At Koulopoulos Vona & Co., we don’t leave room for improvement. We rely on decades of experience, the highest quality materials and top-tier craftsmanship to build it right from the start.
METRO BOSTON
CAPE & ISLANDS
NEW HAMPSHIRE
RHODE ISLAND
MICHAEL J. LEE
Greg Premru Photography
MAKE BEAUTIFUL CHOICES.
INTERIOR DESIGN: NICOLE HOGARTY
PHOTOGRAPHY: READ MCKENDREE
ARCHITECT: PAYNE | COLLINS DESIGN
Photo: Jim Westphalen
with dozens of designs and over 250 colors to choose
custom rug curation is at your fingertips
and only your imagination is the limit
Tamariancurated.explorug.com
Fine Residential Design
November December
Homes
152 Color Play
The Crayola sixty-four pack has nothing on a vibrant Boston penthouse that reflects its owners’ spirited outlook on life.
164 Classic Beauty
Former Bostonians create a chic new home in the suburbs that will stand the test of time.
176 Winds of Change
Working with original elements in a nineteenthcentury penthouse, a design team infuses the home with color and cohesion.
188 Time Honored
A historic house moves gently into the twenty-first century.
November December
Here & There
41 Inspired Interiors
For one family’s coastal retreat, designer Melissa Lindsay rode a wave of history.
52 Rooms We Love
These soulful and stylish spaces allow homeowners to mingle or mellow without stepping foot outside.
68 Good Bones
A design team goes to great lengths to create a contemporary net-zero house in Somerville— just don’t tell its exterior.
78 Things They Love
Craftsman Jeff Soderbergh dishes on everything from Mexican beer to Captain Kidd.
84 Outside Interest
With a whole lot of vision, engineering, and insight, a Brookline landscape goes from leafless to lush.
94 Shop Visit
The just-right host gift ensures you will be invited back again and again. Here are picks for everyone on your list.
102 Artistry
Sculptor Gillian Christy decamps to Maine and, in the process, reconnects with nature.
108 2024 New England Design Hal l of Fame
Meet the extraordinary design professionals and firms being honored this year.
The Good Life
213 In the Details
Get up close and personal with craftspeople from three of this issue’s featured homes.
218 Design Dispatches
Read up on industry news and mark your calendars with these must-attend events.
220 On the Market
These three exceptional properties are looking for new homeowners.
226 The Scene
A look back at a host of designrelated events.
240 Last Look
Photographer Nick Mele lets his imagination run wild with Brunschwig & Fils.
In Every Issue
30 Editor’s Note
234 Resources
238 Advertiser Index
Welcome
Ilive in a city neighborhood, so I don’t know everyone who walks down my street—or even everyone who lives on my street. But I smile and say hello to all, whether I recognize them or not, or stop for a moment to talk when I see those I do. In the fall, I set out baskets of pears from our three trees, which yield several bushels each year. This season the harvest was unusually small, so I shared a surplus of hydrangea blooms instead. My daughter and I shuttled several bouquets to the sidewalk, and it was a nice excuse to chat with neighbors who happened by. And we were thrilled to see that within a few hours all the flowers were claimed.
When it’s dark by 5 p.m., and my garden is dormant, my thoughts turn to the indoors. And if you’re like me, you look forward to the glow of candlelit rooms filled with your favorite people and good cheer. With this in mind, we’ve selected a trio of stylish entertaining spaces (page 52) to inspire your next soiree. And so that you can fete your guests or hosts with ease, we’ve pooled our collective shop knowledge and compiled thoughtful tokens of appreciation for everyone on your gifting list on page 94.
The featured homes in this issue supply a chorus of creature comforts, some with a dash—or a hefty helping—of drama. A Beacon Hill penthouse receives a deft modern update that retains key period details, while a contemporary penthouse in the Back Bay is adorned with every color of the rainbow. And two suburban homes, one new and one historic, offer two different interpretations of classic refinement and plenty of state-of-the-art indoor amenities.
But beyond material luxuries, there is no time like now to recognize that we’re fortunate compared to many. Annual giving to charitable organizations in your community is as important as ever, but this year consider adding a small gesture even closer to home. A saying comes to mind, “Smile and the world smiles with you.” Try it on your street— you’ll see.
JENNA TALBOTT @jennatalbott
P.S. GIFTS THAT GIVE
SMFA ART SALE
The annual School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University Art Sale, December 6–8, is the school’s largest fundraiser and benefits student scholarships and academic programs. The extensive exhibit showcases works submitted by the SMFA community of students, alumni, faculty, and friends. There’s bound to be a perfect gift for the art lovers on your list. smfa.tufts.edu
SHOP THE TRUSTEES
One-hundred percent of your purchase supports the Trustees’ mission to protect 47,000 acres of Massachusetts land for public use. In addition to humanely raised turkeys and organic vegetables sourced from Trustees properties for your Thanksgiving feast, you’ll find gift ideas that have been selected to inspire an appreciation for nature, art, and history. shopthetrustees.org
Portrait by Jessica Delaney
Connecticut-based Maria LaPiana is a longtime New England Home contributor. She remembers interviewing architects Charles Haver and Stewart Skolnick many years ago, so she was delighted to catch up with them for our profiles of this year’s New England Design Hall of Fame inductees on page 108. “They are so gifted and deserving of this honor,” she says. “It was a privilege to talk with them—and with all the winners. I really enjoyed gaining insights into what inspires them and makes them tick.”
Bruce Rogovin likes to joke that he’s been a photographer for “2.5 million years.” For more than ten of those years, he’s created portraits for New England Home including those of this year’s New England Design Hall of Fame inductees on page 108. “It’s always a pleasure to work with such talented and creative people,” he says. Born in Boston, Rogovin studied photography at the Rhode Island School of Design, but what people might not know is that he’s also an accomplished oil painter and woodworker—and in his spare time, he happily raises chickens for eggs.
nehomemag.com
Editor in Chief Jenna Talbott jtalbott@nehomemag.com
Creative Director Robert Lesser rlesser@nehomemag.com
Copy Editor Lisa H. Speidel lspeidel@nehomemag.com
Senior Contributing Editor Paula M. Bodah
Contributing Editors
Karin Lidbeck Brent Nicole Polly
Contributing Writers
Fred Albert, Alyssa Bird, Marni Elyse Katz, Maria LaPiana, Tovah Martin, Wendy Moonan, Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Gail Ravgiala, Nathaniel Reade
Contributing Photographers
Robert Benson, George Byers, Chuck Choi, Matthew Cunningham, Dan Cutrona, Jessica Delaney, Brian Doherty, Ev Dow, Scott Frances/OTTO, Jared Kuzia, Neil Landino, Michael J. Lee, Richard Mandelkorn, Read McKendree/JBSA, Jane Messinger, Joseph Navas, Karen Philippi, Greg Premru, Nat Rea, Bruce Rogovin, Eric Roth, Annie Schlechter, Matt Stone, Amy Vischio, Elisabeth Waller nnn
Editorial Submissions
Designers, architects, builders, and homeowners are invited to submit projects for editorial consideration. For information about submitting projects, email edit@nehomemag.com
Letters to the Editor
We’d love to hear from you! Email us at letters@nehomemag.com.
Upcoming Events
Are you planning an event that we can feature in our calendar? Email information to calendar@nehomemag.com
Parties
We welcome photographs from design- or architecture-related parties. Send highresolution photos with information about the party and the people pictured to info@nehomemag.com.
To subscribe to New England Home ($19.95 for one year) or for customer service, call 800-765-1225 or visit our website, nehomemag.com
Advertising To receive information about advertising in New England Home, please contact us at 800-609-5154, ext. 713, or info@nehomemag.com
Editorial and Advertising Office 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302 Boston, MA 02118 617-938-3991, 800-609-5154
nnn
Newsletter
Sign up at nehomemag.com/newsletters
Social Media Engage with us at @nehomemagazine on Instagram + Pinterest + Facebook
nnn
New England Home Magazine, LLC
Managing Partners
Adam Japko, Chris Legg
Finance Manager
Kiyomi DeBay kdebay@nehomemag.com
Circulation Manager
Kurt Coey
Newsstand Manager
Bob Moenster nehomemag.com
Greg Premru Photography
Michael J. Lee Photography
Here There&
DESIGN DISCOVERIES FROM AROUND NEW ENGLAND
For one family’s coastal retreat, designer Melissa Lindsay rode a wave of history.
A curvaceous settee from Stamford, Connecticut’s Avery & Dash Collections takes pride of place in the reading room and artfully juxtaposes the serene landscape mural on the walls.
The New Newport
Text by KATHRYN O’SHEA-EVANS
Phot ography by AMY VISCHIO
Newport, Rhode Island, has been a dreamy maximalist family getaway since even before 1893, when the Vanderbilts broke ground on The Breakers at the height of the Gilded Age. And for Westport, Connecticut, designer Melissa Lindsay’s longtime clients, a bit of that sumptuous, saturated aura was exactly what they were after in their Newport vacation home. “She didn’t want your typical ‘house on the water’ feeling,” says Lindsay, founder of Pimlico Interiors. “She was not liking a lot of the things that she saw.”
ABOVE: To complement the Gracie wallpaper, designer Melissa Lindsay painted the trim Benjamin Moore Caldwell Green, which, she says, “struck the right balance of being historic in nature, feminine but still Old World, and paired really nicely with the wood tones, brass, and mauve that we brought in.” RIGHT: Shapely chairbacks around the dining table add some eye candy to the foyer.
To experience the Collections e of our flagship showroom s
To experience the Collections visit one of our flagship showroom s
DOWNSVIEW of BOSTON
DOWNSVIEW of BOSTON
Design Center Place - Suite 241,Boston, MA 317-3320www.downsviewofboston.com
One Design Center Place - Suite 241,Boston, MA (857) 317-3320www.downsviewofboston.com
DOWNSVIEW of DANIA
DOWNSVIEW of DANIA
Griffin Road - Suite C212,Dania Beach, FL 927-1100www.downsviewofdania.com
1855 Griffin Road - Suite C212,Dania Beach, FL (954) 927-1100www.downsviewofdania.com
DOWNSVIEW of JUNO
DOWNSVIEW of JUNO
U.S. Highway 1 - Suite 100,Juno Beach, FL 799-7700www.downsviewofjuno.com
12800 U.S. Highway 1 - Suite 100,Juno Beach, FL (561) 799-7700www.downsviewofjuno.com
Downsview Kitchens
The Downsview cabinetry collection is custom crafted in North America and available exclusively through select kitchen design showrooms For complete listing visit our website: www.downsviewkitchens.com
Downsview
In short: coastal blues and Life’s a Beach signs weren’t going to cut it. So the designer leaned into the rich hues and finishes that summon Newport’s decadent heyday. “The house is nestled in with all of the historic homes,” she says. “Even though it’s new, it feels like it’s old by the way it was designed. You
very much have that sense of history when you’re walking down the street, and the feeling was to create something that had a historic timelessness to it.”
That all started with good bones, courtesy of Hull Cove Design and Kirby Perkins Construction. “My company built the house about three years before
A convex mirror supplies a crisp modernist touch in the reading room that prevents it from crossing over into stuffy or stuck in time.
“THE CLIENT DIDN’T WANT YOUR TYPICAL ‘HOUSE ON THE WATER’ FEELING.”
—Interior designer Melissa Lindsay
TOP TO BOTTOM: In the family room adjacent to the open kitchen, Lindsay brought in an antique wood console accented with a plaster table lamp. Above the kitchen island, antique Italian garden lanterns from L’Antiquaire nod to yesteryear. The study is dressed in Zak+Fox wallpaper: “Opposite the reading room, we went really moody and dark,” the designer says, which is fitting for a space where the family occasionally piles in to watch TV together.
this family bought it,” says builder Tom Perkins, who also oversaw the recent revamp, which included a reconfigured third floor, a new primary bath, and finishing the unfinished basement.
Then there was the matter of aesthetic improvements. “She showed me one inspiration image and said, ‘this is the vibe,’ ” recalls Lindsay. The muse was a vignette from a boutique hotel on Nantucket with hand-painted Gracie wallpaper depicting a landscape in sepia. “It ended up being the paper that we used in what we call the reading room.” To complement it, Lindsay painted the trim Benjamin Moore Caldwell Green. When it came to furniture, she introduced shades of mauve, teal, and sepia along with wood and brass tones. “We just went off of that palette throughout the rest of the home, too,” she says.
“THE FEELING WAS TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT HAD A HISTORIC TIMELESSNESS TO IT.”
—Interior designer
Melissa Lindsay
Now that the project is finished, those crossing the threshold know at a glance that they’re not in a typical beach house. “There’s always a big surprise when you walk in the front entrance, and you have this sort of old-world room on your left and what looks like a bar room on your right,” says Lindsay. “Very dramatic.” The Vanderbilts would have loved it.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE: Hull Cove Design
INTERIOR DESIGN: Pimlico Interiors by Melissa Lindsay
BUILDER: Kirby Perkins Construction
LEFT: The design team renovated the third floor to add additional bedrooms, like this guest room swathed in a Sanderson wallcovering, one of Lindsay’s favorites, that has a bit of a retro vibe.
BELOW: The primary bath’s new flooring, comprised of tumbled Bardiglio and Carrara marbles, has a timeworn look.
Let Us Entertain You
These soulful and stylish spaces allow homeowners to mingle or mellow without stepping foot outside.
By FRED ALBERT & MARNI ELYSE KATZ
The homeowners acquired the pool table, which is illuminated by an Arteriors fixture that designer Jeanne Barber chose for its retro Rat Pack look. “We painted everything dark,” she notes. “If you kept the ceiling light, everyone’s eye would have gone to it, and that’s not what we wanted.”
