New England Living - Issue 1 2022

VEGAN DINING // FAMILY DESTINATIONS // CREATIVE FORCES

NEW ENGL AND

LIVING outdoor

living

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CULINARY LEGEND JACQUES PÉPIN A NANTUCKET COMPOUND GEARED FOR GATHERING

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The indoors, now outdoorsy.

Meet Skycove™, an immersive outdoor experience designed to be enjoyed within the comfort of the indoors. Seamlessly connect your home to light and add valuable space with Skycove’s innovative glass structure, for a cozy space wrapped in views.

Because the feeling of nature is far too perfect to leave outside.

Invite the outdoors in at marvin.com/NESkycove

©2022 Marvin Lumber and Cedar Co., LLC. All rights reserved.

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©2022 Marvin Lumber and Cedar Co., LLC. All rights reserved. ©2021 Marvin Lumber and Cedar Co., LLC. rights reserved. ©2021 Marvin Lumber and Cedar Co., LLC. AllAll rights reserved.

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IN THE ISSUE 12 EDITOR’S NOTE NEW & NOTEWORTHY 14

FASHION INFLUENCERS Exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum, Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love

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GOOD ON PAPER Brewster Wallcoverings maintains its relevance for over a century.

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UP AND COMING New England Living TV host Rachel Holt dishes about the season’s new episodes.

DESIGN 22 PLAY STATIONS Maquette Kids gives children the chance to be the architects of their dream dollhouses.

24 ST YLE FILE Home design trends and project spotlights.

32 RECLAIMED, REKINDLED, REMARKABLE The renovation of a kitchen in the Berkshires takes cues from original antique details.

39 SHINE BRIGHT Kohler’s new lighting collection illuminates and inspires.

ARTS + CRAFTS 48 AT THE WHEEL Potter Jill Rosenwald focuses on her creativity.

54 YOU’RE INVITED Classic letterpress techniques paired with artistic sensibilities make Gus & Ruby a standout.

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58 ART FROM LIFE Artist Kate Schelter transforms simple elements that surround her into vibrant paintings.

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IN THE ISSUE COMMUNITY 66 POINT OF SAIL The genius behind the familyrun Sperry Tents is rooted in its love of sailing.

74 FULL CIRCLE Acclaimed designer Ken Fulk returns to his Boston roots and goes beyond to the Berkshires.

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78 GUIDED INTUITION Spirit medium Maureen Hancock provides hope and healing.

FUN 82 SPACE PRESERVATION Fredrick Law Olmsted’s iconic public parks are more relevant than ever.

86 CHILD’S PLAY 8 Family Friendly Resorts that celebrate old fashioned fun.

SPACES 92 JOURNEY BY DESIGN Northern Italy meets New England in a waterfront Connecticut home.

FOOD 118 HUNGRY FOR MORE The demand for plant-based restaurants in New England is on the rise.

122 JOIE DE VIVRE Legendary chef Jacques Pépin finds delight in whatever he does.

OUTDOOR LIVING 128 OUTER FOCUS Lush landscapes made for alfresco entertaining.

REAL ESTATE 138 SUMMER IN THE SUBURBS Two West of Boston residences with endless appeal.

FINAL THOUGHT 144 A Newport Summer by Nick Miele and Ruthie Sommers.

ON THE COVER

100 SITE SPECTACULAR A minimalist-inspired home with an edgy material palette is all about the views.

106 FAMILY FIRST A expansive compound is poised to become a beloved, multi-generational retreat.

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Cottages on Nantucket Harbor captured by PJ Havel.

N E W E N G L A N D L I V I N G. T V

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Walter_

A WORRY-FREE TAX SEASON IS ON THE HORIZON

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If you love the concept of coastal living, check out my new book At Home on the Water (Gibbs Smith). It features 12 houses in various sizes, shapes, and styles throughout the country that are located on the ocean.

With gorgeous images taken by leading photographers, the book focuses on the design of the homes and sheds light on how the homeowners live in them.

EDITOR’S NOTE

NE W E NG L A ND

VOLUME 6 • NUMBER 1 PUBLISHER

Tom Clarke PRESIDENT

Sean Clarke EDITOR–IN–CHIEF

Jaci Conry CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Sharon Bartholomew ............................................

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Lori Hawes ............................................

CFO

Chris Parker CONTROLLER

Kelsey Hodde ............................................

MARKETING

Mike Nelson Sam Pericolo

SUMMER LIVING At last, we can exhale: the wait is over, the season so many of us New Englanders live for has arrived: summer. There’s no way to sugarcoat it, winters here are tough and spring—though I do feel deeply grateful when those early tulips and magnolia blossoms burst—can be fickle: one day the sun is so warm you’re sporting short sleeves, while the next day can very likely be freezing.

The time has come for outdoor living: for boating and beach days, for the scent of fresh cut grass, ice cream cones, and long, lazy evenings. This issue of New England Living celebrates summer with an article devoted to family travel, “Child’s Play,” that details a sampling of New England resorts that include an array of kid-focused activities. We also showcase a striking multi-generational Nantucket retreat designed by architecture firm Mellowes & Paladino featuring abundant indoor and outdoor spaces that are geared to summer living, group hangouts, and relaxation.

Another home that is particularly lovely in the summer is the subject of “Site Spectacular.” Designed

by Beinfield Architects and located in Norwalk, CT, almost the entire back of the three-level home is sheathed in glass to capture the glistening expanse of Long Island Sound.

Kate Schelter has spent summers on Cape Cod for her entire life. An artist inspired by her

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Jocelyn Nace ............................................

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

surroundings, I spoke with Kate about her classic watercolor motifs and her laid-back summer lifestyle for the article “Art from Life.” This issue also spotlights another creative force, Boston potter Jill Rosenwald, whose gorgeous pieces feature bold hues and lively patterns. “You’re Invited” has an artisanal spin as well: it focuses on print studio Gus & Ruby, a boutique operation that creates beautiful, one-of-a-kind letterpress invitations on a vintage press with outposts in Boston, Maine, and New Hampshire.

Though his business is based on the West Coast, multifaceted and internationally renowned designer Ken Fulk spends much of the year in Provincetown.

He’s recently conceived magnificent transformations of some of Boston’s most iconic buildings. He shares some tidbits from those projects as well as a few details about his latest endeavor: the revival of Berkshires’ Gilded Age manse Blantrye, slated to reopen to the public this fall.

There’s much more to this issue, I hope you have time to take it all in.

Lisa Cavanaugh Marni Elyse Katz Danna Lorch Stacey Marcus Juliet Pennington Janice Randall Rohlf Jen Sperry CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jim Fuhrman Somerby Jones Jared Kuzia Meg Matyia Corinna Raznikov Nat Rea Lesley Unruh Lisa Vollmer ............................................

ADVERTISING CONTACT

Eric Lange erklange@aim.com 617-290-1820 ............................................

Happy Summer!

Published by

Tide Street Group www.tidestreetgroup.com

Jaci Conry Editor-in-Chief

FOLLOW @newenglandlivingtv

Single copy price $5.95/$6.95 Canada. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher disclaims all responsibility for omissions, errors, and unsolicited materials.

Printed in the USA.

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T H E A L L- N E W P R I N C E S S X 8 0 E X P E R I E N C E T H E E X C E P T I O N A L®

P R I N C E S S YAC H T S . C O M

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NEW & NOTEWORTHY

Fashion Influencer new exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum, Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, pays homage to the creative life and legacy of fashion designer Patrick Kelly, June 25 - November 6. Kelly had an unprecedented rise in fashion, born in 1954, he drew inspiration from his Black heritage and his experiences growing up in the American South. His fearless yet lighthearted designs pushed racial and cultural boundaries and were rooted in expressions of love and joy.

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The exhibition features footage from Kelly’s exuberant and groundbreaking fashion shows and over 75 fully accessorized runway ensembles created between 1984 to 1989. After attending Parsons School of Design, in 1979 Kelly moved to Paris where he bought fabric at local street markets that he sewed on a borrowed sewing machine, turning out a number of items a day. Kelly dressed his model friends in body-conscious knits, which they would wear around the city, becoming living advertisements of his vision. Bergdorf Goodman found Kelly’s designs

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(Left) Kelly with models at one of his last fashion shows. (Above) Kelly liked to embellish his designs with buttons and other textural details.

fun, chic, affordable and Parisian and purchased his firs collection, which skyrocketed his career.

