Photos by Exit Assurance Realty

The Challenge

When the historical Episcopal chapel of the Groton School, built in 1887 and designed by Washington National Cathedral architect Henry Vaughan, first went on the market, Marilyn Schwartz was captivated. Five years later, she and her husband, Dan, bought it, drawn to its architectural grandeur and legacy. Their vision: transform the long-vacant property—which had minimal plumbing and a basement kitchen—into a private residence, with the nave becoming a spectacular great room.

The Solution

Renovating was familiar territory for Dan, an experienced contractor, but even for him, this project was unprecedented. To make the nave the centerpiece of the home, the couple first removed the roof to insulate above the half-barrel ceiling. “We had someone sanding the ceilings for more than six months to bring them back to their original state,” says Marilyn, who amplified the room with uplighting above the molding and on the support rods. The original stained-glass windows were meticulously restored and protected with exterior plexiglass, preserving the chapel’s authentic character, while character-grade oak flooring and a chef’s kitchen infuse a sense of home. The most striking feature, however, is the reimagined choir loft. Originally angled so choir singers in back could overlook those in front, it was leveled and adorned with a new decorative steel railing, creating a stunning overlook to the living area. “It doesn’t feel like a church,” Marilyn says. “It’s just a beautiful place to live.”

The eagle carving on the mantel of the fireplace is a bit of original history in Kunze’s son’s bedroom, where a Blu Dot lounge chair and ottoman is a comfy place to work on a laptop / Photo by Jared Kuzia

This article is from the winter 2025 issue of Boston Home. Sign up here to receive a subscription.

Sometimes, a house speaks your language. Emily Kunze, an American who has resided overseas for the past 25 years, felt an immediate kinship with this historical estate perched on a hilltop in Concord. “It wasn’t what we were looking for—we planned to buy something on the Cape—but it was so easy to fall in love with this,” she says.

The home’s 1903 Colonial architecture is nothing like the ornately detailed Spanish architecture of Kunze’s Barcelona home. Nevertheless, she knew that approaching the interiors similarly would result in the refined European style she admires: one that employs clean lines and neutral colors. “Using restraint in the furnishings highlights the woodwork and plasterwork,” Kunze explains. “You respect what the house has to offer and allow it to speak for itself.”

The paint color in the vestibule, Benjamin Moore’s “Templeton Gray,” serendipitously coordinated with the artwork by Joanna Pousette-Dart from Locks Gallery. “It’s hard to convince someone to paint an entire foyer blue, but a vestibule is a jewel-box-like space where it’s okay to be daring,” Scales says. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

Interior designer Sarah Scales embraced this approach throughout the nearly 10,000-square-foot home. “We created monochromatic neutral, textural backdrops for furnishings with clean, sometimes sculptural lines,” Scales says. “It’s intentionally simple to let the architectural details and artwork that Emily collects stand out.” The sunlit vestibule is a tiny moment of saturated blue-green color before visitors step through the original multipaned glass doors into the center entry hall. A mod, black bouclé bench, cerused-oak credenza, and playful abstract artwork ease the formality of the symmetrical space, which is replete with painted woodwork. A Thibault wallcovering with a tone-on-tone geometric that looks etched wraps the long space, continuing beyond the fluted, arched casework and up the three-story stair.

Scales painted the stair glossy black; it was her boldest move. “This stair is massive, so once you commit, you’re all in,” she says of this original feature and focal point. She incorporates linear black accents throughout the home—most often in the lighting—that refer back to it, help ground the large rooms, and tie one to the next.

An abstract painting by Louise Fishman provides a moment of strong color in the formal living room. “I gravitate to powerful pieces by 20th-century American female artists,” the homeowner says. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

An enormous, Japanese-inspired chandelier with cane work by Market Set fills the top of one of the kids’ bedrooms. As for the CB2 hanging pod chair, Scales says: “The client’s daughter really wanted one, and I never argue with teenagers!” / Photo by Jared Kuzia

Colorful, abstract artworks from Locks Gallery in Philadelphia beckons one into the formal living room, a serene space with greige walls and facing sofas anchored by an oversize, faux-horn-topped cocktail table. Unlined white linen drapes feel almost ethereal on either side of the original built-in china cabinet with leaded-glass doors. The aged-iron chandelier with handblown glass discs takes cues from the cabinet’s black muntins, while the fireplace quietly recedes.

Directly across the entry, a Roll & Hill chandelier with 21 chocolate-colored, smoked-glass orbs pulls the eye into the formal dining room. The contemporary configuration hangs above a 12-and-a-half-foot-long, live-edge walnut-and-glass dining table that Scales designed based on the one Kunze uses in Barcelona. “In Europe, you sit down for lunch and dinner with your family every day, which makes the dining table an emotional piece for me,” the homeowner says. “It needs to be a piece of artwork.”

Schumacher’s “Kisho” sisal wallcovering in silver sets off the painted woodwork in the dining room while imbuing it with a subtle shimmer. Tailored, black-leather chairs all but disappear, allowing the custom wood-and-glass table and chandelier to carry the room. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

A Lee Joffa “Stigma” wallpaper by Kelly Wearstler reads like framed artwork in the dark, moody media room. “The wallpaper, sheen of the paint, and the unlined linen drapes together provide interest despite the monochromatic palette,” designer Sarah Scales points out. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

The more-casual rooms alternate between dark and light. The media room, with its wood-paneled walls and ceiling painted in Benjamin Moore’s “Hale Navy,” has a moody-meets-Mad-Men vibe. Here, tweed-and-walnut seating boasts midcentury-modern silhouettes, a style echoed here and there, including in the adjacent office.