MICHAEL J. LEE
After Hours
Some might call it a rec room, but the term hardly seems adequate to describe this luxurious basement retreat in Simsbury, Connecticut, which includes a full bar, pool table, golf simulator, gym, and dry sauna. Although the room gets no natural light, designer Jeanne Barber of Camden Grace Interiors resisted requests to make things sunny. “This is a party room that you’re going to be using in the evening, so we wanted it to feel like a cocktail lounge—moody and romantic,” she says. Gold-leaf wallpaper accents the nine-foot ceiling, suffusing the room with a burnished glow. “It’s a homey space,” marvels owner Ron Mairano. “You don’t feel like you’re in a basement.”—Fred Albert
ARCHITECTURE:
INTERIOR DESIGN:
LEFT: Leaning into the cocktail lounge vibe, Barber painted the basement bar a moody blue and applied gold Phillip Jeffries wallpaper to the ceiling recess above. “Using things that are metallic in spaces that don’t have windows helps create the reflection you’d usually get from natural light,” Barber explains. BOTTOM: The basement includes a golf simulator, so Barber echoed the theme in this art installation. The striated wallpaper is Lee Jofa.
Leather seating from Hickory Chair offers a place for quiet conversation.
Bullion Wallpaper by Donghia, Kravet, Boston Design Center, kravet.com
Roll Sconce by Workshop/APD, Arteriors, arteriorshome.com
Produced by LYNDA SIMONTON
Boston, casadesigngroup.com
Purr Another, Please! Cocktail Napkin by August Morgan, J. Grady Home, Boston, jgradyhome.com
Bungalow Marble Bar Table by Riva 1920, Casa Design Group,
Addison Club Chair by Ralph Lauren, ralphlauren.com
The success of Flavin projects is founded on collaboration. We learn about our client’s daily patterns and translate those routines into a vision for the home and property. We envision buildings that respond to client needs and to the beauty of the landscape in which they are situated.
flavinarchitects.com
Wine Time
A secret door leads to an elegantly moody wine cellar that Lisa Miao designed for a young family in Boston’s Beacon Hill. The broom cupboard-like portal pushes into a dramatically-lit passage with fortytwo-inch-thick stone walls—a grotto of sorts—then onto the wine room. Kessick Wine Storage Systems outfitted the space with walnut shelving for 1,500 bottles. Chiseled limestone floor tiles and a Moroccan lime-plaster ceiling accentuate the old-world feel, and a polished Italian marble island is a favorite gathering spot for friends. As for what the clients are drinking, Miao says the husband, who approaches wine like an anthropologist might, is moving from an Italian phase dominated by Barolos and Barbarescos to France. “I think that could consume him for a while,” she says with a laugh. —Marni Elyse Katz
ABOVE: The walnut storage system includes slide-out shelves, LED accent lights, and a cupboard with fluted-glass inserts for handblown Zalto wineglasses. LEFT: A tasting room in St. Helena, California, that the homeowners once visited inspired the glam but cozy vibe of this eleven-byeighteen-foot wine cellar.
Kessick
PHOTOGRAPHY: Greg Premru
Polished Arabescato Corchia marble wraps the island.
Photo: Sabrina Cole Quinn
Oeno Motion Wood & Chrome Corkscrew by L’Atelier du Vin, Stewart House, Providence, stewarthousepvd.com
Wine Cooler Stand by Alessi, Didriks, Belmont, Mass., 30” Wine Storage by Sub-Zero, Clarke, various New England
Adults Only
Robin Gannon’s clients didn’t need a dedicated office, so she turned the library in their Dover, Massachusetts, home into a lounge. The couple can dine à deux here once the kids are in bed, or friends can join them for drinks. (The setup is equally effective for playing games or using a laptop.) “We painted the millwork almost black, so the room wraps you up,” the designer says. Cork wallcovering with gold metallic flecks on the ceiling and mirrored bookcase backs lend after-hours glamour. On more formal occasions, drinks are mixed in the butler’s pantry. Iconic Schumacher wallpaper adds edge without straying from the home’s traditional bones, while the teal cabinetry and mirrored-tile backsplash introduce the bar-like vibe from the lounge.—MEK
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
The millwork is painted Farrow & Ball Railings.
INTERIOR DESIGN:
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Robin Gannon Interiors
Dan Cutrona
ABOVE: Natural woven shades with a quality akin to bamboo infuse warmth. “We love this particular style; it was popular in the 1950s and ’60s,” says interior designer Robin Gannon. RIGHT: A hammered-brass bar sink helped take this butler’s pantry from a no-frills service area to a jewel-box-like gem.
Queen of Spain Wallpaper, Schumacher, Boston Design Center, schumacher.com
Henry One-Hole Bar Faucet with Cross Handle, Waterworks, Boston Design Center, waterworks.com
Williams Chair, Kravet, Boston Design Center, kravet.com
Lantern, Visual Comfort & Co., Boston Design Center, visualcomfort.com
Redford Picture Light by Regina Andrew, Lucia Lighting & Design, Lynn, Mass., lucialighting.com
Shagreen Backgammon Set, Aerin, aerin.com
Wingen Barware Collection by Lalique, Bloomingdale’s, Chestnut Hill, Mass., bloomingdales.com
Morrison Large Four-Light
Oliver "Lounge" Table by Rodolfo Dordoni, Minotti, Boston, minotti.com
Spend an hour at a Clarke Showroom and one thing is clear: your time with a Clarke Consultant is the most valuable part of your kitchen journey. While they’re not designers, these are the people designers call on when it comes to appliance recommendations. You won’t buy anything at Clarke, so there’s simply no pressure. What you can do is compare more Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove models than anywhere in New England. Explore a living portfolio of kitchens created by the region’s top designers. You will leave inspired with new knowledge to make your appliance selections with confidence.
Showroom Consultant Lee Maida brings more than 30 years in the appliance industry to every consultation, including a unique knowledge of the ventilation requirements for every space. Her kind, caring, enthusiastic manner makes a visit to Clarke a delight for homeowners and designers. Boston & Milford, MA South Norwalk, CT 800-842-5275 clarkeliving.com
New England’s Official Showroom and Test Kitchen is the requirements
Passive Aggressive
A design team goes to great lengths to create a contemporary net-zero house in Somerville—just don’t tell its exterior.
Text by WENDY MOONAN | Photography by JANE MESSINGER
“Ilike projects that are challenging,” says architect Garth Goldstein, which is why he’s particularly fond of a home he recently designed just outside of Boston.
His client, a longtime resident of Somerville, Massachusetts, wanted a passive, net-zero house that would generate all the electricity it needed—but not a contemporary-looking one. In a nod to his neighbors, he asked Goldstein to
In deference to his Somerville, Massachusetts, neighborhood, a
asked
design a state-of-the-art house with a facade like the Second Empire mansard-roof home that he was replacing.
bachelor homeowner
architect Garth Goldstein to
replicate the facade of the house that he was replacing: a Second Empire, mansard-roof home from the 1870s. Nonetheless, he wanted the interiors to be modern.
Goldstein’s facade, complete with a zinc mansard roof like those you see in Paris, accommodated. To ensure the interior was filled with natural light, he installed three sawtooth shed roofs, common in commercial buildings in the 1950s, with northern-facing transoms on one side and solar panels on the other.
Working with Tagore Hernandez, the director of Group Design Build, Goldstein’s design ticked all the boxes of a passive house. It’s airtight with sealed walls, extra-thick insulation, and triple-glazed windows. It generates its own electricity (with photovoltaic solar panels, geothermal wells, and backup storage batteries), and it employs the latest in eco-friendly, sustainable materials.
The highly insulated walls of the house were meticulously prefabricated
by Ecocor in Searsmont, Maine. “This is definitely more efficient than building on-site and reduces the amount of
Unlike the front of the house, the back is contemporary in style. It opens to a private garden centered around a cluster of river birches. The carport doubles as a covered outdoor dining area for large parties.
LEFT: The carport is clad in shiplap Red Grandis, a plantation-grown member of the eucalyptus family. The carport’s roof is covered with photovoltaic panels that are tied to a battery array that stores extra energy in the basement. BELOW:
CELEBRATING YEARS 15
“I LIKE PROJECTS THAT ARE CHALLENGING.” —Architect Garth Goldstein
waste,” Goldstein says. In an airtight house, ventilation is key. Two energy recovery ventilators remove the stale air from the interior and replace it with fresh air from the outside.
Speaking of outside, with sustainability in mind, the designers constructed the carport from Red Grandis wood imported from plantations in Uruguay. It is a fast-growing species of eucalyptus that is both insect repellent and rot resistant.
A watertight basement was also top of mind for the amateur-photographer homeowner, who wanted to use the space as a studio. The basement walls are made of concrete embedded in expanded poly-
RIGHT: Large triple-glazed windows at the back of the house bathe the kitchen in light. BELOW: Whiteoak screens function as partitions to provide spatial divisions; this one separates the stairway from the kitchen.
in Watertown + Beverly
FROM TOP LEFT: The turquoise glass mosaic tiles in the luxurious walk-in shower add a jolt of color to the primary suite. Three sawtooth shed roofs provide northern light through transoms to the second floor, which includes a home office with a built-in walnut desk, oak flooring, and plaster walls. The bedroom boasts yet more walnut cabinetry, with two built-in chests of drawers surrounded by bookshelves.
styrene foam blocks. “EPS blocks are a little like LEGOs,” Hernandez explains. “They have holes on top, where you pour the cement. The blocks provide extra insulation.”
In the end, the home achieves exactly what its occupant desired—and then some.
Says Goldstein, “It wound up as a net-positive house, producing more energy than it needs.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE: Garth Goldstein Studio BUILDER: Group Design Build
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Gilmore Landscape Architecture
CLOCKWISE
Photography by
Emily O’Brien
JEFF SODERBERGH
believes there is already enough organic material in existence to make whatever art or objects we could possibly want. The sustainable artist and craftsman has built his career around a penchant for sourcing salvaged stone, metal, and timber. Architects and designers seek him out for his custom solutions to almost any creative challenge, and through these partnerships, Soderbergh has fostered a rich and diverse community. Lately, he divides his t i me between his year-round studio/showroom and gallery in Rhode Island and his seasonal gallery (pictured above) on Cape Cod, each devoted to both his own designs and to exhibiting the work of fellow makers who share his sustainability ethos. Occasionally, he grabs time to take a surf vacation with his wife and sons—and to rest and reset his artist’s eye.
Interview
by JENNA TALBOTT | Port rait by JOSEPH
NAVAS
1. The last thing I made and loved…is a very, very hefty console table made from twelve-inch-by-twelve-inch beams from the 1700s. 1
Interior: Ryan Donnelly Design
Soft, luxurious area rugs custom crafted to any size
Style Trouville, Color Mist
2. The best piece of advice I ever received…is don’t follow trends; they are always moving and feel dated. Instead, be authentic, and your audience will respond to you and your point of view.
3. I have a collection of…everything! I’m a professional hoarder with over a thousand beams, dozens of trees, hundreds of slabs, frames of old ships, pieces of the Coney Island boardwalk and the Berlin Wall, Victorian sleighs, barrels of nails from the 1800s, slate farm sinks, doorknobs, the keel of the Coronet [ed. an 1885 schooner], bricks, barn doors, etc.
4. When I travel, I always bring…a wetsuit and my tape measure.
5. The last thing I bought and loved…is a pair of turn-of-the-century leather club chairs.
6. The last album I bought…is Steely Dan’s Can’t Buy a Thrill from 1972 on vinyl. The first track will transport you somewhere in time if you turn it up.
7. In my fridge you’ll always find…too many condiments, overripe avocados, and a single Mexican beer.
8. The best gifts I’ve received…are a surf trip to Peru and a 1910 thirty-six-inch band saw.
9. The best gift I’ve given…my sons and I restored a former ranch truck—a 1962 Ford F100—for my wife's fiftieth and managed to keep it a secret in my barn for almost three years until we unveiled it.
10. A place that means a lot to me…is Jamestown, Rhode Island, where I grew up searching for the lost pirate treasure of Captain Kidd in its hidden nooks and crannies. I may have found some....
11. In another life I would have been…a landscape designer.
12. When I need inspiration I…think of my amazing wife, Natasha, and my boys, and then I put on Led Zeppelin’s "When the Levee Breaks" and let it happen.
PHOTO BY READ MCKENDREE
Architect: Jacob Lilley Architects
Interior Design: Piña Home
Photography: Greg Premru
Suburbia Goes ( Re) Wild
With a whole lot of vision, engineering, and insight, a Brookline landscape goes from leafless to lush.
Text by TOVAH MARTIN
by MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM
An elevated boardwalk leads through the tree canopy to the home’s front door. “You feel like you’re entering a treehouse,” says landscape architect Matthew Cunningham, “and the dense vegetation wraps everything in a sense of mystery.”
Photography
Where design, fun and passion meet.
It was the sweetest suburban one-third acre that ever begged to be transformed into a wilderness. Wedged between a gravel parking lot and a bucolic reservoir, with a thirty-foot grade change and virtually no topsoil, the land had infinite issues, and it was up to Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design to turn it into a fully realized leafy forest.
Paul and Hildete Clayton had owned the Brookline property since 1989, but getting approval to build their dream home took decades. From the get-go, the Claytons strove for a partnership with the land. Hildete is from Brazil and comfortable with jungle-thick surroundings. Paul grew up in Brookline but wanted to forge a Thoreau-inspired paradigm “living
ABOVE: The glassed family room offers panoramic views of the front garden’s kaleidoscope of color showcased by players like birch, bayberry, and staghorn sumac growing above ferns. BELOW: Weathered fieldstones are arranged naturally to evoke a dry riverbed etched with bugleweed and creeping white thyme, which has transitioned to moss as the canopy overhead has filled in.
SLOCUM HALL DESIGN GROUP, INC. NYSTEDT PHOTOGRAPHY
in alignment with nature.” When Paul found Matthew Cunningham, they formed an instant bond, and the “garden” began to take shape in 2014. The adventure is designed to unfold with a complex of stepping stones and
“NATURE
IS NEVER STATIC, IT’S DYNAMIC.”
—Landscape architect Ryan Wampler
pathways meandering through a dense woodland of native trees to the front door via a boardwalk bridge. “Nature is primary,” explains Paul. “There is no obvious straight pathway to the front door; you have to navigate around the plants.”
