GREATER BOSTON CAPE & ISLANDS NEW HAMPSHIRE RHODE ISLAND
ARCHITECT: NICHOLAEFF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN
BUILDER: KENNETH VONA CONSTRUCTION
PHOTOGRAPHER: JIM WESTPHALEN
Rob Karosis Photography
Photo: Jimi Smith Photography
PHOTO: BRIAN VANDEN BRINK
Fine homebuilding on the coast of Cape Cod and the South Shore.
Serving Massachusetts, Cape Cod & Islands, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Customer service is our #1 priority.
Photos: Sabrina Cole Quinn
Homes
118 A Tall Order
Perched on a hillside west of Boston, a contemporary home complements rather than competes with its surroundings.
130 A Fresh Take
A design team crafts a sleek and sophisticated dwelling on the coast of New Hampshire.
140 West Meets East
The Texas-style ranch and the New England farmhouse find harmony in a pastoral setting near Boston.
152 Eco-inspo
A net-positive home in Providence proves that design excellence and energy efficiency can make a beautiful marriage.
Cover photograph by Sabrina Cole Quinn
The Good Life
165 In the Details
Get up close and personal with craftspeople from four of this issue’s featured homes.
172 On the Market
What can you get for $25 million in New England?
178 Design Dispatches
Read up on industry news and mark your calendars with these must-attend events.
182 The Scene
A look back at a host of design-related events.
192 Last Look
Interior designer Kaitlin Smith collaborates with her brothers on a Rhode Island restaurant.
A
Three designers with ties to Boston dazzled during the 2025 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach.
An interior designer imagines a rich tale about the history of a new cottage that didn’t yet have a past.
Shapely silhouettes and subtle hues define this modern mix of oceaninspired pieces.
Interiors
This renovated Maine vacation home boasts so many thoughtful touches, its owners can’t stay away.
Interior designer Patti Watson embraces all things Rhode Island.
Designer Pamela Brown Forman stays true to her home’s roots.
In Portland, Maine, Viand Mercantile offers a little something for everyone.
Welcome
The summer after I turned twelve, my family v acationed at a cottage on Lake Champlain not far from where we lived in Vermont. The circa-1930s home had no television, but every room featured a view of the lake. The living room shelves were filled with books, the generous porches faced dazzling sunsets, and friends would frequently arrive by boat to stay late into the night. I can still hear the mayflies swarming the lanterns that lined the path to the dock.
In this issue, the featured homes never let you forget where you are. Whether you’re spending a quiet day in, hosting friends or family, or dashing off to any number of summer activities, these homes emphasize a sense of place. Two are golf-course adjacent in decidedly different design languages and equally suited for either entertaining or downtime while taking in views of the fairway. Another home is in a coastal region, and while it isn’t waterfront, the design team included elements both functional and aesthetic that hint at the dunes nearby. Then there’s the residence reminiscent of a western ranch (inspired by the homeowner and architect’s shared Texan roots) that merges pleasingly with the New England vernacular.
These days I’m typically oceanside, but while writing this letter, I uncovered a rental listing for a cottage that sure looks like my memory—maybe I’ll book it next year. Until then, I wish you all great moments in great places this summer. Thanks for reading.
JENNA TALBOTT
@jennatalbott
Contributors
Boston-based Sabrina Cole Quinn began her career in oncology before attending the New England School of Photography. When it came to capturing “West Meets East” on page 140, she was captivated by the home’s natural light. “Floor-toceiling windows frame the natural surroundings like still photographs. Hay bales, horse farms, trees, and wildlife all become part of the home’s interior. Natural light floods the space, blurring the boundary between inside and out. It’s the kind of project that reminds me why I do what I do.”
P.S.
ENDLESS SUMMER
Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal, the design duo behind Montreal-based Les Ensembliers, have released their third collection with Kravet. L’Eternal Ete, or Endless Summer, for Brunschwig & Fils, is a stylish blend of French-inspired designs with versatile indoor/outdoor functionality. In a recent appearance at the Boston Design Center, Vandal joked that the high-performance fabric is both “dog and Doritos proof.” kravet.com
IN MEMORIAM
In May, the Boston design community marked the launch of the Tony Fusco Memorial Scholarship with a legacy celebration and a commemorative plaque unveiling at the Boston Design Center. IFDA New England established and funds the scholarship, aimed at supporting emerging talent in design. ifdane.net
OUR APOLOGIES
In our May–June issue we misidentified a pair of sconces on page 56. The sconces are from Rhode Island-based Tracy Glover Studio. tracygloverstudio.com
From Rhode Island, Bob Curley writes about health, travel, and lifestyle topics for consumer and travel publications. He’s been covering residential design, like “In Place” on page 37, for New England Home since 2018—and picking up decorating tips along the way. “Writing for New England Home has inspired choices for my own home projects,” says Curley. “It’s always a pleasure sharing stories that reflect the enormous talents of the experts featured in these pages and the joy experienced by homeowners when they see their own vision come to life.”
Jenna Talbott portrait by Jessica Delaney. Sabrina Cole Quinn portrait by Marco Evangelisti. Les Ensembliers photo courtesy of Brunschwig & Fils
AZEK Exteriors innovation solves a centuries-old problem: wood rots. Today, our PVC materials are at the forefront of beautiful, durable, and sustainable exteriors.
See our history at AZEKexteriors.com/25years
nehomemag.com
Editor in Chief
Jenna Talbott jtalbott@nehomemag.com
Associate Publisher
Erika Ayn Finch efinch@nehomemag.com
Creative Director
Robert Lesser rlesser@nehomemag.com
Market Editor
Lynda Simonton lsimonton@nehomemag.com
Copy Editor Lisa H. Speidel lspeidel@nehomemag.com
Senior Contributing Editor Paula M. Bodah
Contributing Editors
Karin Lidbeck Brent Nicole Polly
Contributing Writers
Alyssa Bird, Bob Curley, Alyssa Giacobbe, Robert Kiener, Maria LaPiana, David Masello, Gail Ravgiala, Nathaniel Reade
Contributing Photographers
Jane Beiles, Michael Blanchard, Carmel Brantley, Jessica Delaney, Marco Evangelisti, Warren Jagger, Rob Karosis, Lara Kimmerer, Michael J. Lee, Sean Litchfield, Nick Mele, Joe Navas, Sabrina Cole Quinn, Nat Rea, Jacob Snavely, Matt Stone, Waverly Walla nnn
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DESIGN DISCOVERIES FROM AROUND NEW ENGLAND
In Place
A Nonquitt home cuts a path between woods and sea.
To give this South Coast home prominence on its nearly flat lot, the design team slightly raised its elevation, which allows it to subtly step down to the courtyard and pool area.
Text by BOB CURLEY
Photography by WARREN JAGGER
TOP TO BOTTOM: High ceilings and an open floor plan facilitate air flow and, in concert with the solar panels on the roof, help reduce energy costs, while cables and tie-rods serve as crossbeams to support the gabled roof. Elevated boardwalks and planted grasses give visitors the sense that they are meandering through the dunes as they arrive.
Architects often design buildings to exude a sense of place, but the designers of a Nonquitt, Massachusetts, home seamlessly captured the essence of two quite different environments in a single space.
Nonquitt is a beach town on the South Coast, but the home occupies a wooded landscape with few evident reminders of its proximity to Buzzard’s Bay. With a single-story design spread across interconnected wings that create the feel of a courtyard compound, the home is clad in eastern white-cedar shingles and topped with a standingseam aluminum roof. Clerestory
ABOVE: The kitchen and dining area are flooded with natural light from both the north and south. Much of the interior’s color comes from the owners’ art collection; the print on the red-tiled wall is by Dana Schutz. RIGHT: Purposefully built to accommodate that collection, the house’s high windows, like these in the main hallway, leave ample room for gallery space.
windows and an open floor plan lend a bright gallery-like vibe to the interiors— which are, in fact, a template for the owners to display their extensive art collection—while also providing views of the forested grounds from nearly every space in the home.
Like a modern national park headquarters, “the intention was to keep the roofline low and the mass of the building down to highlight the landscape,” says architect Adam Titrington of Estes Twombly + Titrington Architects. “All of the interior spaces also directly look at either a garden or the courtyard.”
Landscaping was key to the home’s integration with its natural environment, and LeBlanc Jones Landscape Architects carefully retained as many of
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The lap pool forms a virtual third wall for the back courtyard and is a focal point for outdoor entertaining. Glass-walled passages connect the wings and separate sleeping quarters from public spaces. Fringed with flowering native plants and a private deck, the guest bedroom occupies its own wing, creating a resort-like feel for visiting friends and family.
12’ x 16’ Antique Serapi
“THE INTENTION WAS TO KEEP THE ROOFLINE LOW AND THE MASS OF THE BUILDING DOWN TO HIGHLIGHT THE LANDSCAPE.” —Architect Adam Titrington
the oak and juniper trees on the property as possible. Groupings of native grasses and flowering plants and the thoughtful use of local stone in walls and walkways complements the trees, which not only help screen the home from neighbors but also lend a sense of permanence that would not have been possible with new construction on a clear-cut lot.
The U-shape of the back of the house forms a semi-enclosed courtyard with a pool as its focal point. With its dark bot tom and simple stone coping, the pool intentionally resembles a reflecting pond. Nearby, slightly elevated boardwalks, which are also under foot as guests approach the front
entrance, suggest an island of coastal charm amid the otherwise bucolic landscape.
“We wanted that feeling of hovering above the landscape just as you would have on a boardwalk through the dunes,” says John Haven of LeBlanc Jones Landscape Architects. “Even though it’s not on the beach, we wanted you to know you are near the water.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE: Estes Twombly + Titrington Architects
INTERIOR DESIGN: Sheridan Interiors
BUILDER: Howland Company
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: LeBlanc Jones
Landscape Architects
Mature trees give this single-story new build a sense of permanence. The landscape emphasizes native plantings and natural elements like a crushed-stone driveway.
Show House Proud
A pair of Merle Edelman midcentury Serge Roche-style torchieres from FS Henemader bring the drama in the dressing room portion of designer
space. Vaughan’s Persian Lantern hangs from the ceiling. This elephant console inspired the entire room.
Three designers with ties to Boston dazzled during the 2025 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach this past winter. Text by MARIA L A PIANA
Kristin Paton’s
Dress Up
The design team at Kristin Paton Interiors cleverly met the challenge of decorating a pair of unusual spaces, transforming a primary closet into a dressing room (The Jewel of the Nile) and an adjoining balcony into a bar (The Gentleman of the Jungle).
Paton settled on a British West Indies feel. “I’m familiar with antiques of the period, and the style is one I very much relate to,” she says. The Boston designer describes her vision: “The lady of the house puts on her jewels, while her partner takes in views of the Intracoastal as
they prepare for a night on the town.”
Her inspiration was “an amazing white console with elephants on it,” and she opted for a chocolate-brown-andwhite palette. “It’s kind of like color blocking,” she says. “I wanted to keep it graphic.” Paton stayed true to her show house mantra, too. “Do what you do,” she says. “I tend to be a classical designer, so I wasn’t going to do something that wasn’t me.”
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Paton set the mood with Benjamin Moore’s high-gloss Van Buren Brown and Mark Alexander’s Grid Chestnut wallpaper. A tiki bar and directorstyle chairs are tucked into a corner of the balcony. Glam abounds on the balcony, with its swan console from Palm Beach Home Style and a pair of peacock chairs from Circa Who.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Kristin Paton Interiors
PHOTOGRAPHY: Nick Mele
BUILDER: Lemanski Construction
The shellencrusted mirror is from Devonshire in Palm Beach.