The family room, meanwhile, is light and lounge-y. It’s also the domain of Kunze’s three teens and the family’s black Labrador retriever. “Keeping the corner of the giant Blu Dot sectional open with an ottoman lets the family be a part of the surrounding spaces in this huge house,” Scales says. “It’s easy for the kids to pop over it to the kitchen instead of having to walk all the way around it.”

Scales peppered the kids’ bedrooms with blue and devised a tailored, monochromatic scheme in the primary bedroom that is consistent with the public rooms on the main level. Kunze appreciates the way Scales layered neutral upon neutral. “That approach [of layering different shades of neutral colors together] was new to me. Sarah said, ‘You can always add or subtract a color or another neutral,’” Kunze recalls. “I love that approach.”

Homeowner Emily Kunze commissioned the portrait by Steve Adair through Libby Silvia Artstyle for the primary bedroom. “I identify with the contemplative pose of this swimmer,” she says. The mixed-media piece by Erin Clark in the sitting room is from there, too. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

Photo by Jared Kuzia

MOD MAKEOVER

Instead of tearing out the custom kitchen, Scales opted for a modern refresh. The designer refaced the cabinets with slab fronts boasting aluminum pulls, streamlined the range hood, and added touches of black, including Allied Maker pendant lights. “We painted the new doors soft white to match what was there, then did the island base in black,” she says.

Interior Designer
Sarah Scales Design Studio

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Winter 2025 issue, with the headline, “European History.”

Room & Board showroom / Photo courtesy of Room & Board

1. Minotti

This Italian-made luxury furniture brand opened their first Boston store in 2021, offering annual collections of seating, tables, chairs, and more. Browse the store for items including the Horizonte sofa with built-in coffee tables or the sleek, mixed-material Benson coffee table. Won “Best Contemporary Furniture” in Best of Boston Home for 2024.

210 Stuart St., Boston, www.minottibyddc.com.

2. Thos. Moser

There’s hardly a bolt or screw in sight on a Thos. Moser original: The Maine-based company’s sleek wooden creations, ranging from masterfully sculpted side chairs to one-of-a-kind bed frames, nix metal fasteners in favor of visible joinery. The result is a timeless form that revels in simplicity, allowing the craftsmanship to shine through.

19 Arlington St., Boston, thosmoser.com.

3. Boomerang’s

With shops across the city, each Boomerangs location features a different cache of ever-changing goods—but its Jamaica Plain chapter is the best for furniture finds. Conditions range from almost new to well-worn, so bargain seekers will have to take their time browsing—but that’s part of the fun. For those who’d like to clear some clutter before adopting any new pieces, check their website for acceptable donations.

716 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, shopboomerangs.

4. West Elm

There’s a reason we keep coming back to this Brooklyn-based chain: its simple, modern designs are a must-have when it comes to city living. West Elm’s Fenway store offers a huge selection ranging from living room furniture to kitchen accessories, as well as art and products from local makers.

160 Brookline Ave., Boston, westelm.com.

Lekker Home showroom / Photo courtesy of Lekker Home

5. Lekker Home

A city leader in contemporary decor, Lekker Home brings eye-catching Scandinavian design to the South End. (Think: Textiles, furniture, and tabletop accessories.) The family-owned store is named for a Dutch word that means “pleasing,” “enjoyable,” and “tasty.”

38 Wareham St., Ste 117, Boston, lekkerhome.com.

6. Infusion Furniture

Woodworker Quentin Kelley handcrafts furniture in his Milton workshop, creating timeless pieces with a modern edge. From shape-shifting tables to classic and colorful stools, each piece blends traditional style with contemporary flair.

15 Channel Center St. #409, Boston, infusionfurniture.com.

7. Circle Furniture

It’s hard not to window shop as you walk by this window-walled store, but you’ll want to step inside to take a closer look at the eclectic mix of pieces that will make your house feel like a home. In addition to its eye for sustainability, the family-run business is committed to being a local company. Its locations are scattered mostly across Massachusetts, with one in New Hampshire, and much of its furniture is made in New England.

100 Northern Ave., Boston; 199 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge; circlefurniture.com.

8. Machine Age

Antique flair graces modern silhouettes at this one-of-a-kind Dorchester store, which boasts New England’s largest collection of 20th-century furnishings. Sourced from America and Western Europe, unique finds such as pair of 1950s Murano glass table lamps or an Edward Wormley walnut coffee table are ideal for illuminating or dressing up a living space.

121 Boston St., Boston, machine-age.com.

Design Within Reach showroom / Photo by William Zbaren

9. Design Within Reach

Design Within Reach was born from the idea that good, modern design should be accessible to everyone. With that in mind, founder Rob Forbes set out to make the creations of designers like Eames, Le Corbusier and Saarinen “within reach” for the everyday shopper. The store’s Cambridge studio is carved out of a modern building in Harvard Square, and offers three floors with 32 full-room vignettes, allowing you to envision what the pieces might look like in your space.