Cunningham designed in vertical layers starting with the ground level and continuing upward with the understory and canopy strata providing privacy and infinite opportunities for wildlife/human cohabitation. From the onset, the land’s evolution was considered, says project manager and MCLD principal Ryan Wampler. “With this project, the cycle of nature is paramount,” he says. “It’s constantly evolving. The ecology of a forest is that plants grow, they shade out plants below, and new species take root. Nature is never static, it’s dynamic.”
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A balcony that skirts the house delivers a view of the garden from an elevated vantage point. River birches were installed to underscore the sense of a forest/jungle, while an extant white pine suggests age and maturity. Furnished by interior designer Louis Lin, the terrace features a rock retaining wall; soil in its crevices nurtures corydalis, Japanese forest grass, and ferns.
Positioned between a busy highway and a reservoir, the house stands out but is also concealed. “It makes you feel as if you’re deep in the woods,” says Cunningham.
In this ecosystem, there is no lawn, and paving, which covers only ten percent of the lot, is permeable. “Ninety percent of the plants used are regionally native; they’ve evolved to endure in our climate,” says Cunningham. Perennials were chosen for their transitional roles in the landscape’s maturity cycle. “We have to start thinking about biodiversity and habitat,” Cunningham continues. “It’s a new narrative, but so much of
this project emanates from everyone’s willingness to think out of the box.”
The landscape earned an Excellence Award from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects in 2022, and the Claytons have fully embraced their role as stewards. “Humans are often thought of as the bad guys in ecology,” says Paul, “but there are critical roles we can play, like making soils healthier to successfully create habitat.” It turns
out vision, collaboration, and knowledge can redefine wild as a forest with forethought
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Matthew Cunningham
Landscape Design
EXTERIOR ARCHITECTURE: Myles Alan Katz
Architect
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN: Kligerman Architecture & Design
Designer: Belhaakon
Photographer: Liz Daly Photography
The just-right host gift ensures you will be invited back again and again. Here are our picks for everyone on your list. PRODUCED
For the friend who loves a grand European tour
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
THE GET: Luxuriously fragrant potpourri, terra-cotta scent diffusers, and colognes in bottles that look as good as they smell. Boston, us.smnovella.com
For the aesthete who appreciates the absolute finest
Mélange by Daher Interior Design
THE GET:
Pottery sourced from around the globe, stylish Lucite serving trays, cake stands, and colorful table linens. Kennebunk, Maine, melangebydid.com
Santa Maria Novella photography courtesy of the showroom. Mélange photography by Jessica Delaney
photo: Nicole Franzen
photo: Nicole Franzen
For the die-hard plant lover who wants their home to be a cabinet of curiosities
Seed to Stem
THE GET:
Crystals, fossils, quirky accessories, natural elements, books, and an endless supply of unusual plants.
Worcester and (coming soon) Westborough, Mass., shopseedtostem.com
For the connoisseur who covets honest and artful pieces
Addison West
THE GET:
Vintage copper, patterned pillows in an earthy palette, recycled wool blankets, and hard-to-find picture frames.
Waitsfield, Vt., theaddisonwest.com
For the art lover who delights in color and whimsy
Nahcotta
THE GET:
Amusing books, contemporary glassware by Gary Bodker, charming stationery, and small artworks by New England artists.
Portsmouth, N.H., nahcotta.com
For the consummate entertainer who thinks nothing of hosting dinner for ten
Stewart House
THE GET:
Patterned plates from Egypt, pillows by Walter G, block-printed table linens, and lacquer boxes in a rainbow of hues. Providence, stewarthousepvd.com
TSP Smart Spaces provides exquisite whole-house smart home technology solutions. Our Design, Build, and Support process ensures we are with you from the beginning of your smart home journey and well beyond.
To experience for yourself, visit us in our award-winning showroom, right in the heart of the design-centric SoWa neighborhood.
2. Beautiful lighting control keypad from Belgium-based company Basalte. Here showing the Fibonacci keypad in brushed brass.
1. Interactive keypad wall featuring design-led lighting controls from Lutron, Basalte, and more in our immersive showroom.
3. Lutron Motorized Palladiom shade with ‘Dawn’ fabric from the Atelier collection, matched with elegant satin nickel brackets.
BLOWING
IN THE WIND
A Boston-based sculptor decamps to Maine and, in the process, reconnects with nature.
By NATHANIEL READE
Photograph by Karen Philippi
Branches (2023), 19"H x 18"W x 8"D, stainless steel.
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Fence Roadway (2021), 9'H x 8.5'W x 5.4'D, stainless steel. Knotted Branch (2023), 20.25"H x 15"W x 9"D, stainless steel. Goodnight, Sweetheart (2018), 36"H x 22.25"W x 7.5"D, steel, paint, bronze, and gold leaf. The Beginning (2024), 3.75"H x 2.5"W x 2"D, bronze. Stamp with Wings (2024), 2.5"H x 2"W x 2"D, bronze.
About a year out of art school in her home state of Iowa, Gillian Christy, who had never seen the East Coast before, decided to move to Providence. A metal sculptor interested in big public works, she had read about WaterFire, the Convergence International Arts Festival, and the thriving art scene there, so she packed up her Ford Aerostar van and a trailer of metalworking equipment. “Shouldn’t you at least see it first?” her parents asked, but she told them, “I’ll be fine.”
She was. After two years of grinding away at stainless steel at The Steel Yard, a maker space for metalworkers and other artists, she won a big public commission, turning a broken-off smokestack in Providence into a beautiful crowned column twined with ivy. This led to more commissions, big and small, public and private, and a move to Boston. It was the pandemic, though, that really helped her home in on the things she loved. Christy, her husband, and her son (“who was doing kindergarten on Zoom,” she says with a laugh) left the right angles of the city for a fixer-upper weekend house on a lake in the western mountains of Maine, where she could endlessly watch the wind play over the expanses of iris and lily plants in the water outside. On frequent hikes, she loved examining strangely bent branches, mushrooms, and the forest floor.
photograph by Gillian Christy. All
photography by Karen Philippi
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Leaves (2023), 24"H x 13"W x 10"D, stainless steel. Growth (2024), 2.5"H x 5"W x 6"D, bronze. Rockabye (2019), 48"H x 29"W x 8"D, steel, paint, bronze, styrene, and white-gold leaf. Winged Victory (2018), 9.16'H x 3'W x 5.33'D, stainless steel. Artist Gillian Christy.
examining strangely bent branches, mushrooms, and the forest floor.
Christy had often included leaves, grasses, and other icons of nature in her work, but she tended to enclose them in something architectural, like a small house or frame. Now she focused on just nature.
“I’M CAPTURING A MOMENT IN TIME, TAKING A DEEP BREATH, AND SAYING, ‘THAT’S PRETTY AMAZING.’ ”
—Artist Gillian Christy
Stainless steel, which comes in big flat sheets, rods, and bars, lends itself more to boxy shapes, so to make organic forms like seagrass and kelp, she casts details like buds or fronds in bronze, which she incorporates into the steel. The result is something quite miraculous: hard, strong, impervious steel, seemingly floating or bending in the wind.
“I want to celebrate nature’s forms,” Christy says. “I’m capturing a moment in time, taking a deep breath, and saying, ‘that’s pretty amazing.’ ”
EDITOR’S NOTE: To see more of Gillian Christy’s work, visit gillianchristy.com
Sculpture photography by Karen Philippi
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Paul
representing
and
This
The New England Design Hall of Fame honors firms and individuals who’ve had a noteworthy and lasting impact on New England’s residential design community. These select few are celebrated for their
talent, expertise, and passion for the highest caliber of work.
Meet our 2024 inductees: landscape architect Renée Byers of Greenwich, Connecticut; architecture firm Haver & Skolnick Architects of Roxbury, Connecticut;
Reidt, Nancy and Kevin Lagassé representing The Lagassé Group, Barbara Sallick, Charles Haver and Stewart Skolnick
Haver & Skolnick Architects,
Renée Byers.
year's inductees were photographed in the Holly Hunt showroom at the Boston Design Center.
The 17 th Annual New England Design Hall of Fame
builder The Lagassé Group of Natick, Massachusetts; custom millworker Paul Reidt of Stoughton, Massachusetts; and Waterworks founder Barbara Sallick, whose company is headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut.
The class of 2024 will be honored at an awards ceremony
and gala on November 7 at the SoWa Power Station in Boston. Here, we invited each inductee to share their stories about what inspires and drives them to succeed.
Text by MARIA L A PIANA | Portraits by BRUCE ROGOVIN
New England Design Hall of Fame | LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Renée Byers
RENÉE BYERS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Renée Byers creates landscapes that bring her clients unbridled happiness—and that means everything to her. “Drawing people outdoors into their own private oasis is one of the greatest joys I’ll ever experience,” says the landscape architect.
With a painterly eye and technical acumen, she has been transforming suburban and estate gardens—often
set in difficult terrain—through her private practice for twenty-five years. Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, Byers grew up in Des Moines, spending summers with cousins on working farms in the country. She says her love of the outdoors and appreciation of architecture were inspired by “iconic images of white farmhouses with covered front porches.” Trained in landscape archi-
tecture at the University of Minnesota, she was also “immersed in art and architectural history” while an exchange student in the south of France.
Byers says she loved the challenges of her early landscape work for corporate projects but found her true calling in residential design. And she lives for collaboration: “I not only enjoy it but thrive on it,” she says—from the initial client meeting, to working with allied architecture and engineering professionals, to building a project from the ground up with contractors and artisans. “It’s unbelievably rewarding, and my education continues every single day,” she says.
Byers’s travels are a big part of the inspiration behind her designs. “I discover
New England Design Hall of Fame |
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
“Every project, every site brings new challenges and unique opportunities, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.” —Renée Byers
gardens and landscapes wherever we go,” she admits. “Whether we are visiting historical gardens, vernacular landscapes, modernist works, or national parks, there are always timeless threads to be found that can be woven into the commissions our firm has back home.”
Landscape architecture never gets old for her, either. “I have a terrifically talented, young studio and adore sharing my passion for the designed landscape with them,” she says. “Every project, every site brings new challenges and unique opportunities, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Photography
New England Design Hall of Fame | ARCHITECTURE
Haver & Skolnick Architects
CHARLES HAVER, STEWART SKOLNICK
Being partners in business and life is working out beautifully for Charles Haver (right) and Stewart Skolnick (left). They’re the principals (and sole proprietors) of Haver & Skolnick Architects, founded in 1996 and based in Roxbury, Connecticut. For them, “life and work become one and the same,” says Skolnick. “Logistically, it’s great working together
because we’re always on the same schedule.” The same page, too.
Haver received his architectural education from the University of Virginia; Skolnick studied at the University of Arizona and Cornell University. They met while working in New York City, where they held positions as design directors at major firms. “We were both doing very
contemporary office and retail interiors— lots of steel and glass,” says Skolnick. They spent weekends in Litchfield County, gradually falling in love with the place, the people, and the pace of life. In 1994 they found and restored a 1796 center-hall colonial, which became their home and “biggest calling card.”
“We’re inspired by the simple clean lines and strong forms of the surrounding historic homes and barns,” says Skolnick. “Although we’re trained as modernists, we apply this background to a vocabulary inspired by rural vernacular architecture. Our projects may look traditional, but we are truly modernists in that we try to do the most with the least.” The partners’ philosophy is “take a simple idea and
Photograph by
Robert Benson
New England Design
Hall of Fame | ARCHITECTURE
simplify it…then go back and simplify it further.”
Haver and Skolnick’s work— from new homes to historic restorations and additions—has been honored with more than fifty regional, national, and international awards. And yet they remain a two-person firm, involved in every project from inception to move-in. “The goal is to create a cohesive whole, reflecting our clients’ vision,” says Haver. “When a client calls, they get one of us, and that’s the guy they see all the way through the project. They get a very intimate experience.”
“Although we’re trained as modernists, we apply this background to a vocabulary inspired by rural vernacular architecture.”
—Stewart Skolnick
Photography by Robert Benson
New England Design Hall of Fame | SPECIALTY
Paul Reidt
KOCHMAN REIDT + HAIGH CABINETMAKERS
Aseries of happy accidents altered the trajectory of Paul Reidt’s career from premed to philosophy to custom cabinetry. President of Kochman Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers in Stoughton, Massachusetts, Reidt says his parents inspired him: “My mother was a painter who taught me to see the world in unconventional ways. My father, a doctor,
showed me how to break down the complexities of the world, the ways we think about it.”
Reidt grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, where he pored over Popular Mechanics magazines. He remembers watching a neighbor carve a model airplane from balsa wood. “It was a marvel to me to take an unformed material and make something that
could actually fly,” he says. “It made me think of ‘making’ as an astonishing power.” As a teenager, he spent summers learning carpentry fundamentals by rebuilding his family’s lakeside cottage in the Adirondacks. He came by his most transformative early experience “by extraordinary accident.”
His high school girlfriend’s dad needed a carpenter to work on his new home—the Parcells Residence, a modernist masterpiece designed by renowned architect Paul Rudolph.
Reidt studied English and biology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, was accepted into med school but decided against it. Instead, he studied philosophy at Boston University before moving on
Photograph
New England Design Hall of Fame | SPECIALTY
to the Boston Architectural College while working as a cabinetmaker to pay the bills. Woodworking became his full-time vocation in 1982, and over the years, as his company has grown, he says the “process of inquiry, discovery, and invention continues to bring pleasure.” Reidt’s passion for learning inspired him to launch the B/A/D Talks, professional networking events that invite builders, architects, and designers to engage
and exchange ideas in Boston.
When a longtime client commissioned KR+H to work on a magnificent ranch home in Wyoming three years ago, he leapt at the opportunity. “We spent a year designing, a year building, and just finished the installation,” he says. “We’d never worked in such an environment, such a different aesthetic. It was breathtaking and vast—and it was wonderful having to learn it.”
“The process of inquiry, discovery, and invention continues to bring pleasure.”
