture 138 | reuse
Leap of Faith
Out of the Woods
Suburban Renewal
Artifact
A painstaking restoration transforms a landmark church on Martha’s Vineyard into an eclectic family getaway.
The naturalized and sculpted landscape find harmony on the shores of Lake Champlain.
The Ultimate Phoenix
A daring reinvention of a humdrum split-level west of Boston fulfills a couple’s quest for a Modern home.
An artist turns her love of old buildings into the studio of her dreams.
A renovation, a fire, and the final resurrection of a Boston jewel.
138 “I am inspired by craftsmanship and what shows the hand.” — artist/homeowner dora atwater millikin photo by sarah winchester
12 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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departments
september/october 2014 18 Editor’s Note 22 Out and About 32 visit • The Test of Time As an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, architect Grattan Gill designed a house for his parents’ retirement. Now he’s retired there himself.
45 selections • Complements Attract Guest designers pair opposite shades on the color wheel for visually charged room schemes.
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58 kitchen • Scandinavian Simplicity Swedish homeowners add Nordic style to their charming vintage home.
68 places • A Triumph of Serenity Twelve years in the making, Tadao Ando’s visitor center at the Clark is itself a transcendent work of art.
78 design focus • Judicious Evolution History lays the groundwork for a discreetly Modern addition to a Greek Revival classic.
86 art • Literal Abstraction
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Painter Patrick McCay brings mystery and imagination to New England’s most iconic scenes.
92 icon • Room for Improvement From Colonial times, educating the populace was a priority, and teaching young minds the challenge of the oneroom schoolhouse.
98 local wares • Yankee Dandies Hardware, fasteners, and floors.
102 house guest Like Mother, Like Daughter Though they go their separate ways, these familial designers see eye-to-eye.
149 et al. • Art and Books 150 resources
102 on the cover A bold renovation outside Boston. Photo by Peter Vanderwarker. story, page 132.
154 advertiser index 156 take note • Nomad Design Museum Boston brings its message to the people.
WABI, AN ANCIENT CONCEPT THAT ESPOUSES modesty and simplicity, guides the work of Japanese architect Tadao Ando, whose sublimely beautiful pavilion at the Clark Art Institute is featured on Page 68. Wabi, according to some interpretations, embraces the well worn, the natural, the kind of imperfection that makes a bent and weathered tree the most beautiful in the forest of tall pines. Others say wabi is a state of mind rather than an aesthetic. Those who have it are never wanting, no matter how little they have. We are not sure that elegant buildings like Ando’s meet that self-awareness model. Their simplicity of form comes from a complexity of concept (and a generosity of budget). To quote Ando, “The Japanese view of life embraced a simple aesthetic that grew stronger as inessentials were eliminated and trimmed away.” Doing that to a building doesn’t necessarily make it modest, but it does make it powerful. 14 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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Interior Design: Lewis Interiors Photography: Douglas Saglio
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from the editor are done. All that planning, expense, inconvenience, and “what now?” surprises are easily forgotten once the welcome mat is laid down by the new front door, the guests arrive for a dinner party prepared in the new kitchen, or the pillows are plumped on the bed in the new master suite. Certainly, all the homeowners in this, our annual Renovations issue, experienced the ups and downs of making the old work for the present, but the owners of a one-time neighborhood fright restored to its former grande dame glory (“The Ultimate Phoenix,” Page 124) get the prize for resilience. The job was nearly finished and the family had just moved into their new home when a spark flew and the place went up in flames. Bloodied but unbowed, these renovation paladins picked up the charred and water-soaked remnants of their dream and did it all over again, this time with results even better than before. Another of our rehab stalwarts took a literal “Leap of Faith” (Page 110) when they took on an early-19thcentury Martha’s Vineyard church and parsonage with all its blessings (location and good bones) and curses (a sagging foundation was just the start) and not only created a family vacation retreat but also saved a beloved landmark. Now that’s something to remember.
HAND MADE HERE
JOEL BENJAMIN
renovations. it just feels so good when they
gail ravgiala, editor
CONTRIBUTORS jared charney is a photographer on Boston’s North Shore with a specialty in portrait work, which gives him a unique opportunity to explore other people’s lives. “Stepping into Patrick McCay’s universe, his artwork and his studio — even the land of Bedford, New Hampshire, that surrounds him,” he says, “is like stepping into a labyrinth. With a camera, a couple of lenses, and some strobes to help me play with light, I can explore and hopefully help illuminate that labyrinth.” art, page 86. sarah winchester was raised in Atlanta, and now lives in Boston with her husband and two children. Her work focuses on interiors, fashion, and lifestyle photography as well as on her large-format prints. For her, photography is not just about capturing but about creating. Shooting artist Dora Atwater Millikin’s studio was, she says, “a unique treat. Dora’s seaside studio speaks completely as to who Dora is as an artist, from her collection of artifacts to the way she cuts and stretches her own canvases.” artifact, page 138.
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regina cole writes about design for national and regional magazines. Her fondness for historic structures like Dora Atwater Millikin’s Westport, Massachusetts, studio stems from her days as a founding editor at the now, sadly, defunct Old-House Interiors magazine. “When someone saves an old building, the way Dora turned an 18th-century barn into her studio, it’s saving a small part of our past. Unlike so much of the past, we can see it, touch it, learn from it — why would we ever want to destroy that?” artifact, page 138. maria karagianis is a writer and social entrepreneur who has renovated a 19th- century house in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood and a 1920s beach cottage in Hull, Massachusetts. Long fascinated by Greek Revival architecture, she was impressed by how Willa Chamberlain and architect David Hacin chose “evolution rather than revolution” in adding an airy, clean and modern living space onto a historic house without sacrificing the integrity of the whole. design focus, page 78.
8/19/14 2:17 PM
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out + about A wrap-up of summer garden, antiques, and design events, plus ponies and chukkers
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1. Guests fill the lawn at Rosecliff mansion for the opening gala of the Newport Flower Show. 2. Emcee and auctioneer Kelley Tuthill (left) of WCVB-TV welcomes Dyan Goodwin, managing director of US Trust, to the Mayor’s Rose Garden Party at the Kelleher Rose Garden in the Back Bay Fens. 3. Mary Walsh (left) celebrates with her son Mayor Martin J. Walsh (center) and event co-host Lorrie Higgins at the Rose Garden gala. 4. (from left) Erin Frost with son Grady Frost, Cheryl Thieret, Mayor Walsh, and Nancy Perna representing first place winner Arlington St. Church/Team Eden of Back Bay in the Storefront or Organization Garden category at the city-sponsored garden contest awards event in the Public Garden. 5. Alison and Bill Vareika stand in the William Vareika Fine Arts booth at the Newport Antiques Show gala.
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out + about continued 1
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1. (from left) Michaele Boehm, Frank Hodge, Michael Nest, Kacey Graham at the opening gala for Museums of Old York Show House. 2. (from left) interior designer Steven Favreau, Design New England account executive Jaime Ganson, DNE publisher Molly Campbell, Gary Decad (with Hubble) at Antiques & Design Show of Nantucket. 3. Design New England Day at Myopia Polo: guests from Michelle Lee Designs, 4. riders and mounts, 5. John Kelsey and Sally Wilson of Wilson Kelsey Design, with event poster designed by M.D. Ryus. 6. Andrew Sidford of Andrew M. Sidford Architects and his wife, Lauren. 7. DNE editor Gail Ravgiala (left) with at-large editor Jill Connors at Historic New England’s Feast in the Field at Casey Farm in Rhode Island.
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NANTUCKET PHOTO: LISA FREY. POLO PHOTOS: RUSS MEZIKOFSKY. CASEY FARM PHOTO: KRISTEN CAPALDI CREIGHTON
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video Time travel with architect Grattan Gill, an apprentice to Modern master Frank Lloyd Wright. Gill kept the Usonian torch lit as he renovated a house he designed some 60 years ago using Wright’s guiding principles. To view, go to our digital edition at designnewengland.com.
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DESIGN new england
Editor Gail Ravgiala
Publisher Molly A. Campbell
gail.ravgiala@globe.com
molly.campbell@globe.com
Art Director Jenna Talbott
Account Executives Jaime Ganson
jenna.talbott@globe.com
jaime.ganson@globe.com
Associate Editor Courtney Goodrich
Kristine Wolfrom Martino kristine.wolfrom@globe.com
courtney.goodrich@globe.com
Sales Coordinator Alie Sockol
c o n tr ib u tin g e d ito r s
alie.sockol@globe.com
Editor-at-Large Jill Connors
Project Director Thomas F.X. Cole
Style & Interiors Estelle Bond Guralnick
thomas.cole@globe.com
b o s to n g l o b e m e d i a p artn e rs , llc
Renovation & Building Bruce Irving
Publisher John W. Henry
Architecture William Morgan
Chief Executive Officer Mike Sheehan
field editor + stylist Lynda Sutton
Vice President, Advertising Jason Kissell
PHO P PH HO H OT TOG TO OG O GR RAP RA AP A PH HY Y / MIC IICH CH C HAE AEL A EL LS ST TAV AVA A VA V ARID RIDIS DS
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Design New England is published every other month by Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC Box 55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819
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visit varying ceiling heights — low above the galley kitchen, entrance, and hallway; high over the living room with its atrium of clerestory windows — define the spaces. The armchairs were purchased at Conran’s when the English furnishings company had a store in Boston. Taliesin apprentice Bob Beharka fashioned the Wrightdesigned lamp as a gift for the Gills.
32 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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who GRATTAN GILL
Architect, one-time student of Frank Lloyd Wright, and retired teacher of architecture
design philosophy “We contribute to the future by designing in the present what is influenced by the past.”
The Test
of Time As an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, architect Grattan Gill designed a house for his parents’ retirement. Now he’s retired there himself. written by william morgan photographed by eric roth online video: more on working with frank lloyd wright
S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M
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visit
T
he house that Grattan Gill designed for his parents in Chatham, Massachusetts, is small. It sits on a lot, just three-quarters of an acre, that was purchased by an aunt for a song during the Depression. In an area increasingly known for pompous “egotechture,” the home that Gill and his carpenter father built over 10 summers displaces just 1,500 square feet. Yet it is among the most tranquil and comfortable houses to be found on Cape Cod. The house’s near-Zen serenity is a result of Gill’s apprenticeship with the supreme domestic designer of the modern era, Frank Lloyd Wright. However, it is not a knockoff; rather, it represents a total understanding of Wright’s principles. So many of Wright’s apostles drifted following his death in 1959. Gill, on the other hand, had a distinguished career, including working for Bauhaus master Walter Gropius at The Architects Collaborative and for Brutalist architect Paul grattan and betsy Gill (right) sit on a built-in sofa in the living area. The house has the shipshape sensibilities of a yacht, with drawers and cabinets offering storage at every turn. French doors at the far end of the living room (above) lead to a deck that expands the livable space in good weather. The vertical-grain fir used throughout lends a soothing uniformity to the interior. 34 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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Rudolph, before moving to the Cape and setting up his own office. Two years ago, after a back-to-the-studs restoration, Gill and his wife, Betsy, moved into the Chatham house, bringing its intriguing history full circle. It all began with the January 1951 issue of Architectural Forum, which featured Wright. A native of Newton, Massachusetts, Gill was then a student at the Boston Architectural College and working as an office boy in a local design firm. For Gill, that magazine article ignited a burning desire to study with Wright. A visit to Taliesin, Wright’s studio in Wisconsin, only confirmed Gill’s
Economic lessons “The house for my parents is basically a Usonian house, which was Mr. Wright’s fancier designs made affordable for poor people like academics and me.”
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the hillside house Grattan Gill designed for his parents has two main facades: a single-story, public side with small windows (facing page, left and right), and an open two-story private side (above left) that embraces the landscape. The open deck (above right) runs almost the length of the house, in effect bringing the indoors outside.
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determination, and after an interview with Wright, he was accepted as an apprentice. Taliesin apprenticeships were full-time commitments, but Gill’s father insisted that his son come home each summer to work on the Cape house. Wright normally never allowed such furloughs, but he relented after he reviewed and approved Gill’s designs for his parents’ retirement house. Construction commenced in the summer of 1955, but since the Gills had no money, they did everything themselves. They started by digging out the hillside, and they nestled
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the foundation into the gentle slope overlooking a pond. The house was up to the first floor by 1961 and finished by 1964. The elder Gills lived there until their deaths, the father’s in 1968 and the mother’s in 1990. Betsy and Grattan moved to Sandwich, Massachusetts, just 30 miles from Chatham, in 1972. While they were converting a Victorian barn into their residence, they lived in the ground floor of his parents’ house. Now retired from teaching — Grattan from the architecture school at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island and Betsy from the Plymouth, Massachusetts, public schools — they have restored and moved into the Chatham house. “My folks were tickled that I was studying with Frank Lloyd Wright, and they did not the downstairs study, which doubles as a guest room, features a Marcel Breuer chair and two signed prints by Le Corbusier, bought by the Gills in Zurich before the Swiss master’s death. Apprentice Robert Kueny took the photograph of Wright at Taliesin West. Posing for a sculptor at the time, Wright was uncharacteristically still.
69
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2008 - 2014
2009 & 2014
On retirement “Am I retired? No true architect retires. It is simply not possible to stop making projects, even if only in your head. Mr. Wright was only two months short of his 92nd birthday when he died, and he was working on the Guggenheim Museum.”
Aesthetic goals “I am always interested in what other architects are doing. But I do not spend a lot of time thinking about famous contemporary architects, like Zaha Hadid or Frank Gehry. They do their thing, and I do mine. My concern is about people and shelter — principles not effects.”
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8/19/14 3:59 PM
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want any more Colonial,” Gill says. “Their program was ‘keep it simple,’ ” a philosophy that created an ideal house for independent elderly living. With pocket doors, an open floor plan, and main living spaces on a single floor, the house offers “easy living on one level for a sick person,” says Betsy, who confirmed the truth of that after a recent operation put her in a wheelchair for several weeks. As an interpretation of Wright’s Usonian houses, which were designed for discerning but impecunious clients, the Gills’ house has a single living-dining-cooking space with a bedroom and bath to the rear. Overcoming size limitations that would have stymied less imaginative architects, Gill created a sense of spaciousness by the judicious use of varying ceiling heights. Above the kitchen, for example, the ceiling is low, while it is several feet higher over the “living room.” A fireplace, which defines the edge of the entrance area, anchors the living space. Clerestory windows on all sides flood the space with light. Vertical-grain fir woodwork throughout unifies the interior, and built-in cabinets and bookcases
during the house’s restoration, Gill took the staircase between the main floor and the lower level back to bare framing. He then devised a new screen by extending the line of the treads across the open wall. The solution is simple, elegant, and a clever alternative to a conventional balustrade.