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Tailor-made
Blue notes prevail in A Gentleman’s Retreat, the en suite bedroom Mally Skok decorated. The Palm Beach designer and textile artist, who also has offices in Concord, Massachusetts, imagined it with a young man in mind, yet it’s still in sync with her style. Inspired by a trip to Tangier, the space features hand-painted
fabrics and wallpaper from Skok’s winter 2025 collection. She describes the room as personal and “totally unglitzy.”
Skok set the scene with her Shantaram wallpaper, framing it with turquoise trim. She layered the space with colorful prints and baskets. The headboard is upholstered in Skok’s woven South Ken fabric.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
The gentleman’s retreat is replete with designer Mally Skok’s own patterns, from the wallcoverings and window treatments to the side chair fabric, the headboard, and the bed skirt. The designer repurposed her own desk as a bar; the painting by Lynn Sanders was sourced from the Gregg Irby Gallery. Echoing the bedroom’s wallcovering, the bath features Shantaram Mini by Mally Skok Design.
Mally Skok’s Shantaram wallpaper sets the scene.
She chose elements with a distinctly masculine feel, including a bed bench and rattan chandelier from Made Goods. The adjoining bath features flooring from Artistic Tile. Skok says she “channeled a gentlemanly world view,” but this well-appointed suite has universal appeal.
Carmel Brantley
Benitz Building
The designers played with color and concept in their dining room.
Garden Fresh
Show house designers can go down one of two avenues, says Will Steele: “They can design a room they’d actually live in—or do something for shock value.” When he and his partner, Chris Drake, were assigned the show house’s twenty-five-by-twenty-foot dining room, they chose the
A wide swath of green leads the way in the Bierly Drake & Steele dining room—from the Fernery wallcovering by Sanderson to the custom Benjamin Moore paint color on the coffered ceiling. The painting by William Skilling is from Solomon Treasure.
former path. “With no parameters, and green being my favorite color, this room is everything we do and how we live. It’s very reflective of our personal style,” says Steele, whose firm, Bierly Drake & Steele, has offices in Palm Beach, Boston, and Nantucket.
Le Jardin Botanique is anchored by Sanderson’s dramatic black-and-green Fernery wallcovering; emerald tones and carefully curated fabrics enrich the space. The designers leaned into the detailed moldings on the eleven-foot ceilings, enhancing them with custom coffers and insets painted a bold lacquer green.
They didn’t just use color and pattern to tell the story, though. They played with the space itself. “When you walk into most dining rooms, you expect to see a long table,” says Steele. Instead, the designers separated the room into two identical seating areas with a skirted sofa table between. “It works for any occasion—even a couple just sitting down to breakfast together,” adds Steele. EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ABOVE: The designers chose to create two intimate (and versatile) dining spaces. The glass-topped tables are from the Bierly Drake & Steele private collection, and the skirted table is from Arma Interiors. The Chaddock settees are upholstered in Thibaut’s Ming Trail. BELOW: A Chaddock side chair and custom-painted console table from Theodore Alexander add to the versatility.
This Currey & Company lamp is crowned with a custom shade from Heath & Company Lighting.
ARCHITECTURE: Daza Designs
INTERIOR DESIGN: Bierly Drake & Steele
BUILDER: Otis Construction
PHOTOGRAPHY: Carmel Brantley
Storytellers
An interior designer imagines a rich tale about the history of a new cottage that didn’t yet have a past. Text by
DAVID MASELLO | Photography
by
JACOB SNAVELY
Kristine Irving likes to dream up stories about houses and then make them seem real. When conceiving the interiors for a new guesthouse on Cape Cod, near Barnstable, Irving told her client a tale about a creative woman in the 1920s who once lived in a barn that she later converted into her home.
ABOVE: “I’m a bit risk adverse,” says designer Kristine Irving, “but when the client said she wanted the teal sofa, I realized that it completely makes the living room.”
LEFT: At the side entry of this guest cottage, a French mattress-style cushion is covered with indoor-outdoor fabric able to guard against suntan-oiled houseguests and visiting dogs like Heidi.
“This isn’t a story about the real homeowner or this home, but I wanted it to seem like it was,” says Irving, who has worked with the client on prior projects including the property’s main house. “My client is a powerhouse in finance, gregarious, ebullient, she sparkles. We made up an old story about this new house because she and I and the architect, Andy Silipo, wanted to give this house a history it didn’t yet have.”
Silipo, who designed the three-bedroom, loft-like dwelling, carefully positioning it to take advantage of its scenic spit of land along the Bumps River, was intent on having it fit seamlessly into its surroundings yet stand out. “The client and I wanted to be sensitive about the context of the home,
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE : Irving’s team designed the walnut island, which was built by Jeff Blaisdell. The walkway to the front door showcases the dwelling’s perfect proportions: “Given the client’s collection of art, we took the placement and scale of the windows very seriously,” says architect Andy Silipo. A variety of chairs and a bench surround the Sawkille dining table, which can expand to seat up to ten people.
DesignerCollaboration
Being an interior designer for 22 years, PRG has been with me as my primary rug vendor from the very beginning. Over the years, working with this amazing multi-generational family business, we’ve become not only colleagues but a creative and fun design team. My clients love them as much as I do for their incredible rug selection, multi-level price points, and the absolute best customer service.
-Ruth Axtell
to not have it draw attention to itself,” he says, “but we wanted it to be more than a conventional cape-style house.”
The front entry, which is announced by symmetrical pavers and broad steps, signals a house that is both modern but also contextual. White-cedar-shingle siding defines it as a home very much of the area, though a “windowed stairway tower,” as Silipo characterizes the daring element, rises above an outdoor shower (those at the window can’t see anyone soaping up below).
“In the foyer, it’s apparent immediately that this isn’t your typical Cape house,” Silipo says. “We wanted to subtly suggest at the entry that there’s something different and distinct awaiting inside.”
Given Irving’s past projects with the client (a Boston townhouse, a Man-
“I WANTED TO GIVE THIS HOUSE A HISTORY IT DIDN’T YET HAVE.”
—Interior designer Kristine Irving
ABOVE: The primary bedroom’s walls sport a vibrant printed pattern from Maresca Textiles.
RIGHT: A view into the primary bath reveals a multihued pattern of tiles by Dutch designer Marianne Smink. “We worked so hard on getting these tiles right,” says Irving, “that it was akin to commissioning a painting.”
H& T SPECIAL SPACES
Walls and millwork in the cozy bunk room sport Pierre Frey wallpaper and Farrow & Ball’s Studio Green. Curtains crafted by Designer Draperies of Boston provide privacy.
hattan apartment), she knows her well. “She liked the story I made up, but I also know how much she likes to be in bright, airy spaces, surrounded by the art she collects.”
Irving grouped a jewel-toned assemblage of furniture to create a living room within the open floor plan, added a multicolored transom in a bedroom with four bunks, commissioned a modern tile pattern for a bath, and papered the primary suite’s walls with a vibrant Maresca Textiles pattern.
As is her typical methodology, Irving didn’t unveil the final results to her client until every throw pillow was plumped. “I feel that this space fully represents what the client wanted—that it even kind of exceeds what she wanted.” Like all good stories, this one not only has a happy ending, but also a storyline that will evolve as the client settles in.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE:
Silipo Architecture & Design
INTERIOR DESIGN: Koo de Kir
Architectural Interiors
BUILDER: Hostetter Homes
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Barn & Brownstone
RIGHT: A garage (left) has easy access to the cottage’s side entrance, which is to the right of the very popular outdoor shower. The cottage is clad in whitecedar shingles, ebony siding, copper gutters, and a rain screen made of cedar boards. BELOW: A swing on the covered front porch invites guests to take an afternoon nap or while away the day with a good magazine.
At Koo de Kir Architectural Interiors, we expect the highest quality for our clients, and Designer Draperies of Boston consistently delivers. Their deep knowledge of materials, fabrication, and installation ensures that every project is executed flawlessly. Thei problem-solving skills and hands-on approach make them an essential part of our team.”
~ Koo de Kir Architectural Interiors
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Summer People
This renovated Maine vacation home boasts so many thoughtful touches, its owners can’t stay away. Text by
ALYSSA GIACOBBE | Photography by SEAN LITCHFIELD
As soon as Suzzara and John Durocher walked into Rusticator, an interiors shop in Seal Harbor, Maine, they turned to one another and said, “Oh, this is us.” At the time, the Durochers were mid-renovation of their summer home in nearby Northeast Harbor, the Mount Desert
Island town where Susie had vacationed since she was a kid. They were thrilled to find out that Rusticator’s owner, Laura Keeler Pierce, was a designer and had roots by marriage on MDI. The couple brought in Pierce to help tie everything together in their new summer space.
In the living room, framed painted panels from Gracie conceal the TV and reference the home’s island location.
A few years later, when the house next door, a cottage with a condemned foundation, came up for sale, the Durochers knew to enlist Pierce from the get-go. The condition of the house afforded the couple the opportunity to start from scratch, and they envisioned creating a space that could accommodate extended family, honor the area’s architectural history, and highlight the nature that drew them to the island, summer after summer (and increasingly in the offseason, too).
Pierce knew exactly what to do. “Susie’s family has this rich history with the place, but she and John also wanted to do things a little differently,” she
BELOW: To honor what she calls the island’s “real culture of
and games,” interior designer Laura Keeler Pierce added a Dunes and Duchess table to the living room to serve as a place for assembling a puzzle, playing cards, or doing work.
“I LOVE THAT THEY’RE ENJOYING IT AS MUCH IN WINTER AS THEY ARE IN AUGUST.”
—Designer Laura Keeler Pierce
says. “And so some of the elements throughout the house are more contemporary, particularly lighting, but then textiles are classic and often done in block prints or there’s a handmade nature to them.”
Pierce worked hand in hand with architect Tom Saltsman to create a home that provided for moments both louder and quieter, reflective of the Durochers’ love of entertaining and
LEFT: A statue of a raven from Artemis Gallery in Northeast Harbor, Maine, sits by the front door of the Shinglestyle double-gable house.
puzzling
being together but also of hours spent reading.
“The concept I was working with centered around two gable bars that represented the homeowners,” says Saltsman of the resulting contemporary Shingle-style three-bedroom home.
“The space between them is the gathering and circulation space. The two bars are, in a sense, holding hands.” A footprint that’s less than 3,000 square feet accommodates get-togethers thanks, in part, to a wraparound porch that offers views of an expansive lupine field.
“Creating spaces that allow them to live a very tucked-away, orderly life,
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: In the kitchen, old and new meet through traditional cabinets and hardware paired with a contemporary take on the classic candlelit sconce by The Urban Electric Co. A first-floor powder room features Galbraith & Paul wallpaper. Comfortable time-outs for the couple’s two Jack Russell terriers, Mischief and Jinx, come courtesy of custom built-in dog beds in the mudroom.
H& T INSPIRED INTERIORS
In the primary bedroom, Pierce and builder Tom Wallace dreamed up dual cabinets in the eaves, “just like you’d find in an old Maine cottage, with all these nooks and crannies,” Pierce says.
while also running up mountains or going on long bike rides or doing all of the things that we’re all being pulled in so many different directions to do, was important,” says Pierce. “It’s always fun for me when we’re chatting with them in February and they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re on MDI.’ I love that they’re enjoying it as much in winter as they are in August.”
There’s a name for that, says Susie. “I guess you could say we’re now ‘yearround summer people.’ ”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE: SaltsmanBrenzel
INTERIOR DESIGN: Keeler & Co.
BUILDER: Thomas W. Wallace
Construction Services
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Emma Kelly
Landscape
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pierce approached textiles with an eye toward creating a look that felt as if it was made of pieces collected over time, with bedding by Lisa Fine Textiles and wallpaper by Peter Fasano. A nostalgic cafe curtain fabricated by Makkas Workroom in an upstairs bath pairs with Urban Electric Co. sconces featuring shades in fabric by Jasper. Galbraith & Paul drapery anchors an upstairs guest room.