Kelly’s colorful creations embodied fast fashion of the 1980s, a style that responded to fluctuating t ends and allowed designers to be experimental in their use of fabrics.

At the time, fast fashion was equated with simple, narrow silhouettes paired with interchangeable pieces that ensured maximum impact for minimal cost. To keep wholesale costs down, Kelly, who passed away from complications related to AIDS in 1990, often featured dresses sold with separately packaged buttons, bows, and hearts that wearers could pin on themselves.

Kelly’s originality and distinctive vision came through in his exuberant runway shows, which opened with the designer spray-painting a heart on the back wall of the stage in the spirit of urban street art. “Kelly’s short but inspiring career produced ten collections in just six years.

He promoted powerful messages of joy and love, while addressing important cultural and social issues head on,” says Petra Slinkard, PEM’s Director of Curatorial Affairs and The Nancy B. Putnam Curator of Fashion and Textiles. “Kelly and his work have subsequently become touchstones for a number of established and emerging designers." pem.org N E W E N G L A N D L I V I N G. T V

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NEW & NOTEWORTHY

Good on Paper A NEW ENGLAND WALLPAPER HOUSE MAINTAINS ITS RELEVANCE FOR OVER A CENTURY.

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merican design enthusiasts became enthralled with the infini e possibilities of wallpaper during the second half of the 19th century, thanks to the advent and increased affordability of machine printed wallcoverings. Inspired by the industry’s momentum, Brewster Wallcovering Company launched in 1892. At the time, the company was one of several Boston wallpaper printing businesses; over the next 50 years, the family

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run-operation would expand to become the only one of its kind in the city, establishing a 120,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on A-Street in South Boston.

Now an international brand run by the fourth generation of the founding Grandberg family and based in Randolph, MA, Brewster Wallcovering Company was revamped in 2006 when homeowners began to gravitate toward the more minimal aesthetic of painted walls. Positioning itself as Brewster Home Fashions, the offerings expanded to include peel and stick wall décor and the establishment of a DIY brand, WallPops.

Gradually, interest in wallpaper renewed and the company launched an-house design label A-Street Prints (the name pays homage to its Boston origins). In recent years, the company has expanded further by incorporating collaboration-based collections to its product lines. Notable collaborations for A-Street Prints include vintage-inspired lifestyle brand, LoveShackFancy, while WallPops has launched peel and stick wallpaper collections with high profile t endsetters such as stylist-to-the-stars, Rachel Zoe. WallPops’ latest collaboration is with renowned Finnish textile and lifestyle brand, Marimekko. An icon of mid-century style known for its original prints and rich infusions of color, Marimekko’s most recognizable patterns were created by the artist Maija Isola. In 1964, Isola introduced Unikko, the vibrant poppy print that serves as the company’s de facto, defiantly floral, pat ern. Marimekko’s capsule wallpaper collection brings its signature bold, optimistic, and multi-layered motifs together in a way that feels both fresh and timeless which, in essence, is also the ethos that Brewster Home Fashions embodies. brewsterwallcovering.com

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M&P

Mellowes & Paladino Architects 508 - 625 - 1371

City | Town | Coastal

mellowespaladino.com

Builder: Cross Rip Builders; Landscape Designer: Jardins International; Interior Designer: Cynthia Hayes Interior Design; Photographer: Nat Rea

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NEW & NOTEWORTHY

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UP AND COMING NEW ENGLAND LIVING TV HOST, RACHEL HOLT, DISHES ABOUT THE SEASON’S NEW EPISODES. WHAT’S ON TAP FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON OF NEW ENGLAND LIVING?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THIS SUMMER?

We’re in the process of filming and ha e lots of fun and interesting stories to tell! We love helping people discover new places, whether it’s a small business or somewhere to visit. It makes me so happy when someone tells me they learned something new by watching the show!

Some of the spots we explore are the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Lowell’s Boat Shop, and Cleod Glassworks. Before we filmed, I hadn’t been to any of them and I’m excited to share those experiences with viewers who might not have been either. There were also a handful of places we went to, like Mill River Winery and Curio Spice Co., that are women-owned and operated. I loved hearing the journey of these female entrepreneurs and the reasons why they started their business.

In the summer, I’m a fan of being by the water— and of eating as much seafood as possible! The past few years I’ve been on a mission to find the best lobster roll in New England. Woodman's of Essex, Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery and The Barking Crab in the Seaport are all high up there in my rankings. They just taste better in the summer—it’s a fact, I don’t make the rules. If I’m staying in Boston, I’ll trade a lobster roll for a Fenway Frank and watch a Red Sox game any day. It doesn’t get much better than sitting at Fenway in the sunshine.

WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE EPISODES TO FILM? One that sticks out was going to Baker’s Island Light.

It’s a hidden gem so close to Boston. It’s located in Salem Sound and you can only get there by landing craft, so the journey there is part of the fun. The area has 10 acres of public space operated by Essex Heritage that can be explored. You can even stay overnight and camp there, which we didn’t do BUT we did get to take a tour of the lighthouse and the view from the top is amazing.

Another memorable moment was our cooking segment with Jacques Pépin at the Clarke Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove Showroom and Test Kitchen. That one is pretty self- explanatory because it was JACQUES PEPIN. Need I say any more?! I haven’t had an omelette since because his legendary French omelette will never be topped. I actually may never eat eggs again.

CAN YOU SHARE A FEW OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO GO IN NEW ENGLAND DURING THE SUMMER? Newport, Rhode Island is always amazing in the summer. I love sightseeing down Ocean Drive, the Cliff Walk, and of course there’s a number of great beaches to choose from. Portland, Maine is also a favorite. Always on the list is eating at a spot on the water, walking down the cobblestone streets and shopping, and an ice cream cone, obviously.

The last time I was there I went to some really cool speakeasies including Lincolns. It’s pretty hidden and I didn’t cheat by looking up the entrance location online, it’s definitely an adventure trying to find it. And I’m not telling you where it is: you’re on your own.

New England Living airs Sundays at 11:30 a.m. on WBZ-TV/CBS Boston Channel 4 from March through September. To see past episodes, visit cbsboston.com/newenglandliving.com

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NEW & NOTEWORTHY

Love Story JUST AS THE PANDEMIC TOOK HOLD, PHOTOGRAPHER KERRY BRETT LAUNCHED A MOTIVATIONAL ONLINE DATING PODCAST THAT HAS BECOME A WORLDWIDE SENSATION. erry Brett photographed celebrities for the cover of the Improper Bostonian for nearly three decades. When the city magazine shuttered in 2019, Brett, who also runs a successful lifestyle portrait studio in Hingham, had a little extra time on her hands.

Surprisingly, Brett found herself considering creating a podcast. Not a podcast focused on photography as one might expect such a seasoned pro in the field to do. But rather, the podcast Brett pondered, and ultimately launched in February 2020, Shot@Love, covers finding love in the realm of online dating.

“I was an early user of Tinder,” recalls Brett. “I had a lot of experiences and ultimately, I believe I cracked the code of online dating—I found love on Tinder.” She wanted to share the lessons she learned along the way in order to help listeners struggling with love realize they aren’t alone.

“My goal was to dismantle the shame associated with

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being single. You aren’t less than for being single or divorced,” says Brett. Within weeks after launching her first episode of Shot@Love in 2020, the world was in lockdown.

“When I started, 30 percent of single people in the country were online dating, within four weeks that number jumped to 96 percent,” recalls Brett, whose audience rapidly grew.

Presently, she has listeners in countries all over the world.

Here in the U.S., her listeners aren’t just in Boston either, in fact, there are more who are located in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Texas.

In the over 100 episodes of Shot@Love, Brett’s guests hail from all over the country and include authors, relationship experts, musicians, photographers, entrepreneurs and a host of others who speak on topics related to love.

“I have used a camera my whole life to tell people’s stories. Now, I use a microphone and it’s changed my life,” says Brett. “Doing this is so rewarding to me. I never knew I could love podcasting as much as photography.”