1045 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, dwr.com.

10. B&B Italia

Since 1966 B&B Italia has produced timeless contemporary furniture. At their newly renovated Boston flagship you’ll find their own indoor and outdoor collections, as well as timeless standouts from brands such as Maxalto and Azucena. Need a little inspiration? Schedule an appointment with one of their design consultants.

75 Arlington St., Boston, bebitalia.com.

Photo by Melissa Ostrow

11. Modern Relik

Furniture shopping, like most things, is best done with a good cup of coffee. At Modern Relik’s South End flagship, shoppers can sink into a banquette and enjoy an espresso (and a snack) from the in-store coffee bar. Then, they can take to the “experience-oriented” showroom where they can try out everything from credenzas to ottomans to coffee tables—not to mention an abundance of accessories to help the furnishings come to life.

485 Harrison Ave, Boston, modernrelik.com.

12. Hudson Interior Designs

Patternless and grayscale living spaces need look no further for revitalization. The interior design firm has a carefully curated storefront that seamlessly marries the classic with the unexpected. The home goods boutique puts a youthful twist on traditional looks: a custom lamp made from a Botswanan basket, for example, or a parawood and top-grain leather dining chair.

12 Union Park Street, Boston, hudsonboston.com.

13. Room & Board

Take all the time you need to peruse Room & Board’s bright and airy five-floor showroom, which is stocked with more than 90 percent America-made pieces. For the methodic shopper, the showroom’s selection, which ranges from classic to midcentury in design, is neatly organized by category and function.

375 Newbury St., Boston, roomandboard.com.

14. Basics Carpet and Furniture

As its name promises, this Allston fixture stocks all the basics, from area rugs to comfy sofas and roomy sectionals. Boasting free delivery to Boston customers, Basics is the perfect one-stop-shop for furnishing your first apartment.

151 Harvard Ave., Allston, basicsboston.com.

15. Pompanoosuc Mills

Warmth permeates this Back Bay showroom, where a curated selection of the company’s designs are on display. Quality is in Pompy’s DNA, as each piece is carefully crafted out of solid hardwood in the company’s Vermont workshop. But sturdy doesn’t mean clunky—elegant lines characterize the aesthetic.

419 Boylston St., Boston, pompy.com.

16. Restoration Hardware

Despite its industrial-sounding name, Restoration Hardware’s palatial Boston flagship overflows with opulence. Board the glass-walled elevator in the atrium to browse pom pom–clad teepees and pint-sized iron apothecary desks in the basement playroom, the fountains and flora in the top-floor conservatory, and the many chandeliers, leather settees, brass accents, and shades of cream, beige, and gray in between.

234 Berkeley St., Boston, restorationhardware.com.

SoWa Vintage Market / Photo by Sarah Fisher

17. SoWa Vintage Market

Eclectic finds abound on Sundays at this indoor market, where vendors display new wares each week. Though not a reliable supplier of couches or kitchen tables, SoWa’s vintage venture is a treasure trove of throwback art, lighting, seating, decor, and other objects you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

450 Harrison Ave., Boston, sowavintagemkt.com.

18. Roche Bobois

With locations near the Boston Public Garden and Natick, the vividly colored Roche Bobois showrooms deliver innovative, boundary-pushing pieces (including the Mah Jong sofa designed by Hans Hopfer) and patterns from designers such as Cécile Maia Pujol and Kenzo Takada without sacrificing comfort.

61 Arlington St., Boston, roche-bobois.com.

19. Ligne Roset

Though the brand’s headquarters are nestled in a small city in Eastern France, Ligne Roset’s home in Boston sits right on Boylston Street. The store is an exhibition of contemporary comfort from over 100 designers, replete with high-end monochromatic and two-toned creations, ranging from bedroom furniture to dining room outfits.

200 Boylston St., Boston, ligne-roset.com.

Cambridge Antique Market basement / Photo by Madeline Bilis

20. Cambridge Antique Market

Treasures abound at the Cambridge Antique Market—if you know where to find them, that is. Arrive with a discerning eye and plenty of patience, then comb through the brick buiding’s multiple floors of baubles. There’s usually a good selection of authentic midcentury modern furniture on the basement level. For midcentury accessories, try the far corner of the top floor.

201 Msgr. O’Brien Highway, Cambridge, marketantique.com.

21. CORT Furniture Clearance Center

For the eco-conscious, shop this Saugus furniture outlet for previously leased and new furniture—at up to 70 percent off the retail price. The inventory, updated weekly, represents a range of styles and conditions, from pristine overstock to visibly worn pieces, all of which are marked with a grade indicating their quality.

880 Broadway, Saugus, cortfurnitureoutlet.com.

22. Gray House Art & Antiques

This hidden gem in downtown Manchester-by-the-Sea looks like the living room of your dreams, filled with old and new art, international décor, and vintage furniture. The shop has been known to carry a pair of midcentury maple nightstands, an early- to mid-20th-century painted cabinet from India, and a 1920s English serving cart by Hughes Bolckow.

