ing or dining. In summer, though, “I just love it,” says Gauthier. “I love napping on the swinging bed. There’s always a little noise in the background, from the street, or a baseball game that’s on in the house . . . it’s perfect. The room just makes me happy.” On the third floor, Gauthier turned the living room and three bedrooms into airy retreats. He had the openbeamed ceiling and walls covered with batten board and painted a cool white. A sisal rug over the painted floor grounds the living room, where sofa and chairs are done in dove-gray slipcovers. (Gauthier switches to black-andwhite ticking stripe in winter.) Throughout the house Gauthier’s signature orange serves as a clever punctuation mark to an overall neutral palette. He’s dipped pillows, throws—even two wicker chairs on the porch—in the happy color. “On the outside, we worked with classic colors—dark gray with white trim,” he says. “Inside and out, I used accent colors of red, white and green, but I love orange. I always have. I had an orange room as a kid,” he adds.
“I have touches of it in my apartment, but I really turned up the orange in this house.” Although it has a small footprint, the house never feels crowded. Gauthier’s mother, Barbara, is living there fulltime while her own home is being renovated. “When I am here by myself, I’m very comfortable,” she says. “And even when the house is full of people, it feels just as comfortable. It’s incredible. When Jim bought it, the house was suitable, but it was dark. It didn’t feel like a beach
“NOW, I CAN’T HELP MYSELF. I DRIVE UP AND I CAN’T STOP SMILING.” house. Now it’s bright, open, comfortable and friendly.” Gauthier smiles when he thinks back to the plain Jane his home once was. “I remember wanting it to look nicer, so I would enjoy pulling up to it. And now, well, I can’t help myself. I drive up, and I can’t stop smiling.” • Resources For more information about this home, see page 140. July/August 2012 New England Home 103