—Paul Reidt
Photography by (top and bottom) Richard Mandelkorn and (left) Scott Frances/OTTO
New England Design Hall of Fame | SPECIALTY
Barbara Sallick
WATERWORKS
Barbara Sallick has never seen any reason why the everyday shouldn’t be arrestingly beautiful. After a short stint as a teacher in Connecticut, Sallick worked in the American Decorative Arts department at the Yale University Art Gallery, where she discovered “the key to learning about art, architecture, beautiful rooms, and objects is looking, looking,
and more looking.” She never forgot it.
In 1978, she and her husband, Robert, had a vision for, of all things, the utilitarian American bathroom.
“We wanted Americans to think of their bathrooms like the ones we experienced on our travels in England and France,” she says. “The fittings we saw there were exquisitely crafted, elegant, and beautiful.”
They saw an opportunity to transform the American bath, so they made multiple trips to Europe to visit plumbing showrooms. They sought out vintage Edwardian fixtures in salvage yards there and in New England, found manufacturers who could replicate them, and launched Waterworks that same year. Headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut, the company started by offering a few vintage English and French styles for the American market. After their son, Peter Sallick, joined in the early 1990s, the brand has grown to include a portfolio of proprietary luxury products, including custom cabinetry, tubs, showers, sinks, hardware, lighting, and even bath towels and rugs, and tile and stone. There are Waterworks showrooms in twelve cities in the U.S. and one in London as well as a team
New England Design Hall of Fame | SPECIALTY
in Paris. The products can also be found in boutique showrooms internationally.
Sallick has always seen functionality in a different light—and followed her North Star. “I always come back to the classical principles of design: balance, proportion, and scale. And to the principles of classicism: harmony and restraint.”
Over the years, Sallick’s role has evolved, both at the company and within the industry. She is sought-after as a
speaker and panelist and has written several design books, served as a board member and chair of arts and education organizations, and has been honored as an innovator and visionary—all the while mentoring the next generation of designers, artisans, and design enthusiasts.
Photography by (top) Neil Landino and (bottom) Jared Kuzia and (center) courtesy of Waterworks
New England Design Hall of Fame | SPECIALTY
The Lagassé Group
NANCY AND KEVIN LAGASSÉ
Building is an exceptionally complex business; when done well, a completed project is far greater than the sum of its parts. This dynamic isn’t lost on the principals of The Lagassé Group of Natick, Massachusetts. “We are a team that is very comfortable with complexity,” says Kevin Lagassé. “Every project has unique challenges, and even with our
extensive experience, we approach these projects with fresh eyes.”
Founders and spouses Nancy (president) and Kevin (executive vice president) Lagassé have run the family business like, well, a family, for the last fifteen years. They had the street cred—he has a background in civil engineering and hers is in labor and employment law—so when they
decided to partner in business back in 2010, it made perfect sense. They jumped in with abandon: “Our journey began with an elaborate renovation of a 14,000-square-foot suburban home in Wellesley,” says Kevin. Today, they’ve grown to a team of thirtyfive, working throughout eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard. The firm’s diverse portfolio includes an array of residential projects of every style and scale—from urban high-rises to suburban homes. And they don’t play favorites. “It may sound cliché, but our favorite project is always the ‘next one’,” says Kevin. “We look forward to challenges that are new, to designs we’ve never built before.”
by
Photograph
Brian Doherty
New England Design Hall of Fame | SPECIALTY
In keeping with their all-in-the-family philosophy, Nancy says: “We believe you never stop learning, and that there are bright and creative minds all around us, including talented people just starting their careers. We have learned to empower people, to give them runway, and to make sure that we all learn from our experiences.”
What’s next for the team? “We always view where we are and what we build as a snapshot in time,” says Kevin. Nancy adds, “We have the privilege of building extraordinary homes for extraordinary clients with extraordinary collaborators. But we try never to be satisfied or complacent. Instead, we look to improve each day.”
“We have learned to empower people, to give them runway, and to make sure that we all learn from our experiences.”
—Nancy Lagassé
Photography by (clockwise from top) Nat Rea, Chuck Choi, and Eric Roth
Julie Murphy and her team at Designer Draperies of Boston are always willing to go the extra step to ensure CHID clients are completely satisfied. They mae the window treatment installation process easy, clean and, most importantly, professional to a degree of perfection. It has been a pleasure working with them for the past 3 years.
~ Cynthia Hayes, Cynthia Hayes
Interior Design
DANI. FINE PHOTOGRAPHY
Rafael Floral & Event Design is poised to create the event of your dreams. With over 20 years of experience in the Floral and Event business, principal & creative director Rafael Alvarado is excited to work with clients to bring their vision to life. Whether it be your wedding, gala, bar/bat mitzvah, or private party, each event receives his attention to detail, unique and stylized design, and the benefits of his unparalleled work ethic. Servicing Boston, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Cape Cod, and beyond.
617.982.9099 | rafaelfloraldesign.com
New England Design Hall of Fame |
ANNOUNCEMENT PARTY
A Toast to the Inductees
EDITED BY CAMILLA TAZZI
The 2024 New England Design Hall of Fame inductees were announced in October at a party cohosted by the Boston Design Center, the Hall of Fame’s official home. Colleagues and supporters gathered with past inductees and other leading industry professionals to congratulate and celebrate this year’s honorees: Haver & Skolnick Architects, Renée Byers, Paul Reidt, The Lagassé Group, and Barbara Sallick.
2024 inductees: Barbara Sallick of Waterworks, Paul Reidt of Kochman Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers, Charles Haver and Stewart Skolnick representing Haver & Skolnick Architects, Renée Byers of Renée Byers Landscape Architect, and Nancy and Kevin Lagassé representing The Lagassé Group
by
Photography
Matt Stone
The
Jack Yeaton of Jamestown and designer Elizabeth Vaughan Skayne
Patti Watson of Taste Design, Beezee Honan of Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply, and Kevin Cradock of Kevin Cradock Builders
2013 inductee Patrick Ahearn of Patrick Ahearn Architect and New England Home’s Kathy Bush-Dutton
Joanna Ramos-Hughes and 2019 inductee Leslie Fine of Leslie Fine Interiors
2021 inductee Steve Siegel and Theresa St. John-Siegel of Siegel Structural Engineers flank 2022 inductee Colin Flavin of Flavin Architects
John Trifone and Amy Bressler of Minotti (first and third from left) with Steven Jacobs and Patrick Lawhorne of Hancock Appliance
Julie Arcari Cook of Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting, 2023 inductee Paula Daher of Daher Interior Design, and New England Home’s Kim Sansoucy
Eric Haydel of Eric Haydel Design and M-Geough with Kevin the dog
2010 inductee Keith LeBlanc and 2018 inductee Doug Jones of LeBlanc Jones Landscape Architects with Bill Andrews of 2016 inductee Woodmeister Master Builders
Laurie and Paul Bannon of Bannon Custom Builders
Jessica Griffith of Brookes + Hill Custom Builders and New England Home’s Kathy Bush-Dutton with Carlotta Cubi and Gerry Toledo of Cumar
Designed to Shine
Our signature Evergreens bring the spirit of nature to the holidays. Discover brilliant handmade gifts – plus thoughtful, functional designs for your table, and so much more.
New England Design Hall of Fame |
2024 JUDGES
The Panel of Judges
Four of the five judges for this year’s New England Design Hall of Fame are previous Hall of Fame inductees themselves, and the fifth, Ted Landsmark, has been a judge for all seventeen years of the program. We are grateful for their time, expertise, and dedication to the vetting process. Each year, the judges set a high standard that continues to raise the bar for design in the region.
Charles Spada, Charles Spada Interiors and Showroom, Boston
Ted Landsmark, Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, Boston
John Tittman, ART Architects, Boston
Brian Vona, KVC Builders, Maynard, Mass.
GALLERY SPONSOR
DECOR SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
BRONZE SPONSORS
PHOTO BOOTH SPONSOR
Celebrate the Season at SoWa
9th Annual SoWa Winter Festival
Step into the magical world of the SoWa Winter Festival, New England’s largest indoor holiday market. Shop for unique gifts from over 100 regional makers and enjoy entertainment and delicious food and beverage options. Open every day from November 29 through December 22 at the historic SoWa Power Station in Boston’s South End. For more details visit sowaboston/sowa-winter-festival
Photographer: Michael J. Lee
Builder: Archwright Fine Home Builders
Projects We Love
Suburban Hideaway
How is this project unique?
What isn’t unique about this property? The hardscapes contain a range of materials, all so different but that complement each other perfectly. Chinese footworn cobbles were installed parallel to reclaimed granite planks for the driveway. Local Chelmsford granite was used for the terraces, bordered by bluestone bands with bronze bowties set within the stone, anchoring each terrace corner. Black granite with a polished finish was selected for the rear water fountain, a specialty stone that creates an amazing textured effect underwater. This property also boasts two ponds, connected by a custom water feature that maintains water flow through the ponds.
Why do you love this project?
Each space brings its own magic to the landscape—the expansive rear terrace, the large green play lawn, the sunken spa area, the enclosed garden with raised granite
planters, the custom water features, the sloping granite entry driveway, and the incredible dual ponds. We also love the teamwork and collaboration that occurs on projects of this size. Working closely with the landscape architect, subcontractors, and homeowner, we were able to problem solve and strategize together to deliver the best final product.
What were the challenges faced in this particular project?
One main challenge during the construction phase was sequencing our landscape work around the house construction. Space was limited onsite, so it was a daily dance between landscape crews, machines moving materials, subcontractors completing their work, and deliveries arriving. We are proud of our relationships with our subcontractors and trade partners. We were able to work around each other in a cohesive way to maintain momentum and accommodate the home builder’s needs.
1 A bird’s-eye view of the stunning property; from the reclaimed granite driveway to the large specimen trees, each feature of this project was thoughtfully detailed. 2 Naturaledge fieldstone pavers border this tranquil pond, where you can observe the fish that swim past, or simply enjoy the sounds of the water fountain nearby. 3 The granite veneer wall retains an upper pond, while a custom stone water feature maintains the flow of water to the lower pond. 4 A custom spa set into a bluestone terrace includes specially selected boulders that blend into the neighboring rock outcropping.
JULIE BERGERON
Projects We Love
Did any current or historic architecture or design influence this project?
This beautiful French Mansard Victorian home, originally built in 1871, stands as a historic gem in Salem, Massachusetts, deeply influencing our design decisions throughout the whole renovation. Here in the dining room specifically, an antique crystal chandelier serves as a dazzling focal point, while floor-to-ceiling millwork and a newly added ceiling medallion, reminiscent of the home’s original era, enhance the room’s character and charm. We sourced vintage accessories to style the interior throughout, finding unique objects and curiosities that add a historic appeal.
What were the clients’ goals for the project, and how did you achieve them?
Our clients have lived in this home for many years and embarked on a full renovation to improve the well-loved
Historic Salem Renovation
Blakely Interior Design 650 Ten Rod Road North Kingstown, RI 401-789-1516
blakelyinteriordesign.com
interior with today’s sensibilities for their growing family. They desired furnishings that had meaning and a story, and that would honor the home’s history while still feeling contemporary.
This dining room was intentionally designed to be appropriate for everyday use, and to also serve as a dramatic backdrop for holiday dinners, where they host both Hanukkah and Christmas. They have young kids and pets, so we selected luxurious performance fabrics to stand up to everyday wear. They also love color and bold design, so this palette of rich blues, reds, and yellows creates a wow-factor from every angle.
What do your clients love most about this project?
Our clients are thrilled that they have a complete home that reflects their personal style. They now feel proud to host dinner parties and holidays.
JANELLE BLAKELY PHOTOPOULOS
Projects We Love
Serene Coastal Charm
Why do you love this project?
We love this project for its serene coastal charm and the perfect balance between modern design and a warm, inviting atmosphere. The thoughtful use of natural light, soft textures, and clean lines creates a peaceful, welcoming space that feels both contemporary and timeless.
How is this project unique?
The project’s uniqueness lies in the way Hutker Architects transitioned the home from an urban, timber-heavy interior to a more open and airy design. The reimagined kitchen, now taking center stage with stunning views of the Atlantic, and the clear, inviting front entry are standout elements that elevate the home’s character.
What were the client’s goals for this project, and how did you achieve them?
Per Hutker’s directive, the client’s goals were threefold: modernize the interior, open the house to the ocean views,
and create a more distinguishable front entry. We achieved this by reducing the use of heavy timber, introducing sleek, modern finishes, repositioning the kitchen to capture ocean views, and creating a front entry that is bold and inviting, making the approach to the house unmistakable.
A beautifully reimagined kitchen that captures panoramic ocean views, combining modern finishes, an open design, and a seamless connection between indoor and coastal living for a timeless retreat.
HILARY MOORE
Why do you love this project?
This project allowed me to revisit a home I had the privilege of working on years ago, building upon a long-standing relationship with the clients. Designing for multiple generations of the same family is a rewarding experience. This project blends tradition with innovation, honoring the legacy of the original house while introducing a fresh, modern aesthetic that resonates with a younger generation.
How is this project unique?
Once inside, the house is a stunning surprise. The first jawdropping feature is the staircase. More than just a means of connecting levels, it was an opportunity to create a defining feature that set the tone for the entire house. With shiplap, a striking Z-shaped design, and an open loft bridge, the flow is modern yet rooted in its Cape Cod heritage. Whether
Staircase to Coastal Elegance
DOREVE NICHOLAEFF
Nicholaeff Architecture + Design 891 Main Street Osterville, MA 02655 508-420-5298 nicholaeff.com
ascending or descending, the shiplap-wrapped stairwell and walls radiate a spa-like serenity, while the white-oak flooring and treads connect the interiors to the coastal surroundings. It’s rare to design something so functional that also feels like an artistic statement.
Was there an “aha” moment when you knew you were creating something unique for the homeowners?
The ‘aha’ moment was when the stairwell become the heart of the home. I realized we had achieved the perfect balance—creating a design that seamlessly complements the main house with a sense of closeness while providing the privacy each family member needs and incorporating more contemporary and playful interiors to accommodate their expanding families.