38 Union St., Manchester-by-the-Sea, grayhouseantiques.com.

Cozy swivel chairs create a perfect spot for reading by the fire. “I guess you’d call it a three-season porch, but we sit out there all the time,” Joe Philipose says. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

The twenty-second time was the charm for Joe and Donna Philipose. The couple had moved from Newton to North Carolina during the pandemic, but in 2021, return-to-office mandates left them grappling with Greater Boston’s wild real estate market. After making nearly two dozen offers, they found a place to call their own in Concord: a 1971 midcentury-modern house with strong lines, sunny skylights, and floor-to-ceiling windows. “It was easily one of those homes you could see be modernized without taking away from the character,” Joe says. The kitchen and bathrooms had been beautifully updated by the previous owner, a professional chef—a big plus for Joe, an avid cook who rolls his own pasta. Other spaces needed some love. “The architecture was there, but their personalities weren’t in it,” says interior designer Ana Donohue, who spearheaded a redesign aiming to make the home feel cohesive, contemporary, and as interesting as the people who live there.

The couple love art and knew they wanted to work with painter Pauline Curtiss of Patina Designs, whom they’d read about in Boston magazine. “We saw with Pauline you could make the house itself a piece of art,” Joe explains. Curtiss worked in several spaces, but her biggest canvas was the living room accent wall, where whorls of blue, gray, and gold evoke stone and sea. “It makes the home way more interesting, way more dynamic, way more alive,” Joe says. Once the paint was dry, Donohue designed an inviting seating area with a three-piece South + English coffee table, the homeowners’ original Barcelona chair, a whimsical frog side table from Ngala Trading, and a tufted Gallotti & Radice sofa from Casa Design. “We wanted one really great piece that was contemporary and easy-living and beautiful from all sides,” she says of the sofa.

The entryway’s dramatic Chapman & Myers chandelier pairs well with the exposed beams, which were painted black to accentuate the home’s strong lines. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

Donohue had Curtiss paint the bright gold base of the bathtub to “make it less glam” and more in keeping with the natural surroundings. “When you sit in that tub, you literally feel like you’re outside,” Donohue says. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

The living room’s sculptural furnishings are balanced by a handknotted rug and custom-made velvet-and-jacquard pillows in graphic prints. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

A wavy mirror framed in reclaimed Douglas fir complements the curves of the dining chairs from Global Views. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

Art the couple has collected likewise plays a key role in the décor. That’s particularly true in the dining room, which finds its focal point in Darius Quarles’s painting of famed blues guitarist Elizabeth Cotten, who, as a teenager, wrote a song that became a hit for white artists, returned to music after decades of work as a housekeeper, and won a Grammy at age 90. The Philiposes had seen the painting in a Durham gallery and been struck by it immediately. “Obviously, the scale is amazing, but it was also the use of color, this unbelievable depth in the eyes. Actually, Elizabeth Cotten’s eyes remind me of my mother’s eyes,” says Joe, who put thought into the painting’s placement. “You can see it from the street, and that’s a powerful thing. I think it’s important to showcase art like that—to showcase an old Black woman who is a celebrated artist who probably didn’t get her due in her time.” Donohue used the work as a springboard for her selections, playing off the green on the canvas with a dining table from Old Biscayne Designs. “It was such a statement piece; I only wanted to highlight it with simple sculptural pieces that balanced the colors within the space,” she says.

Joe’s sneakers—including pairs bearing the colorways of his favorite sports teams—are on display in his office. “The sneakers add a little color to my wardrobe and let me express myself from a fashion perspective, but they’re also really functional,” he says. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

Joe himself became a subject of a portrait of sorts: In his downstairs office, where he now works remotely full time as a corporate lawyer, Curtiss created a mural based on one of his tattoos, an inverted design on his left arm that took many hours to complete. “It has a lot of meaning to me. It’s a reflection of my wife and my family and things that really matter. I thought, wouldn’t it be awesome to honor it in the space where I’m spending all my time?” Joe explains. “The base is black, and then there are florals that are skin tone, my skin tone, throughout the office. So when I look at the office, I legitimately, literally see me.” It’s become a conversation starter, too. “He loves it when he’s on Zoom because people always ask what’s going on,” Donohue says.

Other personal touches—from Joe’s snazzy sneaker collection to a portrait of a beloved dog who passed a couple of years ago—are showcased throughout the home. “We’ve tried to be thoughtful in incorporating our culture and travels and things that matter to us,” Joe says. But he and Donna were also excited to work with someone who’d help them try new things and make bold choices. “I’m very lucky to have clients who like to test boundaries,” Donohue says. “I want to give you something that is so unexpectedly you.” The result is a space that feels totally comfortable but never boring. “It’s my wife’s favorite house that we’ve ever owned. And we move a lot—we’ve probably had seven homes in six states over the past 10 years, totally different types of houses in different neighborhoods,” Joe observes. “It’s just a place we really love.”

“The [primary] bedroom was great, but it lacked softness,” Donohue says. “I wanted an upholstered bed with a curve to it and some texture. We used a beautiful grasscloth wallcovering, which is appropriate for the style and period of the house.” / Photo by Michael J. Lee

Photo by Michael J. Lee

LOUNGING AROUND

Downstairs, where there’s less natural light, Donohue leaned into the moody vibe to create a cozy lounge where the couple could watch movies and showcase their impressive whiskey collection. “This space feels like an updated, modern version of Mad Men,” says Donohue, who used a textured wallcovering in a rich eggplant to remove all traces of the room’s previous use as a kid’s play area (one where giant decals of athletes and superheroes had left their mark on the walls). Leather armchairs and a custom-built credenza that Curtiss painted with an animal print complete the effect.