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PLAY STATIONS Page 22 STYLE FILES Page 24 RECLAIMED, REKINDLED, REMARKABLE Page 32 SHINE BRIGHT Page 38

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design | PLAY STATION

Furniture designed for the dollhouses includes beds with bedding in various hues.

PLAY STATIONS

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Maquette Kids gives children the chance to be the architects of their dream dollhouses.

By Jaci Conry

longtime furniture and product designer, Sarah Unruh had worked for top brands, including Martha Stewart and The Food Network. But she’d never considered designing toys until she had children.

“As my daughters began creating their own worlds with fabric scraps and found objects in our living room, I started thinking about making dollhouses,” says Unruh, who has lived in Northhampton, Massachusetts with her family since 2020. When she began pondering the concept of dollhouse design, they lived in Brooklyn. “Our apartment was small with high ceilings and I wanted a dollhouse that was tall and narrow that could utilize the footprint of our home,” she recalls.

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While many dollhouses in the market evoke a Victorian vibe, Unruh’s vision stemmed from their former Park Slope neighborhood of brownstones. “The idea was that you could have a bunch of the dollhouses grouped together to create the feeling of rowhouses or you could play with them individually,” she says.

In early 2020, Unruh’s line of modular dollhouses, coined Maquette Kids (derived from French, maquette is defined as “ small preliminary model”) went into production at a small factory in New Bedford. Each house comes flat-packed and is easily assembled by small hands in about four steps. While Maquette also has doll beds and adorably patterned accompanying linens in its line, houses are minimally adorned. The idea is that children will tap into their creativity to decorate their houses.

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“I WANTED KIDS TO HAVE A BLANK SLATE, A DOLLHOUSE WITH SPACES WHERE THEY COULD INCORPORATE THEIR OWN IMAGINATION.”

Sarah Unruh at home in Northampton with her daughters.

“I wanted kids to have a blank slate, a dollhouse with spaces where they could incorporate their own imagination,” says Unruh. Her own daughters have sheathed the walls of their dollhouses with wallpaper scraps, made hammocks for their Calico Critters, and furnished rooms with Origami chairs.

Unruh’s fl xible model has caught on quickly: several small boutiques in New England carry Maquette Kids—including Boston’s Kodomo and Boutique Little in Maine—and beyond.

And there are plans to expand the line, too. “We’re working on adding a carriage house and fi ehouse,” says Unruh. “And we’re always looking to collaborate with other designers in the world of miniatures.”

To learn more, visit maquettekids.com.

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STYLE FILES

SET IN STONE A pool house designed to recede with the setting is privy to pristine river views.

After a renovation of the main house, the homeowners were ready to tackle phase two, which involved adding a pool house to their riverfront property. The idea behind the design of the new structure, says architect Sabrina Foulke, was to tuck the pool house to the side of the main residence so its view of the river wasn’t impeded. “We also wanted the pool house to blend in and feel as though it had always been a part of the setting,” says Foulke, noting that the exterior of structure is made of granite and is integrated with stone retaining walls that surround the pool area.

“Traveling from the main house down to the pool, we wanted one to come upon the house as a hidden surprise that felt like an old ruin,” says Foulke. Seamlessly integrated with the Ipe pool deck, the pool house is capped with a copper roof and uses Marvin’s corner multi slide doors. Two walls of the structure are made up of three ten-foot high by five-foot wide motorized doors— totaling 15 feet of glass on each side. A motorized system enables the oversized doors to slide open.

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When the doors are closed, the glass is segmented in four panes which mimic the style of the main home’s windows without breaking up the view.

The pool house has three changing rooms and a full bathroom in addition to the large main room that integrates fully with the deck when the doors are open. “The homeowners didn’t want a tv in the space so that if it was pouring rain or 100 degrees and you had to be under cover, you could go inside and with the doors open and still feel like you were outside,” says Foulke.

In order to be flush with the deck, the sills of the doors a e under the decking material, where a complex water drainage system was installed as well. The exterior framing for the doors and a structural steel beam were painted grey to match the stone veining, while the doors, which align up to the ceiling, remain white on the interior. Rather than opt for open swaths of glass, the doors are divided into four panes so they match the windows of the main house. The bluestone flooring has an ou door feel which emphasizes the idea that the space is considered an outdoor room.

Architect: PointeOne Architects, pointonearchitects.com Builder: Herrle Custom Homes, herrlecustomhomes.com Marvin Dealer: Ring’s End, ringsend.com

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STYLE FILES

TRADING SPACES

By relocating this kitchen from the back of the home, it’s more centralized, functional, and gleaming with distinction.

After city living in tight quarters for several years, the homeowners set their sights on this spacious Shingle Style home on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Built in 1891, the house had been renovated and added on to over the decades. “The kitchen was at the far back of the house—it felt very remote and disconnected from the rest of the home,” says Michele Kelly, lead designer at Venegas and Company, who had designed the homeowners’ previous kitchen in Beacon Hill.

When she saw the plans, Kelly’s first eaction was that

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the kitchen needed to be moved to a more central location.

The layout was reconfigu ed to put the kitchen where the former dining room had been while a porch was removed to accommodate a bump-out that enlarged the new space.

The kitchen is airy without feeling oversized, a breakfast room accommodates family meals, while a quick bite can be had at the island. Cabinets are painted a custom shade of blue that appears green at certain times of day. “The first kitchen we did for the family was much more traditional in style. It was white with elaborate dentil moldings and

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An induction cooktop is paired with a teppanyaki griddle; (left) Visual Comfort pendants have brass accents; (below) the butler’s pantry has a high-gloss finish.

delicate finishes,” says elly. “Given the size of this room and the abundance of natural light, the homeowners were comfortable going bold as long as we tempered it with other materials,” says Kelly, noting the white porcelain counters and brass hardware and lighting; thin bands of brass are also inset around the drawers in the island.

A Wolf cooktop was selected by the homeowner, who loves to use induction, along with an adjacent Teppanyaki griddle. Sub-Zero Designer Series refrigerator and freezer columns flank each side of the coffee station—which can be enclosed with pocket doors when not in use—while a Sub-Zero wine storage unit along with refrigerator and freezer drawers were installed in the nearby butler’s pantry.

“The kitchen is more traditional in construction, but it feels more modern by the incorporation of the brass, which adds a touch of sparkle,” says Kelly.

Venegas and Company, located in Boston’s South End, is unique in that it combines the bespoke offering of a mill work operation with the convenience of a showroom experience. “We are best known for our kitchens, but we work on all areas of private residences,” says Donna Venegas. “We take pride in collaborating with other design professionals and enjoy working on large teams to achieve a complete overhaul of a home like this one.”

Kitchen Design: Venegas and Company, venegasandcompany.com Architecture: SV Design, svdesign.com Builder: Silva Brothers, silvabrothers.com Photography by: Jared Kuzia

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AESTHETIC EVOLUTION Kohler’s new Anthem and Statement shower collections offer the utmost convenience in a striking visual package.

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One of Anthem’s new digital controls; a matte black showerhead from the Statement collection.

Kohler’s new Anthem shower valves and controls were born from a mission to go beyond industry standards. Available in either digital or mechanical versions, the shower valves are a result of precise engineering and best-in-industry technical expertise, they offer innovative ways to manipulate flow, temperature, and water.

Acting as a control center to achieve the most personalized shower experience, Anthem’s precise and uncluttered digital controls were designed to make bringing technology into the shower space seamless, says Christeen Suwaizdis, Design Consultant from the Kohler Signature Store by Supply New England in Natick, MA. The line’s mechanical controls are an intuitive design that puts complete control over pressure, spray, and temperature more in the hands of the user. There’s even an optional remote start button that can be placed anywhere in the bathroom or adjoining room.

From a design perspective, says Suwaizdis, “Anthem shower valves have a clean, unexpected, and very modern look. They are available in a full range of finishes, including brushed brass, matte black, polished chrome, brushed nickel, matte black & brushed brass, and polished nickel coming in 2023.“ The Anthem digital control offers built-in, preconfiguring hydrotherapies designed to enhance well-being with targeted experiences that can relax, invigorate, or deliver a sense of escape.

