Linen, silk, and gossamer wings aside, there is nothing more finely woven than the mother-daughter relationship. When it’s good it’s a lifelong blessing. Boston-based interior designers Catherine Skaletsky and her daughter, Danielle McClure, have always been kindred souls. But just imagine what a happy occasion it was several years ago when they made the decision to merge talents and become Catherine & McClure Interiors. “Four eyes are better than two,” says Mom, “and Danielle is my muse.” Of course, it’s really not surprising that both parties would be creative when you consider that, according to Skaletsky, most of her family has been involved in the industry in one way or another. That the women share similar tastes only goes to show that fortune must have meant for them to work together. Passionate and energetic, they’re the sort
of designers, they confess, who often show up in jeans, never afraid to get their hands dirty. This previously renovated duplex in an 1872 Back Bay brownstone, though, was a dream project—no plaster dust involved. “It had great bones and all the character you could ever want, including twelve-foot ceilings and wonderful moldings,” Skaletsky says. Having known the owners—a pair of super busy professionals—for a decade and worked on their previous homes, the designers intuitively grasped what kind of nest the couple hoped for. The wife, in particular, has become a special friend. This time around, she gave the designers carte blanche, certain the results would be glorious. The designers’ starting point was fabric, or, more specifically, the colors of fabrics they found themselves selecting. “Homes tend to seem a bit dark in this area of the city. We wanted to produce a light and airy ambience with a hint of California to dispel any gloominess,” says Skaletsky. Hues that might conjure
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