PATTI WATSON
is fluent in southern Rhode Island’s distinctive aesthetic vernacular. When she founded Taste Design more than twenty years ago after a career in corporate marketing, the handsome summer cottages of Newport and its surrounding environs were the interior designer’s specialty. Now, as the leader of a growing team of twenty-plus women, she’s wellpositioned to offer her breezy, coastal vibe elsewhere: she recently opened a satellite office in Westport, Connecticut, and plans to open another one in New York City. Still, Watson stays dialed in to her home base; the Rhode Island School of Design grad sponsors the education tent at the annual Newport Flower Show, she makes time for live music at Fort Adams, and she devotes a portion of her office to a year-long local-artist-in-residence program. House of Taste, as the first floor of her Middletown headquarters is cleverly dubbed, showcases the current artist’s work—backed by an enviable view of Newport’s Cliff Walk. Taste Design, Middletown, R.I., tastedesigninc.com
Interview by JENNA TALBOTT | Port raits by JOE NAVAS
Interior designer Patti Watson on the third floor of The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island.
1. I have a collection of…American-made McCoy pottery. Some are in perfect condition, and some are what the pickers call “shelf sitters” with a small blemish that I hide on the back side. When I renovated my kitchen two years ago, I chose Farrow & Ball Calke Green for my cabinetry, and now I realize that my McCoy collection inspired the color. Several pieces sit proudly in a transom window above my kitchen sink.
2. The last thing I bought and loved…was in Paris during Déco Off and Maison&Objet. On impulse, I bought a ring from a female jeweler in the Marais. Its large scale is perfect for my long fingers. I adore it. Equally good was talking with the jeweler and learning about her craft.
3. My perfect day begins with…my favorite green tea, Harney & Sons, with fresh lemon and a sunrise walk around my Jamestown neighborhood with Ruthie, my goldendoodle. We got her in 2020 shortly after Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed.
4. A Newport summer isn’t complete without…the Newport Folk and Jazz festivals. My sister and I go every year together. It’s our gift of time to each other.
5. The best gift I’ve ever received…was thirty years ago when I was in Brussels with my dear friend Veronique, and she bought me the loveliest sundress. Even though I don’t wear it anymore, it hangs in my closet and makes me smile and think of her whenever I see it.
6. My go-to host or hostess gift…is framed original art. It’s a little risky, for sure, because art is so personal, but everyone has a place for a small piece of art. And gifting it framed means the receiver doesn’t have a project to complete before enjoying it on their wall.
7. My personal style signifiers…are boots and bangles. I have many, many pairs of leather boots and large-scale bangles, both vintage and new. My happiest day in the fall is when I can wear my boots again.
8. The most meaningful advice I’ve received…was very early in my career when a mentor advised me to consider projects outside of my job description because there’s always something to be learned. It was good advice for a twentyfour-year-old navigating the ways of the corporate world, and I share the same words of wisdom with my now-twenty-six-year-old daughter.
9. My favorite room in my house…is the front living room in my 1892 Victorian. It’s the perfect scale for my desk, my favorite sofa for stretched-out reading, and my books. The coffee table is always stacked with the Sunday paper (I still get The New York Times delivered) and design magazines.
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10. In my handbag, I always carry…a twenty-five-foot tape measure. Nothing less. And I encourage every woman on my team to carry one, too.
11. When I need inspiration…lately, I’ve been visiting The Breakers in Newport. The Third Floor Preservation in Progress Tour is a rare opportunity to step inside the Vanderbilt family’s private quarters and see the restoration process up close.
12. In another life I would have been…a sculptor. I would have loved to work with Rodin. Artists like him should have been given multiple lives to complete their work and share their gift.
Living Showroom
Designer Pamela Brown Forman stays true to her home’s roots.
In interior designer Pamela Brown Forman’s dining room, a family-heirloom table (it originally belonged to her grandmother) complements the grasscloth wallcovering and a coffered-andpapered ceiling.
Text by ROBERT KIENER | Phot ography by LARA KIMMERER
As if designer Pamela Brown Forman needed proof of her property’s agrarian roots: “We even found hay in the walls,” she says, thinking back to a fun surprise they uncovered during a gut renovation of their 1829 carriage house.
Forman and her husband had lived in the house, part of a large farm and estate, in Needham, Massachusetts, for a decade before embarking on the year-long reno, which would result in an entirely new, more traditional layout. “We extended the primary suite and turned what used to be the hayloft into my office,” says Forman. Which, of course, explains the hay.
TOP: Inspired by her trips to Italy, Forman chose a vintage terra-cotta color for the stucco exterior. She added the hayloft-turned-office’s eyebrow windows to let light into her firm’s headquarters. RIGHT: Interior designer Pamela Brown Forman and her labradoodle Finn stand near the stone pillars that abut her home’s driveway.
ABOVE: Forman framed the original front door with transoms and sidelights to flood the foyer with light. A crisp striped wallpaper from Schumacher sets a tailored tone. BELOW: To create a spacious great room, Forman removed walls and added glass pocket doors.
The modern makeover had to accomplish a lot. Forman, who appreciates British design (“I am a huge Kit Kemp fan,” she says), wanted to add some English elements, but she was equally inspired by her travels to Italy. The home also needed to double as headquarters for her firm, PBF Homes. But perhaps most importantly, Forman didn’t want to stray too far from the structure’s pastoral beginnings.
“We could have transformed this house into a typical New England colonial, but we wanted to be sympathetic to its roots and pay homage to its past as a barn/carriage house,” explains Forman “For example, we painted the exterior a vintage shade of terra-cotta and kept the low windows in bedrooms that were once animal stalls. While we certainly expanded, reconfigured, and modernized the home, we managed to keep that unique, vintage feel.”
Inside, Forman went for a cozy, transitional, collected vibe that showcases a palet te rich with autumninspired colors like browns, greens, and
ABOVE: The chef’s kitchen, a natural gathering place for family and guests, encourages lingering with its cushioned counter stools and oversize dining chairs from Noir. LEFT: The bar, which connects the foyer to the dining room, is Forman’s favorite spot in the house. “I always think a home should feel relaxed and transformative from your busy business day,” says Forman, “and I feel that transformation within the bar space.”
H& T DESIGNERS AT HOME
The primary bedroom, which is anchored by an upholstered bed from O. Henry House, opens directly onto a patio and English garden. “Weather permitting, there’s no better spot to start one’s day with a hot coffee,” says Forman.
“WHILE WE CERTAINLY EXPANDED, RECONFIGURED, AND MODERNIZED THE HOME, WE MANAGED TO KEEP THAT UNIQUE, VINTAGE FEEL.”
—Interior designer Pamela Brown Forman
plums. To satisfy her desire for British design, she incorporated “lots and lots” of wallpaper—and not just on the walls.
“Even some of the ceilings are wallpapered,” she admits, laughing. “That can make a room so much cozier and more relaxed than merely leaving ceilings plain.” Other ceilings were coffered to add a touch of architectural interest.
One very un-British element of the redesign is the lower level’s open floor plan. Forman removed walls and installed glass pocket doors to achieve a modern-day great room concept. Stained white-oak floors give the space a cohesive feeling.
While Forman, her husband, and their labra-
doodle, Finn, live in the home, Forman regularly meets clients in that second-story office. “I’ve really got the best of both worlds,” she says. “My home is my office and vice versa. I love walking my clients through my home to show them how I have solved a myriad of decorating issues and help inspire them. I call this my ‘living showroom.’ ”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: Eckert Associates
INTERIOR DESIGN: PBF Homes
BUILDER: R.L. Sullivan Construction
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Woodburn & Company
Spend an hour at a Clarke Showroom and one thing is clear: your time with a Clarke Consultant is the most valuable part of your kitchen journey. While they’re not designers, these are the people designers call on when it comes to appliance recommendations. You won’t buy anything at Clarke, so there’s simply no pressure. What you can do is compare more Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove models than anywhere in New England. Explore a living portfolio of kitchens created by the region’s top designers. You will leave inspired with new knowledge to make your appliance selections with confidence.
Serving luxury clients at Nordstrom and Ralph Lauren prepared Karlie Buck for her decade-long career at Clarke. Her success in Clarke’s customer service department has given her a unique perspective as a Showroom Consultant, informing how she guides homeowners to selections that will achieve their vision of the perfect kitchen. Boston & Milford, MA South Norwalk, CT 800-842-5275 clarkeliving.com
New England’s Official Showroom and Test Kitchen Clarke,
Carefully Curated
In Portland, Maine, Viand Mercantile offers a little something for everyone.
Text by ALYSSA BIRD | Photography by WAVERLY WALLA
As a commercial food photographer, stylist, and antiques lover, Jenny Bravo had amassed quite the prop pantry in her Portland, Maine, photo studio over the years. So much so, in fact, that she began selling some of her vintage and antique finds in 2020. What started as monthly online drops under the name Viand
ABOVE: Viand’s historic storefront is at 470 Fore Street in the Old Port section of Portland, Maine. LEFT: “About three times a year we collaborate with Falmouthtown Flower Co. on a dried floral installation,” explains Viand Mercantile owner Jenny Bravo. “We follow the seasons as well as the aesthetic of our current products.”
Vintage led to seasonal brick-and-mortar pop-ups and then, in 2023, a permanent shop in the city’s Old Port area.
“The momentum kept building, and it was kismet that I found this old storefront with huge windows and tons of character,” says Bravo.
With this latest incarnation, Viand Mercantile, Bravo is not only scratching
the vintage itch (think a Swedish dresser or a Persian runner), but she’s tapping into a wide range of new furniture and products—including jewelry, bedding, ceramics, tableware, garden tools, hardware, books, accessories, and children’s decor—from vendors, artists, and artisans near and far.
“Whether it’s artwork or glassware, there are so many incredible talents in Maine and the rest of New England,” says Bravo. “I want to create space for those makers and artists to be found. You never know
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: A section of the store devoted to gardening features vintage and new pots as well as planting tools and other outdoor accessories. A vintage European buffet holds both old and new gifts, cards, and candles. Local products include an oyster platter by Ae Ceramics and Carmi Katsir’s stackable glasses. A vintage painting and wallpaper hand block mingle with new items, including vases by European brand Bergs Potter and candles from Marylandbased Lodestone Candles of Kent & Co.
who you might stumble upon.”
And while highlighting beloved contemporary items is a large part of the store’s mission, the vintage element remains a critical fixture. Bravo even offers a free service to customers looking for a specific one-of-a-kind item, alerting them if she happens upon something that may work during one of her antiquing trips.
“The goal is to offer an approachable space where people can find pieces that speak to them and fit their soul,” says Bravo. “Everyone should have a home that reflects their sense of style.” Viand Mercantile, Portland, Maine, viandmercantile.com
Professional Profiles
Dennis Duffy Duffy Design Group
Duffy Design Group is a fullservice interior design firm known for its unique and thoughtful designs. The firm offers its expertise and specific vision to residential and commercial clients, consistently partnering with architects, developers, and builders. Duffy Design Group designs intuitively, carefully determining the best solution for each client based on their functional and aesthetic goals and the relevant architecture. “Attention to detail and follow-through in execution is the result of experience and a hands-on attitude by our staff. To ensure that our designs are executed as intended, we work closely with the general contractor and subcontractors, workrooms, and cabinetry shops. We walk the project through from inception to the last accessory placement.”
Who are your great professional influences?
I’ve always admired designers like Andrée Putman, Vicente Wolf, Powell Kleinschmidt, and Juan Montoya. Each of them has a very distinct style, but what really draws me to their work is how forward-thinking they were. They weren’t just creating beautiful interiors, they were shaping the profession itself. They led with vision, constantly pushing boundaries and redefining what interior design could be.