Interior Designer 
Ana Donohue Interiors

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Winter 2024 issue, with the headline “Personal Space.” 

The front entrance alludes to the home’s European roots with the “London” pendant and copper mailbox, both from Bevolo, and a pair of vintage urns from Chairish. / Floral design by Jennifer Figge / Photo by Sarah Winchester / Styling by Sean Williams

Perched amid a row of midcentury-modern homes, this stately Greek Revival in Chestnut Hill stands apart. Built at the turn of the 20th century, “the home had great bones but hadn’t been touched in a long time,” says David Supple, president and CEO of New England Design + Construction (NEDC). That is until Tim Martin and Lan Xue purchased the property, hiring Supple as the architect and builder for extensive renovations and restorations.

After living in New York for two decades, the couple was ready to come back to their native Massachusetts, now with their two young boys. When they first happened upon this house, they were warned that it was “really old, a little bit dilapidated, and in need of some TLC,” Xue recalls. In fact, the realtor didn’t even want to show them the house. But the duo was up for the challenge, swooned by the home’s overall scale and architectural details, including 14-foot-high ceilings, a ballroom, and immense windows that capture more than an acre of surrounding lush grounds.

“In a place like Boston, which obviously has a ton of history, to be able to live in a home that has that much character is something that’s really special to us,” Xue says. “We wanted to retain something that had some of the old with a little bit more of the new.” A combination that suits the homeowners’ styles well, in fact, with Martin having a taste for traditional and Xue’s preference being more contemporary.

The home is filled with a mix of modern and vintage pieces, including the media room, where an abstract painting by Harry Cushing hangs above a credenza designed by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings.

Dare’s design involves a lot of collected Europea midcentury-modern pieces, including the 1960s Murano glass chandelier in the ballroom. “I don’t want the design so over-programmed that a client can’t add to it over the next 10 to 20 years,” Dare says. “We want everything to tell a story.” / Photo by Sarah Winchester / Styling by Sean Williams

The couple tasked Supple and interior designer Eric Dare with marrying a modern aesthetic with the home’s historical detailing. The result is a home Dare describes as “contemporary and collected.” In addition to the homeowners’ own finds, the interior designer spent two years gathering vintage items to fill the approximately 7,500-square-foot home. “There are old oil paintings, but then we have a B & B Italia modern couch, or very modern light fixtures against midcentury furniture,” Xue says. “Any home reflects the things that people have collected over time, so this is an amalgamation of all of those different things.”

Some of those curios can be found in Martin’s favorite room, the library. “Tim has a nostalgia for a smoking room,” Dare says. As luck would have it, the home was already equipped with a formal library, complete with mahogany-paneled walls and built-in bookshelves. “I just tuned it up and put a lot of midcentury pieces in there,” Dare says. Among those are the 1930s Theodor Pohl Schatzlar porcelain lion, 1960s Aldo Tura goatskin-and-brass bar cart, and 1960s Turkish Oushak rug.

But the ballroom is Xue’s favorite room, and where she first envisioned hosting family and friends. Although the pandemic delayed her plans for throwing parties there, the grand room is now an inviting retreat. It’s hard to miss the nearly 7-foot-tall, polished limestone fireplace and the 1960s Italian chandelier, dripping with 105 handblown Murano glass leaves infused with gold.

A collectible 1940s Brunswick anniversary edition billiard table housed on the home’s lower level holds special meaning for the interior designer. “The table belonged to my best friend, who passed away from breast cancer,” Dare says. “As a tribute to her, Lan and Tim purchased the table so it stayed in the ‘family.'” / Photo by Sarah Winchester / Styling by Sean Williams

Brass accents, including the “Oscar” pendant from Roman and Williams Guild, complement ABC Stone’s “Montclair Danby” marble backsplash and countertops in the butler’s pantry. / Photo by Sarah Winchester / Styling by Sean Williams

Down the hall from the ballroom, connecting the kitchen to the dining room, is a more surprising place to entertain—the butler’s pantry. While updates were made, including new lower cabinets, marble countertops, and custom Sub-Zero refrigerator drawers, the original upper cabinets, hardware, and a double sink were all restored. Dare chose Benjamin Moore’s “Champion Cobalt” paint to enhance the dramatic tone and create a nice flow into the adjacent dark-painted dining room. “I wanted it to be a whole zone where people have their cocktails in the pantry and then move into the dining room for dinner,” Dare says.

Perhaps the most-utilized room in the home, though, is the fully renovated kitchen. “The footprint of the kitchen didn’t change, but every single thing in there did,” Dare says. “The previous owner basically had a very small fridge and maybe a toaster oven; there were barely any cabinets,” Xue adds. “So in some ways, it’s kind of a design dream to start from scratch.” Form now follows function with a large island, Waterworks faucet, and Wolf range, while a French farm table and vintage rug add antique accents.