X X X E B W J E N V M M F O B S D I J U F D U D P N
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keep the boat-size house shipshape. Opening to the outdoors on the downside of the slope, the basement level features a combination guest room/library/office, a utility room, and a second bath. Although the dwelling is clearly rooted to the land, the upper level seems to float as the main floor cantilevers over the lower level. A large deck outside the wall of window-doors at the far end of the living area extends the usable space in good weather and further emphasizes the house’s strong horizontal lines. But Gill also considered New England’s winters in his design. The prominent eaves offer a protective cover for the walls of glass, and even during a raging snowstorm, the house seems cozy. for more Recalling Japan’s great infludetails, see ence on Wright, the interior resources takes on the aura of a sheltering wooden temple. Because of its simplicity, its human proportions, and its lack of extraneous elements, this hand-built house is one of the most accomplished examples of Modern architecture in New England.
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Comprehensive design and acquisition services for your home, hotels, yachts and jets. For a complimentary consultation contact Steven Favreau at 781.466.6354 Steven@StevenFavreau.com
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selections COMPLEMENTS ATTRACT Pair shades that are opposite on the color wheel (think red and green or orange and blue) and you get a competition for the eye’s attention that is so powerful, color theorists call it a vibrating effect. Yet, as our guest designers prove, such visually charged schemes can be turned into complementary palettes that inspire — even soothe.
p r o d u c e d b y C O U R T N EY G O O D R I C H + J E N N A TA L B O T T • p h o t o g r a p h e d b y J O E L B E N JA M I N
S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M
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“Using the full intensity of these colors enhances the impact of the complementary color scheme. Where blue suggests serenity, tranquillity, and calmness, the orange adds a layer of pop, whimsy, and playfulness.”
mark haddad and kurt hakansson Haddad Hakansson; Belmont, MA; 617-741-3131; haddadhakansson.com chair: Ruché Chair in Harald-Nuit, Ligne Roset, Boston; ligne-roset-usa.com. rug: Sari Silk Rug, Landry & Arcari Oriental Rugs and Carpeting, Boston and Salem, MA; landryandarcari.com. table: Metal-framed table with three-tier leather tray top; Icon Group Inc., Boston; 617-428-0655. drapery: Laser cut fabric in Coral from Bart Halpern, Donghia, Boston; donghia.com. lamp: Cloris table lamp in midnight blue, Visual Comfort; visualcomfort.com, at Dayton Home, Wellesley, MA; dayton-home. com. lampshade: Custom by Blanche Field, Boston; blanchefield.com. bottles: The New Bottles by Joe Cariati; joecariati.com, at Artefact Home|Garden, Belmont, MA; artefacthome.com. decanter: Small Decanter Collection by Joe Cariati, at Artefact. pillow: Artefact. glass knot: Haddad Hakansson, Belmont, MA; haddadhakansson.com.
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Our largest shipment of the year has just arrived!
See what’s new at landryandarcari.com/new
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slug tk selections
“I love to look for items that haven’t been seen before and then mix with classic pieces for a fresh and timeless look. It can be tough to find just the right purple, but pairing a few shades with bright yellow really invigorates both colors.”
emily lacouture Now Interior Design Studios, Acton, MA; 978-369-8387; nowinteriordesignstudios.com bench: Jacques Bench, $1,800, Jonathan Adler; jonathanadler. com. seat fabric: Purple linen, Grey’s Fabric and Notions, Boston; greysfabric.com. wallpaper: Octopussi, Voutsa; voutsa.com. antique rug: First Rugs, Acton and Danvers, MA; firstrugs. com. neoprene basket: Neò, neodesignart.com. pillow, vase, and stools: Now Interior Design Studios, Acton, MA; nowinterior designstudios.com.
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PLOUM sofa by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec ligne-roset-usa.com
200 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116 lignerosetboston.com - Tel : (617) 451-2212
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“Red and green’s relationship was tired, so they called on orange for a consultation. Orange said, ‘Be bold, and I will hold your hands.’ Green and red summoned plaid, florals, and texture. Shiny objects appeared. Together they found love again.”
elaine grant + matthew larkin
chair: Amari High Back Lounge Chair in bamboo green, Janus et Cie, Boston; janusetcie.com. fabric: Bouquet, Sahco; sahco-hesslein.com and at Donghia, Boston; donghia. com. pillow: Linden Pesto Pillow, $40, Crate & Barrel, crateandbarrel.com. rug: Dawson Woven Cotton Rug, $112, Dash & Albert; dashandalbert. com. duvet: Matte Velvet Brick Quilt in full/queen, $478, standard shams, $64 each, Pine
Cone Hill; pineconehill.com. wallpaper: Tartan by Vivienne Westwood, Cole & Son; cole-and-son. com. apple: Eve Glazed Apple, extra small, $358, Janus et Cie. lamp: Threshold Mercury Glass Squat Lamp Base, small, $25, Target; target.com. lampshade: Light Years Floor Shade, $35, Land of Nod; landofnod.com. table: Barrel End Table with iron frame and acrylic top, $495, Garage Sale, Boston; garagesaleboston.com.
Grant Larkin, Richmond, MA; 413-698-2599; grantlarkin.com
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O
BOO K
N A CITY B WI R
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The living room in the Berlin apartment just opposite the German National Theater
THE TEST
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selections | appendix
Interior designers Mark Haddad (pictured left) and Kurt Hakansson (right) envisioned a room that’s opulent yet comfortable, focusing not only on their color combination of orange and blue, but also on texture. “In addition to working with the complementary color palette,” says Hakansson, “we were inspired to select complementary textures. The luxuriousness of the navy velvet chair paired beautifully with the hard edges of the orange leather end table, and the unexpected detail of the laser-cut fabric adds a layer of depth behind the ensemble.” Emily Lacouture is one of the designers on staff at the Acton, Massachusetts, firm Now Interior Design Studios, started by First Rugs, which has showrooms in Acton and Danvers, Massachusetts, and New York. She delved into yellow and purple with a fantastic Lucite-and-brass bench and offbeat wallpaper, adding pillows and accessories to finish. Matt Larkin and Elaine Grant are the husband-and-wife principals of Grant Larkin, their interior, furniture, and lighting design studio in Richmond, Massachusetts, where they enjoy time in their spectacular garden filled with sculpted topiary (“A Landscape Casts a Spell,” Design New England March/ April 2014). For their red-and-green room, they imagined a guest bedroom — where the not-so-restful “vibrating” colors might prevent guests from lingering too long.
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Color Lessons Between primary colors blue, yellow, and red on the color wheel are secondary colors orange, purple, and green. Each primary color has a complementary secondary color opposite it — blue and orange are complements, as are yellow and purple and red and green. Pairing these colors can have a jarring effect, because the colors compete for the eye’s attention. Indeed, if those colors have the same value (lightness/ darkness), they can seem to vibrate, making the composition stand out with visual energy. To tone down the vibration in our designers’ schemes, a third color, one adjacent to a complementary color on the wheel, could be introduced — for example, red and green could be accented with orange. Vibration is just one aspect of color theory, which gets quite complicated. As German-born and Bauhaus-trained artist and color theorist Josef Albers (1888– 1976) explained, when it comes to color, everything is abstract. “In visual perception,” he wrote in his Interaction of Color, published in 1963, “a color is almost never seen as it really is — as it physically is. This fact makes color the most relative medium in art.”
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Michael Casey Photo 617.492.2808 | www.lombardidesign.com
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YOU’VE NEVER TAKEN A TEST DRIVE LIKE THIS.
0o to 450o faster than ever! Would you ever consider investing in an automobile without a test drive? Then why purchase high-performance appliances without first testing them? Try the intensity and speed of a Wolf gas broiler. Experience the Wolf Convection Steam Oven cooking a dozen eggs in the carton, rejuvenating leftovers and taking a meal from freezer to table in 30 minutes. Witness the power of Wolf induction cooking. You can see and use more models of Sub-Zero and Wolf here than anywhere else in New England. You’ll never drive anything else after this test drive. Incomparable.
Visit us online, stop by to browse or call today to arrange a test drive. Milford, MA & South Norwalk, CT s 800-845-8247 s wolftestdrive.com
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ARCHITECTURE SPACECRAFT ARCHITECTURE
kitchen
white and bright, the kitchen gets its old farmhouse feel from the square casement windows and beamed ceiling. The Saarinen dining table and Arne Jacobsen Series 7 molded chairs add contrast, while the red rug delivers a pop of color.
Scandinavian Simplicity Swedish homeowners add Nordic style to their charming vintage home written by riva bergel • photographed by greg premru
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here was no question for these first-time US homeowners, a couple who had moved from their native Sweden to work in the Boston-area biotech sector: The kitchen in their circa 1820s house in Lexington, Massachusetts, would be white. But as they soon discovered, it’s not that simple. Choosing the perfect hue proved a challenge. “White is just too beautiful,” says the wife. “We wanted a bright white, but not too bright.” Simply White and Super White from Benjamin Moore, the chosen colors, now connect the entire first floor, illuminating the kitchen and
dining room, both part of the renovation the couple completed before they moved in a year ago, as well as the family and living rooms, where less drastic updating was needed. The paint provides a backdrop that unifies the spaces and brightens the interiors so that during the day not a single light needs to be turned on. Before the couple bought the house in June of 2012, they had lived with their children, now 11, 12, and 14, in a large older house they rented in another town. Ready for a place of their own, they were drawn to the vintage charm of the classic center-entry Colonial-style house and its prime location within walking distance of the children’s school and
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A STATEMENT PIECE FOR YOUR BATHROOM. Just as the right necklace can transform your look, the Arris faucet can transform your bathroom. See how jewelry designers were inspired by Moen faucets at moen.com/statementpiece ™
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kitchen
lem piston stools provide seating at the generous center island. The ceiling lights are Bruck Rainbow MR16 Spot in matte chrome finish and clear glass. The array of windows above the sink affords a view of the back deck and yard.
close to a popular bike path. But the house needed a major renovation to meet the needs of their active family. The existing layout was inconvenient at best. “You had to walk through the family and living rooms, around the stairway, and through the formal dining room to get to the kitchen,” says the husband. With the help of architect Sally DeGan of SpaceCraft Architecture in Lexington, who devised a new layout, they created a new rear entry and porch, relocated the mudroom and first-floor bathroom and moved the laundry to the basement, which is now accessed from a new and better-placed staircase. The couple had experience renovating four houses in Sweden before moving to the States, so they had a clear vision of what they wanted. “Our aim was to make it personal but still follow the style of the house and its original structure as much as possible,” says the wife. With pristine white custom cabinets made by Crown Point Cabinetry of Claremont, New Hampshire, and white Silestone coun-
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kitchen
tertops configured in a utilitarian U-shape around a large center island, their description is apt. The room’s clean, minimalist look, which is enhanced by the 6-inch wirebrushed light oak floors, can be attributed to the Scandinavian design principles the homeowners adhered to. “Scandinavians often have less space, so they’re very practical,” says the wife. “Clean lines are, for sure, very Swedish — a bit of less is more. White or simple colors are often chosen.” They handed DeGan a list of kitchen must-haves that included two dishwashers, two ovens, a refrigerator with a water dispenser, a deep sink, a wine chiller, plenty of seating, and a stainless steel built-in coffee maker, a staple in Scandinavia but a feature most Americans haven’t caught on to. DeGan also made sure that the kitchen and dining room had easy access to the private backyard by adding a glass door off the kitchen and French doors off the dining room. They open to a close-to-the-ground deck that expands the living space in good weather.
a vent-free insert in the original fireplace provides a no-work, no-worry fire in the dining room. The red pendant lights, side cabinet, and rug add vibrant color to the crisp white room. The doorway next to the fireplace leads to the music room.
Dream. Design. Enjoy. Create the kitchen or bathroom of your dreams in one inspirational location. Our expert designers will help you every step of the way – designing, planning and ordering what you’ll need to create the room of your dreams. Book your consultation today. 508.452.5191 KohlerSignatureStoreNatick.com 20 Chrysler Road, Natick, MA 01760
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kitchen Greg Premru Photography
architect sally degan proposed moving the back entrance to the side of the house, where it is protected by a covered back porch (above top). It opens to a new mudroom (above) in a space that had been the family room. “We kept the fireplace,” says one of the homeowners, “and we do use it a lot in the winter.” The door to the right leads to the combined dining room and kitchen space. A new bathroom and a secondary mudroom, where muddy boots and sports equipment can be stashed, is off to the left.
CAMBRIDGE | CHATHAM 617 621-1455 www.LDa-Architects.com
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Beyond that, the couple’s wants were simple. “We like a clean, sleek look,” says the wife. “Being able to put things away in a practical kind of way is key.” For all their charm, old houses can present their own special set of challenges. In this case, it was the very low ceilings in the dining room and kitchen, which are now open to each other in an L-shaped configuration. In fact, they were so low that the husband, who is about 6 feet 4 inches tall, could not comfortably stand up straight. The solution was to excavate. Working with the building team from JW Construction in Cambridge, Massachusetts, “We lowered the floors 18 inches,” says the wife, “and while doing that we discovered that the whole foundation needed to be reinforced. This took quite some time and cost a bit more than expected.” With some help from interior designer Robin Gannon of Robin Gannon Interiors in Lexington, the homeowners selected
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Building on the Maine Tradition
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the contemporary furniture for the kitchen and dining room, sticking to the theme of functional simplicity. Decorative pillows and side-table coverings by Stockholm designer Josef Frank add touches of Swedish design and remind the family of its heritage. The red dining room light fixtures and area rugs for more details, and orange and green kitchen see resources accessories add vibrant color to the mix. The vent-free gas fireplace insert from Empire Comfort Systems brings the warmth of a fire to the dining room at the touch of a button. Eight months after renovations began, the family moved into their new house. Now when the children get home from school, the kitchen transforms into homework central and all-around living space. “It’s a unique, one-of-a-kind house,” says the wife. “It has charm and soul.” And now it also has a functional layout and a kitchen the whole family can enjoy.
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8/19/14 3:46 PM
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Tips for kitchen remodel Tip 1 Kitchens are all about function Maximizing your storage is essential to having a great kitchen. I have seen many kitchens that have no place to put the frying pans, no real pantry and no counter space on either side of the cook top. These are not functioning kitchens. I contend that all cabinets less than 12 inches wide are useless. If you are going to spend the money to remodel your kitchen, let a designer help you maximize the storage space. No more trips to the basement to get that pan or roll of paper towels. At Dream Kitchens, I guarantee we will give you at least 30% more storage.
Tip 2 Personalize your kitchen Kitchens are the center of our life. Try adding a custom backsplash, a piece of stained glass, or some moldings. Try contrasting stains or mix up some custom paint. There are endless ways to personalize. Generally, I go to someone’s home, look at the colors and styles in the rest of the house and bring them into the kitchen. Or, show us pictures of what you like. We can make your kitchen showcase your style and set the mood for your home.