What design period do you find most engaging?
If I had to choose, I’d say Art Moderne. There’s something really captivating about the balance it strikes: sleek and streamlined, but never sterile. It’s a style that embraces structure and form, but also allows room for artistic playfulness. Maybe it’s the way it marries logic and beauty, but it really resonates with my science background. It’s the opposite of chaos, and that quiet order feels like home to me.
What is your design philosophy?
For me, design is all about creating spaces that work beautifully for the people who live in them, and for the architecture itself. I aim to balance function and aesthetics while honoring the original character of the space. My role is to help clients live in their dream environments, using my eye for how objects interact with space to bring their vision to life. Stylistically, I’m very versatile. I don’t impose a signature look; I adapt my approach to reflect the personality of my clients and the unique story of each space.
Duffy Design Group
617-686-5729
duffydesigngroup.com
Peter Feinmann and Maren O. Reepmeyer Feinmann, Inc.
For nearly four decades, under the leadership of CEO Peter Feinmann, the firm has played a pivotal role in shaping the design-build model, demonstrating its advantages in cost control, efficiency, and creative problem-solving.
Renowned for elegant design and exceptional craftsmanship, Feinmann’s award-winning projects reflect a standard of excellence that has defined the firm’s reputation.
Feinmann’s integrated process unites planning, architecture, interior design, custom carpentry, and construction within one collaborative team. This unified approach ensures seamless coordination and results in a more predictable and smoother experience. At the heart of every project lies a deep commitment to innovation, quality, and design integrity—values upheld by a skilled and passionate team.
In a meaningful step toward long-term success, Feinmann became an employee-owned company (ESOP) and welcomed Maren O. Reepmeyer, AIA LEED AP, as president. A highly accomplished design architect, Maren works closely with project teams, guiding the firm’s creative vision and building upon its legacy. Her leadership marks a new chapter as Feinmann, Inc., continues to deliver timeless, beautifully crafted homes designed to transform the way people live.
What is your design philosophy?
At Feinmann, we design homes that feel more thoughtful and personal than what you’d find with a typical design/build firm. We take time to understand how our clients want to live, relax, and entertain. We also consider the home’s setting, light, views, and landscape to ensure harmony. The result? Beautiful, personalized spaces that feel just right, instilling a deep sense of pride, connection, and purpose.
What inspires you?
We want our clients to say, “Thank you for pushing us,” not “I wish we had,” when their project is complete. We gently encourage people to stretch beyond their comfort zones because money wisely spent today pays dividends for years to come. We are driven to create work that’s both beautiful and enduring, where high-quality finishes stand the test of time with proper care. It’s an honor to shape spaces where families gather, memories are made, and everyday life feels just a little more special.
What was your proudest moment?
When we won the 2006 Best of the Best in the Luxury Design Awards, it was an incredibly proud moment, especially given the caliber of competing firms. It was the first time we truly felt that Feinmann had arrived— that our designs were among the best in the industry. Since then, we’ve continued to earn recognition through prestigious awards, a testament to the consistent quality, creativity, and care we bring to every project.
1 Charles Malafaia International Builders, Inc.
With more than thirtyfive years of experience in the construction and design industry, I’ve had the opportunity to grow using my architectural background to develop as a builder/general contractor, not only as an architect but as a builder of ideas, relationships, and lasting spaces. Throughout my career, I’ve established myself as a dedicated professional committed to excellence, precision, and creativity. My journey has been one of continuous learning—staying rooted in tradition while embracing innovation. I take great pride in being recognized as a prominent voice in the field, known for my integrity, thoughtful approach, and ability to turn vision into reality.
Who are your professional influences?
My work is deeply influenced by both the rich, timeless elegance of eighteenth-century European design as well as the clean innovation of modern architecture. I strive to create harmony between classic beauty and contemporary clarity. For me, architecture is not just about building structures— it’s about honoring the legacy of design while shaping the future with intention.
What are your favorite design sources?
Inspiration often begins with a passport. Exploring different cultures, discovering unexpected beauty, and collecting ideas that go beyond trends constantly fuels my creativity. From the grandeur of historic European cities to the quiet elegance of modern design hubs, each journey leaves a mark. Along the way, I love collecting objects—small treasures that carry the spirit of a place and the memory of a moment. These pieces often find their way into my spaces, adding layers of meaning and a sense of story. Design, for me, is not just built—it’s lived, felt, and remembered.
What is your design philosophy?
At the core of my approach is a strong belief in collaboration. I see every project as an opportunity to listen, understand, and co-create. By working closely with my clients, I aim to strike the right balance between form and function—where aesthetics align naturally with the flow of daily life. Architecture is more than a profession to me; it’s a way to enhance people’s lives.
International Builders, Inc.
561 Boylston St., Suite 200 Boston, MA 02116 617-859-7623 intbuilders.com contact@intbuilders.com
David Muñiz Supple
New England Design & Construction
David Muniz Supple founded New England Design & Construction twenty years ago in the vision of the architect as a master builder after graduating from Tufts Architectural. Today NEDC is a vibrant creative firm of twenty-five architects, interior designers, project managers, and artisan builders operating as one of Boston’s leading architectural design build firms focused on sustainable luxury.
NEDC offers high-end and luxury architectural design build services across the GBA and MetroWest— ushering clients from initial concept through interior design, architectural planning, and artisan build. This is followed by a five-year warranty on all work.
Celebrating twenty years of serving Boston and MetroWest, NEDC has been featured in The Boston Globe, Modern Luxury Interiors, Boston Magazine, Boston Design Guide, and other local and regional luxury publications.
David Muniz Supple is a humanitarian, author, and speaker. David is on the board of the Room To Dream Foundation—designing and executing projects for disadvantaged children across Boston. David and NEDC recently launched the Design Build Show, a compelling podcast focusing on architectural design build internationally.
What motivates you?
Delivering our clients an entirely new experience in the home design and remodeling process: at NEDC we strive to create an entirely different client experience while achieving industry-leading excellence. Our designers are trained builders—meaning our designs and plans are value-engineered, practical, and complete, greatly reducing the rate of change orders. A fundamental motivation of mine is to reunite the industry creating the built environment—restoring the arbitrary separation of architect and builder.
What is your design philosophy?
At NEDC our motto is “Lifting Spirits with Spaces,” and we have held this as a core aim and value for twenty years. I seek to use ample natural light while uncovering, embracing, and empowering the inherent design and natural flow of a space. Sustainability and a love for this Earth is a huge part of who we are. We embrace the use of sustainable materials in our designs and recently completed Massachusetts’s first single-family certified Passive House Retrofit—converting a standard two-family home to a custom single-family Passive House.
What inspires your work?
The true definition of the word “architect” and the simple power of its meaning. The root of the word architect breaks down into “chief” or “master” (arkhi) and “builder” (tekton). The architect’s true heritage is that of master builder—a legacy nearly lost in today’s industry.
New England Design & Construction 103 Terrace St. Boston, MA 02120 617-708-0676 nedesignbuild.com
The NS Builders Team
NS Builders
We’re not your typical builders. We’re here to disrupt the traditional way of building—by doing things the right way, not the easy way. At NS Builders, everything we do is rooted in process, precision, and performance. We’re a collective of builders, designers, and craftspeople obsessed with one goal: to build homes that are as thoughtfully executed as they are beautifully designed.
Nick Schiffer, founder and CEO, leads the vision. With a background that spans hands-on carpentry to high-rise commercial construction, Nick is driven by one belief: craftsmanship should scale. He’s built NS Builders into a company that doesn’t just “build homes,” we lead the process from start to finish, aligning every stakeholder, every detail, and every trade along the way.
Julian Miller, director of operations, turns complexity into clarity. He’s the backbone of execution, managing logistics, scheduling, and team coordination like a conductor. He’s as comfortable leading a site meeting as he is dialing in granular Gantt charts. “There’s no room for ego in great building. It’s about team. Process. Anticipating issues before they exist. That’s what lets us deliver homes at this level.”
Ken DeCost, co-owner of Materia Millwork, brings precision craftsmanship to the table. Every piece of millwork is built in-house, ensuring our vision doesn’t get lost between concept and creation. His obsession with detail is what turns a room into a moment. “When you build things that are meant to last, it changes how you approach every cut, every corner. We build like someone will live with it forever—because someone will.” We’re not the biggest firm. We don’t want to be. We’re the right firm when the project matters too much to get wrong.
What is your proudest moment?
Watching our clients walk into their finished home and feeling like we got it right, down to the last reveal. That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s all in the process.
What is your design philosophy?
Our design philosophy is simple: design is how you live. It should function flawlessly, age beautifully, and feel intentional in every way. That only happens when the team building the home is involved from day one. That’s why we lead with preconstruction and stay accountable to the vision through to the final walk-through.
What is your dream collaboration?
One where the homeowner, architect, designer, and builder are locked in step, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and building something truly one-of-one.
NS Builders, LLC
840 Summer St., #206 Boston, MA 02127
774-381-7821
nsbuilders.com
Whitney Talsma and Brian Russo Oliver James Interiors
Oliver James Interiors is a boutique residential interior designer based in the Boston area. Our signature aesthetic is timeless, fresh, whimsical, inspired by nature, quietly sophisticated, and above all else, melds functionality and beauty. We have a deep love for old homes, antiques, and historical preservation; we like to pay homage to the past, yet we always keep modern-day living and functionality top of mind. You will often find color and pattern in our designs. Our goal is to design spaces that are inspirational, livable, and a true reflection of our clients’ interests.
We pride ourselves on telling our clients’ stories through our designs and, most importantly, making the spaces we craft feel like home. In addition, we aim to minimize our environmental impact, prioritize quality craftsmanship, and build long-lasting relationships with our clients and vendors.
Who are your professional influences?
I was very moved by Bunny Williams’s keynote speech at High Point Market to the point that I remember thinking, “I want to be Bunny Williams when I grow up.” It was so inspiring, and it continues to motivate me to build a successful business and lifestyle surrounded by timeless interiors and beautiful gardens. She just seems so humble and kind. She also grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, which is near where I grew up and where my husband and I got married.
What is your design philosophy?
We believe that our clients can have beautiful things that are equally functional and durable no matter their stage of life, and this all relates to good, thoughtful design with the right resources and expertise. We are also firm believers that one should buy or design in a way that feels authentic to them and not be afraid to take risks if it’s what lights them up inside. Forget the trends and design in a way that tells the client’s story.
How do you describe your style?
Our style is mostly traditional but generally has a fresh, whimsical, often colorful take on tradition. We enjoy a New England farmhouse feel, British country/cottage, and grandmillenial style. There is almost always a nature element in our designs, a layering of colors and patterns, and a mixture of antiques, vintage items, and newer pieces. We also incorporate southern (I’m from Virginia) and global influences in our designs that are inspired by my diverse family heritage and travels around the world.
Oliver James Interiors
Sherborn, MA 703-209-6775
oliverjamesinteriors.com
The ONYX Corporation Team
Founded in 1980, our familyowned and -operated company has built a respected reputation for quality in landscape construction within the Greater Boston community. Throughout our years in business we have created strong relationships with many renowned landscape architects and custom home builders in the area.
Onyx strives to bring your landscape visions to life, and it is our attention to the fine details that puts our craftsmanship above the rest.
Onyx offers a comprehensive range of services including landscape construction and excavation, masonry, landscape lighting, mature plantings, landscape maintenance, and ornamental plant care. Our team approach, with a multifaceted background in design, management, and construction, paired with our high expectations of craftmanship, is what makes the difference between a good versus great final project outcome.