Among the selections is Wake Up, a setting in which spray begins at a midrange temperature to ease the user into the experience with warmth gently increasing throughout the shower.

Shine/Tone begins with a gentle warmth and after seven minutes the temperature slowly decreases to help lock in moisture for skin and hair. Sleep Simple is geared to help relax the body in preparation for sleep.

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The new showerhead designs pair vintage modernism with a contemporary sensibility.

Inspired by iconic domestic objects, says Suwaizdis, Kohler’s Statement showering collection is defined by unique shapes and sizes. With voluminous, approachable designs, the collection of showerheads echoes the minimal modernism of the past paired with a contemporary sensibility that take cues from lighting elements and furniture to evoke warmth.

The Statement showerheads provide powerful spray experiences that create immersive showering environments for rinsing, massaging, and restoring. Each component is paired with the sprays that best suit its use and settings include: Ribbon Massage where water cascades at an angled stream to target the shoulders, Deep Massage creates a slow kneading pattern with a strong sense of water that twists and swirls, and Full Coverage Rain has gravity-fed droplets to envelop the body in a gentle spray.

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With multiple rain and showerhead styles and four different hand shower options, flexibility is a cornerstone of the Statement collection. Each model can be paired with different valves and controls for countless configurations and like Anthem, Statement elements are available in a slew of finishes to match your personal design sensibility.

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Reclaimed, Rekindled, Remarkable This Berkshires kitchen takes cues from the home’s original antique details to create a distinctive space with enduring appeal.

By Marni Elyse Katz | Photography by Lisa Vollmer

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When the project was complete, homeowner Jacque Ivory’s motherin-law gave them her long-cherished cutting board that she bought for $20 at a tag sale many years ago. Designer Jess Cooney left the cabinetry in the pantry untouched, scratches, and burn marks intact. The Cole & Son wallcovering adds a touch of whimsy.

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The owners’ 210-pound English Mastiff, Teddy, checks out offerings in the kitchen, painted Benjamin Moore China White. Devol plumbing fixtures offer a bygone feel.

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acque Ivory and her husband like things that look old and worn, complete with dings and dents. “We are not a hip and modern couple,” Ivory laughs. “Scratched, dented, and chipped is what we like best.” When it came time to remodel the kitchen in their crooked farmhouse in the Berkshires, Ivory knew that Great Barrington-based designer Jess Cooney, whose work she had followed for years, would do them right. “Jess is very tied to sourcing local and reclaimed materials,” Ivory says. “There is nothing big box store about this kitchen, and it will only get better with age.”

While Ivory wanted a kitchen infused with character, she also wanted it to be bright, light, and white. In designing the scheme, Cooney and her team started with classic, white Shaker style cabinets then looked to other parts of the 1890 farmhouse for inspiration. “We brought in the idea of incorporating arched wood cabinets based on cabinetry in the original dining room that has lovely curves,” Cooney says. “The recessed arch shelf on the opposite wall emulates that detail too.”

Cooney used Douglas fir reclaimed from a musical instrument maker who had leftover material. The arched wood cabinets flank the eight-burner Wolf range (another homeowner must-have) as the room’s focal point; a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer are concealed with panels. Hand-rubbed bronze cremone bolts accentuate the cabinets’ antique feel. There was enough Douglas fir to make the base of the island too.

All of it is stained to match the original millwork in the attached butler’s pantry.

“We have such great resources for reclaimed wood in the Berkshires,” says Cooney. “It gives things an instant patina so they feel less precious from the start.”

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Cooney closed up three of the room’s seven doors in order to create a more cohesive plan.

Speaking of patina, honed Danby marble runs up the wall behind the range, where it’s punctuated by an unlacquered brass pot filler. It also tops the counters around the perimeter and the eight-foot-long center island. “The honed marble looks stunning and feels wonderful, but it’s not for the faint of heart,” Ivory says. “My husband is an avid and messy cook. Jess and Lauren [one of Cooney’s design associates] said to just let him be, that the marble will look even prettier a hundred years from now when it’s stained and etched.”

One place that Cooney advised the couple to steer clear of wood was the floor. While Ivory longed for floorboards that blended with the ones in the adjacent rooms, Cooney said no way. Instead, she recommended a durable complementary

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alternative—tumbled, limestone tiles with radiant heat. “They got a giant English Mastiff puppy during the project,” the designer says. “I knew from experience that he would scratch the floors, slobber, and drool.” Ivory concedes that the tiles, which run throughout the mud and laundry rooms too, have been particularly brilliant during mud season.

To accommodate the couple’s desire for a casual place to eat, the team tucked a pew-like banquette into the far end of the room across from the pantry. Although not fashioned from the same reclaimed Douglas fir as the island and arched cabinets, it looks plenty in keeping with the scheme. "I told the cabinetmaker, who also made the table, to beat it with chains and throw things at it so it would look like it was pulled out of an old church,” Ivory says.

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The arched niche with brass rails emulates details found elsewhere in the house. (Left) Doug the cat stands on the folding counter in the new laundry room.

The banquette has a view into the butler’s pantry which the design team dressed up with Cole & Son “Secret Garden” wallpaper. Cooney notes that the meandering leafy vines studded with clamshells and snails is “a whimsical counterbalance to the dark, serious wood” cabinetry. Ivory, who calls the paper a “showstopper,” is in awe of the whole setup. “I never had a walk-in pantry before so the china and crystal only came out for special occasions,” she says. “Now we use our Waterford wine glasses all the time.”NEL

Interior Design: Jess Cooney Interiors, jesscooney.com Builder: Dick Coon Construction, dickcoonconstruction.com Cabinetmaker: Erik O.F. Schutz, eofscabinets.com

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SHINE BRIGHT Kohler’s new lighting collections ILLUMINATE and INSPIRE.

By Janice Randall Rohlf

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Brand new this year, seven Kohler lighting collections offer an eclectic array of designs from classical to contemporary that will add eyecatching interest to most any new room or one calling out for a refresh.

The variety in these collections is sure to match your needs, whether you are searching for a sconce, pendant, chandelier, bath bar, or flush mount. Ext emely versatile in size and composition, these lighting elements come in a distinctive range of exquisitely crafted finishes o complement or offset your space.

We asked Kohler Signature Store kitchen and bath designer Hafsat Ibrahim to train her expert eye on each collection. Here, she includes her personal recommendations for layering in other Kohler pieces including hardware and vanities.

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TERRET

TIMELESS EQUESTRIAN STYLE Originating in English country décor, Terret’s curated design

approach gained a devoted following through such iconic fashion houses as Ralph Lauren, Gucci, and Hermès. The collection evokes a gentle pastoral era while feeling unmistakably modern, with vintage touches adorning each striking fixtu e.

Hafsat Ibrahim: This collection offers unique metal detailing that accentuates a timeless, classic design. In a bathroom, I would pair it with the Artifacts collection, specifically the marble-accented faucets, and a Harken vanity.

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HI: Giving off a luxurious vibe from the sleek clean lines to the consistency of the texture, this collection adds a bold aesthetic that complements an eclectic space. Pair it with the symmetrical Pinstripe faucet collection.

TRESDOUX

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD DRAMA REVIVED Rooted in a lush, vintage design that pairs ribbed glass

with exquisite metal finishes, Tresdoux delivers a modern take on the Hollywood Regency style popularized throughout the 1920s to the 1940s. The fixtu es feel sumptuous and rich, while never overpowering the space.

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OCCASSION

A CELEBRATION OF HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR These fixtu es feature a soft pentagonal form as a core design element— repeating and reconfiguring o give the collection its distinctive look reminiscent of the sophistication and extravagance of 1960s Hollywood fashion.

HI: Occasion brings luxurious ambient lighting to a space, adding a modern look with a touch of traditional elements.

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HI: The new Purist lighting truly enhances the existing bath collection. The light fixtu es perpetuate the shape of the original bath faucet, making it easy to complete the collection.

Outside of the Purist bath collection, the light pairs well with the Enivo vanity.