E X C E L L E N T Tip 3 Since the kitchen is the center of your life, open it up to the rest of your home Today, the cook wants to be part of the party. An open floor plan that connects the kitchen with the dining room, or even better, a family room, let’s you use countertops as a buffet, or watch the Super Bowl while preparing food in the kitchen. Watchers and helpers should be on the fringe where they can talk to you but not get in the way. It is best to lay out your kitchen so you can do dishes and prepare food, chat with your guests and still see your favorite television show. We can make this all possible.
Tip 4 Get rid of the clutter Most people’s countertops are packed with the coffeemaker, toaster, food processor, knives, spices, and pantry items. This makes it almost impossible to prepare food and makes the kitchen look messy. Have a place to store everything so you can see and use those beautiful countertops. At Dream Kitchens, we will store everything away so you are ready for company any time of day!
Tip 5 Make your space efficient There are many places we should get exercise but the kitchen is not one of them. Every item should be close to where it is used.
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Good cooking is about timing and everything should be at your finger tips. Most kitchens have pots and pans stored many steps away from the stove, so you have to walk, get down on your knees, and then unstack and restack the pots to access a pan. I don’t get on my knees for anyone. Dishes should be stored a step away from the dishwasher and sink and dish towels should be handy. Keep the plastic wraps near the fridge. Everything should be at your fingertips just where you need it.
Kitchens are where we spend the most time. Kitchens should be beautiful, organized and functional.
Nina Hackel President Dream Kitchens 139 Daniel Webster Highway Nashua NH 03060 www.adreamkitchen.com 603-891-2916
K I T C H E N S 4/15/14 12:42 PM
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ARCHITECTURE TADAO ANDO ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES
places
A Triumph of Serenity Twelve years in the making, Tadao Ando’s visitor center at the Clark is itself a transcendent work of art
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he visitor center at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, is easily the most elegant museum building in New England. The 44,000-square-foot addition to the museum and research center in the Berkshires, which opened July 4, unambiguously confirms the wisdom of the Clark’s commissioning Japanese architect Tadao Ando for the design. The museum selected Ando as its architect 12 years ago after considering scores of other designers. Before he had drawn a line, the museum asked this writer to present an overview of Ando’s career in the Journal of the Clark Art Institute. In that article, I called Ando a poet, noting what courage it took to commission the architectural equivalent of a towering independent spirit like Michelangelo or Beethoven.
architect tadao ando’s long, low West Pavilion at the Clark Art Institute does not overpower the nearly flat landscape by Gary Hilderbrand of Reed Hilderbrand of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The total composition represents the epitome of masterly Modern design — at once contemporary and yet timeless.
TUCKER BAIR
WRITTEN BY WILLIAM MORGAN
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the reflecting pool changes its mood depending upon the sky. It can read as a pristine sheet of glass or as a deep, flooded quarry. Ando’s Stone Hill Center, just behind the tree line, can be reached by a walking trail up the hill.
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It was easy to predict that such a noncompromising artist would give the Clark an instant landmark. Ando, I wrote, would offer eternal verities and provide a timeless serenity. Ando’s handsome Stone Hill Center of 2008 is separate from the museum complex, but his new West Pavilion could have overpowered the adjoining original museum building. That 1955 white marble temple looks like a Beaux Arts-style mansion. Yet Ando and landscape architect Gary Hilderbrand of Reed Hilderbrand in Cambridge, Massachusetts, respectfully integrated those structures. The mass of the building is kept low, with an entire floor below ground. Entering the Clark property, one does not even see the visitor center — in Japanese fashion, the view is revealed as the landscape unfolds. And what a landscape it is. The site consists of 140 acres of idyllic meadows, woods,
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granite steppingstones mark the dams between the large pools outside the West Pavilion. These are essentially contemporary versions of the 18th-century ha-ha. The water appears to be of the same level when viewed from the museum, but this prospect shows the change of levels.
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and hills. What was once an agrarian landscape has evolved into a picturesque canvas that uses a trio of reflecting pools to unify three disparate architectural expressions. The existing streams, forest, and ponds, along with the new pools, geothermal wells, and green roofs, all contribute to a single sustainable ecosystem that protects the wetlands. Like an ancient scroll painter, Ando manipulates the landscape through borrowed views, carefully defining vistas by the placement of walls. “I love how this work frames and shapes the panoramic — the picturesque paradigm,” says the architect’s creative partner, Hilderbrand. “It’s the very tangible reciprocal of the landscape paintings everyone comes here to see.” West Pavilion is where the public begins its tours, gets refreshment, and shops. (The noted museum designer Kulapat Yantrasast, whose charge by the Clark was “Make it beautiful,” designed the handsome museum store, as well as Café Seven, a restaurant downstairs. Executive architects Gensler coordinated the entire project.) The new building offers 11,000 square feet of much needed galleries for special and visiting exhibitions, along with
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TUCKER BAIR, TUCKER BAIR, MATTHEW CAVANAUGH/BOSTON GLOBE
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a museum by Ando is as much about the architecture as it is about the collection. Water at his pavilion at the Clark is the major feature of a contemplative garden in the spirit of Zen Buddhism (facing page, top), while it also serves as an abstract plane for a three-dimensional color-field composition (facing page, bottom). In Ando’s hands, even something as straightforwardly functional as a staircase (above) becomes a strikingly beautiful artistic element.
flexible space for conferences, lectures, and entertaining. What connects all these functions is a wall. This long diagonal — an element every bit as starkly dramatic as Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. — defines the entire back of the building. It then continues to form one side of the walkway to the original building, which houses its famous collection of American masters and French Impressionists. The sense of wall is one constant in Ando’s design. Enclosures, he says, “allow humans to seek privacy and be introspective.” Solid or pierced, vertical barriers are the building blocks, the primitive geometry that allows the architect to channel the underlying principles found in Shinto shrines, Zen gardens, or the forms of archaic Greece. Ando’s long wall is composed of red Minnesota granite, the same stone that sheathes the research library, which is on the far side of the museum (the research center is a 1972 work of Pietro Belluschi and The Architects Collaborative). It also defines the western end of the large reflecting pool.
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the original museum galleries have been renovated and expanded, adding 5,000 square feet of space and improved circulation. Design architect Annabelle Selldorf of Selldorf Architects of New York City was able to maintain the building’s domestic character. Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s 1870 sculpture The Three Graces enlivens the main gallery.
It is the first structure by Ando that is not formed with his signature carefully crafted concrete. Ando’s smooth-as-glass concrete is, to my mind, stronger in the architect’s hands than the veiny igneous rock that the Clark insisted he use. But in either case, his work leads the visitor through a series of rooms while simultaneously presenting carefully framed vistas of the landscape. Some of the rooms have still, contemplative planes of water or fountain-walls over which water pours. The exterior pool, on the other hand, reflects the sky and serves as a platform for all three buildings, yet marries them to the pastoral scene. Ando’s work at the Clark employs techniques that other geniuses have, on occasion, used to create contemporary masterpieces, from the refined concrete surfaces of American architect Louis Kahn to the water walls of Mexican landscape designer Luis Barragán. The giant sheets of water in front of all three buildings recall Louis XIV’s garden designer André Le Nôtre. Like Le Nôtre’s masterpiece at Vaux-le-Vicomte, the Clark’s pools are scale-less, allowing visitors release from the immediate, corporeal world.
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THIS PAGE: MIKE AGEE. FACING PAGE: TADAO ANDO, WILLIAM MORGAN
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Tadao Ando was a brilliant choice for the 1995 Pritzker Prize, architecture’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. He was also a surprising choice in that he is a designer who never went to architecture school and whose guiding principle is the 16th-century Japanese concept of wabi, which espouses modesty and simplicity (see Page 14). Two US museums — the Pritzker Foundation for the Arts in St. Louis and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, — demonstrate Ando’s confidence in humble building materials and pure geometry. With their reliance on water, sky, and light shaped within a frame of concrete, both museums are evolutionary precursors to the Clark Art Institute. Nevertheless, Ando’s most moving designs church of the light are houses of worship in his native Japan. The entrance to the Buddhist Water Temple in Hyogo is through a lily pond on the roof of the circular temple. His Church of the Light near Osaka is a box with a cruciform slit that lets in sunlight, distilling the drama of a Baroque church into the disciplined spirit of the Zen teahouse. The altar end of the Church on the Water in Hokkaido is a wall of glass facing a mountain landscape, with a steel cross standing outside in a reflecting pool.
But the Ando building is anything but an architectural history lesson, for Ando’s work is never about style, but about a quest for simplicity and serenity. His best buildings, including the Clark, are universal and mysterious. This West Pavilion renders moot the debate about whether museums should be containers for art or whether they themselves should be the works of art. Ando’s Clark addition is of such transcendent spirituality that its role as a display case is irrelevant. Clark Art Institute, 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA; clarkart.edu
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Cambridge Evolution History lays the groundwork for a discreetly Modern addition to a Greek Revival classic written by maria karagianis • photographed by eric roth 78 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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W the addition has an exterior spiral staircase that connects the new second-story terrace and master suite above the stucco-clad music room to the ground-level terrace. The flat roof and squared-off lines of the new space mesh beautifully with the gabled 1845 house.
illa Chamberlain of Cambridge, Massachusetts, qualifies as a warrior, not a wimp, when it comes to taking on ambitious architectural projects. In 2000, when she and her husband purchased their circa 1845 Greek Revival-style house near Harvard Square, “there were trees growing into the front roof and trees that had fallen onto the music room in the back, and the greenhouse was broken,” says Chamberlain. “But it was very New England, very romantic.” In the last 13 years, the historic property, which began life as a simple saltbox on a street once called Windmill Lane that winds down to the Charles River, has undergone three major renovation projects. A few blocks off Brattle Street, the house seems to have evolved organically and holistically from its birth as a simple New England wood-framed house to its current splendor as a Greek Revival grande dame set into a magnificent garden in the middle of the city. Once you are behind the brick wall and hedge of hinoki cypresses, which the owners planted to S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M
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separate the front of the house from the sidewalk, you feel as if you are in another, more magical country. The first project restored the living room, library, dining room, and kitchen, as well as other core parts of the 14-room house. A few years later, they tackled the restoration of the music room, a single-story 1920s addition to the back of the house with elegant French doors that open to the garden and the adjacent greenhouse, which was also brought back to life — along with its cherished collection of antique camellias (“The Darling of
the Greenhouse,” Design New England, January/February 2007). The most recent project, arguably the most interesting, given the age and history of the property, is a second-floor deck and master suite built over the music room. “We were having dinner together one night about three years ago, in their wonderful dining room with murals painted all over the walls,” says architect David Hacin, president of Hacin + Associates Inc. in Boston and a friend of the owners, “and they said they wanted to show me something on the second
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floor. We climbed out of the window and stood on the roof of the music room. They said they wanted to build something there. It was a spectacular vantage point — an oasis, really. They said they wanted a beautiful deck in the sky.”
They also needed a proper master suite. “Our bedroom was a sleeping porch,” says Chamberlain. “Our bathroom was makeshift, and our study only fit books. We had focused on the five bedrooms needed for the children. Dessert came
the master bedroom (above left) is a modern light- and sun-filled space connected to the deck. One of two identical closets (above right), this one the wife’s, leads into her side of the master bathroom.
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ton, Massachusetts, on the job, she adds, “they started on time and finished on time. It was the best experience possible. It was really awesome. Fun.” “The shape and design of the addition,” says Hacin, “was intended to integrate with the music room but not overwhelm either it or the main house. The original music room addition was clad in a fairly unadorned stucco finish and attached to the clapboard main house. Our design intended to weave those two materials together, refine the detailing of the stucco and clapboards, and blend contemporary and traditional design influences that would reveal the aggregated quality of the house over time.” Today, the beautiful deck they envisioned overlooks a swimming pool, an ancient tree canopy that provides privacy, and a beautiful historic garden designed by Fletcher Steele, the famous American landscape architect of the 1920s and 1930s. It adjoins an up-to-date
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willa chamberlain emerges from the new back entry (facing page), part of Hacin’s renovation. Inside the modern door, a mudroom (far right) leads to the music room. Off the mudroom is the impeccably restored butler’s pantry (near right), which doubles as a potting room for the garden and greenhouse and as a service space when Chamberlain and her husband entertain in the music room.
master suite with a study, giant closets, and his-andher bathrooms connected by a luxurious marble steam shower. Inside, the addition is modern, sleek, and lightfilled, yet outside it is difficult to see where old ends and new begins. The historic nature of the house is undisturbed by Hacin’s design, architecture that could
be described as evolution, rather than revolution. “It was a challenge. How could we honor the past yet provide the amenities of modern life and the freshness my clients desired?” Hacin asks. Ultimately, it was the eclectic history and culture of the house that inspired him and his clients “to honor the past yet create the present and future.”
Photography: Eric Roth
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Literal Abstraction Painter Patrick McCay brings mystery and imagination to New England’s most iconic scenes WRITTEN BY LORI FERGUSON • PHOTOGRAPHED BY JARED CHARNEY
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xplore, Exploit — Express!” is the title of a popular continuing-education course that painter Patrick McCay teaches at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he is chairman of fine arts and senior faculty fellow, but this verbal triumvirate could be McCay’s motto. A native of Scotland, the artist has lived all over the world, from Detroit to Australia. Yet, it’s his time in New England that informs his most recent body of work, a series of canvases that reflect upon the region’s rich visual narrative while playfully challenging conceptions of what constitutes a traditional landscape. On a recent sabbatical from academic duties, McCay gave in to the seduction of scenic New England. “I drove around the countryside and saw sheep and cows with the light bouncing off their backs,” he says,
the artwork in Patrick McCay’s studio (above) reflects his approach to painting. “I often don’t know what my conclusion will be when I begin work on a canvas,” he says. “I do choose a dominant image and have a sense of the palette I’ll employ, but I have no idea how the piece will turn out until it’s done.”
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“and the inspiration was obvious.” A graduate of the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, McCay is classically trained and fully cognizant of the underlying elements that constitute an image. But literal representation is not his goal. “I set out to revisit New England’s icons — deer, moose, barns, boats, trees, fields, and farms — and re-create them in new and inventive ways,” he says. “The challenge was clear: Could I employ clichés in inventive, painterly visual statements, imposing the dignity and mystery of the unknown upon that which is all too well known?” The resulting work offers a delightful romp through New England’s visual Rolodex, prompting the question: What’s a landscape painting really about? For this artist, a traditional approach is much too staid. The real world has a place in his paintings, but it will never be slavishly reproduced. McCay paints in his studio in Bedford, New Hampshire, rather than en plein air, because for him, painting is as much a cere-
inspired by the natural environment, McCay paints in his Bedford, New Hampshire, studio. “In order to push myself beyond what’s obvious and easily visible,” he says, “I come inside. Being within the walls of my studio forces me to focus on content and a concept that fully engages my imagination.”