Why do you love this project?
I love this unique 1,274-square-foot project because it captures all of the warmth and charm of a cozy lakeside retreat while offering plenty of light, space, and present-day amenities to suit a wide variety of uses. Our clients enjoyed living in it while we went on to build their nearby 4,500-squarefoot hybrid timber-frame/contemporary primary home. It is now used as a much-loved guest cottage for visitors to this picturesque thirty-acre property in central New Hampshire.
What were the clients’ goals for this project, and how did you achieve them?
Our clients felt strongly about using as many natural materials from their property and local craftsmen as possible to construct their customized living spaces, and our
Cozy Lakeside Retreat
263 Main Street P.O. Box 746
New London, NH 03257 603-526-6945
ohd@oldhampshiredesigns.com
oldhampshiredesigns.com
team enjoyed the challenge of honoring their priorities. The cabin was built entirely of red and white pine and oak harvested from the property, including trim, doors, paneling, flooring, ceilings, railings, exterior siding, and exterior trim.
Did any current or historic architecture or design influence this project?
The clients also owned a stunning historic Adirondack retreat in upstate New York, and much of our design focus went into recreating aspects of that beloved family home. For example, we incorporated interior and exterior handcrafted railings, open floor plans, an expansive covered porch, high ceilings, and carefully positioned views of sunlight that reflect off the lake through the trees.
The 1901 fireplace keystone from the original homestead on this property was preserved and placed in this newly constructed fireplace.
JAY TUCKER
A Commitment to Sustainability
Why do you love this project?
We love this project for a bunch of reasons. The homeowners are lovely people, and the design team (ZeroEnergy Design) was a delight to work with. Together, they envisioned a project that mirrors the traditional style of houses in the neighborhood but has an interior that suits a modern family. It is high performance from an energy standpoint, and it’s also beautiful.
What were the clients’ goals for this project, and how did you achieve them?
The owners of this home were driven by a commitment to sustainability and a desire to create a well-designed green home that would serve as a model of energy efficiency. We were able to achieve this by incorporating wood fiber insulation, triple-pane windows, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, heat pump hot water heaters, and heat recovery ventilators. A large rooftop solar electric system offsets the annual electric consumption, which means the home is Passive House aligned, targeting net-zero or netpositive energy performance.
Was there an “aha” moment when you knew you were creating something unique for the homeowners?
The biggest “aha” moment was when we determined how best to utilize the limited outdoor space. It features a sizable deck off the kitchen for outdoor dining, a Zen-like garden, and a roof garden atop the garage with raised planters and a built-in watering system. These design elements not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the home but also contribute to its sustainability.
S+H Construction
45 Brighton St. Belmont, MA 02478 617-876-8286
shconstruction.com
This well-designed green home serves as a model of energy efficiency.
SARAH LAWSON, PRESIDENT
A Calming Sanctuary
Was there an “aha” moment when you knew you were creating something unique for the homeowners?
In this project, we created a contemporary and refined interior that honors organic shapes, natural materials, and nature’s philosophy. By integrating biophilic design, we introduced natural elements that softened the space and enhanced the stunning finishes provided by Chase Construction. This approach infused the home with warmth and tranquility, fostering a deep connection to the surrounding coastal environment.
What is your design philosophy?
Our design philosophy is consistent across all projects, whether we’re crafting boho surf shacks or modern luxury beach homes on various coasts. We focus on integrating natural textures, balanced color palettes, and fluid shapes to create spaces that serve as sanctuaries for homeowners. The use of earthy tones and organic materials brings a sense of comfort and relaxation to each space, reflecting the peacefulness of coastal living.
What was the goal for this project?
For this particular project, we collaborated closely with the homeowner, who had a clear vision of creating a welcoming and comfortable space for gathering. The primary goal was to maximize the stunning coastal views while maintaining a sense of warmth and ease within the interior. Every design detail, from materials to layout, was chosen to ensure a seamless balance between luxurious finishes and nature’s calming presence.
Saltwater Home 2 Storer Street, Suite 109 Kennebunk, ME 04043 207-888-0552 saltwater-home.com
In this serene coastal living room, organic shapes and soft neutral tones harmonize with natural textures, creating a calming sanctuary that celebrates the stunning ocean view.
ANNIE TALMAGE FOUNDER + PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
Why do you love this project?
There is a nostalgic feel to this tiny cottage that we think is very special. We were able to create a space that is cozy, warm, and breezy, like “a moment spent lying in the grass in a field with your eyes shut, feeling the sun.”
What were the challenges faced in this particular project?
Built in the 1930s, the cottage has a rich history and has seen its fair share of hurricanes. Once it was completely
Nostalgic Cottage
Stephanie King Design 711 Main Street Bolton, MA 01740 978-634-1751 stephaniekingdesign.com
destroyed and rebuilt, while other times it has been damaged but survived. Given its structural changes and challenges, the cottage was in rough shape and needed someone to see its pure charm and potential.
What do your clients appreciate most about this project?
Our clients love the space now with all its modern updates and restored charm. This small, beloved seasonal cottage can now hold another fifty years of memories.
STEPHANIE KING
A Tritter Feefer table joins an Edelman leather banquette crafted by McLaughlin Custom Upholstered Furniture in the family room’s casual dining area. Floral-upholstered chairs with babyblue legs add a soft touch. FACING PAGE: A new marble floor with hand-glazed insets and a de Gournay chinoiserie wallpaper make an elegant statement in the foyer. A hallway off the foyer has herringbone-patterned engineered hickory floors and doors upholstered in orange leather.
COLOR PLAY
The Crayola sixty-four pack has nothing on a vibrant Boston penthouse that reflects its owners’ spirited outlook on life.
Text by PAULA M. BODAH | P hotography by READ M C KENDREE/JBSA
Admittedly, de Gournay wallpaper on the kitchen backsplash is a bold choice. So are glossy mulberry-hued kitchen cabinets, orange living room drapes with blue trim, and lime-green leather dining chairs. But Karen Kames and Chris Gaffney have never shied away from bold when it comes to home design. The couple incorporated
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Designer Robin Pelissier used a variety of fabric colors and patterns on the custom bolster-framed sectional and swivel lounge chairs; a playful Lladró chandelier in clear and candy-colored crystal hangs above. An eighteenth-century Louis XV console table and gilded-frame mirror fill a niche in the foyer. A powder room has a deco-glam feel with its wallpaper of gigantic peonies on a charcoal-gray background.
Owner Karen Kames sparked the home’s palette with her choice of mulberrycolored cabinetry in the kitchen. FACING
PAGE: The dining room’s Murano-glass flowers create a gorgeous glow hanging from a ceiling covered in Phillip Jeffries metallic paper. Incorporating all the colors used throughout the living spaces, Nina Campbell’s Paradiso drapery fabric ties all the rooms together and references the pretty landscaping on the home’s outdoor terraces.
every color in the rainbow—and then some—in their two-level penthouse unit in a Boston high-rise. “I didn’t want just another urban penthouse, with beige and pewter colors and modern design,” Karen says.
“I wanted a home that felt warm and vibrant.”
To help them achieve that result, the couple turned to Robin Pelissier, with whom they’ve worked on multiple projects over the years. “They are cher-
ished longtime clients, who express their love of life and style with color,” Pelissier says.
Joining the design team was Sean Reynolds of Woodmeister Master Builders. Together the pros and their clients went through the home, moving walls, replacing mechanicals, and reworking moldings, trim, floors, and ceilings. “The spirit of the project was to open the views of the skyline and the Charles
“I DIDN’T WANT JUST ANOTHER URBAN PENTHOUSE, WITH BEIGE AND PEWTER COLORS AND MODERN DESIGN.”
—HOMEOWNER KAREN KAMES
RIGHT: The stairway leads from the main living level down to a lower floor that holds guest bedrooms and an open area with a gym, a TV room, and a golf simulator that Chris says has shaved a few strokes off his handicap.
BELOW: The family room’s Schumacher paper with a subtle pattern and color forms a neutral backdrop for Pelissier’s use of bright colors. FACING
PAGE: Purple and orange, homeowner Chris Gaffney’s favorite colors, make an appearance in the living room, where fabric-covered walls, a leather-upholstered door, and a blue velvet sofa are united by the Landry & Arcari rug.
River,” Reynolds says. “We couldn’t change the footprint, but working in the confines of the high-rise, we peeled away the finishes and built it back.”
The work began in the kitchen.
“Karen and Chris have a very kitchencentric way of living, so that drove the project,” Reynolds explains.
The cabinetry, glistening in high-gloss Fabulous Grape from Sherwin-Williams, warms the space, as do the engineered hickory floors. Counter stools in a skyblue fabric belly up to an oversize island topped with polished marble (with the thoughtful touch of radiant heating).
Then, of course, there’s that de Gournay wallpaper, a choice the couple might have second-guessed when their younger son, daughter-in-law, and toddler grandson came to live with them.
“I will tell you, our fabrics and wallcoverings are getting a workout,” Karen says with a laugh. “We’re finding yogurt in places I didn’t know we had!” Fortunately, Pelissier wisely covered
The couple’s toddler grandson no doubt has sweet dreams in a bedroom that’s playful yet sophisticated with its Thibaut Elephant paper and Lewis & Wood curtain and headboard fabrics. FACING PAGE: All things toile makes for a pretty, feminine bedroom when the couple’s daughter comes to visit.
the backsplash area with glass for easy cleaning.
The home’s vivacious spirit begins in the foyer where another de Gournay wallpaper makes an elegant companion to the newly laid marble floors. The open family room and casual dining area incorporates Chris’s favorite colors, orange and purple. Floor-to-ceiling windows put the focus on the outdoors, but Pelissier keeps the room feeling
grounded with a mix of colors, textures, and patterns. “Robin is a savant with lighting and fabrics and colors and details,” Reynolds says.
The living and dining rooms don’t skimp on the color, either. The former sports walls upholstered in purple fabric and an azure velvet sofa, while the latter brings all the hues of adjacent rooms together in one glorious, glamorous whole. Lights of amber
and blue Murano glass hang from the silver-papered ceiling. “It’s a gorgeous effect, but it doesn’t impede the view,” Pelissier notes. The lights illuminate a Keith Fritz dining table with an aubergine finish and lime-green leather dining chairs whose blue trim plays off the blue grasscloth wallcovering.
Chris insists his wife is the one with the vision when it comes to color.
“Karen went down the bold road, and I went willingly along and enjoyed it,” he says. Karen returns the compliment, saying Chris has a talent for choosing lighting and tile. And of course, they both credit Pelissier for having the talent to pull their vision together.
Pelissier sums it up succinctly: “With clients who are true creative partners, the results can be extraordinary.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: Robin Pelissier
Design, Woodmeister Master Builders
INTERIOR DESIGN: Robin Pelissier Design
BUILDER: Woodmeister Master Builders
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Wisteria & Rose
“THEY ARE CHERISHED LONGTIME CLIENTS, WHO EXPRESS THEIR LOVE OF LIFE AND STYLE WITH COLOR.”
—INTERIOR DESIGNER ROBIN PELISSIER
LEFT: The primary bedroom echoes the home’s color palette but in paler hues; the wallpaper is Schumacher’s Imperial Garden. BELOW: One of Karen’s favorite spots in the home is her desk area in a corner of the kitchen. FACING PAGE: Common Room’s Lioness & Palms wallpaper adds a touch of whimsy to a guest bedroom; the light fixture by Allison Paladino has LED-lit chunks of rough-cut sculpted glass.
A custom mirror from Guido Frames hangs above a console from Iatesta Studio in the dining room, which is part of the home’s more formal wing.
FACING PAGE: A pair of French doors at the end of the entry hall lead to the back patio; the stair runner is from Stark.
Classic BEAUTY
Former Bostonians create a chic new home in the suburbs that will stand the test of time.
Text by ALYSSA BIRD | Ph otography by NAT REA
Styled by ELEANOR ROPER
ABOVE: The architects opted for a colonial-style structure with classic shingles and stone veneer to blend in nicely with the neighborhood; a front porch complete with rocking chairs was a request from the clients. BELOW: A vestibule in the front entry features a console from Iatesta Studio and floor tiles from Tile Showcase. FACING PAGE: Both homeowners have a workspace in the study, which features mahogany paneling and a floor lamp from Visual Comfort & Co.
When two longtime Bostonians decided to leave the city and build a new forever home near their three grown children in the suburbs, they knew just who to call.
Having worked with Bob Paladino, founding partner of Mellowes & Paladino Architects, on both their townhouse and a family compound on Nantucket, the clients welcomed another opportunity to collaborate with the firm.
This time, the site was a rather challenging lakeside property with a small house that didn’t satisfy the couple’s needs.
“We used blues, greens, and sandy tones to help bring the outside in.”
—INTERIOR DESIGNER CINDY HAYES
“Between demolishing the existing structure and dealing with conservation issues, it took a year to secure permitting,” recalls architect Emily Sanders Coutu, a managing principal at the firm who worked alongside Paladino on the project. “It was important that we respect the history of the town, so the shingled colonial-style residence picks up on details found in the neighborhood. The goal was to orient the rooms toward the view by stretching the building along
ABOVE: One of the only pieces the couple retained from their former residence is this Rose Tarlow dining table, which is paired with chairs from Aesthetic and a light fixture from Iatesta Studio; the wallpaper is from Gracie. RIGHT: The bar is painted Farrow & Ball Studio Green to coordinate with the adjacent dining room’s wallpaper.
“It doesn’t feel stuffy or trendy. It just feels timeless.”
—ARCHITECT EMILY SANDERS COUTU
an axis that follows the water’s edge.”
The 13,000-square-foot home is divided into a formal wing (living, dining, bar area) and a more casual side meant for everyday living (kitchen, pantry, family room, sunroom, laundry,
mudroom). In addition to a first-floor primary suite, there are three en suite bedrooms upstairs as well as a media room and bunk room for the owners’ grandkids on the lower level.
