Boston Home

Designer Rachel Reider Brings Jewel Tones and Smart Storage to a 1920s Chestnut Hill House

A century-old home is revived for multipurpose living (and game nights!) with lively textiles and abundant textures.

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Dining room with a large dark rectangular table surrounded by eight colorful, abstract-patterned chairs with wooden legs. A dark blue upholstered bench with patterned pillows is positioned against the back wall. Two vases with purple flowers are centered on the table. The room features dark wood paneling, a textured beige and black wall, a geometric mirror, and a modern chandelier with multicolored glass shades. Large windows and glass doors allow natural light into the space.

Photo by Lauren Jones

This article is from the spring 2026 issue of Boston Home. Sign up here to receive a subscription.

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Location is everything, and for one family who moved from the city to Chestnut Hill after 16 years, a better quality of life and the opportunity to devise a whimsical family home were waiting for them. To bring that vision to life, the homeowners turned to designer Rachel Reider, a familiar collaborator whose children once attended preschool with theirs. The family had worked with Reider on a consultative project years earlier, and when they purchased the five-bedroom 1920s house, she was the natural call. “The homeowner was finally ready to do a full home from beginning to end and was so excited,” Reider says.

The home checked a lot of boxes, including a 0.81-acre lot, proximity to the T, and lived-in charm, but it didn’t yet feel like theirs. “The minute I walked in, I started looking around for closets. Where would the kids’ backpacks go?” the homeowner says. Besides the lack of storage, the laundry room was located upstairs, and the primary bedroom could only fit a queen-size bed. “The higher you got, the stranger the spaces were,” she says. On the upper level, two rooms were ultimately transformed into an en suite for the couple’s 14-year-old daughter.

A cozy corner seating area features three dark green velvet armchairs with fringe detailing along the bottom. They surround a round glass coffee table with a gold tray holding a bottle, two martini glasses, and a tumbler with a straw. A vase with purple and pink flowers adds a vibrant touch. The room has large windows framed with blue trim and beige curtains, and the walls are painted a muted blue with vertical paneling. A decorative woven wall sconce in natural tones is mounted on the wall. The floor is a warm-toned wood.

Flexible seating is a theme seen throughout the home. In the dining room, a cluster of forest-green chairs creates an inviting place to take in views from the bay window or to linger over a predinner drink, while blue-gray walls and linen curtains envelop the room in comfort. / Photo by Lauren Jones

The property was strategically modernized through a collaboration with architect Guy Grassi and Connaughton Construction, removing a wall between the original dining room and the kitchen to create a more open floor plan, something the homeowner calls “a game changer.” They also bumped out part of the house to create a mudroom, laundry room, and powder room on the first floor. “It’s historic, but it didn’t have very modern spaces, and as soon as I knew we were going to do a big overhaul, I got in touch with Rachel,” the homeowner says.

The vision: start from scratch with new furnishings and textiles awash in jewel tones and small-scale, geometric patterns. “With all clients, we ask them to collect images that resonate with them,” Reider says. “She [the homeowner] loves color, and her style leans a little more modern,” she adds. The only off-limits hue: navy.

Upon walking in, a Missoni stair runner sets the tone. The living room and dining room are off the foyer, with cohesive brushes of blues, greens, and purples, rich neutrals, and statement lighting. There is a powder room with a Carlisle & Co. wallcovering and Bocci sconces, while a secondary powder room toward the back of the home includes a jungle-themed Cole & Son wallpaper.

The dining room, which was moved to where the former living room was, is now multifunctional with three zones, including seating surrounding both the window and the fireplace. “We didn’t want the home to feel too serious or formal,” adds the designer. There are even storage cabinets concealed within the walls to hold board games and arts and crafts. “We converted the fireplace into a gas one, and now it’s so cozy there that my girls argue over who gets to sit by the fire when they are doing their homework,” the homeowner says.

A cozy dining nook features a mustard yellow upholstered bench with patterned throw pillows against a vibrant floral wallpaper. A glass-top table with a textured, clear base sits in front of the bench, accompanied by two rounded chairs upholstered in a blue and white geometric fabric. The space is framed by light blue window trim and white Roman shades with a green chevron border. A modern, horizontal pendant light hangs above the table, and wooden floating shelves with books and decorative items are mounted on the wallpapered wall. The floor is dark wood.