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bral exercise as a representational one. “As an artist, I follow a process that I describe as ‘inside working out/outside working in,’ ” he says. “I’m constantly in observational mode. I engage the landscape outside — absorbing, documenting, reflecting — then bring these experiences inside, where the cognitive creative translation begins.” A good painting, like a great book or film, makes you want to revisit it, says McCay. “For me, the thrill of creating means getting beyond the obvious and what everyone else sees into a deeper, more evocative and emotional space.” Remove the external stimuli, he explains, and you’re forced to use your imagination to fill in the blanks. “When I’m out exploring, I’ll do cursory sketches to capture rudimentary information about the envianimals such as deer and cattle are recognizable in McCay’s paintings, but they are not scrupulously rendered. “If I find a poor photo — one that’s out of focus, for instance — I’ll grab it. Too much specificity dilutes the creative process for me.”
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mccay underpaints his canvases in acrylic, which dries quickly, allowing him to sketch out an idea, and overpaints in oil, which enables him to infuse a tactile element. The effect is powerfully demonstrated in the 40-by-30-inch Horse Glimpses (above) and the 36-inch-by 36-inch Sheep Glimpses iv (facing page).
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ronment, but I deliberately avoid making detailed recordings of the scene in order to maximize the opportunity for painterly invention.” He adds, “The object in my work, for example, the moose or the fish, isn’t the dominant element. The rest of the painting has to be equally engaging. I may include a more formal object as an element within an image, but that’s countered by an expressionistic background. My goal is to find a way to make the literal and the abstract compatible.” Color is also important in carrying his form and message. It’s an emotional, inventive component of every painting he executes, and yet it’s another means the artist employs for moving beyond the obvious. “My training taught me how to orchestrate color palettes,” he says, “so I turn away from literal renderings of a subject and instantly the choices for depicting [it] become broader, more inventive, and more challenging.” A perfect illustration of this melding of the real and imagined is his large canvas Cow Glimpses II. The upper third of the image depicts a common New England scene of Holstein cows grazing in a meadow. But as the viewer’s eye slides down the canvas, this bucolic landscape takes a startling turn. The meadow explodes in a fragmented collection of stripes and squiggles in bright, primary colors, with only a few daisies scattered along one side to suggest the peaceful pasture above. Farther down the plane, the eye lands on a butcher’s dia-
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gram for cattle. What is McCay’s message? Don’t be lulled into a sense of false security by superficial appearances? Don’t assume that things are necessarily as they appear? Or perhaps, simply, that our relationship with the world around us is multifaceted. “Patrick is a painter’s painter,” says Zoe Randall, who as owner and director of the Chace-Randall Gallery in Andes, New York, has represented McCay for many years. “His work reflects a melding of sophistication and whimsy as well as a peppering of iconography that simultaneously reflects the landscape of both his interior and exterior environment. His use of color is extraordinary. At first glance, it appears to border on the extreme, but with close inspection, one realizes it’s perfect.” “I simply can’t play it safe when I paint,” says McCay. “The work has to occupy that uneasy space between real and unreal. I don’t seek to re-create what’s before me — that would be too mechanical for me. Instead, I like to absorb the experience and editorialize, distilling it through my memory in hopes of achieving something a tad more original. My goal is to encourage viewers to revisit the familiar and suspend their own visual for someone else’s. I also believe, however, that you have to leave the viewer with residual clues to enable access to the work. As my own father once said, ‘You can write about art, you can fight about art, but if you’re not communicating, you’ve failed.’ ” Patrick McCay’s work is available locally through Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden, 236 Hopkinton Road, Concord, NH; 603-2262046; themillbrookgallery.com.
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Room for Improvement From Colonial times, educating the populace was a priority, and teaching young minds the challenge of the one-room schoolhouse written by bruce irving
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“It being one cheife project of ye ould deluder, Satan, to keepe men from the knowledge of ye Scriptures [….] It is therefore ord’ed that ev’y towneship within this jurisdiction, after ye Lord hath increased their number to 50 householders shall then forthwith appoint one within their towne to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write & reade, whose wages shall be paid either by ye parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in generall [….] & it is further ordered, that where any towne shall increase to ye number of 100 families or householders they shall set up a grammar schoole […] being able to instruct youth so farr as they shall be fited for ye university [.]” Thus began the process of sitting students in New England classrooms, their minds less on Satan perhaps than on the clock or, for the privileged ones, their Latin lessons. For those who would be
NORWICH HISTIORICAL SOCIETY
n these secular days, the devil doesn’t get quite the press he once did, as, say, when the Puritans were in charge of things. Back then, he was prominently mentioned in Massachusetts’s Colony Laws, in Chapter 88 to be exact, in the year 1647:
the root district Schoolhouse (top photo, taken circa 1921–1923) is in Norwich, Vermont, a town that once had 19 one-room schoolhouses in operation. An effort to preserve the building led to it being added to the National Register of Historic Places. Root District students (above) pose in patriotic costumes outside the school in 1937.
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the root district Schoolhouse (above, photo taken in 1932) and the Beaver Meadow Schoolhouse (facing page, circa 1940), which opened in 1791, are in Norwich, Vermont.
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fitted for university — usually upperclass boys — Latin was an essential skill, the scholarly language of Europe in which all theological and scientific tracts were written and even discussed. Boston Latin School, established in 1635, was the most famous of Colonial America’s academies; the country’s oldest existing school, it still makes Latin a mandatory course. Most early New England schools were far humbler affairs, teaching the basics of reading and writing English and often set up inside a schoolmistress’s own home (and thus called “dame” schools) or in specially, but simply, constructed buildings erected for the purpose. Dedham, Massachusetts, lays claim to the first school funded, in 1645, by general taxation. Like so many to follow, it had a single room for instruction — it measured 15 feet by 18 feet and featured two windows and a fireplace. Unlike most of its descendants, however, the Dedham school also sported a watchtower at one end for defense against Indian attack. Just as the Puritans had marked education with their theological stamp, the new republic, after the Revolution, imbued its schools with a mission of its own. Republicanism called for choosing leaders not through birth or hierarchy but by popular vote. And although the meaning of “popular” was rather narrow at the start, says retired Dartmouth history professor
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Jere Daniell, “voting required an educated populace.” When that populace expanded steadily and towns grew in physical size, poor roads and limited mobility meant that getting to a school became increasingly challenging. Thus was born the district school system, with local, mostly oneroom schoolhouses built within walking distance of the students. These are the stuff of popular imagination, a single teacher attempting to drive the three Rs into a group ranging from little children to teenagers, a bell calling them to lessons, and tuition partly paid in firewood or coal supplied by the students. They were thick upon the land — in the mid-1800s, Vermont alone had 2,000 of them, most one room, an average of 15 to 20 per town. “If a town was roughly 40 square miles,” says Daniell, “a district would average about 2 square miles. The district school was the major community-building force for ‘neighborhood,’ at a time in agricultural society when neighborhood relations were of central importance. If you had a barn raising, if you wanted to have a dance, if you had a wedding, it was the neighborhood, not the town, that was basic.” For an upcoming documentary about Vermont’s one-room schoolhouses, Historic New England’s manager of community engagement and exhibitions, Kenneth Turino, interviewed dozens of former
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students in the town of Norwich. Now in their golden years, they were among the 46 percent of students who still attended oneroom schoolhouses in 1940. “It’s hard to picture children walking a mile and a half these days, but that’s the way it was,” says former student Stanley Teeter. “On cold days,” remembers Stanley Wallace, “we used to take our hitchedtogether seat and desks and move them up around the wood stove for warmth, and that’s where we held our classes. With grades one through eight [all together,] you can’t but overhear what every other group [is doing] — you know what you’re going to get into the next year if you pay some attention. Though, of course, you should be doing your own work.” The teacher would move the class with which she wanted to work to the front, assigning quiet studies for those in the back. “If she couldn’t get us [to concentrate] on any project that we were working on,” remembers Roxy Ruby, “she would make us practice penmanship. Around and round and round,” she says, making loops in the air. “I used to get so sick and tired of doing that!” Daniell, who grew up in Millinocket, Maine, also was a student in a one-room schoolhouse and remembers endless recitation. “I have so many relatives who can get God-knows-how-far into Hiawatha,” he says and laughs, referring to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic 22-chapter poem, a staple of student memorization. Eventually, a new system of elementary, secondary, and high schools made it out from the cities to the countryside, spurred on by the more sophisticated educational needs of an industrializing society as well as by better roads. Meanwhile, education and schools now fell under the realm of science and engineering, with little tolerance for homespun ways. In a 1911 monograph published by the US Bureau of Education, the author sniffed that “The type of country school building which has been prevalent in our country for a century is one of the most forlorn and desolate structures one can imagine … the product of ‘hatchetand-saw’ carpenters with no plans to guide and no ability to read them even if they had been furnished.” Schools became multiroom structures, built to standardized specifications: In 1907, Boston regulations
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“The type of country school building which has been prevalent in our country for a century is one of the most forlorn and desolate structures one can imagine … the product of ‘hatchetand-saw’ carpenters with no plans to guide and no ability to read them even if they had been furnished.” Complete your outdoor room with a custom Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchen with exclusive finishes and door styles, superior stainless steel construction and endless entertaining options. w w w. b r o w n j o r d a n o u t d o o r k i t c h e n s . c o m 203.626.5625 | 855.839.5063
called for a schoolroom to be 26 feet by 30 feet, with a 13-foot ceiling and desks for 50 students — and no watchtower. Nowadays, New England schools continue to reflect our preoccupations. The Hollis, New Hampshire, Montessori School is the first elementary school in the country to be Passive House–certified, a gold standard of energy efficiency. Designed by Windy Hill Associates of New Boston, New Hampshire, with mechanical and construction specifications by Boston’s ZeroEnergy Design, the building features, among other things, superb insulation (the roof is R-111, whereas building code calls for only R-38). After solar photovoltaic panels are installed on the roof, the building will have net-zero energy consumption. Parts of its ventilation and mechanical systems are exposed to allow for teaching opportunities. Jordan Goldman, engineering principal for ZeroEnergy Design, says: “This building is so efficient that it uses the same amount of energy annually that a typical existing school uses in a month. It’s not about ‘new technology,’ but rather about using air-sealing, insulation, and heating/cooling/ventilation systems in smart and thoughtful ways — the devil is in the details.” Seems like “ye ould” fellow is still part of the equation.
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local wares hardware, fasteners, and floors by courtney goodrich • photographed by joel benjamin
Yankee Dandies Renovating requires resources, planning, and time, not to mention a lot of patience. Quality workmanship, careful design, and superior building materials such as these examples of New England-made products can mean the difference between good and great renovations. We found flooring and wainscot made of wood reclaimed from the bottom of Maine’s Penobscot River, rustic nails cut the old-fashioned way, and latches, knobs, hinges, and levers passionately designed and crafted by a family-owned business. They make us eager to pick up a hammer.
water rescue Maine Heritage Timber drags up pine, spruce, and fir logs from the bottom of the Penobscot River near Quakish Lake in Millinocket, Maine. It is wood that sank 100 years ago when the artery was the main way to get fresh-cut timber to market. After using a long-reach excavator, powered with bio-hydraulic fluid and equipped with an orange-peel grapple to recover the wood, the company dries it in a kiln and then fashions it into flooring, wainscot, and furniture. Pine flooring (pictured) and spruce/ fir shadow board (Page 101). Maine Heritage Timber, Millinocket, ME; maineheritagetimber.com.
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To builders, there’s nothing as pleasingly humble as the nail. Before Ezekiel Reed of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, invented the first device to cut and head one in 1786, nails were handforged in small shops around America. Technology has produced sleeker designs and more efficient processes, but Tremont Nail Co. of Mansfield, Massachusetts, relishes the old way. Specializing in producing nails for restoration projects where authenticity is most important, the company, which began in 1819 in Wareham, Massachusetts, and was bought by Acorn Manufacturing Co. in 2006, uses machinery from the mid-1800s to cut sheets of steel into hefty spikes, headless nails, small brads, rose-head and wrought-head designs, galvanized nails for boats, and tough masonry nails to pierce concrete and mortar. (from left) Clout, Floor, and Spike, Tremont Nail Co., Mansfield, MA; tremontnail.com.
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fine finish Founded by Bill Lowe in 1982, Lowe Hardware is a family business now run by daughter Emily and son Elliot. For use on boats, homes, or commercial projects, the superbly crafted collection of levers, knobs, locks, hinges, and pulls is designed and manufactured in a 6,000-square-foot workshop in Rockland, Maine. There are 22 standard finishes from bright silver to blackened bronze, but the company also offers custom work and finishes. Knuckle Hinge in polished and brushed nickel (above, top) and Ribbon Lever in polished nickel (above, bottom). Square Pull in brushed nickel and Faceted Egg Knob in polished nickel (Page 98). Lowe Hardware, Rockland, ME; lowe-hardware.com.
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house guest
written by gail ravgiala • photographed by scott dorrance
Like Mother, Like Daughter Though they go their separate ways, these familial designers see eye-to-eye
the enclosed porch Michaele Boehm (seated) and Kacey Graham designed for the Museums of Old York’s 2014 Decorator Show House epitomizes their clean, well-edited spaces.
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ichaele Boehm is relaying how her interior design education began. “My mother dragged me as a kid to every furniture store around,” she says. “We were always moving furniture around in our house.” Boehm and her daughter, interior designer Kacey Graham, are sitting on the terrace at Harbor Lights, a 1906 Dutch Colonial cottage with Shingle Style overtones and the site of this summer’s Maine’s Museums of Old York’s 2014 Decorator Show House. Veterans of the annual event, the two women had just put the finishing touches on the enclosed porch, the space they designed for the monthlong fundraiser. It’s a hot July day, but an afternoon breeze has just come up off the quiet water at the base of the rolling hill of meadow grasses where trees were cleared long ago to afford the house a picture-postcard view of York’s inner harbor. Boehm didn’t consider interior design an option as she went from high school to college and decided to become a dental hygienist, an occupation she put aside when she married and had two daughters. But when Graham’s younger sister climbed on the school bus heading for kindergarten, the idea of working in interior design turned into sheer determination. She completed the design program at Chamberlayne Junior College in Boston (which later became part of Mount Ida College) and then signed on for an internship with
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a mix of contemporary and traditional pieces tied together with a palette of white and gray gives the enclosed porch at the Museums of Old York Show House a tailored appeal.
a hard-working and talented designer who didn’t hesitate to throw her charge into the figurative deep end of the pool to sink or swim.
“That was where I really learned everything,” says Boehm, “not just about design but about the business.” boehm kept her head well above water, and after she proved herself, her mentor gave her a lead to her inaugural solo job.
“She gave me my first real client, who,” Boehm says with a smile, “was the best client on the face of the earth.” until this point, Graham listens quietly, knowingly. Then a big smile brightens her face.
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“For a minute,” she says with a chuckle, “I thought, ‘Hey, that’s my story!’ My mom dragged me around to antique stores as a kid. My dad was a pilot, and whenever he was away, which was a lot, we’d rearrange the furniture.” graham, too, didn’t initially consider interior design as a career. She went to Providence College after high school, earned a bachelor’s degree in English, got a job in sales at Johnson & Johnson. She later married and moved to Chicago.