“There was lots of planning involved
in order to give the clients a full-height basement,” says Coutu. “Because of the site’s high water table, we knew the lower level would be underwater at certain times. We worked with an engineer to conceive a waterproof foundation with
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The formal living room contains a sofa from A. Rudin, a coffee table from Michael S. Smith’s Jasper Collection, and a settee from O. Henry House. A soaking tub anchors the primary bath. A vaulted ceiling in the primary bedroom is studded with oak beams; the bed is from Aesthetic.
twenty-four-inch-thick walls.” According to the builder, Brookes + Hill, constant de-watering was necessary during construction. “We essentially built a boat,” says principal Eric Hill.
Throughout the home, Mellowes & Paladino employed their signature mix of traditional elements with contemporary features and clean lines. “We know what styles have lasted for hundreds of years, and we want to continue in that tradition,” says Coutu of the interior architecture. “It doesn’t feel stuffy or trendy. It just feels timeless.”
The architects also took advantage of the sizeable floor plan to create a few single-story spaces with high ceilings. “We had the freedom to design a vaulted ceiling with trusses in the family room and install a large six-by-fifteen-foot skylight in the sunroom,” continues Coutu, who collaborated closely with interior designer Cindy Hayes on many
ABOVE: An oak island lends richness to the kitchen; the clients specifically requested quartz countertops for their durability.
LEFT: The breakfast nook, which overlooks the lake, incorporates additional heating to ensure a cozy spot for enjoying morning coffee.
FACING PAGE: A double-sided woodburning fireplace separates the sunroom from the family room, which contains a sofa from Hickory Chair, a custom coffee table from Scott James Furniture & Design, and a pair of chairs from Louis J. Solomon.
of the finishes and paint colors.
Like the architects, Hayes had worked with the clients previously and had gotten the chance to develop a shorthand with them that allowed the design scheme to develop easily and naturally.
“The homeowners wanted the interiors to feel light and bright and for the views to shine,” says Hayes, who selected a mix of custom and new furnishings—some of which are upholstered in grandkid-friendly performance fabrics.
The architects at Mellowes & Paladino designed the home so that its axis follows the edge of the lake, allowing most rooms to enjoy a view of the water.
“We used blues, greens, and sandy tones to help bring the outside in. The wife likes texture but not busy patterns. It took me a while to cajole her into the floral wallpaper in the dining room, but she loves it now. The patterned chairs in
the study were also a departure for her. There are formal spaces, but the house doesn’t feel fussy. It’s meant to be unpretentious, sophisticated, and comfortable.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE: Mellowes & Paladino Architects
INTERIOR DESIGN: Cynthia Hayes
Interior Design
BUILDER: Brookes + Hill Custom Builders
Artwork by Martin Kline hangs above the original limestone fireplace surround in the penthouse’s living room, while a meandering Lindsey Adelman fixture fills the ceiling.
FACING PAGE: The homeowner was immediately drawn to the Paul Villinski butterfly wall sculpture, says interior designer Dee Elms. The butterflies seem to fly in from the living room’s arched windows and soar above the custom banquette.
WINDS of CHANGE
Working with original elements in a nineteenth-century penthouse, a design team infuses the home with color and cohesion.
Text by ERIKA AYN FINCH
by MICHAEL J. LEE
Photography
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A steel sculpture of a tree by artist John Bisbee, a friend of the homeowner, stands tall near the passageway that leads from the living room to the office. The pattern on the living room carpet, which is from The Rug Company, mimics the shape of the light fixture. A sink fabricated by Cumar hangs in front of a backlit floor-to-ceiling mirror in the powder room adjacent to the dining room.
Nearly 200 years after being built, the penthouse at the crest of Boston’s Beacon Hill understands the inevitability of change. For a time, it housed a theology school. A prominent art dealer called it home for many years. Somewhere along the way, it merged with the unit next door to become one light-filled space. Most recently, its interiors exuded a traditional vibe.
But when interior designer Dee Elms’s new client, a longtime acquaintance, asked her to tour the space with him before he signed on the dotted line, she immediately recognized that it was the layout and light that made it truly exceptional. All it needed was, well, some changes.
The well-traveled homeowner wanted something comfortable but current.
“He’s great at not overthinking things,” says Elms, “which made it easy to do our job.” A deep dive into his personal aesthetic revealed a penchant for saturated colors like aubergine, teal, and green, which appear perhaps most prominently in the completely remodeled kitchen (he actually pushed for the teal pony-fur bar stools) and in the office and dining room. It’s the long, narrow office,
LEFT: The design team reworked the living room firebox so that it’s now a double-sided fireplace that can also be enjoyed in the office, which boasts views of the Charles River. ABOVE: Elms placed a two-tiered rotating cocktail table by Holly Hunt in the family room, where the homeowner likes to relax after work.
with its views of the Charles River, that enthuses Ryan Garrity, vice president of Sea-Dar Construction, the most.
“The combination of the walnut millwork, Venetian-plaster ceiling, and high-gloss walls, which required an extensive amount of work to achieve, is the only thing that could match the view,” says Garrity.
On the flip side, the homeowner told the team he didn’t want a complete gut renovation. “That was a challenge because instead of working with a blank slate, we had to be very creative, especially given the unique nature of renovating in Beacon Hill,” recalls Garrity, who has a longstanding relationship with the homeowner.
RIGHT: Elms chose suede for the upholstered doors that conceal the dining room’s bar—“It has a vibrancy not all materials have,” she explains. BELOW: When Elms saw the dining room’s existing skylight, she immediately envisioned this fixture from Luke Lamp Co.; “I wanted the room to have sculptural elements that had natural weight to them,” she says. FACING PAGE: The new kitchen, designed by Downsview Kitchens, features Versailles Mesh backsplash tile from Ann Sacks and a distressedmetal range hood.
“We had to be very creative, especially given the unique nature of renovating in Beacon Hill.”
—BUILDER RYAN GARRITY
One of the elements that required some creativity was the home’s wide fire door, which originally separated the two units. Elms, however, saw an opportunity and instead flanked the door’s dining room side with a much-needed coat closet and a monochromatic sterlingsilver-hued bar. Both are tucked behind suede-upholstered doors. Walk through the fire door and you find yourself in a family room with a comfy B&B Italia sectional.
Elms got creative with some of the home’s other original elements, includ-
ABOVE: Much of the home’s new furnishings had to be installed through the hang-out room’s window via a crane, says Ryan Garrity of Sea-Dar Construction. LEFT: A tunnel-like hallway links the kitchen and hang-out room. “I thought it could be a moment to remember instead of just passing through,” Elms says, so she commissioned decorative painter Pauline Curtiss to work her magic on the barrel-vaulted ceiling. FACING PAGE: Accessed through steel-and-glass doors, the dressing room features walnut cabinetry.
“We love what we do, and when we partner with people who appreciate it and are willing to try new things, I think it results in our best work.”
—INTERIOR DESIGNER DEE ELMS
ing the brick-lined hallway that connects the kitchen and hang-out space (where the homeowner gathers with his adult children to play poker and, yes, build a LEGO model of the Titanic). She reached out to decorative painter Pauline Curtiss to cover the hallway’s barrel-vaulted eiling in a graffiti pattern that highlights the home’s colors, including fun pops of chartreuse.
In the living room, Elms elected to emphasize the striking arched windows by forgoing treatments, and in the primary bath, she chose to clad the portal that leads from the vanities to the bathing area with three-quarter-inch steel, making two separate spaces feel cohesive.
Garrity looks back on the project as an exemplary example of bringing modernity to a historic home without completely starting over, and he’s quick to credit the craftspeople who came together to make it all happen so quickly. Elms adds the homeowner to that list.
“We love what we do, and when we partner with people who appreciate it and are willing to try new things, I think it results in our best work,” she says. It’s not a stretch to imagine that if walls could talk, the penthouse would agree.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Elms Interior Design
BUILDER: Sea-Dar Construction
ABOVE: In the primary bath, smoked glass conceals the water closet and shower. The light fixture is from Atelier001.
ABOVE RIGHT: Steel lines the portal that transitions from the vanities to the bathing area. FACING PAGE: While the arched windows in the living room remain bare, Elms covered the windows in the primary bedroom in sour-apple-green wool from Holland & Sherry.
TIME Honored
A historic house moves gently into the twenty-first century.
Text by GAIL RAVGIALA | Phot ography by JARED KUZIA
Produced by KARIN LIDBECK BRENT
As with the Shingle-style country houses he designed, William Ralph Emerson gave this Cambridge home a large living room that invites a crowd. With the original fireplace as the focal point of the room, interior designer Kate Maloney created an airy, modern vibe fortified with a custom O’Lampia chandelier. The chenille sofa is balanced with custom chairs by Partners in Design.
How to polish a gem? That was the question for the new owners of a historic house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, designed in 1889 by renowned architect William Ralph Emerson (1833-1917), who’s considered the father of the Shingle style that became popular in late nineteenth-century New England. During his fifty-year career, Emerson was also an
TOP: The dark brown exterior was brightened with a cheery bluegreen Sioux Falls stain by Benjamin Moore. The built-in bench on the porch is a typical Emerson feature. Landscaping by The Landscape Collaborative includes the granite pillars, iron fence, and new brick walk. RIGHT: The streetscape is softened with naturalistic informal plantings. FACING PAGE: The landing on the hefty staircase in the foyer is flooded with natural light from a large window, its original decorative wooden mullions still intact.
“The LARGE ROOM is FORMAL yet APPROACHABLE.”
—INTERIOR DESIGNER KATE MALONEY
outspoken advocate of historic preservation, notably working to save and modernize Old Ship Church in Hingham, Massachusetts, and Old South Meeting House in Boston.
Surely, he would appreciate that his handsome colonial revival-style house has been well cared for over the years. “We are only the fifth family to live here,” says the owner, who, with her husband, had for decades resided in a nearby townhouse. “I walked by all the time—with strollers and with joint replacements,” she says with a laugh. “I always loved the house.”
When the property came on the market three years ago, the couple, their two sons now grown and on their own,
ABOVE: Between the foyer and living room, a long-unused pocket door, original to the house, was restored to working order. Also original are the front door with its decorative wood mullions and the newel post and balustrade defining the staircase. BELOW: The living room window bay is the ideal spot for a vintage game table. FACING PAGE: The horseshoe armchairs from Red Egg provide seating.
The mudroom provides entree to the new rear stair; the flooring is antiqued limestone from DiscoverTile. FACING PAGE: In the dining room, new bookcases designed by Charles R. Myer & Partners display the owner’s collection of Canton china. The vintage table, an estate-sale find restored by Wayne Towle Master Finishing and Restoration, is complemented by cane-back chairs from Made Goods.
decided to buck the trend to downsize, and bought the 5,200-square-foot dwelling. Working with architects Charles R. Myer & Partners, they embarked on a judicious renovation that honored Emerson’s intent while adapting the house for today’s lifestyle.
“We wanted to preserve as much as we could,” says the owner, “but were
mindful of needing to improve the energy efficiency.” And while the twentyyear-old kitchen was “gorgeous,” access to it was hampered by the constraints of an 1889 floor plan. “Typical for the era,” says Alice Dunn, Myer’s project architect, “the kitchen was cut off from the dining room and the rest of the house.”
To improve the floor plan, a back
staircase off the kitchen that divided the house was relocated to a side wall. A fireplace and chimney in the dining room were removed to make way for a doorway to the all-new kitchen, and an adjacent charming-but-unused butler’s pantry was replaced with a powder room.
In the living room, interior designer Kate Maloney and her firm’s senior designer, Elizabeth Stone, realized the owners’ vision for decor and furnishings that balance tradition with casual comfort. With a seating area around the fireplace and a game table embraced by a window bay, “the large room is formal
yet approachable. It’s one of their favorite spaces whether they use it as a couple or for entertaining,” says Maloney.
The dining room is an eclectic mix of old and new. The table, an estate sale find, is paired with modern cane-back barrel chairs. Built-in bookcases designed by Myer reflect the original
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Kitchen cabinets are painted Firebush, a special-order color from Fine Paints of Europe. On the second floor, relocating the back staircase inspired architect Alice Dunn to design a charming hallway by duplicating the existing arch (in the foreground) and adding a window to bring natural light into the space. The new powder room features slate countertops repurposed from the old kitchen; Zoffany wallpaper is framed by woodwork painted Benjamin Moore Yellowstone.
architectural details, while a lithe chandelier is a sleek nod to tradition.
With the kitchen connected to the dining room, guests and cook can interact with ease. Simple custom cabinets are painted a fresh, bold burnt orange, while a breakfast nook speaks to cozy tradition.
“I just love walking through the house and watching how the light and shadows play through the old windows,”
says the owner. Just as Mr. Emerson intended.
Says Maloney, “This is what the house wanted to be.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE: Charles R. Myer & Partners
INTERIOR DESIGN: Kate Maloney Interior Design
BUILDER: Gilman Guidelli & Bellow
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Landscape Collaborative
ABOVE: The existing pantry off the kitchen, which provides outof-the-way storage, is refreshed with Benjamin Moore Windy Sky. RIGHT: A built-in bench and simple trestle table form a breakfast nook; the door leads to an outdoor deck. The leaded pattern in the transom windows reflects the design found on the house's original front door.
What Makes It Work
The pendant echoes the minimal architectural style for decorative visual interest and also creates an artistic effect of reflectance on glass materials.
Uplighting behind the vase creates an “exclamation point” for the decorative accent on the console while completing the visual line of step lights.
Mini LED recessed lights in the steps provide important functional step lighting while continuing the visual interest of the foyer floor uplighting detail.
Cove lighting above the catwalk creates a beautiful washing layer of wall lighting for pathway functionality while highlighting architectural details from all angles.
Mini LED recessed lights in the floor lead you into the home while providing a “grounding” feeling in the very tall space.
Lux Lighting Design, Inc.
Exceptional lighting design is an important element in architecture. With a fully customized lighting design, residences can have a multitude of desired ambiances. Other principal considerations in well-designed lighting are energy efficiency and long-life light sources for minimal maintenance.