The game room, one of Reider’s favorite spaces to fashion, showcases the young family’s adoration for playful patterning with Schumacher wallpaper, a golden-hued banquette, and barrel chairs upholstered in a geometric fabric. / Photo by Lauren Jones

Living room with a large blue sectional sofa adorned with various patterned throw pillows, two wooden coffee tables with a vase of green flowers and books, floral wallpaper, three windows with white Roman shades, and two orange armchairs with patterned cushions. A silver floor lamp stands between the sofa and armchairs.

The game room is one of the most flexible and unique spaces in the home, with a Thayer Coggin sofa, a Stahl + Band coffee table in the main living space, and a bold floral paper contrasting the sky-blue walls. / Photo by Lauren Jones

Bathroom vanity with a purple base and a marble countertop featuring intricate veining. The wall behind the vanity has a large mirror and two windows with white frames. The wall to the left is covered in textured brown wallpaper, while the wall to the right is tiled with glossy blue tiles. Gold fixtures include wall-mounted faucets and towel holders, with a dark towel hanging on the left. A black vase with green foliage sits on the countertop, alongside soap and toiletries. The floor has a geometric black, white, and gray tile pattern.

The primary bathroom, with its ribbed vanity, had been on Reider’s wish list for some time. “We showed this image early on, and she [the homeowner] fell in love with it,” she recalls. Marble pairs effortlessly with luxe aubergine cabinetry and sconces from Blueprint Lighting. / Photo by Lauren Jones

A modern bedroom featuring a large upholstered bed with a textured brown bedspread and five decorative pillows in neutral tones. On either side of the bed are matching dark wood nightstands with three drawers, each topped with a tall black lamp with a white shade. Above the bed hangs an abstract painting with green, blue, and orange hues. The walls have a subtle textured beige wallpaper, and a sculptural wooden ceiling light fixture is centered above the bed. To the right, a window with gray curtains lets in natural light, next to a light gray upholstered chair with a dark throw draped over it. A small round wooden side table sits beside the chair. The floor is covered with a light gray area rug.

In the primary bedroom, an array of neutrals yields a painterly effect. The space features a king-size bed from Vanguard Furniture, an LZF light fixture, and oversized lamps from Global Views. “In a very colorful home, I like to create something that is serene and relaxing,” Reider says. / Photo by Lauren Jones

“We gave a lot of thought to the game room,” Reider says. Now, the space, which acts as a hub for entertaining, features a wet bar and a banquette with a resin table. “The idea is that it could be a place for them to play games or somewhere to put out food for a party.”

The primary bedroom also got a makeover to accommodate a gracious bathroom and a king-size bed. “When you look at the room, your blood pressure comes down a couple of notches,” Reider says. In the primary bathroom, a marble-ribbed vanity pairs with geometric floor tile, a marble-lined window, and a custom bench that serves as a spot for wine, towels, and books.

While older homes always have their challenges, this project was all about deciding what stays and what goes. “It was about pulling back and figuring out what was highest on their wish list,” Reider adds.

Today, the family has settled into the 100-year-old home and has recently hosted events like Friendsgiving and a tailgate party when Notre Dame played Boston College. Through cohesive and highly personalized updates, it’s kept its character while looking to the future.

Round dining table with a gray stone-like surface surrounded by four upholstered chairs in a textured blue fabric. A large vase with green leafy branches sits in the center of the table, accompanied by a bowl of fruit, two small pink glasses, and a blue glass bowl with a folded napkin. The room features large windows with dark green Roman shades, white trim, and a modern ceiling light fixture with blue and green cone-shaped shades. The floor is dark wood, and the walls are painted light gray.

In the breakfast nook, a Stilnovo-esque pendant from Blueprint Lighting in blues and greens hangs above a petite pedestal-style table from Tritter Feefer. The color palette complements the adjacent kitchen. / Photo by Lauren Jones

Architect Grassi Design Group
Builder Connaughton Construction
Interior Designer Reider + Co.

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Spring 2026 issue, with the headline “A Vibrant Reboot.” 

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