Home Office Location: Concord, MA. Renovation. New custom cabinetry was designed to provide more function for this home office. The bark cloth covered walls add a warm and interesting texture. Builders: Platt Builders. Photo: Greg Premru
HOME & HAVEN Writen by Mark Huffman / Photography by Gordon Beall and Greg Premru
Recent and unprecedented circumstances have forced many people to reconsider the function and style of their homes. It has been many decades since the place we live has also been host to as many activities as we engage in from home today. Not only are we living at home, but we are working, teaching and learning from home. We are entertaining ourselves, attending worship services and exercising from home. In the sometimes chaotic circumstances life throws our way, one thing remains unchanged: our homes should be havens of tranquility, security, and joy. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but desperation is often the precursor to inspiration. For those whose stay-at-home period has them rethinking the style, comfort, and function of their living spaces, might I offer some suggestions and guidance on how to go about making those changes? SCOPE OF WORK When I help clients who are considering a renovation, I first ask them some leading questions. How do you define the concept of home? How do you want to live? What style represents your life - casual, formal, a little of both? What creature comforts can you not live without? What functional needs do we need to address for each member of the household, including pets? If money were no object, what big aspects of your home would you change? What types of spaces do you not have that you wish you did or are finding yourself needing? How do you like to entertain? From the answers to these questions, a list of changes and additions will emerge. I call this a scope of work. The scope will 16 slmag.net
help to determine the level of complexity. Are these changes something you can do yourself? Do you need the assistance of a professional interior designer, architect or contractor? IMAGERY Imagery is powerful. One of the first questions we ask a new client is, “have you created an imagery file by pulling images from books, magazines, and websites?” These images can represent an attraction to any number of things: the overall feeling of a room, a specific piece of furniture or fixture, the color of the walls, a wall covering, or something as detailed as the profile of a baseboard. Pinterest and Houzz are good and efficient tools in your search for imagery, but don’t discount the pleasure of leafing through magazines and books. Some of our favorite interior design-focused periodicals include Architectural Digest, Veranda, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Luxe, Milieu, Interiors, and Dwell. There’s never been a better time to indulge in a good book (or 4). Our current favorite design monographs include (grouped by style): • Traditional and classic: “The Great American House” and “A Place to Call Home” by Gil Schafer III, “Simply Serene” by Thomas Pheasant, “Timeless Style” by Suzanne Kasler • Exotic and layered: “Wanderlust” by Michelle Nussbaumer • Bold and Colorful: “Collected Cool” by Jay Jeffers • Modern: “Decoration” by Stephen Sills (noted for his classicmeets-modern style), “MR Architecture + Decor” by David Mann