In addition to our landscape expertise, our diverse background in site work and aggregate production gives us a greater understanding of what happens beneath the surface of the outdoor spaces we create. When you choose Onyx, you not only get an experienced company, but also a full-service team that will be with you throughout your project from start to finish.
What motivates you?
Being part of a team that creates some of the most incredible landscape projects is a huge motivator for us. Collaborating with talented landscape architects and subcontractors who are top of their craft is especially motivating for us.
What makes a landscape project successful?
Having the right team in place from the start will ensure project success. Onyx has an in-depth understanding of the work required for these projects, and we’re able to handle all aspects—from site work, drainage, and foundations, to hardscape, lighting, and plantings; we then maintain the landscapes once a project is complete to ensure longevity for years to come. Our diverse background paired with strong relationships throughout the industry allows us to build a great team that will guarantee project success.
What are your proudest moments?
When our clients and landscape architects praise the execution of our craftsmanship, the amazing final product that our employees and subcontractors work so hard to construct. When family members, neighbors, and friends call us because they were referred by a past client and compliment our work, our employees, and our team approach—these moments remind us why we love this industry and why we’re proud of the work we do at Onyx.
ONYX Corporation 18 Wetherbee St. Acton, MA 01720 978-263-1185 onyxcorporation.com
LEFT TO RIGHT: JULIE BERGERON, GENERAL MANAGER; AARON SYMONDS, LANDSCAPE ESTIMATOR; MEGAN MORELAND, LANDSCAPE PROJECT DIRECTOR; JOHN DURKIN JR., VICE PRESIDENT; KEN PRICE, LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS MANAGER.
The SimpleHome Team
At SimpleHome, we believe technology should be felt, not seen. Born from the merger of three leading companies, SimpleHome was reimagined for the twentyfirst century with a bold mission: simplify home electronics for the luxury homeowner and the professional design community alike.
Our guiding principles—Simplicity and Reliability for homeowners, and Performance Equals Opportunity for architects and builders—shape everything we do. For more than fifty years, we’ve led the way in intuitive home technology that enhances everyday living.
For homeowners, your home should work for you. From lighting that dims for dinner to shades that draw at night and air that cools in the morning, we design invisible systems that respond effortlessly to your life, creating an atmosphere of ease, comfort, and connection.
For our professional partners, we collaborate from concept to construction and beyond, embedding technology that supports design, not distracts from it. Our expertise helps elevate projects and win discerning clients, without needing to become a technology expert. The result? Homes where beauty, performance, and function are seamlessly aligned.
What are the emerging trends in home technology?
The most impactful trend? Architectural lighting. No longer just functional, lighting is now emotional—a design element that sets tone, highlights texture, and creates atmosphere. At SimpleHome, we call it painting with emotion. With Ketra’s dynamic color tuning and our custom lighting plans, we shape mood, time of day, and aesthetic with precision and artistry.
Another trend: automated window treatments. These systems aren’t just for privacy—they harmonize with light, regulate temperature, and enhance visual flow. Voice control and AI are also making homes more responsive and intuitive than ever before. And outdoors, landscape lighting has become transformational. Thoughtful placement—like softly uplit trees and glare-free path lights—extends the magic of the indoors to your exterior spaces.
What motivates the SimpleHome team?
Excellence, pure and simple. We’re driven by the desire to be the most trusted custom electronics firm for clients and collaborators alike. That means honoring the architect’s vision, respecting the builder’s timeline, and delivering the homeowner joy. We know that technical ability means nothing without service, communication, and reliability. Our job is to listen deeply, execute precisely, and support every person involved. The motivation behind our work? Creating spaces that are effortlessly lived in and deeply loved.
617-965-4600 simplehomene simplehome.net
Thanks to a series of retaining walls and terraces, this hilltop home offers plenty of space for pool parties and fireside aperitifs. See the story on page 118.
Photograph by Michael J. Lee
The window frames of this suburban home are painted black to keep the focus on what’s on the other side of the glass, says architect Treff LaFleche. Chilmark Design & Millwork conceived and crafted the front door. FACING PAGE: The stained-walnut ceiling in the living area is suspended from the spaces’s butterfly roof for a canopy-like effect.
TALL A order
Perched on a hillside west of Boston, a contemporary home complements rather than competes with its surroundings.
Text by ERIKA AYN FINCH
Photography by MICHAEL J. LEE
Contemporary.
That was the crystal-clear directive a couple gave the team they assembled to design their dream home. It had to be modern but not so modern it dominated the forested site, perched above a golf course in a suburb west of Boston. And it had to emphasize the hillside’s sunset views without sacrificing privacy. A tall order, indeed.
ABOVE: Built as a series of rings, the Sonneman chandelier acts as an art installation in the foyer. The black feature wall in the background was key to the architectural design. LEFT: The angular Roche Bobois desk in the office reflects the home’s cantilevered architecture. The painting by Elizabeth Barber was sourced through Jules Place. FACING PAGE: The backrest of the living area’s leather Roche Bobois sectional is adjustable.
“But it allowed us to think outside of the box,” says LDa Architecture & Interiors principal Treff LaFleche. “It was a challenging site because it didn’t really have direct access, and there was a forty-foot change in grade. But it also had wonderful attributes. The land had never been developed, so it gave us a clear and free opportunity to do something unique.”
LaFleche and his team wound up devising a home that somehow feels both suspended in the trees and grounded in the earth. Some of the spaces, like the primary bedroom, cantilever out over the landscape while others, like the shared office, are nestled into the gardens. That landscape and those gardens sprout from a series of terraces, retaining walls, and platforms that give the entire site a cascading effect.
A three-sided gas fireplace, adorned in sheets of tile from Porcelanosa, on the main level brings a sense of separation to the living and dining areas without impeding the open plan’s flow. YGK crafted the kitchen cabinetry.
“People come over for hours on end. How many could we fit around the dining table? How comfortable can we make those chairs?”
—INTERIOR
DESIGNER ADRIA POLLETTA
CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW: Interior designer Adria Polletta carefully considered every element in the primary bedroom, like the purple velvet ombre throw pillow on the bed and the orientation of The Rug Company carpet; the table next to the chaise is Chilmark’s signature piece of furniture. Large-format tile surrounds the soaking tub in the primary bath. YGK also crafted the cabinetry in the his-and-hers dressing room, which includes cubbies for handbags above the mirrored closet doors.
A monumental feature wall clad in black porcelain tile and running parallel to the hillside anchors the structure both inside and out. On the exterior, instead of relying on grout, the tiles are suspended to allow moisture to pass through their joints. The wall is also a focal point in the interior, where the landing of the center-stringer cantilevered staircase attaches to it. Scattered sconces mounted
on the wall and a dramatic chandelier hanging from the fourteen-foot ceiling make the stairwell look like “it’s raining twinkling stars when you see it from outside at night,” says interior designer Adria Polletta of Chilmark Design & Millwork.
When Polletta came on the scene, the architecture had been established. “It was our job to make sure the interiors were true to that and to the home-
owners’ aesthetic,” she says. “They were coming from an older home with a transitional design—we wanted to bring them into the present.”
Polletta took her color cue, in part, from the wife’s manicure: “Her nails are always purple.” Pops of purple and strokes of lavender intermingle with teal and taupe. The couple’s three daughters—plus one grandmother—live with them in the five-
The basement level’s entertainment lounge includes a bar without a natural light source, so the architects fixed that problem by installing a glass panel that acts like a skylight in the hallway floor above. FACING
PAGE: A private staircase leads from the primary suite directly to the pool deck and the nearby outdoor kitchen.
“The land had never been developed, so it gave us a clear and free opportunity to do something unique.”
—ARCHITECT TREFF LAFLECHE
bedroom home, which is holiday headquarters for friends and relatives, so lots of seating was paramount. “People come over for hours on end,” says Polletta. “How many could we fit around the dining table? How comfortable can we make those chairs?”
Fortunately, Polletta had an advantage. Chilmark is an interior design, millwork, and custom furniture
On the right, the primary suite is rotated twenty degrees toward the east from the main house, which gives it a unique view of the surrounding trees—along with an added layer of privacy. FACING PAGE: A retaining wall supports the elevated driveway, parking court, and meadow-like landscape.
“The contrast of the wild landscape and modern structure is really striking when you come around the corner and see it,” says landscape architect Karen Sebastian.
company, so she designed many of the pieces in the home, including that dining table (it can seat ten, by the way), and the floating bed and nightstands in the primary suite.
Public spaces are oriented toward the backyard and fairway. On the open-plan main level, a threesided fireplace clad in sheet tile cleverly delineates the living and dining areas from the slick kitchen and breakfast nook. The home’s ground level features an entertainment lounge with a bar, a meditation room, and a gym; it opens onto the pool terrace.
In the end, the homeowners were granted their wish for a contemporary space that complements
rather than conquers its surroundings. “There’s a tradeoff in architecture,” says LaFleche. “When you find a unique site like this one, it comes with an obligation to not compromise its inherent beauty with your structure. And sometimes it takes a complex form to make it feel like it rises organically from the land rather than dominates the land.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE: LDa Architecture & Interiors
INTERIOR DESIGN: Chilmark Design & Millwork
BUILDER: Velo Construction Corp.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Karen Sebastian, ZEN Associates
A Fresh Take
A design team crafts a sleek and sophisticated dwelling on the coast of New Hampshire.
Text by ALYSSA BIRD | Photography by ROB KAROSIS
Pecky cypress adorns the living area ceiling in this New Hampshire seacoast home.
A sofa from Wesley Hall, swivel chairs from Taylor King, and a custom ottoman from Vanguard Furniture rest atop a rug from Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting.
It’s funny how a site can tell an architect exactly what it needs. In the case of this waterfront lot on a golf course in Rye, New Hampshire, its size, shape, and location informed both the structure’s layout and overall aesthetic. “The clients wanted a modern house, but community stipulations prevented us from going super modern,” says TMS Architects Interiors project manager Lafe Covill of the 5,500-square-foot four-bedroom residence. “We stayed within the Shingle-style vocabulary, but the massing and fenestration have a sleek look. The shingles run up to the windows, which are painted black to mimic steel.”
ABOVE: To satisfy both the homeowners’ desire for a modern house and community stipulations, the architects designed a Shingle-style residence with sleek accents and minimal moldings. LEFT: Located off the foyer, the powder room is sheathed in a damask-patterned mosaic from Sicis; the sink is from Kallista and the light fixture is from Visual Comfort & Co. FACING PAGE: A compressed entry that opens to a two-story foyer with water views beyond makes for a dramatic first impression.
As for the orientation and plan, the long, narrow site forced the architects to stretch the structure as much as possible and take advantage of the views (all but one of the bedrooms enjoy water vistas). “The neighboring houses are rather close, so we placed items like storage and countertops on the sides to maintain privacy,” he continues.
In addition, the homeowners had requested water views upon entry, so the front door has a direct relationship with the door that leads out to
one
but the tray ceilings
define each space.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The secondary kitchen, which can be closed off from the main kitchen during parties, features black cabinetry, a wood island, and limestone flooring. The main kitchen, meanwhile, has white cabinetry and a backsplash of eglomise tiles from TileBar. The kitchen and dining and living areas are open to
another,
help
FACING PAGE: Baker chairs covered in a Zimman’s fabric surround a dining table from Hurtado.
ABOVE: The primary bedroom features a fireplace and a workspace in addition to water vistas. RIGHT: A view into one of the guest baths.
FACING PAGE: A blush silk wallcovering from Walfab and a canopy bed from Oly give this guest room a romantic feel.
the rear terrace. “There’s an immediate rush to the ocean,” says Covill, who notes that this feeling is intensified thanks to the compressed entry. “You walk in under the stairs, but then it blows up into a two-story space, making the push to the water feel even more dramatic.”