“But I always had an interest in design,” says Graham. “I started working with my mom when I was 16. She is a great teacher without being preachy. I’ve learned everything from her — proportion, color, everything.” graham has three children, ages 11, 15, and 18, and, like her mother, decided to seriously pursue a career in design when her youngest started school, at first working with Boehm and eventually working independently with her own clients.
“We always do show house together, but have separate clients of our own,” says
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Boehm. “We do trouble-shoot for each other. I spend three months a year in Florida now, so it often happens over the phone.” they both live in Bedford, New Hampshire, where they work under the name Boehm Graham Interior Design. Their close relationship is clear as they nearly finish each other’s sentences and express genuine mutual admiration. They definitely share a design sensibility.
“Our style is clean and well edited,” says Graham. “I like a planned, cohesive presentation. In our own homes, we use a restricted palette and not a lot of pattern. We like linens, silks, velvets — natural products.” they also share a business philosophy and agree that when it comes to interior design, to be successful you have to enjoy the work, but also the people who ask you to help shape their homes.
“The fun thing is the relationship development,” say Boehm. “Many clients have become friends. There is a level of intimacy that Kacey and I both like.” “It is so important,” says Graham, “to develop a level of trust between designer and client. It really is all about trust.” they did their first York show house in 2000, and their room was featured in Traditional Home magazine.
“We came to an earlier show house here,” say Boehm, “and Kacey suggested I put my name on the list [to bid for a room].” they have done show houses for other nonprofit groups, but they always come back to York. Graham is also a board member of Greater Bedford Womenade (greaterbed fordwomenade.org), which provides immediate, short-term financial assistance to members of their community in need.
“We help families in crisis,” says Graham. “It’s a grass-roots effort. There is no red tape and usually just a 48-hour
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seated on the Ultrasuede sofa they selected for its texture and easy care, Graham (left) and Boehm review a book of sea-related objects that helped inspire the design for the room.
turnaround to validate the need and get the money out. It is simple and direct — and very satisfying.” has the explosion of retailers such as RH and Room & Board and Internet shopping sites changed how the public perceives design and designers? Graham embraces technology but says that the big retailers put their own spin on things, while designers take an approach that develops the client’s individual point of view.
“Technology is such a benefit,” says Graham. “We can source things anywhere, though I do still want to see it and feel it. The necessity for a designer is absolutely there. We have the ability to be particular, to bring design choices to a granular level.” “It is great that design products are available to so many people,” says Boehm. “Many people can do their own thing, but others have unrealistic expectations. That makes the designer more of a necessity. We bring it down to what works and fits. We see the big picture.” Boehm Graham Interior Design, 25 Darby Lane, Bedford, NH; Michaele Boehm, 603-472-5830, michaeleboehm@yahoo.com; Kacey Graham, 617-692-0400, graham.kacey@gmail.com.
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design new england september/october 2014
Reimagine
124 the dining room of a renovated 1834 Greek Revival is accented with a restored ormolu chandelier and a raised-dot grid pattern on the wallcovering.
Photo by Michael J. Lee
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leap of faith a painstaking restoration transforms a landmark church on martha’s vineyard into an eclectic family getaway WRITTEN BY JOHN BUDRIS PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOHN HORNER
the church and parsonage seem to glow in the evening light. The turret of the church had been removed decades ago. Still on the property, it was restored and replaced as part of the renovation. 110 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE RECONSTRUCTURE
BUILDER NEAL ESTATE
much of the original tin ceiling had to be replicated in custom fiberglass. The brass lighting fixtures, installed in the church when electricity was brought to the island, were refurbished, and most of the interior woodwork was returned to its original Methodist white.
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estoration builder Neal Kaplan and interior architect Lisa Foster agree: The best way to recover after a long day at the beach is a long night in church. And that’s just what they’ve done for the last four years after transforming Martha’s Vineyard’s 1836 Lambert’s Cove Methodist Church & Parsonage into deliciously eclectic living spaces. Kaplan’s company, Neal Estate, and Foster’s firm, Reconstructure, are both in Providence, and both serve residential and commercial clients. The two have often worked on projects together, including the renovation of Foster’s own unique bathroom (“Side by Side,” Design New England January/February 2010). So why not embark on a vacation project for themselves? “It seemed like a reasonable thing to do, as our families often vacationed together,” says Foster. Adds Kaplan, “We’ve worked together on projects for other families, so why not for ourselves and our own?” While visiting the Vineyard about eight years ago, they came upon a real estate listing for the Lambert’s Cove church in West Tisbury. “Like anyone who’s spent a lot of time on the Vineyard, you recognize that landmark right away,” says Foster. The church, which was built in 1836, ceased services in 1997 and was sold several years later by the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church to the party that was now selling it. “We’d even spoken before, while driving by, what a great project restoring the place would be, so we put in an offer right away,” says Foster. However, their bid was not accepted and the property was taken off the market. Two years later — in 2007 — the owner, who had begun restoring the church, replacing the roof and making other small improvements, contacted Foster and Kaplan with an acceptable price, reassured that they had both the skills and wherewithal to properly renovate the church and parsonage. “The owner was not
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going to sell the place to anyone without confidence that the buildings would be saved and restored, not leveled and replaced,” says Foster. What Foster calls “our religious experience” began in the fall of 2008. The renovation challenge included three buildings: the church, a small well house, and the parsonage, which was originally built in two sections. The traditions and integrity of timber framing notwithstanding, building standards circa 1836 are best described as “anything and everything goes,” says Kaplan. Parts of the church and parsonage conformed to such 19th-century improvisation and were built on quarried granite slabs set right on the dirt. This low-to-the-ground approach — combined with decades of frost and weather — had compromised so much of the parsonage that tearing down a large section was inevitable. the main church space (above) accommodates dining, living, and sleeping. The copper and brass lighting fixture with original blown glass globes (facing page, top right) was restored and brought to code. White painted shiplap wood (facing page, bottom right) unifies the church’s add-on bathroom. Neal Kaplan and Lisa Foster with her daughter, Foster Yates (facing page, bottom left), on the parsonage’s back steps.
It was replaced by a section, built 2 feet higher and 2 feet larger at the footprint, that dovetails into the original parsonage structure, which was stabilized atop steel I-beams. Next, the church was raised on jacks while the entire footprint was painstakingly excavated and refitted with a new concrete foundation and walkout basement. The basement, which now serves as a laundry and mechanical room for the radiant heat system, was faced with the same kind of granite originally used to preserve the 1800s look. Kaplan attended to the most minute details in mouldings, window styles, and trims — inside and out — to satisfy even the strictest architectural purist. The exterior was redone with new pine clapboards painted white to match the church’s motif, and both structures were insulated with combinations of blown-in cellulose and Icynene spray foam for comfortable living year-round. Foster and Kaplan concede their tastes tend toward contemporary styles, so inside the parsonage, white concrete countertops and a sleek open wood-and-steel staircase — with stainless steel cable replacing traditional balustrades — satisfy their Modern preference. Foster describes the interior as “cottage meets nautical, mostly in white.” As in a yacht, every available space is utilized: a nook here, a cupS E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M
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the backyard (right) features a gel-fuel fireplace, granite patio and steps, and contemporary furniture. In the parsonage, the great room (facing page, top) retains an antique character with reclaimed flooring and a salvaged barn beam; the staircase (facing page, bottom left) combines century-old planks with contemporary steel; every available nook in the upstairs bedroom (facing page, bottom right) is used for storage.
board or bookshelf there. Some of the most ingenious work is the sleight-of-hand tricks that “chase” pipes, ducts, and wires behind and around existing walls and cabinets. “Modern building codes make many demands on a 19thcentury structure,” says Kaplan. “The ‘unsightlies’ must go somewhere when, in the end, you’re making a two-bath, two-bedroom cottage for today’s standards.” Transforming the church into one large livingkitchen-dining-sleeping space posed no less of a challenge. The cedar shingle roof had been replaced by the previous owner, but everything else imaginable needed attending to — beginning with the tin ceiling, much of which had to be reproduced. New tin material in a matching pattern was unavailable, so Kaplan had fiberglass copies custommade. The brass lighting fixtures, installed in the church when electricity was brought to the island, were refurbished, and most of the interior woodwork was removed, planed, and returned to its original Methodist white. “Somewhere along the line the wood trims and wainscoting were faux-painted with a dark wood-grain look,” says Foster. “But white was right.” Although either church or parsonage can stand alone, they work best in tandem, says Foster. “One busy space — the parsonage, one quiet space — the church.” Foster and Kaplan agree that the stress of their twoyear project was eased by warm relations with the Vineyard community. “People were always dropping by with old photographs of the church,” says Kaplan. “And this really helped with some design and finish decisions.” Before the heavy work began, Kaplan and Foster held an open house and raffled off the church pews, Bibles, songbooks, and other memorabilia to Vineyarders who wanted keepsakes. Jack Daggett, 85, who spent every summer of his life on the Vineyard, and whose great-grandfather Theophilus Daggett was one of the church’s first ministers, was a wealth of history for Kaplan’s research. The Daggetts and Lambert’s Cove Methodist Church are deeply woven together. “My maternal grandfather, Obed, who was a fisherman, met my grandmother when she for more was 16 and the organist for the church,” details, see says Daggett. “And Theophilus, he built resources the church’s marvelous lectern.” These artifacts, including the two Daggett family pews, are now on loan to several Vineyard churches. Since 1881, the bell of the Lambert’s Cove Methodist Church, which announced the end of World Wars I and II, called together the faithful for innumerable Sunday services, weddings, baptisms, and funerals. Today, the crisp C-sharp still chimes right on pitch — as Lisa Foster’s and Neal Kaplan’s doorbell.
design decision United We Stand In any restoration project of multiple buildings, flooring can unite or divide. “When we began tearing things apart, we began de-nailing and planing all the flooring and other wide boards,” says restoration builder Neal Kaplan. The goal was to make enough flooring for a consistent look for both parsonage and church. The vantage point of the photo above is similar to the pre-construction view at right. Once the original pews (below), which Kaplan and interior architect Lisa Foster raffled to Vineyarders wanting keepsakes, were removed, it was discovered that much of the wide pine-board flooring was deteriorated and that the pulpit end of the church seemed to have sunk some 6 inches. However, removing the floor and subfloor revealed that the half-foot discrepancy was the result of a deliberate raking of the floor, like that of a theater. “My guess,” says Kaplan, “is so the back of the church would be higher so you could see the preacher better.” It might be a fine plan for a church or playhouse, but not for a home. Flooring removed and framing exposed, Kaplan decided to clear it all away and meticulously dig a crawl space, the old-fashioned way with pick, shovel, and wheelbarrow. He then poured a 3-foot-square concrete buttress on the inside perimeter to lock in the existing granite slabs. Next came a concrete floor and spray-foam insulation. Kaplan then reframed the wood floor — this time on the level. But the matter of flooring still loomed. Cobbling together parts of the original floor and subfloor didn’t tally up enough for all needed. Kaplan solved this challenge by dismantling a few leftover pews and fabricating flooring to perfectly match.
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o ut o f th e w oods THE NATURALIZED AND SCULPTED LANDSCAPE FIND HARMONY ON THE SHORES OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN WRITTEN BY NANCY HUMPHREY CASE • PHOTOGRAPHED BY JIM WESTPHALEN
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LANDSCAPE WAGNER HODGSON LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
it might have been a hard act to follow. Frederick Law Olmsted aimed to design outdoor spaces that would refresh and renew the human spirit, and this he certainly did in sculpting the sweeping landscape of the Gilded Age Vanderbilt-Webb estate on Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. Today, the estate is part of Shelburne Farms, a 1,400-
acre working farm, forest, and National Historic Landmark run as an educational nonprofit organization with an emphasis on sustainability. Recently, it sold one of its outer parcels to a couple who built a new home on the 10-acre site. The Olmsted legacy notwithstanding, the new owners, who had spent time in Japan, challenged Keith Wagner and Jeff Hodgson of Wagner
in the spirit of Shelburne Farms’ respect for natural beauty, landscape architects Keith Wagner and Jeff Hodgson let the meadow grow right up to the bluestone retaining walls that define the entertainment terrace, and the homeowners are participating in a meadow restoration research project by the University of Vermont. Beyond the blossoming wildflowers is a view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M
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fragrant creeping thyme adds color and texture to the bluestone slab terrace outside the guest bedrooms and spa on the house’s lower level.
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Hodgson Landscape Architecture in Burlington, Vermont, to design a Zen landscape that would integrate the house into its setting. The site overlooks expansive meadows, Lake Champlain, and the Adirondack Mountains. “It was the view that sold us,” says one of the owners. “Being elevated above the lake, you have a near, middle, and distant view. Our mandate was to have the house ‘disappear’ into the landscape over time.” The landscape designers appreciated their clients’ eye for art. “They didn’t want anything run-of-the-mill,” Wagner says. “They didn’t say ‘no’ to anything. It was a great site, the clients were great, and they gave us a great budget. It’s unusual to get all three of those in one project.” Working closely with architect Brian J. Mac of Birdseye Design of Richmond, Vermont, who designed the long, low-slung contemporary home, Wagner and Hodgson conceived a landscape appropriate to the historic, natural, and agrarian site. This meant, as Wagner put it, “letting the woodland palette ooze out of the woods and embrace the house” on one side and opening the house to the commanding views on the other. “We wanted the house to feel on the edge of the woods,” says Hodgson. a curving stone path leads from the arrival court (above) to a guesthouse built on the foundation of an old barn. The main entry to the house (right) features a stone bridge over a 6-foot-wide water feature, which narrows to a waterfall around the corner of the house. Birches and ferns bring elements of the surrounding woodlands into the man-made landscape. S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M
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Other considerations included a neighboring house that compromised the view, an existing barn that was to be converted to a guesthouse, a stable for the owners’ four Shire draft horses to be built on an adjoining, leased 5-acre parcel, the unwanted clear view of the driveway from the road leading to Shelburne Farms, and the clients’ request for a water feature. Wagner and Hodgson rerouted the approach to the house, adding an elbow that created a privacy screen. They laid the driveway to the stable outside the residential threshold, which is delineated by dry stone walls, a configuration that shields the house from truck traffic. A graceful arc of bluestone slabs connects the guesthouse to a parking court and the front entry of the main house. Lilac bluestone retaining walls were built close to the back of the house, mirroring its strong horizontal plinth, and, in the spirit of Shelburne Farms, the meadow comes right up to the stone. To de-emphasize the sightline to the neighboring house, the landscape architects framed the best view of the lake and mountains with tall trees — mature shade specimens moved from elsewhere on the property. The relocation, undertaken by arborist Bill DeVos of TreeWorks in Montpelier, Vermont, was no small feat. Waiting until winter, when the tree root balls were frozen, DeVos lifted two 30-foot maples and one shagbark hickory from the ground and dragged them to their new locations with two excavators. a niche cut into the fieldstone wall accommodates the waterfall (facing page). The steel basin lined with pebbles has developed a mini freshwater ecosystem of its own — complete with tadpoles. Recirculating rainwater splashes into a Corten steel basin (left) within earshot of the master and guest suites; beach pebbles bordering the entertainment terrace (above left) mimic the shoreline of the lake; a preexisting birch tree and ferns (above right) are a natural transition from woodland to constructed landscape. 120 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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a simple lawn ramp, edged in meadow grasses, leads from the walkout basement, which houses guest rooms and spa, to the dining terrace above. The Boston ivy will eventually cover the Corten steel retaining wall. All building and site work was done by Birdseye Building Company of Richmond, Vermont. 122 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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the bluestone bridge at the house’s entry is laid over a steel structure. At night it is underlit through spaces between the 2-by-6-foot stone slabs.