PURIST

MINIMALISM WITH SUBSTANCE With chic, unembellished forms created from beautiful, enduring materials, this collection offers a quiet, organic, and elegant look. The array of

contemporary lighting features bent tubes, intersecting cylinders, and concave ends, a look inspired by the iconic Purist faucet design.

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KRAGA

MODERN SCULPTURAL STYLE Each fixture in this collection feels as much an art piece as it does a lighting element, with structured metal linework complementing smooth glass orbs in an array of configurations that combine streamlined simplicity with bold compositions.

HI: With its unique curved shape, this light pairs well with the Components ribbon sink spout.

As for a vanity, I recommend one from the sleek Lodern collection.

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HI: This collection is rooted in a transitional design with an urban twist that adds a lavish touch to any space. Combine it with the Bancroft faucet collection, and you cannot go wrong with the fresh, high-end style of the Winnow vanity.

BELLERA

RETURN TO THE BELLE EPOQUE Turn-of-the-century Parisian glamour is the inspiration behind Bellara, a style that feels welcomingly traditional while still reflecting unmista ably contemporary appeal. The sculptural design pairs angular details with striking curves for a versatile array of pieces.

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TONE

THE SPLENDOR OF MINIMALISM This collection follows in the beloved mid-century tradition of uncluttered shapes and clean lines— forms crafted according to their function.

Tone lighting takes its inspiration from Eero Saarinen’s Tulip table design, building on the soft teardrop shape the Finnish architect made famous and pairing it with a domed glass shade.

HI: This unique light offers the opportunity to mix metals and really add a pop to a space.

The minimalist design creates a warmth that the Beauxline vanity will complement.

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arts + crafts AT THE WHEEL Page 48 YOU'RE INVITED Page 54 ART FROM LIFE Page 58

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Jill Rosenwald juggles Large Bee Bowls in the studio’s Delft colorway.

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At the Wh eel

AFTER MASTERING THE ART OF INSTAGRAM TO MARKET HER FLOURISHING BUSINESS, POTTER JILL ROSENWALD IS FOCUSING ON HER CREATIVITY AGAIN. B Y Marni Elyse Katz P H OT O G R A P H Y B Y Somerby Jones

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Narrow stiles and rails on the home's casement and picture windows ensure large, uninterrupted expanses of glass.

The studio offers a dozen shades of green and metallic gold accents.

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ill Rosenwald has come full circle. After 25plus tumultuous years helming her eponymous ceramics business, which has pulled her farther and farther away from making things with her own hands, Rosenwald has once again taken a seat at the potter’s wheel. “When you run a small business, you move away from making things,” says Rosenwald, whose studio is in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood. “You get pushed out of the job when you become successful.”

A 2022 New Year’s resolution to make time to be creative has Rosenwald honing her craft.

“The truth is, I’m only an okay potter; that’s why I started out making earrings,” she says, referring to the post-college entrepreneurial endeavor that ignited her make it and hawk it career. “If you don’t make room to express yourself creatively, you won’t.”

Rosenwald learned to throw pots as an art major at Hamilton College, following a culturally rich upbringing on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and summers at what she calls “artsyfartsy” camps. That said, she never mastered the skill. Instead, she made and sold “piles of truly terrible clay earrings,” before finding success making “gift-y” ceramic wares.

Rosenwald’s early vases and bowls embraced 1980s era iconography, such as cowboy hats, cacti, and Keith Herring-inspired characters. “Everything I made was tonguein-cheek,” she says. “They really matched my personality at the time: goofy with an edge…”

By the early-to-mid-2000s, Rosenwald hit her stride with Pucci-esque pots with as many as 10 or 12 colors per piece. Then the recession hit. In 2009, she started over with pared back

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Clockwise from left: Gloucester Swoosh Smorgasboard Tray; Café Au Lait Bowl in Slinky Stripe; Rosenwald and her new pillow collection.

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An array of blues in geometric and painterly patterns.

pieces. “I realized preppy people like my stuff.”

Today’s designs are more consumer-driven, but Rosenwald’s essence shines through. She keeps the noise to a minimum—each vessel has only one or sometimes two colors—but there are 48 patterns, 100 shapes, and 500 colors from which to choose. “The playful part is in the number of options,” she says.

The lively, and yes, approachable, patterns handpainted in oh-so-pretty colors make for good pictures.

That’s important, especially since Covid when Rosenwald’s business shifted again, this time for the better. Selling her inventory via Instagram—she has about 30K followers—in order to pay her employees during the shutdown was a resounding success. While the company boasts about 100 adored retail partners, lots of sales now happen on social media.

Rosenwald loves the direct-to-consumer model where

she says, “everyone shows up.” She can communicate with customers, offer behind-the-scenes footage, and be her wacky self. “Once they’re invested in me as the clay lady, they love to see me as a real person,” she says. “They also love my opinions about award shows; a topic I know nothing about.”

Will TikTok come next? “I think TikTok is a medium for doing dances. Should I be doing dances? I could, I like dancing,” Rosenwald answers with an effervescent burst. “I asked my daughter, who said no, those aren’t my people. Do I think it’s important? Probably.”

In the meantime, Rosenwald is working on a fabric line with said daughter, who is also an artist, and having fun throwing pots after lunch a few times a week. “They’re quirky and misshapen, but have a certain charm to them,” she says of her newest creations. “I don’t know where it’s going, but who cares? You just gotta have faith.”NEL N E W E N G L A N D L I V I N G. T V

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You're Invited ...

By Danna Lorch

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Samantha Finigan and Whitney Swaffiel

LIKE PENCIL TO NOTEBOOK, OR WASHI TAPE TO SCRAPBOOK, THESE TWO FRIENDS ARE A PERFECT PAIRING OF ENTREPRENEURIAL AND CREATIVE. WHITNEY SWAFFIELD AND SAMANTHA FINIGAN ARE THE CO-OWNERS OF GUS & RUBY, A CUSTOM DESIGN AND PRINT STUDIO AND TRIO OF BRICK AND MORTAR RETAIL STORES IN NEW ENGLAND. “WHITNEY HAS AWESOME TECHNIQUE AND AN INCREDIBLE LEGACY OF PRINTING. AND I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO OWN MY OWN BUSINESS,” EXPLAINS FINIGAN. The duo first met p e-husbands and pre-kids while working together at an advertising agency. They grew close while walking their dogs, the eponymous Gus and Ruby.

When Swaffield got engaged it was obvious that as a designer, she should create her own invitations. “I knew that letterpress had come back into style because I was seeing it on all the wedding blogs,” she remembers. Her grandfather was a letterpress printer, and her father continues to run the family printshop in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. “My dad had two letterpresses at his shop, and I asked him if we could dust them off and get them going.”

A bridesmaid, Finigan got hands-on with the project, literally rolling up her sleeves to help print the invitations. After the wedding, they continued creating projects for friends’ nuptials, first working on a 19th century Chandler & Price press that required hand-feeding paper into the printer, before purchasing a vintage 1950’s letterpress that demands less elbow grease.

Finigan remembers, “We noticed pretty quickly that although there were a lot of cool new wedding planners and

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venues, no one in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area was offering contemporary wedding invitations.” They took a daring leap and founded Gus & Ruby in 2009 to fill that niche From the beginning, Gus & Ruby broke with classic letterpress technique (which leaves a flat impression), and instead pushed the printing plates into ink and paper, making the letters deep enough to trace with a fingertip. he effect is charming, handmade, and sometimes wonderfully imperfect.

In 2009, the friends opened the first brick and mortar Gus & Ruby location in Portsmouth’s historic district, immediately recognizable by its façade painted a shade of blue that calls to mind summer hydrangeas. Gus & Ruby now has additional locations in Portland, Maine and on Charles Street in Boston, which opened in 2020. The shops are loved for their imaginative window displays in whimsical themes like honeycomb or mushrooms with colorful stationary offerings mixed in.

If you visit, you might bump into Swaffield and Finigan’s tribe of kids. “I really hope they will want to take over the business someday,” the friends wish out loud, almost in unison.

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(Below) A vintage letterpress requires hand-feeding paper into the printer. (Above) A sampling of invitations created by Gus & Ruby.