As with the exterior, the interior architecture leans minimal, featuring no crown moldings or trim, baseboards that are essentially flush with the plaster walls, and windows that seem to disappear. Meanwhile, tray and vaulted ceilings throughout draw the eye up—especially in the main living areas, where they are inlaid with pecky cypress. The couple, who often entertain and host their children and grandchildren, also requested an open floor plan, with the kitchen and living/dining areas located in one large, light-filled space.
“To avoid the kitchen looking messy during parties, we created a secondary kitchen,” explains Covill. “They are organized to work together, but the secondary space can be closed off. We ended up adding a porch that’s accessible from this back kitchen, and it turned out to be a favorite spot for morning coffee.”
“WE STAYED WITHIN the Shingle-style vocabulary, but the massing and fenestration have a sleek look.”—Project manager Lafe Covill
For large outdoor gatherings, sliding doors in the living room open onto a terrace with a pair of fireplaces and a firepit.
To complement this contemporary shell, the couple called on their longtime designer, Floridabased Linda Holman, who helped select not only the furnishings but the overall materials palette as well. “The clients like clean lines, but elements like the pecky cypress help warm things up,” says Holman, noting that it coordinates well with the preengineered wide-plank German flooring that the owner found. “Everything blends in and flows from room to room, from the travertine in the pantry to the natural stone on the living room fireplace surround.”
These natural elements are offset by a few unexpected accents, such as the eglomise tile
backsplash found in the main kitchen and bar area and the curved wall in the powder room sheathed in a damask-patterned mosaic. New furnishings with French influences and textured wallcoverings carry a soft palette that includes gray, taupe, lilac, and blush. “I wanted to make sure the interiors match the homeowners’ lifestyle,” says Holman. “It feels elegant yet comfortable.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE: TMS Architects Interiors
INTERIOR DESIGN: Lovelace Interiors
BUILDER: Houghton Builders
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Piscataqua Landscaping & Tree Service
Given the home’s location on a golf course, both the living room and the outdoor sitting area are protected from errant golf balls via screens that can be lowered. FACING PAGE: A pair of gas fireplaces flank an outdoor sitting area off the living room.
West Me ets East
The Texas-style ranch and the New England farmhouse find harmony in a pastoral setting near Boston.
Text by GAIL RAVGIALA
Photography by SABRINA COLE QUINN
Styled by SEAN WILLIAM DONOVAN
In the family room, a
peakedglass curtain wall by KLAR Studio frames the vista of grazing cattle in the distant pasture. Though structural, the black metal collar ties are thin enough to almost disappear. The fireplace surround is finished with a mixture of plaster and stone.
RIGHT: The “barn” contains the garage and mudroom and connects to the kitchen and family room. A porch, reflective of both ranch and farm vocabularies, welcomes guests to the main house. BELOW: Clerestory windows ring the double-height living room, which is divided into two conversation areas. FACING PAGE: The “barn” contains the mudroom, which can be accessed through the twocar garage or via this six-foot-wide center-pivot door off the driveway. The catwalk leads to an upstairs playroom.
Was it serendipity or kismet that landed a little bit of Texas on a pastoral New England site outside of Boston?
The story begins when a Lone Star State native wanted to build a Texas-style ranch house on multiple acres surrounded by rolling pastures inhabited by
livestock and wildlife. The twist of fate occurred when he approached Westport, Connecticut-based architect Tanner White for design ideas. Little did he know, White is also a Texas transplant.
Not only was White familiar with the genre, it played to his preference for elongated layouts that allow every room
in a house to have three, and sometimes four, exterior walls where windows and glass doors can let natural light flood interior spaces.
“I call them skinny houses,’’ says White, describing how he places one room after another in a linear pattern. The large private lot the client
A built-in buffet with a beverage refrigerator in its base is handy to both the kitchen table and the family room. FACING PAGE: The wood table in the kitchen has a live edge and a resin finish; Ochre’s Moonlight Murmuration ceiling fixture dangles above it.
FROM ABOVE: Wood beams accent the cathedral ceiling in the primary bedroom, where
gave the fireplace wall a Roman plaster finish. The bedroom has direct access to the pool through a side door. Hubbardton Forge’s Dahlia ceiling fixture hangs above a freestanding soaking tub in the primary bath.
CLOCKWISE
Jason Sawtelle of BlackBeak Studios
presented was ideal for such a sprawling footprint.
White’s Western-style-meets-Eastern-vernacular design took inspiration from iconic New England farm structures. “The front looks like a typical farmhouse, where a main house is added on to over time,” he says. Completing the picture is the quintessential barn.
White selected exterior finishes that create a believable agrarian hybrid. “We used old cedar on the main house,” he says. “The rafter tails are wood, but the roof is metal. The barn is natural cedar including the roof and rafter tails. It has an organic feeling.”
The glass-heavy backside of the 5,500-square-foot house has a modern aesthetic with views of pastures and fields through window walls by KLAR Studio, a European maker of windows and doors. “The big windows are amaz-
ing. It becomes about honoring what you see out them and not competing with that,” says Jessica Tolman, who along with Anne Mueller, her partner at Briar Design, handled the interior design. “All four seasons here are so stunning, it becomes your artwork.”
“We wanted to honor the architect’s design aesthetic and still create a home for a family with children,” adds Mueller, referencing the family’s two school-age daughters. To soften the industrial vibe created by the sleek windows and metal collar ties in the vaulted ceilings, they incorporated textures and neutral tones in furnishings and rugs.
Home life mostly happens in the centrally located kitchen/family room. The kitchen has only one window, but it draws plenty of natural light from the wall of glass overlooking a pasture
ABOVE: The loggia off the family room (left) leads to the pool. The primary bath is straight ahead. RIGHT: The loggia fireplace shares a chimney with the family room. Above it, an outdoor television is available for an aprèsswim movie.
“The big windows are amazing. It becomes about honoring what you see out them and not competing with that.”
—Interior designer Jessica Tolman
at the far end of the open plan’s sitting area. Designer Jodi Swartz of KitchenVisions in Boston took command of the kitchen design, making changes to the original layout to create more work-
space. She tucked the refrigerator and storage pantry into a side wall and made the two-tiered island the focal point of the room.
Light fixtures were a major focus
for the interiors. “They were a way of working with the volume of spaces while adding an element of interest,” says Mueller. The stunning Ochre Moonlight Murmuration fixture above
the kitchen table is a case in point. Still, Mueller notes with a laugh that in a house with such high ceilings, “It was a challenge to hang.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
Tranquil in its simplicity, the pool house is a utilitarian twenty-fourby-twenty-four-foot box that houses a sitting area, changing room, and bath.
ARCHITECTURE: Tanner White Architects
INTERIOR DESIGN: Briar Design
BUILDER: Jensen Hus
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Paul Maue Associates Landscape Architects
Eco-inspo
A net-positive home in Providence proves that design excellence and energy efficiency can make a beautiful marriage.
Text by PAULA M. BODAH | Phot ography by NAT REA
The rear elevation of the house blends classic New England— cedar shingles and a stone foundation—with modern features such as the charred wood cladding the projecting living room. Lush native plantings, along with mature trees left in place, give the urban dwelling plenty of privacy.
Moving to Rhode Island wasn’t in the plan for this homeowner and her family. But when an empty lot became available in one of Providence’s historic neighborhoods, and it just happened to be next to homes owned by her brother and her parents, the longtime Seattle resident couldn’t resist.
BELOW: The front of the home presents a more traditional face, with its cedar shingles, stone steps, and arched entry door.
RIGHT: The living room’s blue-and-white palette and a Steven King ombré rug that subtly evokes ocean waves give the space a hint of a coastal feel. A modern light fixture from Lumfardo and a leather lounger add a midcentury touch.
While most of the houses in the area lean toward the traditional, she was interested in something a bit more modern. What’s more, she was determined to build a dwelling that was as eco-conscious as possible. “I’m committed to doing something, in my own small way, to protect the planet,” she says.
To meet both her aesthetic and technological
requirements, she called on ZeroEnergy Design (ZED), the Boston-based architectural firm known for being on the cutting edge when it comes to creating energy-efficient buildings. The house has the elements you might expect in an eco-friendly home, such as solar panels, high-performance windows, and plenty of insulation. But the ZED
team went much further, seeking out renewable materials with a naturally low carbon footprint and virtually no toxicity.
For example, beneath the exterior cladding is a four-inch-thick layer of cork insulation. “Cork comes from shaving the bark off the cork tree, so it’s a rapidly renewable resource,” notes architect
CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW: The backsplash tile’s gray undertones and crackle finish lend texture and a bit of color interest to the mostly white kitchen with its French country influence. An L-shaped built-in banquette in the sunny breakfast
for
Stephanie Horowitz. The interior insulation is cellulose, made of recycled newspaper and cardboard. “The materials we used are really thoughtful and dialed in,” Horowitz says.
That consideration about materials carries through the house, say builders Eric Adams and Keith Lewis. “We used low- or no-VOC paints,” says Lewis, who is Adams + Beasley’s director of sustainability. “And for wood surfaces, rather than solid white oak, we’ll do an engineered flooring that’s more durable and long lasting.”
Adams dispels the common misconception that a super-tight house like this one can be unhealthy. “We have a special system that constantly brings in fresh air from outside,” he explains.
All that impressive technology is invisible to the neighbors. What they see is a beautifully conceived home that offers a modern interpretation of the classic New England vernacular. From
nook holds drawers
extra storage. The pantry gets the coastal treatment with Benjamin Moore’s Boothbay Gray paint.
“MY CLIENTS LIKE THE FRENCH COUNTRY STYLE, BUT THEY ALSO WANTED A BIT OF A NEW ENGLAND COASTAL FEEL.”
—INTERIOR DESIGNER ATSU GUNTHER
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Benjamin Moore Balboa
and an upholstered bed make the primary bedroom cozy.
crafted the primary bath’s white-oak vanity. A cozy nook is tucked under the stairs to the home’s lower level. FACING PAGE: The chevron-patterned floor and runner are classic companions to the modern metal staircase balusters.
Mist
Builder Adams + Beasley
the front, the house reads as traditional with its western red cedar shingles and arched front entry.
In back, it takes on a more contemporary look. The living room sits inside a cube that projects from the house and is clad in shou sugi ban, or charred wood. The wood is larch, Horowitz says, and the process of charring it gives it both visual interest and added resilience.
Inside, interior designer Atsu Gunther straddled the same line between classic and contemporary. The entry’s chevron-patterned floor sounds a traditional note, while the sleek staircase of metal and oak speaks to today. Tying it together is the Kaleen stair runner whose chevron pattern is updated with narrow vertical striping.
“My clients like the French country style, but they also wanted a bit of a New England coastal feel,” Gunther says. The kitchen hints at both, with its white cabinetry and surfaces accented with brass hardware. The living room moves toward the contemporary, with its low-profile furniture in neutral tones punched up with shades of blue.
Back outside, Gregory Lombardi Design created a lush landscape that offers plenty of privacy. Year-round interest, three-season color, and attracting pollinators were all part of the plan, says Lombardi senior associate Masha Hranjec-Johnson. “We saved the mature linden trees and used as many native
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
A green roof outside the primary bedroom makes good use of rainwater. The landscaping, by Gregory Lombardi Design, has three-season color and yearround textural interest. The mudroom features plenty of storage as well as a sink where the homeowners give their dog his bath.
plants as possible, in colors of blues, purples, and pinks,” she says.
The homeowner is equally delighted with her home’s beauty and its light carbon footprint. “I hope I can inspire others to consider how beautiful you can make a zero-energy home,” she says.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For details, see Resources.
