A Wellesley Home Finds Its Quiet Confidence

Photo by Joyelle West

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

The second time was the charm for designer Gabrielle Bove when it came to working on this Wellesley residence. Having previously designed some of the home’s other spaces, Bove returned to elevate the more formal front-of-house rooms. The clients envisioned entertaining spaces that felt sophisticated yet playful and flexible enough for everyday living with their three children, family gatherings, and work meetings. Bove addressed their needs by blending the husband’s modern sensibility with the wife’s more traditional leanings, creating a seamless design rooted in color and comfort.

A key priority was establishing an instant sense of welcome. “When you first walk in, there’s this really beautiful view out to the pond in the back of the house and to the yard, and we wanted to frame that,” Bove reveals, so she created a new seating area anchored by custom green couches, which serve as a cozy spot for the kids to read and a comfortable retreat for their large extended family during holidays. Across from this, an adjacent living area provides a quieter, more refined setting. In the dining room, custom millwork and thoughtful storage solutions ensure daily life is maintained as effectively as entertaining.

“In my projects, I like to incorporate really interesting lighting pieces,” Bove says. “I purposely treat them as part of the artwork of the home, so they are always something unique to look at.” In the living room, the sunburst fixture overhead serves as a prime example. “There’s something elegant about it,” she adds, “but it also has this playful take that’s an unexpected element.” / Photo by Joyelle West

“We brought in these really interesting dining room fixtures that play off a traditional lantern. You have this square structure, but then you have a globe that’s set in,” Bove adds. “It’s something unexpected, which is kind of what the whole project is about. You have some of these more traditional design elements, but they’re done in an unexpected way so that we can bring in this modern take that the husband really likes.” / Photo by Joyelle West

Because the foyer, living room, and dining room flow together without structural breaks, Bove established a neutral backdrop and added warmth through curated color, pattern, and textiles. Taking inspiration from Rebecca Atwood drapery fabric, greens, peaches, and burnt umber form the palette, complemented by pops of blue. “It’s kind of like opposites of the color wheel,” she notes. Materials such as grasscloth, leather, and mohair enhance the home’s textural richness, while custom pieces—including a Doorman Designs dining room table, a Materia Millwork cabinet, and rugs from Elizabeth Eakins and Fells Andes—provide subtle variations that keep the rooms connected without feeling uniform. Whimsical design elements, like the velvet mohair Nickey Kehoe chair, add an unexpected layer of appeal.

Lighting, Bove says, functions as “jewelry,” with sculptural pendants and marble-detailed sconces lending a boutique-hotel refinement without competing against other design features. Together, the rooms form a connected, lived-in elegance—spaces that welcome, work hard, and quietly shine.

Builder S.L. Mario Construction
Interior Designer Opaline Interiors Studio
Photo Stylist Sean William

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