A series of outdoor spaces was created around the house: a car court hidden from view by trees, shrubs, and a hedge of upright European hornbeam; a kitchen garden of herbs, greens, and flowers; entertainment terraces that include an outdoor hearth, kitchen, and dining area; and a sculpture court with a honey locust tree that, when viewed from inside the house, creates a foreground for the distant vista of lake and mountains. To accommodate the change in grade between the main living spaces and the bedroom wing, which includes a walkout basement, Wagner and Hodgson used lawn ramps below the stone retaining walls and an exposed concrete wall faced with Corten steel panels covered with vines. (Corten, which rusts and seals itself, recalls old farm machinery found around Shelburne Farms.) One-inch joints between the panels allow light to emerge at night, when the steel appears to float off the wall. The water feature began as a rain-collecting system. In a storm, sheets of water flow off the standing-seam metal roof into a runnel along the front of the house. The sound of the falling water was so
pleasing to the clients that Wagner and Hodgson added a circulating pump and a waterfall that’s audible, along with natural birdsong and the rustling of birch leaves, through the master bedroom and a guest bathroom windows. The waterfall splashes into a Corten steel basin bridged by a single 12-foot slab of bluestone. Transitional plantings of river birches, dwarf fothergilla, cinnamon and ostrich ferns, and blue star amsonia blur the boundary between the man-made landscape and the mature woods. Similarly, the “enhanced woodland garden” of shadblow trees, foamflower, bunchberry, snakeroot, and sweet woodruff that flanks for more the approach to the house creates a soothing embrace for details, see anyone entering the site. At night, the trees are backlit resources with tiny LED lights to suggest moonlight. “As the plantings grow, they are softening the house and pulling it back into the landscape,” says the owner, “giving it the tranquil quality we intended.” “When you come home at the end of the day,” says Wagner, “you need something that calms and refreshes you.” One can’t help thinking Olmsted would have approved. S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M
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THE ULTIMATE PHOENIX
A RENOVATION, A FIRE, AND THE FINAL RESURRECTION OF A BOSTON JEWEL
WRITTEN BY BRUCE IRVING • PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL J. LEE 1 2 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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INTERIOR DESIGN TERRAT ELMS
juicy jute grass cloth from Phillip Jeffries covers the walls in the living room, adding texture yet keeping the decor simple and casual. The foyer (facing page) is a study in complementary patterns — on the wall, sofa, and floor. The photograph of laboratory glassware is by Cuban-born artist Abelardo Morell of Brookline, Massachusetts.
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the one barely visible behind the overgrown KIDS KNOW EVERY It’s bushes, the one with the curtains always drawn. the one you’re afraid to approach lest the mysNEIGHBORHOOD HAS It’s terious occupant — the one you and your friends A HAUNTED HOUSE. trade dark theories about — jumps out at you.
The towering 1834 Greek Revival on Dane Street in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighbohood was that house, in spades. Even the adults in the neighborhood were a little freaked out by it. “This was the place where no one would trick or treat,” says the woman who is now its owner. “One neighbor lived right next door for 40 years and never stepped inside.” Despite appearances, the place was far from the setting of a Halloween tale; only two families had owned the property since the house was built. When its last lone occupant, a woman in her 90s who had not been able to keep up with maintenance of the once grand house, passed away in 2007, the future owner and her husband, who lived just around the corner, screwed up their courage and slipped a note through the mail slot of the old place. Turns out it had been haunting their home-renovation dreams for a while, and when the executors of the estate agreed to sell it to them, they found themselves crossing the threshold for the first time. It was full of art, antiques — and lots of junk. The husband said, “Oh, my goodness, what a wreck.” The wife said, “I would like to raise my family here.” They hired architect Chris Hosford of Helios Design Group, also in Jamaica Plain, to develop a master plan, which added a new mudroom entry, two-car garage, and in-law suite at the back of the house, expanding the square footage from 6,500 square feet to 8,000. Onto the job came general contractor Kevin Cradock of Kevin Cradock Woodworking in Jamaica Plain, whose crew set to work building the addition and renovating the old part of the house, removing knob-and-tube wiring and gutting the kitchen and bathrooms. In June 2008, the family of five moved in while the final strokes of the project were being completed. One day, a painter using a blowtorch to remove paint from one of the massive Doric columns sparked a fire
the 1834 greek Revival house (above) sits stately and proud now that it is restored — on the outside to its historic roots, and on the inside to an eclectic blend of old and new. (facing page, clockwise from top) In the dining room, the raised dots on the grid-pattern wallcovering bring texture to the design scheme; the focal point of the foyer is the graceful spiral staircase; the chandeliers in both the living room and dining room were salvaged from the postrenovation fire.
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that quickly spread into the attic. The husband was at his office when his house, engulfed in flames, appeared on the news. He drove home to find the family safe, the third floor almost completely gone, the second floor half gone, and 2 feet of water in the basement. Hopes, dreams, money, and teamwork were gone in one afternoon. With understatement, Cradock says, “It was rough for everybody.” Onward, the team soon declared. Crucially, the house was insured for full replacement value, and as the owners negotiated with the insurance company, Cradock and his crew dealt with the mess that confronted them. “There was a clear ‘seam’ between damaged and undamaged, right at the garage,” he says, so they gutted the main house, removing
the remains of the roof and third-floor walls and deck, and the interior walls and floors of the first and second floors. What was left — unburned parts of the frame and wall sheathing — was blasted with baking soda, which removed soot and mold. A few precious details were salvaged as well, such as Indian shutters, the tall front windows, a doorway pediment, and some acanthus rosettes, because, as the wife says, “We’d lost so much that we felt very connected to anything that remained.” The work went on for more than a year, with out-of-the-ordinary projects that recaptured the spirit of the old house. A local supplier duplicated the great columns’ Ionic capitals in fiberglass-reinforced plaster. Two new, equally massive columns were built for the
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molded plastic dowel-leg armchairs from Design Within Reach, originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, add color and whimsy to the casual dining table custom-made by contractor Kevin Cradock. Interior designer Dee Elms solved the problem of the mismatched windows with a vive la difference approach, leaving the larger window bare and adding bright Roman shades to the double-hung pair. The adjacent family room (facing page, top) is furnished with a comfy sectional sofa adorned, at the owners’ request, with pillows with lots of texture and patterns. The kitchen (facing page, bottom) has a 4-foot-by-15-foot island topped with sustainably harvested South American mahogany.
rear facade. Craftspeople recast the original mantels in plaster so they could surround working fireplaces and still meet modern fire codes. Cradock, who is also a furniture maker, built a new family room table using wood from the kitchen’s old pine floor. From mahogany, he fashioned a dining room table, sideboard, and other pieces, as well as the kitchen’s massive island top. For the pièce de résistance, he renovated the two-story oval central stair and continued it up another floor to a new roof pavilion and deck. A twisting mahogany railing was crafted from 15 strips of wood glued and formed in a 20-foot-long vacuum bag. Before moving back in, the owners hired Dee Elms of Terrat Elms Interior Design in Boston to help them with lighting, kitchen finishes, paint colors, and “the zillion other decisions that I didn’t want to make S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M
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on my own,” says the wife. But it was now the midst of the recession, and they decided to hold off buying any more furnishings. “For two and a half years,” the wife recalls, “the only piece of furniture in the living room was a Ping-Pong table.” When the couple were ready in 2010, Elms returned and they got down to business, starting with a dramatic wrought-iron pendant light that hangs three stories through the center of the oval staircase. At the wife’s insistence, two 19th-century ormolu chandeliers, survivors of the fire, went to an antique-lighting restoration shop; they now hang in ornate splendor in the living room and adjacent dining room. Those rooms, open to each other yet separate in function, proved to be Elms’s biggest challenge. “They have to be weighted equally, so that one doesn’t overwhelm the other, the chandeliers don’t dominate the scene, and the gorgeous architecture still shines through,” she says. As if in a conversation, a convex mirror over the living room fireplace the crystal chandelier, also saved from the fire, adds a luxury touch to the master bedroom (above). (facing page) 1. A table in the foyer is a family heirloom. The art adds a pop of color that, says Elms, “paves the way for the rest of the house.” 2. Swivel chairs complete the seating in the family room. The painting is from artist John Guthrie’s “Drip” series. 3. A custom Sphere Chandelier from Ironware hangs through all three levels of the stairwell. 4. The first-floor powder room has built-in cupboards and a vanity with a wood top and metal sink. 5. Artwork in the kitchen “brings everything to life,” says Elms. 6. A sculpture by Corbin Bronze walks on the console in the dining room.
corresponds to one in the dining room. The living room’s watery-blue grass paper is the same value as the dining room’s brown, which gets an extra kick from an eye-catching grid of polymer “rivets.” A mix of classic and contemporary, the furniture features a curved-back couch that provides a softened edge between the living room and the foyer, and chairs were upholstered in deep, rich fabrics that allow for the spills and handprints that come with three busy kids, ages 16, 14, and 11. The entry hall itself, long and imposing, needed taming, so Elms fitted it with a geometric wallpaper that fills the space more than would a solid field of color. Dark floors ground the 14-foot-high ceilings. In the family room, a long, deep, and colorfully pillowed lime-green sectional sofa is “the best spot in the house,” for more details, according to the owners’ youngest child. see resources The upbeat vibe continues at Cradock’s recycled pine table, which is surrounded by plastic Eames chairs in four vibrant colors. “I was so happy when they went for those,” says Elms. “I’m not as brave as Dee,” says the wife, “but she urged me to be, and I’m glad.” Haunted no more, the very house that scared the neighborhood kids now draws them inside in droves. And it’s not just the kids. When it was under construction, Cradock would often find passersby wandering around, taking self-guided tours. “It’s a house with pillars,” the wife says and laughs. “It sticks out like a sore thumb. People still stop and take pictures of it.” Spooky!
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design decision Making a House Livable and Lively With three active children, the owners wanted their refurbished house to be livable, for sure, but also stylish and sophisticated. “Bringing in texture can make it so,” says interior designer Dee Elms. Texture adds warmth to a space and it can stand up to the wear and tear that is an inevitable consequence of family life. “We used texture and pattern in interesting ways,” says Elms. “The result is simple but powerful.” But what really elevates a project? “The frosting is the art. It completely transformed the space,” says Elms. She and the homeowners worked closely with S3 Contemporary Art in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, in selecting pieces that were right for the owners — and the house. “In a big house,” says Elms, “scale is really important, but we were also looking for color” and, most importantly, for art that appealed to the clients’ personal aesthetic. “We took a gallery walk-through and made a plan,” says Elms, “but everything was hung while the family was away.” Happily, the couple were mostly pleased with the selections. “They did switch some things out,” says Elms. “The art had to speak to them. They made the final decisions.” Now that all is in place, she adds, “The way the art brings everything to life is amazing.”
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suburban
renewal A DARING REINVENTION OF A HUMDRUM SPLIT-LEVEL WEST OF BOSTON FULFILLS A COUPLE’S QUEST FOR A MODERN HOME written by joeann hart • photographed by peter vanderwarker
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icture a modest, rather grim split-level house in the woods built the year Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president. Now imagine the house obliquely bisected and implanted crossways with a long prism of glass and stainless steel. What two words best describe the finished product? “Wicked cool,” says owner Holly Ripley-Boyd. After 22 years fiddling with and trying to open up a Colonial Revival house in Reading, Massachusetts, she and her husband, Daniel Boyd, opted for a fresh start. In 2010, following an extended search for the perfect Modern house, they settled for the split-level west of Boston, hoping for the best in renovation potential. “I knew what I wanted but didn’t know how to make it happen,” says Ripley-Boyd. To do that, she called on architect Andrew Sidford of Andrew M. Sidford Architects in Newburyport, Massachusetts, whose work she’d admired in a design magazine. Sidford sat down with the couple and expanded their notions about what a renovation could be. He taught them a new vocabulary, with words like “overlapping spaces” and “interlinked planes.” In the process of discovering what story they wanted the house to tell, he asked, “What do you want to see?” For RipleyBoyd, it was the moon and stars. Today the couple’s bedroom sits in the glass prow of Sidford’s so-called implant, and, says Ripley-Boyd, “from my bed I can watch the moon move across the sky at night.” To get to that point, a sorry 1980s addition was torn down, making room for the implant, an angular space that extends beyond the house’s foundation on both ends, hovering above the ground. On the street side, it holds the dining room, and on the private back side, the master suite. “It’s small, but doesn’t feel it,” says Sidford of the reconfigured house. In fact, the post-renovation footprint is 1,970 square feet versus the 2,310 square feet of the original house. 132 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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ARCHITECTURE ANDREW M. SIDFORD ARCHITECTS
the glass-and-steel addition extends beyond its foundation so that the dining room seems to hover above the ground near the front entry. Stainless steel shingles are a modern alter ego to wood shingles on the original house.