ARCHITECTURE: ZeroEnergy Design
INTERIOR DESIGN: Atsu Gunther Design
BUILDER: Adams + Beasley Associates
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Gregory Lombardi Design
IN THE DETAILS
The Good Life
ON THE MARKET • DESIGN DISPATCHES • THE SCENE
A Fresh Take, page 130
When the owners of a waterfront residence in Rye, New Hampshire, requested an outdoor fireplace, architect Lafe Covill of TMS Architects Interiors doubled down, conceiving a pair of corner fireplaces that flank the terrace sitting area. He collaborated with S. Donaldson Masonry on the Harbor Mist granite veneer surround and Blaise Dobbin of Northeast Distribution Ltd. on the mechanical components, including the gas burner kits. “These kits allow architects to use their creativity since they aren’t limited to an off-the-shelf design,” explains Dobbin. The symmetrical concept, notes Covill, is a way to keep the view unobstructed. And, says Covill, “Wherever you sit, you’re able to enjoy at least one of the fireplaces.”
—Alyssa Bird
Photograph by Rob Karosis
The Good Life IN THE DETAILS
Eco-inspo, page 152
For this Providence house, builder Adams + Beasley Associates and landscape architecture firm Gregory Lombardi Design created an urban oasis with a backyard spa surrounded by lush plantings. “One of the homeowners’ requirements was that the yard feel very luscious and have a sense of privacy,” says landscape architect Masha HranjecJohnson. She surrounded the wooden spa with colorful, textural materials in a range of pinks and purples, including windflower, flowering sage, Siberian iris, apple trees, and white rhododendron. The variety in shapes and colors ensures year-round interest, even in the nonblooming season.—Paula M. Bodah
Photograph
Exterior: Stonington Gray HC-170
The Good Life IN THE DETAILS
West Meets East, page 140
Jodi Swartz of KitchenVisions designed the primary bath in this ranch-meets-farmhouse west of Boston, and it’s the very definition of serenity. Custom Imperia cabinets from purekitchen form a double vanity with a waterfall-edge countertop of Calacatta Gold quartz. It’s flanked by floor-to-ceiling storage units, each with a pullout hamper. All appears to float on a cloud of under-cabinet lighting. Below, dolomite flooring is laid in a herringbone pattern; above, dual mirrors are inset with LED lighting, all the better to see the room’s reflection.
Gail Ravgiala
Photograph by Sabrina Cole Quinn
IT’S MORE THAN A LANDSCAPE
R. P. Marzilli builds and maintains the finest residential landscapes in New England, elevating outdoor spaces to cherished environments.
Dan Gordon Landscape Architects
The Good Life IN THE DETAILS
A Tall Order, page 118
“It’s a tranquil space—almost like a piece of music,” says now-retired landscape designer Shin Abe of ZEN Associates about the courtyard he envisioned for a home in the suburbs of Boston. When you consider the linear waterfall that cascades from the garden’s retaining wall, Abe is speaking quite literally. The film of water pours into a four-foot-wide pond at its base. Abe planted the garden with Japanese maple trees in different varieties and colors and filled the spaces in between with shrubs like hydrangeas and rhododendron. Bluestone pavers lead to a meditative sitting area.
—Erika Ayn Finch
by
Photograph
Michael J. Lee
The Good Life | ON THE MARKET
Text by LISA H. SPEIDEL
BY THE NUMBERS
333
$24,500,000
3.1 ACRES
Modern History
CURB APPEAL
This stately Georgian Revival, designed by William Truman Aldrich and built in 1929, has had only three owners—all of whom have been wonderful stewards of the grand estate, which is marked by a commanding brick exterior and steep slate-tile roof. Ringed by mature (read: private) landscaping, the main house is also accompanied by a pool house, a one-bedroom storybook-style guesthouse, and a heated four-car garage.
WHAT’S INSIDE
This estate represents the best of both worlds: it beautifully showcases the elegance and craftsmanship of a bygone era (marble fireplace surrounds imported from France, quarter-sawn engineered parquet flooring, hand-painted paneling, intricate crown molding) paired with all the present-day bells and whistles a modern buyer would want, from a commercial-grade kitchen with a custom-designed Molteni stove to smart home capabilities.
FUN FACTOR
An underground tunnel from the lower level of the main residence leads to the pièce de résistance: a freestanding pool house with a seventy-five-foot-long pool. This is no everyday pool house, mind you: there’s also a hot tub, a full spa with a steam room and sauna, eight showers, two oak locker rooms, and a full kitchen, living room, and dining room. The space is also perfect for hosting events: a
right in! The pool is twelve feet deep.
custom floor covers the pool to make it cocktail party ready.
CONTACT
George Sarkis, 781-603-8702, Manuel Sarkis, 781-801-0610, The Sarkis Team at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Boston, thesarkisteambos.com, MLS# 73341354
Photography by Borgatta Photography
Dive
The Good Life | ON THE MARKET
BY THE NUMBERS
1131 SASCO HILL ROAD, FAIRFIELD, CONN.
$25,000,000
19,569 SF
11.12 ACRES
6 BEDS 11 BATHS
1 DOCK
1 SALTWATER POOL
½ SOCCER PITCH
1 WINE CELLAR
Old Soul
A new temperaturecontrolled wine cellar holds 5,000 bottles.
CURB APPEAL
To say that this house is magazine-worthy wouldn’t be an exaggeration. When Architectural Digest featured it in 2010, it was heralded as being a “new house with an old soul.” Architect Jason Chai crafted a magnificent estate with perfect proportions that seamlessly marries Swedish, Dutch, and Moorish influences. It’s perched on an eleven-acre lot (six of which is lawn) that sweeps down to a private beach on Long Island Sound.
WHAT’S INSIDE
The interiors are as elegant as the exterior is grand. “The flow is really unique,” explains listing agent Andrew Whiteley. “There are no long hallways; instead, smaller rooms lead to larger rooms. It’s almost like walking through an art gallery.” In fact, an art gallery is an apt comparison because there is a highly curated feel to the overall design scheme that’s marked by clean lines, a timeless (yet modern-leaning) appeal, and a neutral palette. In a nutshell, says Whiteley, “This is a cool, sexy house.”
LAY OF THE LAND
The current owners have made some delightful upgrades. They added a fourcar garage with a second-floor art studio and play space above. They redid the pool/spa area and even incorporated a de facto “pool house” (complete with a sitting area, changing rooms, and a kitchenette) into a section of the lower level of the home.
CONTACT
Andrew Whiteley, Brown Harris Stevens, Southport, Conn., 203-258-1595, bhsusa.com, MLS# 24084663
Yup, Peter would live up to even your mom’s high standards. In fact, he’d surpass them. And why not? He’s not only experienced, savvy, intelligent, friendly and trustworthy, he’s also an agent who listens and always puts you and your needs first. Because he grew up here, he knows the ins and outs of every town. And because he’s part of the awardwinning MGS Group Real Estate Group, known for their next-level personal service, he has a whole team of amazing agents who have his back, and an extraordinary list of vetted connections and resources. So, if you’re ready to buy or sell in Boston or Metrowest, Peter’s ready to help and help and help, long after you’re done working together. That means you can always call him for anything you need. In fact, why not call Peter right now at 508-535-9721. And if he’s not there, just like a mom, he’ll call you right back.
(508) 353-9721 peter@mgsgrouprealestate.com
The Good Life | ON THE MARKET
BY THE NUMBERS
58 OCEAN
BOULEVARD, NORTH HAMPTON, N.H.
$25,000,000
12,680 SF
3.11 ACRES
6 BEDS
10 BATHS
1 CARRIAGE HOUSE
1 GREENHOUSE
1 WRAPPING ROOM
1 DOG SPA
Political
Pedigree
The all-season Palm Beach Room has a sunny disposition.
HISTORY LESSON
Grand and gracious, Balmoral (which essentially translates to “majestic dwelling”) has quite a storied pedigree. Two former governors have called this 1930s Colonial Revival home, and it’s no wonder: it’s located in the prestigious enclave of Little Boar’s Head, on a stretch of Ocean Boulevard, in North Hampton, New Hampshire, once referred to as Millionaires’ Row. The unobstructed million-dollar water views
certainly live up to that moniker, as does the stately brick estate and lush, manicured grounds.
ARCHITECTURAL INTRIGUE
When the current owners purchased Balmoral in 2010, it had been stripped down to the studs. Over the years, they restored it, beautifully balancing the home’s historic provenance with all the modern-day conveniences one could desire. The previous owners added a white clapboard addition, which houses listing agent Barbara Dunkle’s favorite space. Fondly dubbed the Palm Beach Room, it’s light, bright, and has two walls of glass overlooking the coastline.
LAY OF THE LAND
Not only does a property of this magnitude have plenty of private nooks to enjoy some downtime (the lovely back courtyard is primed for
afternoon cocktails), but it also sets a stunning stage for a spectacular soiree. If you desire a change of scenery, a fifteen-minute car ride takes you to the bustling dining and shopping scene that is Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
CONTACT
Barbara Dunkle, EXP Realty, Portsmouth, N.H., 603-498-7927, exprealty.com, MLS# 5034194
Photography by (left and top) Rob Karosis and (above) Joe St. Pierre
The Good Life | DESIGN DISPATCHES
Edited by LYNDA SIMONTON
Style Scene
›› Nantucket Garden Festival
JULY 8–10
Celebrate island gardening at this annual event featuring lectures, workshops, garden tours, and children’s activities.
Nantucket, Mass. ackgardenfestival.org
The Gardens of Stowe
JULY 12
Support the Stowe Community Fund and Meals on Wheels while touring some of the area’s most beautiful landscapes. Stowe, Vt. stowevibrancy.org
›› Nantucket by Design
JULY 14–17
Design luminaries descend upon the island for panel discussions, keynotes, and parties. Proceeds benefit the Nantucket Historical Association. Nantucket, Mass. nha.org
›› From the South End to the West End: A Walking Tour of Portsmouth
JULY 18
This guided tour highlights architecture and historic events in this charming seacoast city. Portsmouth, N.H. historicnewengland.org
The 68th Annual New Hampshire Antiques Show
AUGUST 7–9
Sixty antiques dealers exhibit the best of their wares at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. Manchester, N.H. nhada.org
‹‹ League of NH Craftsmen’s Fair
AUGUST 2–10
Shop for handmade items at Mount Sunapee Resort during this annual event that features the juried work of hundreds of members.
Newbury, N.H. nhcrafts.org
›› Downeast Art & Antiques Show
AUGUST 13–16
Interior designer Rita Konig is the honorary chair of this year’s show at the George Stevens Academy.
Blue Hill, Maine downeastshow.com
Brimfield Antique Flea Markets
JULY 8–13
Enjoy the thrill of the hunt at one of the country’s most popular flea markets.
Brimfield, Mass. brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com
The Newport Show
JULY 25–27
Shop, socialize, and enjoy fine art and fashion at the St. George’s School Ice Rink during this annual event supporting local charities.
Middletown, R.I. thenewportshow.com
Nantucket Preservation Trust Annual August Fête
AUGUST 7
This year’s fête takes place on Main Street and includes tours of some of the best-preserved homes from Nantucket’s whaling era.
Nantucket, Mass. nantucketpreservation.org
Notebook
Spring is rolling into summer, but the design community isn’t taking its foot off the pedal.
There has been a slew of promotions at Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design. First up, Justin Corbett is now a principal. Corbett has been with the firm since 2013, collaborating on more than twentyfive landscapes. Erica Thatcher Busa was promoted to senior associate; Clancy Clark is now an associate; and Karl Alamo, Kim Ferrara, and Phoebe Tamminen were all named senior designers. Cheers, everyone! AGA Interior Design, led by Alexandra G. Aquadro, is on the move. The full-service design firm recently relocated its studio from Charlestown to Marblehead, Massachusetts, a fitting home base for a company known for its classic, breezy style.