“This feels so special, knowing it’s been a home to generations of people,” Dare says. “I’m most proud of the way we have modernized the house while staying true to the integrity of the home.” As for the owners? They’re happy they took a chance on the property, too.

“Lan is much more adventurous; I’m risk-averse,” Martin admits. “I was like, ‘This is too much of a project,’ and Lan said, ‘Trust me, we could turn this into a gem.’ And obviously, she was right. It sparkles now.”

Windows were fashioned into extra-height doors for direct access to a renovated deck. “When the weather is nice, we grill and sit out there practically every night with the kids; it’s pretty great,” Xue says. / Photo by Sarah Winchester / Styling by Sean Williams

History in the Making

Because the home is considered a historical site, NEDC had to work closely with the Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission on all exterior renovations. New exhaust venting, trim, siding, and lighting were carefully integrated into the façade; a decaying and not-up-to-code deck and railing were replaced but in the original design to be historically accurate; and a structure was built to support the crumbling 100-plus-year-old stone wall along part of the home’s foundation. “We did have some back and forth as to an appropriate door design,” NEDC project architect Chris Adams says of the Marvin wood doors that replaced windows to provide direct access to the deck from the kitchen. “In the end, we created two pairs of doors with transoms that pick up the style of the existing ballroom doors…. In our favor, I think [the board] was glad that the long-neglected and historic house was getting attention and restoration work.”

Architect & Builder
New England Design + Construction

Interior Designer
Eric Dare Design

Milo Baughman sofas reupholstered in Holly Hunt’s “Aqua Velvet III: Forest Green” and Edward Wormley for Dunbar Janus chairs in Edelman “Stella” caramel leather provide pops of color in the library. / Photo by Sarah Winchester / Styling by Sean Williams

Modern comforts complete the fully renovated kitchen, including a Wolf range. Sub-Zero refrigerators, Miele dishwashers, and a Waterworks faucet and fixtures. / Photo by Sarah Winchester / Styling by Sean Williams

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Fall 2023 issue, with the headline, “Glorious Revival.”

Photo by Michael J. Lee

The vision for this home was clear from the start—and though it took a little time to be realized, it all came together beautifully.

The homeowners first discovered the village of Weekapaug, Rhode Island, three decades ago when they were living in London, and some friends asked them to share a summer rental in the States. The couple was so charmed by the home’s seaside location and low-key community that they decided to make the cozy cottage their own a few years later.

The property borders a gorgeous fen that provides amazing views, bird-watching galore, and a bit of privacy in an area where lots are quite close together. The owners were in no rush to renovate their summer escape, but after some time went by and they relocated to Boston, they got serious about building something of their own. When they first connected with Hutker Architects in 2011, the team sketched out a house that fit well into the site and respected the style of surrounding homes while satisfying the clients’ more modern tastes. A few more years passed before the timing was right to tackle the project, and when they revisited the original proposal with Hutker’s Thomas McNeill and Jonathan Fox, they found the plans were still spot-on. The finer details were nailed down with the design team, which included interior designer Catherine Frank of Telluride-based firm Studio Frank, “and then we stepped back and left them to it,” says the homeowner. Their trust proved to be well placed.

Landscape designer Katherine Field transformed the outside space into a beautiful patio with an outdoor shower and zen garden. The stone is a centuries-old granite salvaged from Chinese and Tibetan temples, with a beautiful patina and rich history.

Guests seated at the kitchen’s leather-wrapped bar stools get a painterly view of the fen, surrounded by a mix of subdued finishes in the natural quartzite countertops and bronze-wrapped cabinets above the cooktop. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

“Everything in the design is purposeful,” McNeill says. The open kitchen, dining, and living space on the main floor makes for ease of living, and the wraparound windows allow the homeowners to enjoy beautiful vistas from every vantage point. A clever glass corner captures a view of the fen from the kitchen island, and white-oak wood paneling on the ceiling and floors runs lengthwise toward the ocean waves. Windows framed in bronze and cedar shingles on the home’s exterior “will continue to get more beautiful as the house ages,” Fox says. The pool and patio add ample space for soaking up the sun in the warmer months.

Frank kept the interiors quiet with a soft, muted palette that makes the calming, beautiful scenery outside the focus. Subtle touches of texture make the home feel at once cozy and modern. “It has a relaxed, organic feel,” Frank says. “Everything is comfortable and inviting.” All of the walls are finished in plaster with an integrated pigment that the designer had sanded down to a suede-like finish. Natural materials like bronze, European white oak, and stone throughout pull in the textures and tones of the home’s natural surroundings.

Frank took the oak flooring all the way up the wall behind the handcrafted De La Espada walnut-and-leather bed in the primary bedroom and chose hanging pendant lights for an uncluttered appeal. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

Situating the primary suite along the fen makes the space more private. Fox and McNeill brought in lots of light by positioning the bathroom directly behind the bedroom with a glass wall separating the two. Frank’s well-curated selections for the space include a handcrafted leather bed, a Moroccan rug in ocean blues, and a chair covered in a rich ombre mocha cashmere.

Though it took nearly a decade, the finished house is almost an exact match for the original sketch. No longer just a summer retreat, it’s a sanctuary that the couple enjoys inside and out all year round. “It’s a joy to live in,” the homeowner says, “and it’s exactly as we envisaged it.”