Rather than offering a boring sample invitation album to flip th ough in the back of the shop, Gus & Ruby offers a highend, utterly bespoke experience. When couples arrive for a consultation, Finigan and her team pour flu es of champagne and scribble copious notes on inspiration, color palette, and little details about their clients’ lives. Next, Swaffield and he designers infuse the invitations with thoughtful personality.

Finigan shared one of their favorite wedding invitations: “We had a couple that drank espresso martinis in the North End on their first da e after a Red Sox game, so on their Save The Date we printed a tiny martini glass.”

Last year, two clients emerged following the pandemic lockdown to plan a summer wedding on Martha’s Vineyard.

Their palpable joy comes through in the invitations. Warm sunset oranges and pinks communicate a laidback East Coast weds West Coast vibe that truly set the tone for celebrating Scan here love. “We hope that these invitations to watch the will become a tangible heirloom of episode. the day,” Finigan says wistfully. NEL N E W E N G L A N D L I V I N G. T V

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Bedding was selected to match the red geranium blooms that Schelter painted on the wall.

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ART FROM LIFE ARTIST KATE SCHELTER TRANSFORMS THE SIMPLE ELEMENTS THAT SURROUND HER INTO VIBRANT PAINTINGS WITH DEEP RESONANCE.

By J AC I C O N R Y Photography by L E S L E Y U N R U H

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Schelter paints a floral series on the porch of her home.

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ate Schelter says she “grew up with a paintbrush in her hand.” Indeed, there’s endless evidence to support Schelter’s life-long creative streak, including a photo on her website of her as a big-smiled seven-year-old wearing a curtain valance belted with a ribbon that Schelter deems her “first handmade mini-skirt.”

Another snapshot features an abstract watercolor painting that earned Schelter a Scholastic Art Prize in 10th grade.

After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in the mid-1990s, Schelter, a long-time New Yorker who now

lives in Pennsylvania and spends summers on Cape Cod, worked as a stylist for fashion labels and magazines including Vanity Fair and Vogue. By 2007, her primary focus was working as a creative director on brand campaigns for clients including Architectural Digest, Bonpoint, and Toyota.

As a brand and image consultant, Schelter also works for the hospitality industry, including the storied Colony Hotel in Miami, where she reimagined its entire essence, designing all collateral and amenities— from the in-room stationery and restaurant table linens to bikes and surfboards.

Gradually, Schelter’s clients tapped into her innate artistic sensibility and

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began asking her to create art for their brands.

At the Colony Hotel, for example, her art not only adorns walls, it was made into to fabric that’s upholstered on the seat cushions of the hotel beach buggy. Her evocative watercolors struck a larger audience and soon Schelter was picking up her brushes regularly to paint small works for commissions. Her first sol painting exhibit, curated by John Derian, took place in 2014, and interest in her artwork hasn’t slowed since.

“I paint what I love. I use the same muscle I use as a fashion stylist and creative director: my gut,” says Schelter. She’s inspired by everyday items, the objects that

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surround her. “I might paint a pair of shoes that I love or my bike,” she notes. These simple items in the backdrop of her life are portrayed vividly with a touch of whimsy: the condiments set out for a picnic; freshly washed kale in a colander; retro cars that represent her 1980s childhood; hydrangeas surrounding her home on the Cape.

Schelter’s paintings resonate with a large audience in part because they are relatable and exude a classic sense of style that hits a nostalgic cord for many, especially those with New England ties who recognize her subjects—L.L. Bean tote bags, Nantucket baskets, wooden tennis rackets, fisherman

Walls in the main living spaces feature nautical accents and an array of Schelter’s creations.

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sweaters, and Sperry sneakers—as iconic symbols of the region.

Travel has long fueled Schelter’s creative energy and she brings her paintbrushes wherever she goes. “When I look at a new place, I’m taking in more details, observing it with fresh eyes in a way that someone living there wouldn’t,” she says. In a similar vein, she enjoys the change of seasons and the way her senses are heightened when she arrives on Cape Cod every June for the season.

Schelter grew up spending summers in the area and several years ago she and her husband bought a house down the road

from the one her mother lives in. “As soon as we get there, we open the windows and keep them open,” she says. “I paint outside on the Cape and while I could do that in other places, for some reason, I’m not drawn to.”

Schelter captures sunflowers at a nearby farm where her children— she has three of them—run among the six-foot-high stalks. Other times, she depicts the flora in her backyard or the natural elements she observes in a nearby landscape. “I have this big board that I put in my trunk and drive off to paint in a field.

It’s an amazing feeling,” she says.

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The geraniums that Schelter plants in pots every season are one of her favorite painting motifs.

Schelter’s creativity extends to the interior design of her homes. On the Cape, her aesthetic has a timeless simplicity punctuated by artful flourishes; in a twin bedroom, for example, walls feature a mural of free-flowing geraniums in her signature style.

She paints with her eightyear-old daughter on occasion and while her little one is hard on herself for not being as good as her mom yet, Schelter loves her daughter’s own evolving personal style. “When my daughter wants to draw a

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particular item, she often does google searches that come up with step-by-step tutorials,” says Schelter, who encourages her not to follow such directions, but rather to create her own imperfect version. “When you copy someone else’s work, it’s not your own style anymore,” she says. “It’s important to give yourself the freedom to just create.” NEL

To view more of Kate Schelter’s work, go to kateschelter.com or @kateschelter

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community POINT OF SAIL Page 66 FULL CIRCLE Page 74 GUIDED INTUITION Page 78

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POINT of

By Jennifer Sperry

Corinna Raznikov Photography

SAIL

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Corinna Raznikov Photography

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Hurricane Bob was one of New England’s most destructive hurricanes. It hit in August 1991, causing a storm surge of 10-15 feet in Buzzards Bay that devasted unlucky boats and coastal homes along its path. In Marion, Massachusetts, home to sailing mecca Sippican Harbor, downed trees and power lines mingled with listless boats littering the shore.

For brothers Tim and Matt Sperry, who grew up in Marion and were working for their dad’s sail loft that summer, the historic storm had a silver lining.

The duo had been looking for a boat big enough (and affordable enough) for a circumnavigation.

“We had discussed sailing around the world over the years, but once I finished my deg ee, we decided to give it a shot,” recalls Tim Sperry. “Hurricane Bob brought us Lazarus, a wrecked 41-foot yawl. She was in our budget, but we had to spend a year fixing her up in our f ee time.”

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With three childhood friends rounding out the crew of fi e, Lazarus departed in October 1992.

Two-and-a-half years later, after experiencing the Panama Canal, New Zealand, the Cape of Good Hope, and many intriguing stops along the way, the circumnavigators returned to cheers, foghorn blasts, and tight hugs from relieved friends and family. Each sailor had enough stories for two lifetimes and a newfound appreciation for showers and silverware (which kept getting tossed overboard accidentally with the dish water).

“We were also broke,” recalls Tim with a chuckle. He and Matt went back to work for their dad, Steve Sperry, at Sperry Sails straightaway. Luckily, the increasing popularity of an emerging product, the Sperry Tents, meant there was enough room for both brothers to make their mark.

Corinna Raznikov Photography

“Hurricane Bob brought us Lazarus, a wrecked 41-foot yawl. She was in our budget, but we had to spend a year fixing her up in our free time.”

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(below) The first-ever Sperry ent, designed and built by Steve Sperry. (opposite) Brothers Matt and Tim Sperry and three friends on their circumnavigation.

Corinna Raznikov Photography

Since its start in the 1970s, Sperry Sails outfit ed area boats with sails and marine canvas. One day, in advance of a neighborhood party, Steve tried his hand at making a tent. He used the tools of his trade—sailcloth, Dacron, nylon line, stainless steel grommets—to create the canopy and even milled the support poles himself. He topped his design with a pennant made from spinnaker cloth to catch the wind.

Steve’s creation was a whimsical invention for a practical cause: to keep guests comfortable at a party. Little did he know that this prototype would evolve into a full line of rental tents, and that their look and feel would create a revolution in event tent expectations. (For comparison, typical rental tents consisted of a white vinyl shell over an aluminum frame.)

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naturally elegant Sperry Tent in their arsenals. From 1999–2001, three more Sperry Tents partners quickly launched on Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and in California.

