{homes&spaces}
The family area includes a spacious seating arrangement where the focus is the fireplace, its veneer of split-faced mosaic stone, complemented with a white mantel embellished with a hand-carved starfish by Richard Pelletier of Bass River Carpentry. The transitional-mission style and built-in cabinetry, outfitted with small boat cleats for drawer pulls, is a perfect blend of modern and traditional. A starfish rug, placed on the wide red-oak floors stained in a driftwood hue, adds an appealing note. Here and there are bursts of citron for color – in cushions on the gray-green sofa and a small ceramic statue on the mantel. In choosing the rug and other details, Aldrich was assisted by Mary Lou Jackson and Christine Walsh of Cici and Lu Interiors, located in the Metro West area. The nearby powder room is a statement piece, defined by an urban modern print with flowers in putty gray. “Wallpaper has made a comeback,” Gerlach notes. “It’s a great way to have some fun.”
A hand-carved starfish by Richard Pelletier of Bass River Carpentry adorns the mantel, custom built by Encore.
All four bedroom suites have unique touches: walk-in shower floors of crushed glass or ceramic with a woven texture for style; custom built-in bureaus for simplicity; and occasional boundary-pushing touches, such as mirrors set in angular art frames over each sink in the master bath. Again, Aldrich gives Gerlach the credit: “I would never have done that on my own.” Aldrich, a fashion consultant for CAbi clothing, and her husband, an executive in a technology company, see their new home as a place to recover and rejuvenate. “This is his sanctuary,” she says. For Aldrich, the house —and the way it represents the warm collaboration she and Gerlach shared—has been a wondrous experience. “Every time I come here,” The window seat is a favorite reading and relaxing spot for Jan Aldrich. The two club chairs were custom upholsered by a friend. 134
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she says, “I pinch myself.”
southernnehome.com
7/20/15 7:21 PM