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The new 4,000-square-foot house is basically the same size as the original structure, but it gains a sense of spaciousness from the addition of light and a better floor plan. The interior is open, and where old and new meet there are clear and dramatic views to the central kitchen and family room or to the entryway, located a level below. “It’s all about the flow,” says Ripley-Boyd. Despite the angle of the added space, the integrity of a single unit is maintained by a run of glass at the roofline as it rises from the dining room to the bedroom, highlighting the difference between the old ceiling height and the new. Wall color also plays into continuity. Except for the tiled bathrooms and daughter Charlotte’s downstairs bedroom, which has a turquoise palette the 10-year-old chose herself, all the rooms in the house are a study in grays. To mirror the style of the new space, the kitchen and family room windows were extended to the roof, and the demarcation between the rooms was softened, not just by removing walls, but also by allowing the scimitar-shaped kitchen island to inch into the family room. Fitted with a Jenn-Air oven, the island is a crescent of dark steel with a bird’s-eye maple countertop. “I wanted things to be real,” says Ripley-Boyd, who chose all the materials and fixtures in the house. Glass ball lights by Bocci warmly illuminate the island’s seating area, complementing the glass on the Brisas hood over the Miele induction cooktop. nature is the backdrop in the glass-enclosed dining room (facing page, bottom). The fireplace in the family room (facing page, top) echoes lines of the enlarged windows. In the front entryway (above left), stairs lead down to the terrace level or up to the main floor, where glass defines the new roofline. From the kitchen (above right), the sightline is past the dining room to the living room, which is original to the house. The interior has a loft-like sensibility, as the see-through balustrade of stainless steel and wood (right) defines the spaces above the entryway. S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M
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See-through upper cabinets are mounted against glass walls around the sink, adding more light and a view to the pool area, in front of which a streambed wiggles through a landscape designed by Timothy Sheehan Landscape Architect in Wayland, Massachusetts. The pool is just far enough away for guests to admire the house but not see inside it, an important factor, since the master bedroom and bath are mostly glass. The deep, overhanging sweep of for more details, steel roof creates a protective sense of privacy for both. see Glass also defines the dining room and adds an eleresources ment of drama as guests ascend from the entryway, calling attention to the space’s transparent form, surrounded by the green of the woods and making it seem as if the table and chairs are sus-
1 entryway on lower level 2 stairs up 3 kitchen 4 family room 5 pantry 6 master bath 7 master bedroom 8 master closet 9 powder room 10 living room 11 dining room builder BayPoint
pended in air. But for all its exposure, the addition has an intimate sensibility. “Modern but warm, not industrial,” says Sidford. The same is true for the addition’s exterior, which has stainless steel shingles that are different from, but compatible with, the wood shingles on the rest of the house, giving lightness to the building. What had previously been a hodgepodge of porch along the back of the house is now a clean line of wooden deck that continues over the driveway to the space above the garage, where the family lived while the house was being remodeled. It was a long wait in tight quarters, but worth it. “Andrew’s vision helped us create a perfect organic Modern that far surpassed any we’ve seen,” says Ripley-Boyd, who, after a night of moon-gazing, still pinches herself in the morning.
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on the private back side of the house (facing page), the new steel roof of the addition sweeps out over the master bedroom and bath. The deck runs outside the kitchen, extending over the driveway to the garage. Enveloped in glass, the master bedroom (above) is a place for stargazing. The master bath (left) has a deep soaking tub and, on the travertine wall, an open shower that drains onto a pebbly floor. The view is to the backyard gardens and pool.
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the 18th-century barn, built of American chestnut, now serves as the ultimate artist’s studio. At one end, stairs lead up to a loft overlooking the open “box” of the barn, where the artist does her painting.
artifact
An artist turns her love of old buildings into the studio of her dreams written by regina cole • photographed by sarah winchester 138 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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BUILDER ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION GROUP
much of the framework of the antique barn is exposed. Dora Atwater Millikin helped design the wrought-iron screen, seen above the coat hooks, that spans the face of the loft. Behind the door, orchids thrive in the diffused light.
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Dora Atwater Millikin walks into her studio in Westport, Massachusetts, and gestures to a beam, one of many, overhead. “This is so beautifully made: hand hewn, with real joinery,” says the artist known for her bold, unsentimental oil paintings depicting contemporary city-, sea-, and landscapes. She is also a self-professed lover of old houses, and with the help of Steve Tyson of the Architectural Preservation Group of Warwick, Rhode Island, she located, moved, and reconstructed the 45-by-39-foot antique building from Attleboro, Massachusetts, to a spot next to the farmhouse where she lives with her husband, financial planner Trip Millikin. Built in the 18th century of American chestnut (now practically extinct), her studio was originally a three-bay dairy barn. “Now I get to work in a glorious building,” says Millikin with a smile. “To me, it tells stories.” The renovated barn has two additions, also fabricated from reclaimed chestnut, lumber salvaged from an early house built in Cranston, Rhode Island. “A Burger King replaced that house!” says Millikin. The barn-turned-studio occupies a slight rise overlooking fields bordered by old stone walls; to the south, the gentle landscape allows occasional glimpses of the Westport River’s Buzzards Bay terminus. A broad deck spreads around the building’s entrance, which faces an apple orchard and an expansive vegetable garden. “This is a timber-frame [post-and-beam] constructed building whose style originated out of medieval Europe,” Millikin says. “The main beams flare out on 140 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D. C O M S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4
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one of millikin’s paintings of a working waterfront (above) sits on an easel in her studio. On the wall is a wreath of paint brushes. Millikin works on a still life (below). An early English oak door frame with a Gothic motif (right) was incorporated into the studio design. Many wine bottles were emptied to produce the corkboards that line the wall of Millikin’s frame shop (facing page, top), where she cuts, stretches, and sizes her canvases (facing page, bottom) and makes her own frames, an exercise that “is part of my hands-on process of making art.”
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design decision Lighting the barn Dora Atwater Millikin is an artist member and painting teacher at the Providence Art Club in Rhode Island. One of her students, architect Mary Dorsey Brewster, a principal in Brewster Thornton Group Architects, also in Providence, designed the skylight array (photo at left) that provides Millikin’s barn-turned-studio with the diffused northern light that is an especially important element for an artist. “The main part of this building has nine sets of rafters,” Millikin says. “These wooden rafters were routed out at their tops and fitted with steel I-beams soldered at their peaks to support the load of a carefully engineered Wasco skylight system placed on the north roof.” The north-facing wall also has doors and windows that allow even more of the bright light perfect for painting into the interior spaces.
their tops to form classic ‘gunstock’ posts used to bear a greater load.” To maintain the structural look of the antique barn, Tyson used stress skin panels, manufactured sections that combine siding, insulation, and plasterboard in one piece. “They prevent a structure from racking, or going out of plumb, allow the antique beams to remain visible, and create incredibly high energy efficiency,” says Millikin. Where the old structure required repairs, the builder used the West System, a two-part epoxy pioneered by and used in the marine industry. The studio interior shows off its 18th-century timber-framed origins with exposed bracing, joists, beams, and posts. North-facing skylights illuminate the open central area where Millikin keeps several easels mounted on casters. A high-tech Scandinavian wood stove lined with soapstone supplements a hybrid heat and air system that uses both electricity and propane. Under the eaves of the lean-to along the east wall, one of two additions to the barn, glass-fronted cabinets hold her books and treasures, which include Native American jewelry, baskets, carved figures, and pottery. A beautifully detailed metal railing, wrought by Tony Millham of Westport’s Star Forge, runs along the edge of the loft, which sits above
one of the original three bays. Its design was taken from a screen Millikin had seen at England’s centuries-old Salisbury Cathedral. “I am inspired by craftsmanship and by what shows the hand,” says Millikin. “Tony made all the door latches and slide bolts scattered through the building. He even made braces to incorporate an early English oak doorway into the barn’s frame.” A long, south-facing room is furnished with a central worktable on wheels and a long workbench. Here, Millikin builds frames and stretchers for her paintings, which range from 5 by 10 inches to 10 feet across and sell for $600 to $20,000. “Being a Modernist, gold frames are not for me,” she says. Building her own frames “is part of my hands-on process of making art.” As she cuts and stretches canvas by hand, sizing it with traditional rabbit skin glue, she cherishes every labor-intensive step, eschewing the convenience of prepared canvases. “Sometimes you have to sharpen pencils,” she says. Millikin’s paintings often focus on coastal New England scenery. In 2012, she exhibited a series of 30 paintings at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts, that depicted the gritty, industrial aspects of the city’s fishing fleet (“Oil and Water,” Design New England, July/August 2012). The museum subsequently added two of her paintings to its permanent collection. “I do a lot of landscapes because that’s what’s around me,” she says. “It’s not the subject matter, it’s the composition. Wherever I go, I sneak some paint and some brushes into my suitcase.” The craft of painting, acquired during years of careful study, is what for more makes her art possible, she explains. details, see Millikin’s husband shares her love for old houses: resources The couple have located an 1839 house that they have also moved to their property on Westport Point. Currently being restored, it will become their new home. The completion of her studio two years ago brought a new element to her work. “I can work big in a more comfortable way,” Millikin says. With large canvases, “you have to be a lot more methodical, more patient; you plod your way through. It’s like eating dessert to work on the little ones.” She loves them all. “My paintings have given me a glorious career that provided me with a lot, including this beautiful barn that is now my studio.” Dora Atwater Millikin’s work is represented by Walker-Cunningham Fine Art, 10 Concord Road, Sudbury, MA; 617-448-1428; walkercunningham.com.
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millikin walks through the apple orchard (facing page) that separates the house from the barn-turned-studio, where a large skylight system is mounted on the north-facing roof. One end of the studio is a lean-to fashioned from parts of an 18th-century house (above). It is lined with glass-fronted cabinets that hold Millikin’s books and collectibles. Among the treasures Millikin keeps are her sketchbooks from years past (below). A small kitchen (right) is conveniently located in a corner of the studio building.
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OCTOBER 23-26, 2014 THE CYCLORAMA • BOSTON
GALA PREVIEW TO BENEFIT ELLIS MEMORIAL
“A keen mix of fine antiques with edgy design… a distinctly 21st Century appeal” Antiques & The Arts. “a bang-up gala…extreme eclecticism” Maine Antique Digest. “Antiquers’ paradise” The Boston Globe. “another successful run” Fine Art Connoisseur. “Boston’s oldest and newest antiques and arts tradition” American Fine Art
www.EllisBoston.com Clockwise: Questroyal Fine Art (NY), Brad Reh Fine Estate Jewelry (NY), Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge (NY), Nasser + Moreau (NY), Andrew Spindler Antiques (MA)
Sponsored by:
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the list written by courtney goodrich
et al. CLIMB Trunk Show Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA; pem.org. September 27, 2014, to September 20, 2015.
now closed, the smallest library in the country was in Hartland Four Corners, Vermont. Photo taken in 1994.
CONTEMPLATE Library Book
Nature inspires art, but at the Peabody Essex Museum, nature is art. Branching Out: Trees as Art, an exhibit in PEM’s Art & Nature Center, highlights the work of contemporary artists who are inspired by trees. Some pieces, like Dorchester, Massachusetts, artist Joseph Wheelwright’s Waltzers (below), made of pine roots, and Carlisle, Massachusetts, artist Beth Galston’s 300-foot-long line of acorn caps that fell from a red oak in Boston’s Arnold Arboretum, use parts of trees as their medium. James Balog’s 93-inch-tall composite photograph is stitched together from 400 images of a 242-foot giant sequoia in California’s Sierra Nevada, which he took while descending a nearby tree. David Yann Robert recorded a beech tree’s bioelectrical signals, adapted the activity he noticed into a drawing, and captured the process on video. The museum is celebrating the exhibit with talks, performances, and family-friendly interactive programs on opening day, September 27.
ABOVE LEFT: COURTESY OF PRINECTON ARCHITECTURAL PRESS. ABOVE RIGHT: JOSEPH WHEELWRIGHT, WALTZERS, 2013. PINE ROOTS. PHOTO BY PEM/WALTER SILVER.
Robert Dawson, The Public Library: A Photographic Essay; Princeton Architectural Press, 2014, $35. Photographer Robert Dawson’s love affair with “a locally governed and tax-supported system that dispenses knowledge and information at no cost to its patrons” led him to travel the country for two decades taking pictures of libraries — urban and rural, monumental and humble, prospering and shut-down. This handsome, wide-ranging survey of the “thread that weaves together our diverse and often fractious country” is also a plea to defend libraries against municipal budget slashing. Browsing The Public Library is like visiting a comfortable reading room, complete with serendipitous discovery. Commentary from writers such as Amy Tan, Barbara Kingsolver, and Ann Patchett augment Dawson’s handsome images. There are old letters from E.B. White and Dr. Seuss, while a bookmobile driver from Nevada weighs in on the importance of getting books to people. Everyone expresses concern at the sad state of libraries in the Internet age. Even in New England, with its tradition of the lyceum and the athenaeum, libraries are closing or their services are being cut. A century ago, industrialist Andrew Carnegie spent a third of a billion dollars building 1,400 public libraries. Does the nation’s future no longer depend upon an educated citizenry? As Bill Moyers reminds us, “When a library is open, no matter its size or shape, democracy is open, too.” — william morgan
SHOP + LEARN Design Market Boston Design Center, 1 Design Center Place, Boston; bostondesign.com. September 29 to October 3. The Boston Design Market is five days of trunk shows, with two days, October 1 and 2, dedicated to design with discussions, book signings, and appearances from designers David Kleinberg (far left) and Nina Campbell (left). Stroll through the showrooms, shop, and be inspired by the wealth of design options and ideas.
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resources
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32–39 Visit/The Test of Time Ken Stockdale Custom Building, Harwich, MA; 508-432-5575. 58–63 Kitchen/ Scandinavian Simplicity Architecture: SpaceCraft Architecture, Lexington, MA; spacecraftarch.com. Cabinetry: Crown Point Cabinetry, Claremont, NH; crownpoint.com. Builder: JW Construction, Cambridge, MA; jwconstructioninc.com. Flooring: Hunt Hardwood Floors, Lexington, MA; hunthardwoodfloors.com. Paint choices: Robin Gannon Interiors, Lexington, MA; robin gannoninteriors.com. Coffee maker: Miele; miele. com. Other appliances: Jenn-Air; jennair.com. 68–75 Places/A Triumph of Serenity Architecture: Tadao Ando Architect & Associates, Osaka, Japan; andotadao. org. Executive architect: Gensler, New York; gensler.com. Landscape architecture: Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture, Cambridge, MA; reedhilderbrand.com. Interior design: Kulapat Yantrasast/wHY Architecture, Culver City, CA; why-site.com. 78–85 Design Focus/ Cambridge Evolution Architecture: Hacin + Associates Inc., Boston; hacin.com. Builder: F.H. Perry Builder, Hopkinton, MA; fhperry.com. Millwork: Kochman, Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers, Stoughton, MA; cabinetmakers. com. Window treatments: Boston Shade Co., Boston; bostonshadecompany.com. 110–115 Renovation/ Leap of Faith Interior architecture and design: Reconstructure, Providence; reconstructure.com. Builder: Neal Estate, Providence; 401-751-6039. Rental: Lambert’s Cove Methodist Church & Parsonage, West Tisbury, MA; lambertscovechurch.com. 116–123 Landscape/ Out of the Woods Landscape architecture: Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture, Burlington, VT; wagnerhodgson.com. Architecture and construction: Birdseye Design, Richmond, VT; birdseyebuilding. com. Landscape construction: Colby Hill Landscape Company, Lincoln, VT; colbyhilllandscape.com. Arborist: TreeWorks, Montpelier, VT; 802-223-2617. Water feature construction: Church Hill Landscapes, Charlotte, VT; churchhilllandscapes.com. Masonry: David M. Newton Masonry, Hinesburg, VT; davidnewton masonry.com and JKB Stone Designs, Vergennes, VT; 802-355-8849. Fire pit: Blazing Design, Essex Junction, VT; blazingdesigninc.com.124–131 Interiors/The Ultimate Phoenix Architecture: Helios Design Group, Boston; heliosdesigngroup.com. Interior design: Terrat Elms Interior Design, Boston; terratelms.com. Builder: Kevin Cradock Woodworking, Boston; cradockwoodworking. com. Landscape architecture: Walter Prayzner, Boston; 617-524-1082. Artwork: S3 Contemporary Art, s3con temporary.com. Family dining room: Chairs: Design Within Reach; dwr.com. Family room: Sofa, table lamps, swivel chair: Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams; mgbwhome. com. Painting: John Guthrie; johnkguthrie.com. 132– 137 Architecture/Suburban Renewal Architect: Andrew M. Sidford Architects, Newburyport, MA; asidford architects.com. Builder: BayPoint, Newton, MA; bay pointbuilderscorp.com. Stairs: All Metal Fabricators, Acton, MA; allmetalfab.net. Woodwork: Hardwood Design, Exeter, RI; hardwoodesign.com. Millwork: Herrick & White Architectural Woodworkers, Cumberland, RI; herrick-white.com. Landscape design and construction: Timothy Sheehan, Wayland, MA; timothy sheehanla.com. 138–143 Reuse/Artifact Builder: Architectural Preservation Group, Warwick, RI; architectural preservationgroup.com. Wood stove: Rais Stoves; rais stoves.com. Skylight: Wasco; wascoskylights.com. Loft railing: Star Forge, Westport, MA; millhamhardware.com. OMISSION: In the July/August 2014 issue, the photographer of the image on Andra Birkerts Design’s advertisement (Page 47) is Eric Roth; ericrothphoto.com. The architect of the project is Charles R. Myer & Partners; charlesmyer.com.