Today, Sperry Tents’ network of licensed partners has expanded to nearly 50, sited in luxury destinations such as Cape Cod, the Hamptons, Hilton Head, Miami, Napa Valley, and Hawaii. Sperry’s international partners pepper Bermuda, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Kjeld Mahoney Photography

Corinna Raznikov Photography

Serendipitously, his sons naturally gravitated towards different sides of the business: Matt towards the hands-on sailmaking and Tim towards the tent rentals. “I think their relationship has been complementary since they were born,” notes Steve. “Their innate abilities are somewhat different, and the skills of one augment those of the other.”

In 1996, Tim had enough demand to establish Sperry Tents as its own company serving southern New England. It didn’t take long for other rental companies to want the

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Jamie Mercurio Photography

Lynne Reznick Photography

Lindsay Hackney Photography

Corinna Raznikov Photography

(opposite) Tim Sperry leads the rental side of Sperry Tents, with nearly 50 partners executing high-end weddings and events throughout the world. Sister company Sperry Fabric Architecture, led by Matt Sperry (below), produces handcrafted Sperry Tents as well as awnings, canopies, and custom event structures.

Matt launched yet a third family-run company, Sperry Fabric Architecture (SFA), in 2006 to accommodate the increased tent production, leaving Sperry Sails to focus on sails. SFA is dexterous in its output of standard Sperry Tents, custom event tents, glamping tents, canopies, and awnings. Dedicated wood and metal shops round out its fabric art capabilities.

Whether set up on Australia’s Gold Coast or at the foot of the Rockies, each Sperry Tent is assembled by a small, dedicated team of skilled crafts-

people. This boutique manufacturing process means that the cost of renting a Sperry Tent is on the higher end, but in return, clients are receiving a distinctive tent made from natural materials and rooted in New England’s sailing heritage.

“Top planners and caterers request our tents, particularly for weddings, because our sailcloth is a soft ivory versus the harsher white of vinyl. Its woven texture breathes and is translucent to event lighting, producing our trademark Sperry glow at night,” notes Tim.

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Corinna Raznikov Photography

“Working with family means knowing we have each other’s support. It’s how we’ve been able to grow at such a rapid pace.”

At the age of 78, Steve is largely retired but still consults with the trio of Sperry companies from time to time. His dedication to craft—his ability to build just about anything from wood, including his own home in Rochester, Massachusetts—is still an asset, particularly for Sperry Tents. He regularly delivers center poles up to 28 feet in length for tent orders as a supplier.

Single-handedly, Steve uses rope and pulley to move spruce logs, sourced from Maine, onto his wooded property’s 100-year-old sawmill. With a practiced eye, he transforms each log into an octagonal, tapered pole that is later planed, sanded, and varnished to an event-ready shine. “I can’t find an one else willing or able to make our signature poles, and I’ve tried,” the founder reveals with a grin.

Under Tim’s steady direction, Sperry Tents weathered the

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storm of COVID-19. In fact, its partner network is now facing unprecedented demand. “The pandemic reinforced the benefits of holding an e ent outdoors: fresh air, cool breezes, and a direct connection to the natural landscape,” explains Tim. With the future looking bright, both Sperry Tents and SFA are focused on what they do best: elevating event aesthetics with handcrafted products.

At the core of the symbiotic Sperry Tents and SFA relationship is family. Tim believes that the rapport he has with his brother, his tent supplier, is a huge benefit. “When the e’s an issue, I know he’ll always pick up the phone—and vice versa,” says Tim. “Working with family means knowing we have each other’s support. It’s how we’ve been able to grow at such a rapid pace.” NEL

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B Y J AC I C O N R Y

full

CIRCLE Over thirty years after he lived in Back Bay, the inimitable designer returns to work in Boston and goes beyond, to the Berkshires.

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fter graduating from college in the late 1980s, Ken Fulk moved to Boston where he lived in apartment on 208 Commonwealth Avenue.

He worked in marketing—a job he hated, but his apartment was pretty fabulous. “It was defini ely beyond my means at the time,”

recalls Fulk. He was captivated by the view from that parlor unit: his windows looked out at the leafy Commonwealth Mall and across the way to The Algonquin Club, the regal Beaux Arts McKim, Mead & Whitedesigned building of Boston’s old-guard elite social club.

“I’d watch the folks coming and going from The Algonquin. I was always a little bit fascinated by the activity over there,” recalls Fulk, who delighted in many aspects of Boston back then, especially the city’s historic architecture.

Ken Fulk spends much of the year at his home on Cape Cod, in Provincetown. He shares the retreat with his husband and the three golden retrievers they lovingly refer to as the “Polar Bears.”

Yet he wasn’t destined to remain in Boston. He made many friends here and met his future husband in a local laundromat, but he moved to San Francisco after a couple of years. “At the time, I felt like an alien, like I was always looking out the window. I needed to go somewhere I could be free to invent myself and I couldn’t do that at the time in Boston,” says Fulk.

By the mid-1990s, Fulk had found his calling and was well on his way to establishing himself as the extraordinary hospitality and residential designer he is today. With no formal training, Fulk has an innate, utterly unrivaled design sensibility. He is propelled to create experiences for his

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clients with layered interiors that exude a sense of glamour and magic. A captivating blend of custom elements, antiquities, high-caliber art, and modern whimsy, Fulk’s multifarious projects manifest mystique and maximalism and history. Simply put: his spaces never disappoint.

While Fulk’s 100-person business is based on the West Coast, he spends nearly half of his time on Cape Cod, at his home in Provincetown. As such, it’s not too surprising that he’d find himself working in Bos on at some point. The twist, however, is that three decades after he observed the activity at The Algonquin Club from his apartment windows, he was tasked with setting the aesthetic for a new club—The ‘Quin House—housed in the storied stone building.

Transforming the six-story Gilded Age masterpiece was a $50 million overhaul. While the 1888 building had been built to be a social club, there was much work to be done to make it stylistically relevant. The goal was to honor the character of the stately structure—think ornate hand-carved ceilings, onyx columns, herringbone floors, mahogany paneled walls—whil creating a vibe that suited a 21st century club with a diversely aged membership of innovators, thought leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs. Fulk’s approach was to reference American styles through the 20th century, “so the design felt evolved over time and would retain a sense of history and gravitas,” he says. Elements of Art Deco, Arts and Crafts, and Midcentury Modernism are tied together with a streamlined palette of colors and materials throughout the 56,000-square-foot space.

While immersed in the planning stages of The Quin, Fulk was given the chance to design a space in another iconic Boston building: the restaurant at The Newbury, the new hotel at the former Ritz. Built in 1927 as one of the first Ritz Ho els in the U.S., Fulk recalls: “When I lived in the city, the old Ritz really represented posh Boston. Having drinks there with a band playing, it really seemed utterly glamorous to me.”

Coined Contessa, the restaurant harkens back to the days of three-martini lunches and high tea, presenting an opportunity for guests to dress up. Fulk took cues from Old World European resorts, layering Neoclassical motifs with Art Deco references and Midcentury details. Informed by the views of the Public Garden, Contessa is designed like a grand conservatory with a retractable glass roof. Featuring velvet seats, tufted banquettes, and nautically inspired enameled-topped tables, potted trees and climbing vines add to the sense of being in sky-top secret garden.

Indeed, Fulk has a love affair with history. “I love historic houses, I live in historic houses,” he says, noting that antique buildings should be protected and elevated to be the best version of themselves “Some of the greatest housing stock

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Clockwise from left: Contessa’s rose-hued tufted banquettes are paired with blue velvet chairs; Blantyre, Fulk’s latest hospitality project is a portrait of Gilded Age grandeur; at Contessa, potted plants contribute to the secret garden-vibe; Bondo, the grand, double-height main dining room of The Quin; even The Quin’s tucked away spaces are full of delight, color, and whimsy; Contessa’s residential style library features trompe l’oeil velvet drapes lifting to reveal a bucolic landscape.

in America has been lost and ruined and I want to do what I can, where I can, to make sure that doesn’t keep happening.”

