This Lexington Home Makes a Case for Black Paint

Lots of us preach minimalism, but our messy lives make it more of an aspiration than a reality. But construction manager and interior designer Sacha Jacq knows how.

“I am very organized,” she says. “I don’t like clutter. I love all architectural styles and would never push my own taste on a client. But, for me, I want a pared-back aesthetic.”

Her Lexington home is not only a compelling example of minimalism at its best, but it also updates an iconic New England house style without losing its essential character. Sleek in black, white, and gray, the house is intensely personal and, for Jacq and her twin teenage children, eminently livable.

Photo by Michael J. Lee

Jacq, who has lived in seven countries, including England, Spain, Canada, and Australia, left school at 16 and learned the principles of design on the job while working for companies that made cosmetics, giftware, home goods, beauty products, and more.

“When I was house-hunting north of Boston,” she explains, “I fell in love with the many midcentury-modern homes in Lexington. We found this deck house, and I knew immediately how I wanted it to look.”

Built after World War II, deck houses were a Massachusetts iteration of affordable modernism. Featuring split levels, they were panelized, meaning their component parts were assembled on-site; more than 10,000 still stand, mostly on the East Coast. The company that built them exists today as the Acorn Deck House Company.

“The bones were good,” Jacq says about her 2,700-square-foot home. “But there were 27 different flooring types, many of them shag carpeting. The layout was disjointed, so I redesigned it to create a contemporary sanctuary.”

A custom round table by Bespoke of Winchester and vegan leather RH Modern chairs continue the black theme into the dining room. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

Custom cabinetry by Bespoke of Winchester anchors a sleek, modern kitchen. The countertops and backsplashes are a stain-and-heat-resistant engineered product known as Dekton, made by Cosentino. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

She replaced the cramped circular stairs with a floating staircase with a glass balustrade, promoting the flow of natural light. The formerly ho-hum brick fireplace became a dramatic vertical focal point, while the U-shaped laminate kitchen at the back of the first floor was enlarged and turned into a sleek, modern space that flows into the living and dining areas. Upstairs, Jacq moved walls to extend the primary suite. Throughout, the flooring was replaced with wire-brushed European oak in a gray finish.

A favorite gathering spot for Jacq’s teenagers and their friends, the family room features a black-and-white CB2 rug and black paint on the walls, trim, and ceiling. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

What had been a small bedroom on the first floor became the family’s favorite spot for reading and TV watching, a den entirely painted black, including the walls, the trim, and the ceiling. The kitchen, too, is bold and sleek in black.

“I love black,” Jacq says. “It is not for everybody, but I wanted to please no one but myself. Black does not have to be dark and dreary—it can frame views, make spaces soft and intimate, and it makes for contrast, drama, and sleek modernism.”

The living room’s black décor is enlivened with spots of green in moss, tree branches, and cowhide pillows. Le Corbusier’s Basculant Sling Chair provides a nod to historic midcentury design. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

The exterior of the house, too, is painted black.

“Important elements of deck houses are the windows and the levels,” she explains. “The black exterior and window frames accentuate both, while, on the interior, black brings in the view.”

Pops of green appear: In the living room, green moss domes rise from black planters, and on the black leather sofa are green cowhide pillows.

“The green inside comes alive because, all around the house, you see trees,” Jacq says. “It is calm, and exactly the way I want to live.”

Interior Designer Sacha Jacq Interiors

Photo by Michael J. Lee