“Our intention was to build something that will last,” McNeill says, “and to create an heirloom that the family can use for a very long time.” Sometimes a long view is best.

Custom enclosures with laminated glass provide privacy in the primary bath, and the concrete soaking tub is a lovely place to relax. An Ochre light fixture hangs over the window between the vanities. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

Rear Window

Hutker Architects added a window in an unusual spot in the primary bath: directly between the two vanity mirrors. It can be opened for breezes from the ocean and birdsong from the fen or to get a closer look at the greenery outside. It also captures the early-morning sunlight, which then moves around the room throughout the day. When they want privacy, the homeowners can lower the integrated shade from a hidden slot in the ceiling.

Architect
Hutker Architects

Builder 
Evergreen Building Systems

Interior Designer
Studio Frank

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Fall 2023 issue, with the headline, “The Long View.”

Glossy subway tile, a custom-painted hood, and Schoolhouse sconces help keep the kitchen shining bright despite limited natural light. / Photo by Michael Stavaridis

When a Broadway performer and his partner set out to transform an 1869 Back Bay townhouse, the pros at Hacin flexed their flair for drama. “They wanted something that honored the spirit of the house but had a fun twist, a sense of color and theatricality,” explains senior associate and architect Eduardo Serrate.

Color played a lead role in the kitchen, located on the six-story home’s garden level, where natural light is limited. “It’s still dark, but it’s also tremendously colorful,” Serrate says, noting the forest green–painted cabinets, the rich red of the antique carpet, and glimmers of gold from the fixtures and the ceiling’s wallcovering. The team also played with scale, including statement pieces like the Urban Electric Co. pendant light. “It’s almost the same size as the table below, so there’s a bit of that Alice-tumbling-down-the-rabbit-hole quality,” says interior design principal Jennifer Clapp.

The homeowners, who love to entertain, envisioned the kitchen as a counterpoint to the formal dining room upstairs, a place to hang out with friends—hence the front-row seats at the butcher-block table. The upper cabinets were replaced with shelves to showcase collectibles, and the team put the couple’s personal stamp on the space, designing an insignia for the residence that incorporates the street address and was inspired by scrollwork on one of the home’s original mantlepieces. The motif appears in a mosaic at the kitchen’s threshold, a bespoke spin on a welcome mat for the home’s secondary entrance. “Again, it’s scaled up, so it’s meant to be sort of a Willy Wonka version of a mark. Yes, it’s this grand home, but our clients approached it with this sense of wit and irony,” says Clapp, noting that it was fun to work with homeowners who said, “‘Let’s have a good time with this kitchen.’”

Architect & Interior Designer 
Hacin

Builder
Sea-Dar Construction

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Fall 2023 issue, with the headline, “Setting the Stage.”

See the rest of the Kitchens Guide 2023.

Contractor: KVC Builders. Interior Designer: Reider + Co. Landscape Architect: Mather & Page Landscape Architects / Photo by Michael Partenio

The Problem

After living in their Weston home for several years, the homeowners decided to embark on a renovation, tailoring the interior to the needs of their large family—including four energetic kids and two dogs. But when it came to the backyard, they still needed a plan. “The yard wasn’t well utilized,” says designer Rachel Reider. “It was a series of disjointed spaces.”

The Solution

Once the design for the interior was set, Reider and her team collaborated with Mather & Page Landscape Architects on the yard. “It was important to develop [something] that was very specific for how the family wanted to use the area,” she says. That meant seamlessly integrating the indoors and out. A three-season porch located off the kitchen, for example, features a sliding glass wall that opens onto a new bluestone terrace. Since the homeowners often host guests, the team installed a fully equipped outdoor granite kitchen, along with a bar so people can hang out with whoever’s flipping burgers. A nearby seating area is anchored by a custom banquette and a glass table. Beyond the patio is the fun stuff: a fieldstone-clad fire pit, a play area and swing set, and a sports court. The one thing the various spaces have in common? A modern vibe similar to the home’s interior. “We activated the space with plantings and ambient light, so it really feels like an extension of the inside,” Reider says.

Photo by Kelly Davidson

Tracy Glover’s obsession with glass started with her mother’s handblown paperweights that dotted her childhood home. It escalated when her sister returned from Jerusalem with a pair of glass bowls. But it really hit its stride at Rhode Island School of Design, where Glover studied glassblowing, and she hasn’t looked back.

“There was just something so magical about it. I didn’t understand how someone could make that,” she remembers of the Israeli vessel. “But once you get addicted to [glassblowing]…..”

Glover and her team now design and craft custom chandeliers and ceiling pendants, sconces, and more for business and residential clients all over the world. Coupled with options in glass color, shape, and metal finishes, these individual pieces are interchangeable to allow complete customization. If clients want a multitiered flower pendant with a different color palette and metal finish than what’s available, Glover encourages them to mix and match components to get exactly what they want. Stunning accessories, like apothecary bottles and vases, complement the bespoke lighting collection and foster the glass vibe in clients’ homes or businesses.