8/19/14 2:18 PM
THE NORTHEAST’S LEADING BUILDING INDUSTRY EVENT
October 28 – 30 Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
Find your connection ABX hosts 400 exhibitors, 175 workshops and tours, as well as a myriad of social gatherings. 10,000 of your fellow architects, designers, engineers, and builders await. Register at abexpo.com by October 14 for FREE admission to the exhibit hall and early bird perks.
Produced by the Boston Society of Architects
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September 18, 2014 11:00am to 8:00pm / Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel
Admission is FREE. For more information or to register for the AIA and IDCEC accredited seminars please visit www.dlf-ne.org.
Design and building professionals -
DON’T MISS the only architectural lighting event of the year! AIA and IDCEC accredited seminars this year include: LED Lighting: Managing the Risk - 12:00 PM John Curran, PhD, President of LED Transformations, Inc.
The Anatomy of a Lighting Design - 5:30 PM Josh Feinstein, LC, of Sladen Feinstein Integrated Lighting
LED technology is changing the lighting world, from design to applications to language, creating confusion along the way and real risks for architects and specifiers. This overview of LED lighting will explore differences between LED and traditional lighting, including physics, economics, performance and even the culture. New design opportunities will be addressed, including how the corresponding risks can be managed. Sponsored by S+H Construction, Inc.
Lighting designer Josh Feinstein will present 3 lighting projects from the initial concepts through the final installations. Interior designers will learn about the specific design techniques, lighting sources and fixtures utilized to support the complex selection processes and their impact within the context of the completed projects, code requirements, incentive programs and LEED certification. Explore with us the intricate, collaborative and detailed process that results in a successful lighting design! Sponsored by Northeast Utilities.
Exquisite Darkness: A Designer’s Guide to a Richer, More Sustainable Visual Palette - 3:00 PM Edward Bartholomew, LC, LEED AP, IES of National Grid Defining the vital role that darkness and contrast play in a sustainable, balanced and restorative architectural environment through research, theory and case studies. This presentation will explore multiple aspects of darkness and how to effectively utilize it to contribute to a quality visual environment while optimizing lighting energy use. Sponsored by Illuminating Engineering Society.
Made of Light: The Art of Light & Architecture - 7:00 PM Keith Bradshaw, FRSA, IALD Principal at Speirs + Major Internationally renowned lighting designer Keith Bradshaw’s inspiring presentation gives valuable insight into the art of architectural lighting design.
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Register for seminars online: www. dlf-ne.org Admission to the show floor is free. platinum sponsor
media sponsors
presented by Designers Lighting Forum New England www.dlf-ne.org
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Celebrate the Best in Building and Design
Fe eatu attur a uriin ng Ou Our Ce C le ebr britty Em Emc Emce ce ee: e
Susan Wornick
Boston Parkk Plaza
For additional information, visit: www.prism-awards.com The Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston (BRAGB) invites you to attend the 2014 PRISM Awards Gala. The PRISM Awards recognize the finest projects and outstanding achievements of builders, developers, project owners, architects, land planners, marketing/advertising firms, interior designers, remodelers, and other professionals in the home building industry.
2014 PRISM AWARDS GALA TICKETS BRAGB Members: $155 Non-Members: $175 Sponsorships are available
www.prism-awards.com A portion of the Gala’s proceeds will be donated in honor of Britney Gengel, who was tragically killed in the Haiti earthquake. Her wish was to build an orphanage in Haiti, and her family (including fellow Massachusetts builder Len Gengel and his wife Cheryl-Ann) have made that dream come true. We are proud to support their continued efforts in their daughter’s honor.
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240 Bear Hill Road, Suite 203 Waltham, MA 02451
781-890-2101 info@bragb.org
7/24/14 5:45 PM
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ad index
Acorn Tree and Landscaping, acorntreeandlandscape.com 40 Advanced Communications Technologies, actces.com 95 All American Landscaping, allamericanlandscapingllc.com 94 Amelie Michel, ameliemichel.com 94 Andrew M. Sidford Architects, asidfordarchitects.com 24 Architecture Boston Expo, abexpo.com 151 BRAGB PRISM Awards, prism-awards.com 153 Berkshire Products Inc., berkshireproducts.com 67 BoConcept, boconcept.us 51 Boston Architectural College, the-bac.edu 36 Boston Ballet, bostonballet.org 5 Boston Design Center, bostondesign.com Cover 4 Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens, brownjordanoutdoorkitchens.com 97 C.H. Newton Builders Inc., chnewton.com 15 California Closets, californiaclosets.com 103 Chip Webster Architecture, chipwebster.com 91 Clarke Distribution, clarkecorp.com 57 Coldwell Banker Previews, coldwellbankerpreviews.com 27 Conant Metal & Light, conantmetalandlight.com 106 Concord Kitchen Tour, trinityconcord.org 155 Connor Homes, connorbuilding.com 104 The Cottage, thecottage.com 75 Crown Point Cabinetry, www.crown-point.com 16–17 Cupboards & Roses Swedish Antiques, cupboardsandroses.com 67 Cushman Design Group, cushmandesign.com 96 Custom Floors Design, customfloorsdesign.com 37 Cutting Edge Homes, thinkcuttingedge.com 8–9 D. Michael Collins Architects, dmcarch.com 95 Dan K. Gordon Associates, dangordonassociates.com 82 Danish Country Antiques, europeanstyleantiques.com 154 Darby Road Home, darbyroad.com 107 David Mullen AIA, davidmullenarchitect.com 39 Dayton Home, dayton-home.com 84 Didriks, didriks.com 154 Design New England Design Salons, designnewengland.eventbrite.com 89 Design New England, designnewengland.com 150 Designer Bath, designerbath.com 38 Designers Lighting Forum of New England, dlf-ne.org 152 Dover Rug & Home, doverrug.com 20–21 Dream Kitchens, adreamkitchen.com 66 ECO Structures Inc., ecostructures.com 108 E.W. Tarca Construction, ewtarcaconstruction.com104 Eastman St. Woodworks, eswoodworks.com 56 Elizabeth Hamilton, elizabethhamiltoncollection.com 148 Ellis Boston Antiques Show, ellisboston.com 144 Estes/Twombly Architects, estestwombly.com 101 European Country Antiques, ecountryantiques.com 67 FBN Construction, fbnconstruction.com 2 F.H. Perry Builder, fhperry.com 19 F.W. Webb Company, fwwebb.com 69 Fallon Custom Homes & Renovations, falloncustomhomes.com 1 Favreau Design, favreauinteriordesign.com 44 Feinmann Inc., feinmann.com 26 Fine Lines, finelinesmaine.com 63 Gary Streck CRM Inc., garystreck.com 71 Gold Gallery, au-gallery.com 52 Gregorian Rugs, gregorianrugs.com 64 Gregory Lombardi Design, lombardidesign.com 55 Haddad Hakansson LLC, haddadhakansson.com 35 Half Crown Design, halfcrowndesign.com 100 Hammer Architects, hammerarchitects.com 90
8/19/14 4:28 PM
Helios Design Group, heliosdesigngroup.com 22 Herrick & White Architectural Woodworkers, herrick-white.com 85 The Holland Companies, thehollandcompanies.com28 Hudson, hudsonboston.com 53 Inspired Stones, inspiredstones.com 67 Italian Design Interiors, italian-interiors.com41, 43, 67 J. Todd Gallery, jtodd.com 90 Jan Gleysteen Architects Inc., jangleysteeninc.com 74 Judd Brown Designs and Jefferson Group Architects, jbd.cc 100 Karen Brown Design Group, brown-design-group.com 104 Kitchen Views, kitchenviews.com 65 Kohler Signature Store, kohlersignaturestorenatick.com 61 Kreatelier, kreatelier.com 73 LaFauci Tile and Marble, lafaucitileandmarble.com150 Landry & Arcari Oriental Rugs and Carpeting, landryandarcari.com 47 Landscape Collaborative of New England Inc., landcoll.com 25 LDa Architecture & Interiors, lda-architects.com 62 Ligne Roset, ligne-roset-usa.com 49 Little River Hotglass Studio, littleriverhotglass.com 67 Lucía Lighting, lucialighting.com 96 M. Steinert & Sons, msteinert.com 87 Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival, mvfoodandwine.com 147 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, masshort.org155 Masterpiece Woodworks Inc., masterpiecewoodworks.com 18 Mid-Cape Home Centers, midcape.net 105 Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, mgbwhome.com 6–7 Moen, moen.com 59 The Morson Collection, themorsoncollection.com 54 Myopia Polo, myopiapolo.org 146 New England Architectural Finishing, nearchitecturalfinishing.com 88 Newport Mansions Food & Wine Festival, newportmansions.org 145 Now Interior Design Studios, nowinteriordesignstudios.com 30 Oak Hill Architects, oakhillarchitects.com 60 Patrick Ahearn Architect, patrickahearn.com Cover 2 Pauli & Uribe Architects, pauli-uribe.com 31 Payne|Bouchier, paynebouchier.com 29 Pella, pella.com 83 Poggenpohl, poggenpohl.com 3 Pompanoosuc Mills, pompy.com 97 R.P. Marzilli, rpmarzilli.com 72 RW Interiors, rwinteriors.net 75 Renjeau Galleries, renjeau.com 74 Room & Board, roomandboard.com 13 Runtal Radiator, runtalnorthamerica.com 77 S+H Construction, shconstruction.com Cover 3 Sepia, sepiaboston.com 4 SieMatic, siematic.us 10–11 SpaceCraft Architecture, spacecraftarch.com 93 Sudbury Design Group, landscapearchitectureboston.com 99 Sullivan + Associates Architects, sullivanassociatesarchitects.com 80 Torrey Architecture, torreyarchitecture.com 70 Trefler’s, trefler.com 91 Triad Associates Inc., triadassociatesinc.com 76 Van Dam Architecture and Design, vandamdesign.com 106 Van Millwork, vanmillwork.com 101 Walpole Woodworkers, walpolewoodworkers.com107 WaterSpot, water-spot.com 42 Wellen Construction, wellenconstruction.com 105 Woodmeister Master Builders, woodmeister.com 23 Zuri Premium Decking by Royal, royalbuildingproducts.com/zuri/ 81
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Enjoy Samplings from Top Chefs, Local Craft Brews, Music, and More. Help Support Mass Hort’s Garden to Table Program. Celebrate the Spirit & Bounty of the Garden 4VOEBZ 4FQUFNCFS t QN t 5IF (BSEFOT BU &MN #BOL Join us in sampling fresh dishes and discover recipes from culinary talents including: . Delicious samplings from Juniper Restaurant, Sweet Basil, Pepper’s Fine Catering, Doves & Figs, Victoria Gourmet, Bocado Tapas & Wine Bar, Not Your Average Joe’s, and Kitchen Confidant Lisa Caldwell . Local craft brews from Bully Boy Distillers and Battle Road Brewing Company . Cold pressed juices from Craft Ripe . Sweets from Chocolate Therapy . Mushroom walk and book signing lead by Boston Harbor Hotel Chef and author Daniel Bruce . Music from LiveWire . Tour the exquisite Gardens at Elm Bank All proceeds benefit the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Garden to Table program, which provides fresh, organic produce to families in need.
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8/19/14 4:30 PM
take note
Design Museum Boston executive director Sam Aquillano at the Better Business by Design exhibit.
nomad
Design Museum Boston brings its message to the people written by gail ravgiala photographed by kelly davidson
on september 20, design museum boston is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a blowout at the W Hotel Boston. Wait. Boston has a design museum? It does, though not as described by Webster. There is no “building or place where works of art, scientific specimens, or other objects of permanent value are kept and displayed.” Rather, the mother of invention defines this museum. “When we had this idea in 2009,” says Sam Aquillano, cofounder and executive director of Design Museum Boston, “we looked for a space, but it was impossible to find anything at that time.” And with the recession going into high gear, “There was no funding for a new museum.” Determined to create a vehicle to educate the public about design, and, as Aquillano puts it, “to make people comfortable with it — even if they are not ‘a member of the club,’ ” he and museum cofounder Derek Cascio forged ahead. Their vision was inclusive, so why not take their concept to the people wherever they may be? He and Cascio, who currently serves on the museum’s board of directors, started with exhibits in pop-up venues, mostly unused retail spaces. That led to contact with the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Creative Capital: Designed in Boston, a 2010 exhibition on local design, from architecture to
fashion to graphic and industrial design, at Boston City Hall that ran for 18 months. Since then, the museum has staged shows at the Prudential Center, Logan International Airport, and Fort Point Channel, where Street Seats: Reimagining the Public Bench, a 2013 competition to design sidewalk furniture, generated more than 170 entries from 23 countries. The winning benches were installed — and used — in the neighborhood for six months. Last spring, the museum opened a retail store at 70 East India Row, where it also has office space, but the nomadic show goes on. Better Business by Design, which examines the positive impact good design has had on Massachusetts businesses, is at The Boston Design Center, 1 Design Center Place, Boston, through October 6. With grants in hand to do future projects, including Dining Out, a look at downtown restaurant design, and another aimed at improving the pedestrian experience in the underpass that connects Boston’s South End and Chinatown with South Boston, the museum is in good stead to celebrate many more years of bringing the message of design to everyman. For information on Design Museum Boston exhibits and events, including the fifth anniversary celebration, go to designmuseumboston.org.
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