Quality of life vastly improves with lighting design. Homeowners can have any desired mood in a room with a lighting scheme that is well-planned and detailed. Lighting control systems are often used for maximum versatility of desired ambiances and lighting “events.”
A professional lighting designer provides a level of quality that is immeasurable. Ongoing research that Doreen Le May Madden stays current on is confirming how lighting environments affect moods and overall well-being.
Doreen Le May Madden, certified lighting architect and owner and founder of Lux Lighting Design (www.LuxLD.com), has presented the concept of “layers of
light” for more than twenty-five years in her work and at presentations across the country. Her expertise on how to achieve functional and beautiful spaces using various angles and intensities of light has been featured in numerous publications. She has shared her award-winning, insightful, and thoughtful design process and vision via various media outlets and as a guest speaker for various professional programs. Doreen has held position as Chairperson for the IES Residential Lighting Environments Committee since 2008. Her dedication to quality lighting is recognized by her peers throughout the country.
Knowing how light affects us is what makes it work . The results, which are both beautiful and functional, suit every need of the user. Every project by Lux Lighting Design fully exceeds the owners’ expectations due to Doreen Le May Madden’s superlative knowledge of lighting and her ability to apply it to create the desired lighting design intent.
Empathy in Planning:
Pre-construction ensures client needs drive window placement, optimizing natural light and view integration for a seamless indoor-outdoor connection.
Passion for Perfection:
Thorough pre-construction minimizes structural challenges, ensuring floor-to-ceiling windows meet aesthetic and performance expectations without compromise.
Intentionality in Design:
Strategic load calculations and site analysis during pre-construction guarantee proper window integration, maximizing daylight while ensuring structural integrity.
Creativity in Problem Solving: Pre-construction addresses complex design challenges, enabling creative solutions for maximizing window expanse while balancing energy efficiency and building stability.
Collaboration in Execution:
Effective collaboration with design professionals during pre-construction ensures coordinated planning for flawless installation of expansive, structurally integrated windows.
At NS Builders, every detail matters. Our pre-construction process is designed to provide the foresight and precision necessary to bring bespoke, architecturally driven homes to life. Starting from the earliest phases of planning, we prioritize intentionality and creativity, collaborating closely with architects and homeowners to ensure that each project reflects the vision of everyone involved.
Our process is built on transparency, careful budgeting, and open communication—all driven by our core values of empathy, passion, and collaboration. We believe that building a home isn’t just about craftsmanship; it’s about creating a relationship that supports you throughout the journey, from concept to completion and beyond.
With our extensive experience in high-end residential construction, we leverage cuttingedge technology and sustainable practices to deliver a seamless experience that culminates in a home that’s truly yours—crafted with care, built for life.
NS Builders, LLC
840 Summer St. #206 Boston, MA 02127 774-381-7821
nsbuilders.com
Bertola Custom Homes & Remodeling
The floating staircase was a clever way to keep the modern design all flowing nicely. As architect Ernie de Maio says, “Nice architecture all floats.”
The husband wanted a black stone with white veining while the wife wanted the opposite. The Tuxedo Quartzite was the perfect marriage of their needs.
The glass catwalk accesses the primary bedroom above; we chose a clear glass for a sense of height in the living room.
The matte-black cabinetry was a bold design feature; the tall ceilings and abundance of natural light enables it to flow nicely with the monochromatic palette.
AParis penthouse my client rented inspired this project. Every inch of the space is carefully designed to serve a particular function. There’s a paneled refrigerator and a cabinet that hides small kitchen appliances, eliminating clutter. The entire kitchen is matte black with a row of high-gloss black upper cabinets. The tall ceilings and abundance of glass combine with the white floors to balance the design perfectly. A large island offers plenty of space for prepping, cooking, and interacting with guests. As we all know, everyone gathers in the kitchen—and this one is a conversation starter for sure. –Joe Bertola
bertolacustom.com
Distinctive Pergolas
Engineered for New England’s unpredictable weather, these sturdy double-walled louvers provide strength and flexibility, ensuring optimal functionality in all seasons.
Integrated gutters and drainage channels hidden within the posts ensure rainwater is efficiently routed away, protecting both the pergola and outdoor space below.
High-grade aluminum construction allows these motorized louvers to seamlessly transition from open to closed, protecting against rain without compromising design.
At Distinctive Pergolas, we deliver motorized louvered roof pergolas designed for durability and seamless operation. Our double-walled louvers resist harsh New England weather, ensuring lasting performance without warping, sagging, or leaks. Smart technology, including automatic rain sensors and integrated drainage, keeps your space dry and comfortable year-round. With personalized design, expert installation, and ongoing support, we provide a premium outdoor experience tailored to your needs. Quality, functionality, and style—guaranteed to last through all seasons.
Distinctive Pergolas
288 Grove St., Suite 103 Braintree, MA 02184 877-372-9653
distinctivepergolas.com
Manzi Appraisers & Restoration
Manzi Appraisers & Restoration is dedicated to preserving the past and protecting the future. With expertise and care, we provide comprehensive services for your treasured possessions, including expert appraisals, conservation, and restoration for fine art, antiques, and cultural heritage objects. Our additional services include custom furniture making, art transportation and installation, contents inventory, framing, and historical research. We meticulously attend to every detail, ensuring your legacy is protected for generations to come.
Manzi Appraisers & Restoration
617-999-3705
manziappraisers.com
A rare 1790 bust of George Washington, carved by renowned Danish-American artist Christian Gullager, has been meticulously restored.
Old North Church’s iconic 400-year-old Gruchy Angels, 1620s Baroque masterpieces, restored to their original glory.
A classic navy hue was utilized in an unconventional manner on the wainscoting, trim, and ceiling beams, elevating the space with a contemporary and dramatic flair.
Incorporating curved furniture softened the room’s angular elements, fostering a more inviting and relaxed ambience.
Megan Healy Design transformed this dining room into a contemporary family gathering space, blending traditional architectural elements with modern elegance. “Much of New England’s architecture is rooted in tradition, yet families seek spaces that align with their modern lifestyles. I enjoy merging these two elements
Megan Healy Design
Megan Healy Design 26 Main Street Concord, MA 01742 617-694-9942
meganhealydesign.com
by preserving the best features of the original structure while integrating contemporary functionality to suit the needs of today’s families.” Megan Healy Design is a boutique interior design firm serving homeowners in Boston and the surrounding communities.
Custom drapery introduced texture while harmonizing with the color palette of the adjoining space.
Soake Pools
IAll Soake Pools are designed for year-round use. This client chose to have two distinctly different water temperatures all year long.
magine a pool that transforms with the seasons—warm and inviting in the winter, cool and invigorating in the summer. Soake Pools are your year-round oasis, perfect for relaxation or athletic training with advanced resistance systems. Beyond hand-tiled luxury, their precast concrete plunge pools offer practical benefits in both size and pricing, sustainability in terms of the saltwater contents, lower water usage, and app-based temperature control. Soake Pools offer countless physical and mental wellness benefits yearround, and they undoubtedly increase home value.
Every pool is hand-tiled in Soake’s controlled environment in New Hampshire prior to shipping.
This client opted to keep one pool hot and the other cool for the ultimate contrast plunge.
IN THE DETAILS
The Good Life
DESIGN DISPATCHES • ON THE MARKET • THE SCENE
Time Honored, page 188
Designs in Blinds & Drapes is a multifaceted enterprise with a retail showroom in Waltham, Massachusetts, where the public can shop for shades, shutters, and wallpaper. But it is its tothe-trade ten-person custom workroom that is the secret weapon of designers looking for complex window treatments cut, sewn, and installed to spec. The window bay in the library of this 1889 Cambridge house “required a custom bent rod, which we templated to fit the room,” says the company’s secondgeneration owner Michael Denaro. His team then measured and stitched the Osborne & Little embroidered linen curtains for a flawless finish, much to interior designer Kate Maloney’s delight.—Gail Ravgiala
The Good Life IN THE DETAILS
Color Play, page 152
Hanging wallpaper is an art in itself, as the de Gournay chinoiserie paper in the foyer of this Boston penthouse shows. The paper, explains Ainien Gilligan of Ainien Gilligan Wallpapering, formerly known as Finishing Touches, in Quincy, Massachusetts, comes in hand-painted panels that take six weeks apiece to create. “It’s crucial to handle it with care,” Gilligan says. “There is zero room for error.” Gilligan, who learned the trade working alongside her late mother, Mags, says the jib door in this space was a special challenge. “You have to make that door disappear into the wall,” she says. “You only have the one panel, so you have to take your time and get it perfect.”—Paula M. Bodah
Photograph
ROHL DORNBRACHT
GRAFF
The Good Life IN THE DETAILS
Winds of Change, page 176
John Sersich, who co-owns Partners in Design with his father in Newton, Massachusetts, says upholstering doors takes “a ton of planning,” and perhaps just as much patience: doors have notoriously low tolerances. The solid-core doors that enclose the bar in a Boston penthouse are fully wrapped in a luxe Holly Hunt suede and inset with custom satin brass handles and slatted brass kickplates. “The hardware is quite unique,” says Sersich. “Installation required an oversized rectangular void, which certainly made it more complicated. The hardware is set just below the fabric to yield the cleanest possible detail.”
—Erika Ayn Finch
by
Photograph
Michael J. Lee
BUILT BY MERIDIAN
Replete with modern comforts and boldly inspired architecture, this new family estate on Lake Winnipesaukee was recently featured in the New England Home article, “Lakeside Current.”
Three separate and exteriorly enjoined buildings now serve an active family’s vision for enjoying the “lake life.”
Work with the construction team who takes care of every structural, functional and finishing detail according to your vision.
For inquiries, contact Tim Long or Kyle Long at 603-527-0101.
Meridian logo should always be placed with the highest contrast.
See more of our residential portfolio at MeridianNH.com.
The Good Life | DESIGN DISPATCHES
Edited by LYNDA SIMONTON
Style Scene
Christmas at The Fells Decorator Showhouse
NOVEMBER 2–10
Get in the holiday spirit by touring the John Hay Estate at The Fells, festively decorated for the season.
Newbury, N.H. thefells.org
Fine Furnishings Show
NOVEMBER 8–10
Discover handcrafted furniture and accessories from craftspeople and design students at the WaterFire Arts Center. Providence finefurnishingsshows.com
Festival of Italian Creativity
NOVEMBER 14–22
From culture to innovation, celebrate Italian design and creativity in the Federal Reserve Building’s Consulate General of Italy.
Boston italyinboston.org
SoWa Winter Festival
NOVEMBER 29–DECEMBER 22
Head to the SoWa Art + Design District’s iconic power station and shop ’til you drop. Boston sowaboston.com
Bulfinch Awards
NOVEMBER 9
Enjoy a celebratory evening honoring the 2024 winners, presented by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s New England Chapter. Harvard Club of Boston classicist-ne.org
Concord Museum Holiday House Tour
DECEMBER 7
Visit area homes decked in seasonal splendor as part of this beloved holiday tradition. Concord, Mass. concordmuseum.org
‹‹ New England Design Hall of Fame Gala
NOVEMBER 7
New England Home celebrates the careers of our region’s most esteemed design talent at the SoWa Power Station.
Boston
nehomemag.com
Historic New England Summit
NOVEMBER 14–15
Learn more about our collective roles in creating livable and resilient communities at The Westin Portland Harborview and via live stream. Portland, Maine summit.historicnewengland.org
‹‹ Rise + Shine Marketplace
NOVEMBER 22–23
Shop wholesale at a to-the-trade showcase on Friday or shop the public market on Saturday, both days at the Winchester Town Hall. Winchester, Mass. riseandshinemarketplace.com
›› Weston Handmade Holiday Market
DECEMBER 7
Hunt for handcrafted gifts at this annual Weston Art & Innovation Center craft fair featuring local artisans. Weston, Mass. westonaic.org
Newburyport Holiday House Tour
DECEMBER 14
Tour homes decorated inside and out to benefit the Anna Jaques Hospital Aid Association. Newburyport, Mass. newburyportholidayhousetour. com
Notebook
The year may be winding down, but the design community has kicked into high gear.
Jill Neubauer is celebrating her firm’s thirtieth anniversary by looking toward the future. The company was recently renamed Neubauer Ennis Architects to reflect Neubauer’s partnership with Kelly Ennis Connellan, who joined the company in 2019. Neubauer Ennis Architects will continue to focus on designing residential projects that respect the landscape, community, and environment.
LDa Architecture & Interiors and Charles Street Design have joined forces and will now operate under the LDa Architecture & Interiors name. The expanded firm represents an integrated architecture and interior design model, providing its clients with wide-ranging expertise and creative energy.
SV Design is extending its geographic reach with a new office in Winchester, Massachusetts. The architecture and interior design firm also has offices in Beverly and Chatham, offering clients easy access to the North Shore, Cape Cod, and everywhere in between.
Glass and pottery maker Simon Pearce has expanded its footprint, opening a new store—its eighth in New England—in Manchester, Vermont.
Karl Ivester, president and founder of New England Shutter Mills, added to his portfolio of heritage brands by acquiring Cape Cod Wind and Weather, located in West Harwich, Massachusetts. The company, started by Aaron and David Davis, has been crafting precision weather instruments since 1939. Fall is awards season, and we are
happy to highlight some recent winners. The International Furnishings and Design Association’s New England Chapter hosted the IFDA X Met Gala at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza. Congratulations to all the winners, including Manny Makkas of Makkas Workroom, FBN Construction, Michelle and Wayne Southworth of MWI Fiber-Shield, photographer Greg Premru, and Treffle LaFleche of LDa Architecture & Interiors. Dane Austin of Dane Austin Design was named Designer of the Year, and Leslie Fine of Leslie Fine Interiors was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The New England Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art has announced the 2024 Bulfinch Award winners. Schafer Buccellato Architects, Mohr & Seredin Landscape Architects, Patrick Ahearn Architect, and Mellowes & Paladino Architects won awards in the residential categories. SLC Interiors won an interior design award for The Paddock House, and Catherine Truman Architects was recognized in the small project/folly category. In the category of historic preservation, interior designer Kristin Paton was honored for her own Nantucket home, which was featured in the 2024 issue of New England Home Cape & Islands The winners will be feted at the Harvard Club of Boston on November 9.