Glass parts for Glover’s caviar set in collaboration with Houses & Parties await assembly. / Photo by Kelly Davidson

Designed this way because of limitations due to equipment size, Glover says it’s a unique combination of clients’ wishes, style, and functionality with the studio’s capabilities. “Everybody wants big glass, so I try to think, how do I make something that has a big glassy presence but uses parts in a scale that we can fabricate?” she says. “My orbital chandelier was a response to that because it can go as big as 48 inches in diameter using a lot of glass components. It was inspired by the Fresnel lens used in lighthouses, so it’s a big geodesic dome covered in colored glass.”

Atypical collaborations also allow Glover to think bigger about her work and its purpose. Working with the high-end event company Houses & Parties, the studio creates four types of glassware (including bloody mary and cocktail goblets), as well as a salt cellar, cake stand, and caviar set with a ramekin for crème fraîche. Glover describes this tableware collection as “old-fashioned but with a modern twist.”

Always experimenting, she is now designing with alternate materials, including handwoven textiles, wood, and metal, in conjunction with glass. “To work with other materials that don’t have the limitations [of glass], there may be a different restriction, which is a fun challenge,” she says.

Glover is experimenting with alternate materials, including metals, and how they interrelate with glass. “I’m holding a glass petal fragment that is part of a new flower chandelier I’m working on, inspired by Queen Anne’s lace. The glass has a light coating of gold leaf, a new texture we are exploring,” she explains. / Photo by Kelly Davidson

Glover peeks in on her team of glassblowers in their 5,000-square-foot studio, which is housed in a historical mill building on the banks of the Blackstone River in Pawtucket. “They just loaded a finished piece of glass into the annealer, where it soaks all day at 880 degrees. It cools down all night at a controlled rate to avoid stress fractures in the glass and will be unloaded in the morning,” Glover says. / Photo by Kelly Davidson

Inspiration meets those creative challenges head-on, and Glover says she absorbs energy, color, and light from her surroundings, which she applies to her glass designs. An avid oarswoman, she rows the Seekonk River nearly every day, which she says is meditative and helps her troubleshoot projects she’s drafting. The historical 5,000-square-foot brick mill building in Pawtucket that houses her studio also has 15-foot ceilings, skylights, and Blackstone River views to stimulate her and her team. “Just having that space to spread out to try big things is wonderful. Everything is on wheels here, so we are always moving tables around and hanging things from the ceiling,” she says.

Meanwhile, everything they blow in glass unveils its utilitarian posture, juxtaposing strength with fragility. “My favorite part is when you’ve drawn the design, and it’s blown and comes out of the oven the next day, and you hold it and say, ‘wow, this is better than I drew it!’ I love it when that happens.”

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Summer 2023 issue, with the headline, “Head of the Glass.”

Photo by Jane Beiles

Interior Designer
Mona Ross Berman Interiors

When interior designer Mona Ross Berman reimagined the Philadelphia home of her longtime clients, she gave the family room and living area an “airy, Nantucket feel,” she recalls. “They wanted a space in the house to have that bright, white airiness reminiscent of the island aesthetic, where they’ve long spent summers.”

Sometime later, the couple tapped Berman “to make their Nantucket home feel like Nantucket,” she says. “We’d kind of established that feel and vibe in their Philadelphia residence, and they were ready to really work on the Nantucket house.” It was an experience that Berman was eager to take on. The family had owned the sprawling several-acre Nantucket property built in the early 2000s for years. While Berman had been brought in to do small cosmetic upgrades, the homeowners hadn’t been ready to overhaul the whole house, which—though very special to them—lacked charm, personality, and joie de vivre. Yet as their kids had gotten older, the couple wanted to spend more time on the island; the husband, says Berman, needed a functional home workspace. “It spiraled into a full-on gut renovation. They were ready to finish it out the way the house deserved.”

By removing a wall, the sitting room is integrated with the family room and the newly renovated kitchen. The homeowners filled the home with colorful art from their collection, along with new pieces. / Photo by Jane Beiles

While Berman and her team love getting to work on furnishings and color selections, their passion is “figuring out how to make a house work better,” she says. “When you live somewhere, you don’t always see everything; I hope I bring fresh eyes to a project. In this case, we carefully considered how the homeowners wanted to live and how we could reimagine and reconfigure the house to ensure maximum enjoyment.”

There are three tables in the dining area that can be pushed together or pulled apart to accommodate both large groups and intimate family meals. / Photo by Jane Beiles

A new second-floor office was created by taking half of an existing space that wasn’t well-utilized and adding to it, while walls were removed to open a partially closed sitting room on the main floor that now integrates with the living room and open kitchen, which was also reconfigured. A back porch was enclosed to create a lovely, light-filled dining area, and a “wasted non-space inside was turned into an expansive back porch overlooking the pool,” says Berman, who strove to add detail and patina to the home with strategically placed millwork and built-ins.

New built-ins flank the doorway to the bright-blue painted wet bar, where a Schumacher wallcovering sheaths the backsplash. Berman added a red table on casters that can be moved around the room and used as a portable bar. / Photo by Jane Beiles

“For a Nantucket house, it’s desirable to go with a blue-and-white palette, and we did that here but a little bit differently by infusing layers of softer blues and pinky-reds,” says Berman, noting that the house is very much about summer living. “The homeowners aren’t super formal, and we didn’t want the house to feel self-conscious, to look like a designer came through,” Berman adds. “The idea was to make it comfortable and special for them.” Clearly, the mission was accomplished with flying colors.