In other firm news, Corinne Acampora of Acampora Interiors has launched Acampora Studio, a new e-design service that strives to make professional interior design more accessible. The platform offers curated room packages and custom concepts for projects ranging from home offices to kitchen and bath updates. Each package includes design plans, product sourcing, and optional virtual consultations. The program allows homeowners to transform their spaces with expert guidance and flexibility, all reflecting the timeless aesthetic Acampora Interiors is known for.
Congratulations to Nicholas Marchio, who can now add the AIA designation to his signature. Marchio, a project architect at Catalano Architects for almost five years, received his master’s degree in architecture from Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.
Pratesi, the iconic Italian luxury linens brand, has opened a boutique
at 130 Newbury Street in Boston. Known for its heirloom-quality Egyptian-cotton linens, the brand offers exquisitely embroidered bedding, bath, and home accessories. The new store showcases Pratesi’s bespoke program, inviting clients and designers to create custom pieces that reflect the brand’s timeless artistry and couture craftsmanship.
Leadership is evolving at Feinmann, Inc. Maren O. Reepmeyer has been named president of the award-winning design-build firm. With more than twenty-five years of architectural and strategic leadership experience, Reepmeyer brings vision, sustainability expertise, and a commitment to design excellence to the Lexington, Massachusetts, firm. The firm’s founder, Peter Feinmann, will transition to CEO.
There are many exciting changes at the American Society of Interior Designers New England Chapter The vibrant local affiliate is an essential source of support and connection for the New England design community, hosting educational programs and social events. Dennis Duffy was named president-elect of the organization in April and will assume the role of president on October 1. The veteran interior designer will hold that post until Ann Neumann takes the reins in October 2027. Shelby Littlefield has been appointed finance director, and Caty Byerly Rezendes was named professional development director. Both will assume their roles in October of this year.
Acton, Massachusetts-based Circle Furniture has expanded to Cape Cod
with a new showroom at 332 Iyannough Road in Hyannis. This retail location is the company’s eighth showroom in New England. The brand’s sustainably crafted, high-quality furnishings are sure to align with the area’s coastal lifestyle.
Finally, we raise a glass to the landscape maintenance and construction firm R .P. Marzilli, celebrating its forty-year anniversary. The firm, founded by Bob Marzilli, began with two lawn mowers and a skid-steer loader and now works on some of the most prestigious landscapes in New England. The excellence of the firm’s work was recognized when it was inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame in 2018.
Do you have news to share with New England Home? Email Lynda Simonton at lsimonton@ nehomemag.com
Edited by CAMILLA TAZZI
March-April Issue
Celebration at Designer Bath
New England Home partnered with Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply, along with faucet brand Franz Viegener, for an evening of networking at Designer Bath’s Watertown, Massachusetts, showroom. Attendees gathered over drinks and light bites to toast New England Home ’s March-April issue, then heard from Editor in Chief Jenna Talbott and Contributing Editor Karin Lidbeck Brent as they shared insights on photographing interior design and architecture.
by
Photography
Matt Stone
New England Home’s Jenna Talbott and Jim Gauthier of Jim Gauthier and Company
Berkeley Wlodarczak of F.H. Perry Builder and Peter Griffin of FBN Construction
Joe Bertola of Bertola Custom Homes and Julie Dalton of Platt Builders
Daniel Kamb and Meghan Leof of Schneeberger Collective
Jason Sevinor of Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply, Elizabeth Benedict of Elizabeth Home Decor & Design, and Georgia Zikas of Georgia Zikas Design
Heather Souza of Flavin Architects with Raphaela Correa and Hannah Oravec of Lawless Design
Heather Lashbrook Jones of a Blade of Grass and Rosena Cornet of Broadview Marketing
Lisa Pelaggi, Rachel White, and Amy Gabriel of Koulopoulos Vona & Co.
Jason Sevinor, New England Home’s Kathy Bush-Dutton, Jenna Talbott, and Karin Lidbeck Brent, and John Weinstein of Franz Viegener
Jill Najnigier of JN Interior Spaces and Beezee Honan of Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply
Melanie Pellegrini of Pellegrini Design and Megan Healy of Megan Healy Design
Sarah Garrison of Taste Design and David Boronkay of Slocum Hall Design Group
JOIN US!
As we honor the winners of the 16th annual 5 Under 40 Awards!
Scan below to purchase tickets or visit nehomemag.com/5-under-40/tickets/
Celebrate the creativity and innovation of emerging talent in residential design at a lively cocktail party and awards ceremony.
Don’t miss the chance to bid on five exquisite, one-of-a-kind custom rugs designed by this year’s winners. Auction proceeds support Barakat, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls and women in South Asia through education.
Enjoy an evening of design, community, and impact while mingling with top talent from across New England.
SIGNATURE SPONSORS
PRESENTING SPONSOR
SPECIALTY SPONSORS
From left to right: Alison Hammatt, Thomas J. Fraley, Julien Jalbert, Jen Stephens, Becky Garrity
Boston Design Center Spring Market
The Boston Design Center welcomed guests for its Spring Market, where attendees explored new collections and design trends, connected with industry professionals, and participated in a variety of presentations and showroom events throughout the daylong event.
Photography by Michael Blanchard
Michael J. Lee of Michael J. Lee Photography
Kelly Filocco of Boston Art with Jill Litner Kaplan and Maggie Wraight of Jill Litner Kaplan Interiors
Paula Accioly of Jewett Farms + Co.
Dana DiMarzio of Scavolini
Robert Bagshaw of Stark
Nina Farmer of Nina Farmer Interiors with a copy of her book, Timeless by Design
Farrow & Ball Colour Curator and Author Joa Studholme signs copies of How to Redecorate
Eric Haydel of M-Geough and Eric Haydel Design, Leslie Fine of Leslie Fine Interiors, and Wendy Estela of KKC Law
The Digs Design Company team
Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal of Les Ensembliers flank Jack Yeaton of Jamestown and New England Home’s Jenna Talbott
Laura Baldini of Mother Juice
Vani Sayeed of Vani Sayeed Studios
preview party uesday, August 1 • 5 to 8 pm 2025 PREVIEW PARTY
Wednesday, August 13 • 5 pm–8 pm
SHOW DATES
Thursday, August 14 • 10 am to 6 pm
show dates
Friday, August 15 • 10 am to 6 pm
28 Art & Antiques Booths
Saturday, August 16 • 10 am to 5 pm
ednesday, August 2 • 10 am to 6 pm hursday, August 3 • 10 am to 6 pm riday, August 4 • 10 am to 5 pm
George Stevens Academy Blue Hill, Maine
Corporate Sponsor—Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers
George Stevens Academy Blue Hill, Maine
Rita Konig and Gil Schafer In Conversation — Friday, August 15
downeastshow.com georgestevensacademy.org/DAAS
Rita Konig Gil Schafer and Rita Konig
R.P. Marzilli 40th Anniversary
This spring, R.P. Marzilli celebrated forty years in business during a party at The University of Massachusetts Club in Boston.
CRAFTED BY HAND SAVORED BY DESIGN
It began with a family dinner and a halfserious idea: “Let’s make our own whisky.” That playful spark turned into a passionate pursuit for father-and-son team Dave and David Woods - two makers at heart, fascinated by how things are built. What followed was years of research, trial, and relentless craftsmanship. They didn’t just learn how to distill - they hand-built their own copper pot stills, honoring techniques nearly lost to modern mass production.
Maine’s #1 Craft Bourbon
Every curve and dent in their stills contributes to the rich, complex flavor of their small-batch spirits. The result? Awardwinning whiskey, bourbon, gin, vodka, agave, single malt, and rum recognized internationally - but rooted right in York, Maine.
WigglyBridgeDistillery.com whiskey.”
At Wiggly Bridge Distillery, quality comes first. Always It’s not just about spirits - it’s about legacy, passion, and creating something beautiful from the ground up. Here’s to dreamers, doers, and designers of all kinds. Wiggly Bridge Distillery. Built by hand. Meant to be savored.
Experience the story for yourself - book a tour and taste what tradition truly means.
Photography by Matt Stone
Lisa Frazier, Inthasone Thounsavath, Jacob Mather, and Charlie Page of Mather & Page Landscape Architects
Christine and Bob Marzilli of R.P. Marzilli
Peter Stephens of Dan Gordon Landscape Architects, Jen Stephens of Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design, Michael Davidsohn of UMass Amherst’s Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and Debra Davidsohn
Photography by Nick Eaton
Lauren and Stephen Stimson of Stimson flank Matthew Cunningham of Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design
Charlie Gadbois of Wellen Construction, Tom Ryan of Ryan Associates Landscape Architecture and Planning, and Mike Collins of DMC Architecture
Resources
A GUIDE TO THE PROFESSIONALS IN THIS ISSUE’S FEATURED HOMES
IN PLACE
PAGES 37–44
Architecture: Adam Titrington, Estes Twombly + Titrington Architects, Newport, R.I., 401-846-3336, ettarchitects.com
Stair fabrication: Bob King, King & Company, Marlborough, N.H., 603-876-4900, kingstair.com
Lighting design: Linda Holman, Lovelace Interiors, Miramar Beach, Fla., 850-837-5563, lovelaceinteriors.com; Cynthia Milne, The Lighting Center of NorthEast Electrical, Claremont, N.H., 603-542-8711
Morning Preview: July 18th Friday 9:00 - 10:30 Benefiting the Nantucket Historical Association Show opens Friday 11 - 6
Hours: Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5, Monday 10-3
Antique French Fine Arts
Arader Galleries
James Butterworth
American Antique Wicker
Callaghans of Shrewsbury
D. M. DeLaurentis Fine Antique Prints
David Brooker Fine Art
Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge, Inc.
Finnegan Gallery
J. Austin, Jeweler
Cavalier Galleries
Lawrence Jeffrey
Paul Madden Antiques
The Ann Parke Collection
Peace and Plenty Antiques
Roberto Freitas American Antiques
Roger D. Winter Ltd.
S J Shrubsole
Shaia Oriental Rugs of Williamsburg
Silver Art by D & R
Spiral Haus
Eve Stone Antiques
Vock and Vintage
William Cook Antiques
Yew Tree House Antiques
Media Sponsor: ANTIQUES COUNCIL An International Organization of Antiques Dealers www.antiquescouncil.com
Last Look | BY ERIKA
Birds of a Feather
Interior designer Kaitlin Smith teamed up with her brothers Padraic (seen here) and Paul Fazio for the second time to bring to life Bird in Hand, a contemporary American restaurant in Westerly, Rhode Island. (The trio first partnered on the Watch Hill eatery Ten.) As the name implies, birds feature strongly in the decor: witness the vintage Audubon prints, wooden decoys, and, perhaps most prominently, the giant heron wallpaper mural near the bar. The backbar features a hand-painted mural by family member Garrett Davis populated with cranes. That said, none of it comes off as kitsch. “We wanted the restaurant to feel like a neighborhood bistro, like something you might find in Europe, but it needed to be elevated enough that you’d still want to celebrate a birthday or anniversary here,” says Smith. Bird in Hand, Westerly, R.I., birdxhand.com
WHILE SOME MARKETING RELIES ON EXAGGERATION, FANCY PICTURES AND SILLY PROMISES, OURS IS ALL ABOUT A COMPANY WHERE VALUES ARE, WELL, VALUED.
This is Tara. She’s our Marketing Director. She’s a savvy, creative leader who’s always finding the smartest ways to champion our brand. From developing strategy and choosing media to overseeing advertising and attending industry events, Tara’s committed to ensuring our principles and craftsmanship are always front and center. Of course, it’s not that hard for her since her foundation is the same as ours when it comes to work values — honesty, integrity, and craft from the ground up.