If the busy holiday season starts stressing you out, it is time to pop in the earbuds and enjoy a podcast. Parterre has launched P is for Parterre, which features team members discussing horticulture and landscaping. The inaugural episode—look for new ones every other week—delves into growing bulbs, just in time for fall planting.
Do you have news to share with New England Home? Email Lynda Simonton at lsimonton@ nehomemag.com
The Good Life | ON THE MARKET
Text by LISA H. SPEIDEL
BY THE NUMBERS
1044 GROSSE POINT ROAD, FERRISBURGH, VT.
$22,900,000
11 BEDS
9 BATHS
9,580 SQUARE FEET
343 ACRES
1 GOLF COURSE
3 PIERS
Green Acres
ESTATE SALE
This grand French Colonial Revival mansion on Lake Champlain in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, was completed in 1906 and has had only four owners since, all of whom have retained its stately character. Set on the property’s highest point, the house boasts incredible
views of the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Champlain.
LAY OF THE LAND
Grosse Pointe has its own thirty-three-hole golf course.
With 343 acres (much of it preserved by a Nature Conservancy easement), sprawling is an understatement. In addition to the main house, there are five small residences on the property (plus a farmhouse and two barns—one for storage and one for equipment), making Grosse Pointe an (extended) family affair. With three concrete piers and one and a half miles of shoreline, it’s also a boating and freshwaterfishing paradise.
PLAY TIME
Those who want to shave a few strokes off their handicap are in luck. Grosse Pointe has its own private thirty-three-hole golf course seamlessly woven into the grounds. Maintenance is a breeze, thanks to synthetic turf, the scenery can’t be beat, and the links course is challenging (in a good
way): three tees even hit over Lake Champlain.
CONTACT
Jessica Bridge, Element Real Estate, Burlington and Stowe, Vt., 802-2339817, realestatevt.com, MLS# 5011908
by
Photography
Meadowood Media
The Good Life | ON
BY THE NUMBERS
$5,850,000
4,924
Pastoral Paradise
A large terrace is the perfect setting for a sunset soiree.
CURB APPEAL
Designed by Estes Twombly Architects in 1999, this Portsmouth, Rhode Island, home seamlessly merges a traditional New England Shingle-style vernacular with a more modern aesthetic for a timeless look. A silo that houses a staircase nods to the region’s agrarian roots and boasts 360-degree views of the abutting conservation land. A four-car garage features a twostory apartment that can serve as a guesthouse, studio, or gym.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Two prominent members of the
design community— Peter Niemitz and Paul Gaucher—call Sea Farm home, so expect magazine-worthy fixtures, finishes, and amenities, all updated within the last two years.
LAY OF THE LAND
This house is an “entertaining dream,” notes listing agent Kylie McCollough. It has a 2,000-square-foot granite terrace with a Solisysteme pergola that’s primed for lounging, dining, and fireside chats. In keeping with its Sea Farm moniker, there’s an apple orchard on the property, plus beautiful fruit, vegetable, and cutting gardens. Added bonus: the sale includes a 1.6-acre buildable lot.
A saltwater pool blends beautifully with the surrounding landscape.
CURB APPEAL
Designed by Winkelman Architecture and built by Thomas & Lord in 2022, Still Meadow Farm in Kennebunkport,
Maine, beautifully captures a sense of place. Weathered hemlock siding nods to the area’s rural roots, but the home is anything but rustic. Walls of steelframed windows hint at the contemporary elegance found within.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Owned by developer Tim Harrington of Atlantic Hospitality, a premier hotel management and design company, it’s no surprise that this home has all the bells and whistles of a highend hotel. An open plan awaits with a stunning kitchen, dining, and living area that is well-suited to entertaining. And if company chooses to spend the night, there is a guest wing with three bedrooms and en suite baths. From the custom millwork and marble countertops to the fixtures and flooring, it’s all impeccable.
PLAY TIME
also plenty to do right in the backyard. A pickleball court delivers hours of fun, and the adjacent Cape Arundel Golf Club provides a lush (and luxe) backdrop. “You’re not going to have a better neighbor,” says listing agent Vicki Benenti, “and it’s a beautiful view that will never change.”
CONTACT
Not only are the sights and sounds, shops and restaurants of Kennebunkport nearby, but there’s
For the fifteenth year, New England Home celebrated rising talent in residential design at the 5 Under 40 Awards. WGBH’s Jim Braude auctioned off the winners’ custom-designed rugs, helping raise more than $66,000 for Barakat, a nonprofit providing education for girls and women in South Asia. A special thank you goes out to event partners Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, 90+ Cellars, Wiggly Bridge Distillery, Samuel Adams, Bisousweet Confections, Latte Boston, and Rafael Floral & Event Design.
Photography by Matt Stone
Zhanna Drogobetsky of Casa Design Group and New England Home’s Jenna Talbott
Jamie Boutin and Peter Leon of Palmer Industries flank New England Home’s Adam Japko
Nearly 500 guests convened at The Galleria at 333 Stuart Street in Boston New England Home’s Kathy Bush-Dutton kicked off the awards ceremony
Lauren Carter and Meg McSherry of Meg McSherry Interiors flank Julieta Ohri and Leslie Schneeberger of Schneeberger Collective
Bruna Rossetti and Polyana Garcia of Ornare
2024 judges Corey Papadopoli of Elliott Architects and Rina Okawa of ZEN Associates (not pictured: Kimberly Mercurio of Kimberly Mercurio Landscape Architecture)
Lucy Le Pera and Leah Verville of Roche Bobois
2024 winners Edward Adams of Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture, Heidi Lachapelle of Heidi Lachapelle Interiors, Blair Moore of Moore House Design, Darien Fortier of Hacin, and Cory Gans of Planeta Design Group
Holly Nelson and Vineet Malik of Stone Showcase with Eric Hill and Jessica Griffith of Brookes + Hill Custom Builders
Keith LeBlanc and Christopher Regan of LeBlanc Jones Landscape Architects, Kyle Sheffield of Blue Hour Design, and Dave O’Malley of BSA Construction
WGBH’s Jim Braude and Julie Arcari Cook of Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting
Ellen Olsen and Claire Federman of Sewfine Drapery Workroom flank New England Home’s Kathy Bush-Dutton
The Good Life
5 Under 40 Awards
Photography by Matt Stone
Darien Fortier of Hacin with Joe DiLazzaro and Tara Haley-Park of Opus Master Builders
Roy Anjoul, Fatma Yilmaz, Yasemin Izgordu, Irem Yildiz, and Ata Yilmaz of Lazzoni Furniture
Guests took home maple apple donut holes provided by Onyx Corporation
Mark Hutker, Ryan Alcaidinho, and Gregory Ehrman of Hutker Architects flank Cory Gans of Planeta Design Group (third from left)
Colin Kolmar of Wiggly Bridge Distillery served up spirits
Bill Andrews, Nicole Thackaberry, Sean Reynolds, Ed Paquette, Taylor Burch, and Janet Gorgone of Woodmeister Master Builders
Jason Harris, Greg Lombardi, and Troy Sober of Gregory Lombardi Design flank Heidi Lachapelle of Heidi Lachapelle Interiors
David Morais and Ken DeCost of Materia Millwork flank Nick Schiffer of NS Builders, Giovanni Di Ronza of Latte Boston, and Chris Sullivan of NS Builders
Hassan Shah, Chris Sawicki, Tom Parker, Dan Rose, and Kevin Heffernan of Monique’s Bath Showroom
Roger Berthiaume, Manolis Christo, and Katie Aoude of Boston Pergolas
Bob Marzilli and Chris Johnson of R.P. Marzilli & Company flank Edward Adams of Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture
The Cumar team with Blair Moore of Moore House Design (fourth from left) The Landry & Arcari team
DESIGN &
ROBIN GANNON INTERIORS
The Good Life
SoWa Design Day
SoWa Boston and New England Home presented the third annual SoWa Design Day, a day of education, inspiration, and celebration in the vibrant SoWa Art + Design District. Participating businesses throughout the neighborhood welcomed industry colleagues for various events including panel discussions and open houses.
Cover Confessionals photography by Matt Stone
Tailor-Made Spaces presented by Molteni&C
Cover Confessionals presented by New England Home
Meet the Makers: Design Salon Index at Venegas and Company
Artful Collaboration presented by LDa Architecture & Interiors
LeBlanc Interior Design Open House
Cocktail Reception and Exhibition with O&G Studio at Hacin
The Good Life
Oak Hill Architects 20th Anniversary Celebration
Oak Hill Architects, founded by Andrew Reck, celebrated its twentieth anniversary with a walking tour led by historic preservation consultant William Young through Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood and a reception at Bar Pallino.
Sips of Summer
New England Home partnered with ASID New England and Porcelanosa for an exclusive wine-tasting soiree. Wine connoisseur and New England Home managing partner Adam Japko led guests through a curated selection of wines at Porcelanosa’s Chestnut Hill showroom, while they mingled, enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, and explored the brand’s luxury tiles and kitchen and bath designs.
by
William Young and Dan Gordon (far right) of Dan Gordon Landscape Architects
Li Yang, Andrew Reck, and Justin Weil
Photography
Ev Dow
New England Home’s Adam Japko with Carlo Baraglia of Installations Plus and Boris Kutikov of DOCA Boston Kitchens
Gabriella Martucci, Elizabeth Klar, Stav Keshet, and Valentina Muñoz of Porcelanosa
Jennifer Wilson of Jennifer J Interiors and Gabrielle Bove of Opaline Interiors Studio
Tiara Castro and Shannon Ferguson of Sherwin-Williams flank Tori Migre and Tracy Mowschenson of Tracy Interiors
Partygoers enjoyed appetizers and cocktails
Aris and Richard Snyder flank Andrew Reck
William Young with Andrew Reck, Justin Weil, and Li Yang of Oak Hill Architects
Laurie Gorelick of Laurie Gorelick Interiors, Linda Weisberg of LW Interiors, Allison Mattison of Trellis Home Design, and Elizabeth Benedict of Elizabeth Home Decor & Design
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS FOR INNOVATIVE ARCHITECTS
Resources
A GUIDE TO THE PROFESSIONALS IN THIS ISSUE’S FEATURED HOMES
5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 6 6. Annual Subscription Price: $19.95
7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not Printer): 530 Harrison Ave Ste 302, Boston, MA 02210. Suffolk County. Contact Person: Kurt Coey, 720-351-1018.
8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (not printer): 530 Harrison Ave, Ste 302, Boston, MA 02118.
9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Kathy Bush-Dutton, 530 Harrison Ave, Ste 302, Boston, MA 02118. Editor in Chief: Jenna Talbott, 530 Harrison Ave Ste 302, Boston, MA 02118. Managing Editor: Erika Ayn Finch, 530 Harrison Ave Ste 302, Boston, MA 02118.
10. Owner (If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address.): New England Home Magazine LLC, 530 Harrison Ave, Ste 302, Boston, MA 02118. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: New England
For
by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months.
Publication Title: New England Home
Issue date for circulation data below: Sep/Oct 2024.
Mail and Outside the Mail):
Outside-county Paid/Requested mail subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies and
and internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies and exchange copies): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, Not Applicable. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, Not applicable.
3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS: Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 1,942. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 2,028.
4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, Not applicable. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, Not applicable.
C. Total paid and/or requested circulation (Sum
1. Outside-county Non-requested Copies on PS Form 3541 (Include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 10,687. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 10,310.
2. In-county Non-requested Copies on PS Form 3541 (Include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, Not applicable. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, Not applicable.
3. Non-requested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Non-requestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit mailed at Standard Mail or Package Services Rates): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, Not applicable. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, Not applicable.
4. Non-requested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 4,414 Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 4,292.
E. Total Non-requested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 15,101. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 14,602.
F. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 36,876. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 36,958.
G. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 3,124. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 3,042.
H. Total (Sum of 15f and g): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 40,000. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 40,000.
I. Percent paid and/or requested circulation (15C divided by f times 100): Average No. copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 59%. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 60%.
15. Electronic Copy Circulation.
A. Requested and paid electronic copies: Average No. copies each issue nearest to filing date: N/A Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: N/A.
B. Total requested and paid print copies (line 15f) + requested /paid electronic copies (line 16a) Average No. copies each issue nearest to filing date: N/A. Actual No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: N/A.
Monkey Business
Lifestyle, fashion, and fine art photographer Nick Mele, known for his surrealistic approach to capturing domestic spaces, has partnered with Brunschwig & Fils for the brand’s new La Menagerie collection of fabrics and wallcoverings. The launch features six reimagined archival designs and three new patterns depicting exotic plants, animals, and birds. To unveil the collection, Mele’s longtime friend, interior designer Danielle Rollins, redesigned rooms in Mele’s Palm Beach, Florida, home using La Menagerie. Rollins also had a hand in designing Mele’s multi-gallery Pages & Play exhibition at the Newport Art Museum in Newport, Rhode Island. The exhibit, open through December 1, showcases Mele’s photography and his collaboration with Brunschwig & Fils. kravet.com; newportartmuseum.org
by
Photograph
Nick Mele
Photographer Nick Mele has partnered with Brunschwig & Fils for the brand’s new La Menagerie collection of fabrics and wallcoverings.
WE TREAT OUR TEAM, PARTNERS, AND COLLEAGUES JUST LIKE OUR CLIENTS WITH RESPECT.
This is Kevin. He’s a Project Manager at Kenneth Vona & Son Construction. He coordinates building sites, and monitors workflow, from beginning to end, interacting with clients, architects, and designers. He’s professional and listens to everybody’s point of view. That’s because he knows we treat everybody we work with only one way — like they’re important. Because to create a house as exceptional as ours, that’s the only way to work.