And so, Fulk recently took on another Massachusetts project when he became part owner of Blantyre, an enchanting Tudor-style mansion built in 1902. The Lenox retreat was built as a summer “cottage” for wealthy industrialist Robert Patterson and has been run as a luxury hotel for several decades. “I’ve long had a romantic notion of the idea of the Berkshires and its place in American lore as summer haven for the wealthy during the Gilded Age,” says Fulk.

Fulk had begun to take ownership stakes in some of his hospitality projects, including the Commodore Perry Estate, a hotel in a 1928 mansion in Austin, Texas and a couple of restaurants in California. “In the end of those projects, I’d hand the baby over and step away from it,” says Fulk. However, he plans to retain his ownership of Blantyre after he completes its revival. Fortunately, the estate is somewhat of a “white elephant,” he notes, “in that it hasn’t been mucked up. It felt like a rare jewel that might not have been as well cared for as it could have been, it certainly hasn’t been screwed up.”

The hotel has been closed for a top-to-bottom overhaul for several months, with plans to reopen by the end of the year. Fulk’s vision is to keep its amazing historic bones intact, while reviving the sense of grandeur experienced at Blantyre and its neighboring cottages during the Gilded Age. “So much of hospitality in the United States has become homogenized and branded,” he says. “That’s not a bad thing. But I’m not interested in building a brand. I want to create a place that welcomes you as you would be welcomed in my house.”

Fulk is not done yet in New England. While he’s mum on specifics, he’s working on et another hospitality project in Boston that involves redoing the restaurant and public spaces of a “very posh and glamorous building. It will be new Boston meets old Boston in a very exciting, thoughtful way,” he confides. “I pinch myself that I get o work on these iconic spaces here. I can’t believe it all.” NEL

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BY JULIE T PENNINGTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY KERRY BRE T T

sense of anticipation pervaded The Zen Loft yoga studio in West Bridgewater, Mass., on a recent Tuesday evening in February as a group of 26 people sat in folding chairs in clusters from two to 10. Most conversations were light. Some produced tears.

A few minutes after 6:30, the room went silent and everyone’s attention went to the entryway, as a middle-aged blonde barreled through the door, dropped her bag on the ground and hurried to the front of the room to pour herself a drink.

“I’ve got to get my vodka,” she said, eliciting a round of laughter, and then apologized for being a few minutes late. “Traffic was brutal. And this i water, by the way.”

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That is how those in attendance met Maureen Hancock, an internationally renowned spirit medium and author of The Medium Next Door: Adventures of a Real-Life Ghost Whisperer. The vivacious 54-yearold helps connect people with their deceased loved ones through abilities that, interestingly enough, she believes most people possess. They just haven’t been provided with the necessary tools to tap into them, she maintains.

After exchanging pleasantries, mixed with doses of humor—“are you a spirit virgin?” she asked a young man before turning her attention to an older woman who said she had been to several of Hancock’s readings. “So, you’re a spirit ho?” she deadpanned— the former stand-up comic got down to business.

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Hancock began by standing in front of a family of four and telling them that she was “feeling” a man. “A husband, a father … he died from COVID,” said Hancock, her eyes going from briefly closed o wide open as two family members started crying while saying it was the older woman’s husband and her children’s dad. “Oh, he’s a hot ticket,” Hancock said with a chuckle. “He’s right here and just said, ‘How much did this get you for?’” referring to the cost of the reading. “He said to tell you he loves you and ‘I’m not dead, just different,’” she added—evoking more tears.

After several more readings it appeared, based on audience members’ feedback, that most of the messages that had come to Hancock—including names, occupations, causes of death—were on target, or nearly so. Some were misses, but that goes with the territory, she says. “Sometimes things come across crystal clear, and other times they don’t,” Hancock says. “I’d say about 90% of what I get is correct and oftentimes it’s very specific information li e names, dates, when they passed, things about their family, their life, what they did for work … it’s pretty mind-blowing.”

childhood, but says they came back full force when she was in a near-fatal car accident at age 25, and again on Sept. 11, 2001, when she was “inundated” with messages from the spirit world. It was then that she knew she had to pursue her calling and use it to help others.

Suzie Falco, a 59-year-old mother of six and grandmother of five, says that when her son, Bo, died in 2008 at the age of 19, she was inconsolable. Soon after, a friend recommended she talk with Hancock, and the encounter, she says, “changed my life.”

“There are things she would have never known. She knew things about him and about how and where he died by suicide that nobody knew,” the Quincy-based holistic nutrition counselor says. “Then she started flicking my hair, which Bo used to do to me all the time. There is no other explanation other than he communicated with her.”

Falco says she gets “signs” from her son all the time.

“I don’t know what I would have done without her,” she says of Hancock. “She gave me so much hope and even though I can’t see him, I can feel him.”

“I just think when people lead with their hearts and not with their minds, that they open up to a higher consciousness.”

When asked about skeptics, she says that she was once among them. There are fly-by-night mediums who give legitimate practitioners a bad name, she says, adding that her readings have made some skeptics do 180s, but when someone’s a cynic, “they’re just completely closed off” and not ready to receive the messages that she can give them or that they can receive on their own. “I firmly believe that we are all mediums to varying degrees.

We have intuition, but life and stress get in the way; we question everything … but when you stop questioning, you can really tap into your ability to see, feel, hear and sense your intuition and tap into the other side,” Hancock says confidently. “I just think when people lead with their hearts and not with their minds, that they open up to a higher consciousness.”

Hancock says she comes from a long line of Irish mystics and discovered her ability to communicate with the dead when she was five-years-old, after a severe case of lead poisoning had her in and out of treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital for three years. She tried to ignore the otherworldly messages and have a “normal”

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Hancock, who lives on the South Shore with her husband, John Hatfield, a martial arts studio owner o whom she has been married for fi e years, has two sons, ages 22 and 20, and three dogs. In addition to doing group gatherings, called “Postcards from Heaven” and “The Medium Next Door Live,” and private readings, Hancock, who has a background in holistic studies, volunteers at hospitals and in hospice centers, where she works with terminally ill patients and their families as well as with bereaved parents who, like Falco, have lost children.

She also offers workshops and holds grief retreats around the world, from the Berkshires to Costa Rica, and is debuting a new medium-inspired talk show (distributed

by Gaia, a Colorado-based production company) later this year. No stranger to being center stage, Hancock has made guest appearances on local, regional, and national TV programs.

“I’m fortunate in that I absolutely love what I do,” she says.

“I am a former comedian, so my events are actually fun for me.

I make people laugh and cry and I feel like I bring them hope, comfort, some healing and connection, and validation.” NEL

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BY JACI CONRY

[

SPACE PRESERVATION On the bicentennial of Frederick Law Olmsted’s birth, the beloved public parks the landscape design pioneer created are as relevant and bucolic as they’ve ever been.

]

ARNOLD ARBORETUM

I

In 1865, Fredrick Law Olmsted was 43

land and saw the need for preserving green and open spaces.

when he embarked upon his career

He was convinced of the positive benefits that informal

as a landscape architect. Despite his

natural settings could have on the psyche. The quality of

reduced tenure in the occupation,

life in America, according to Olmsted, could be improved by

Olmsted designed more parks and public

spending time in settings marked by spacious stretches of

recreation grounds than any professional

turf, quiet streams, and open groves of trees. Such contact

before him. Nearly two centuries later, he’s

with nature, he felt, could bring peace and refreshment to

recognized as the nation’s foremost parkmaker; a visionary

city dwellers, counteracting the intensity and stress of urban

who shaped American progress. Perhaps more than any other

life. A sense of ease could be fostered by the graceful flow

person, Olmsted affected the way America looks.

of open meadows in his large urban parks, which he coined

Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1822, Olmsted was a self-taught journalist who covered slavery for the New York

Over the next 30 years Olmsted would go on to create the

Times. He was a farmer, a seaman, and executive secretary

first park sys ems and urban greenways in the United States,

of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, where he implemented an

designing, often with his business associate, Calvert Vax,

array of health practices.

some of the most beloved 19th century landscapes including

After these such diverse experiences, Olmsted turned his focus to landscape architecture. He had a deep love of the

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“democratic spaces” belonging to all Americans.

Central Park, The Biltmore Estate, Chicago’s Washington Park, and the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and the White House.

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FENWAY VICTORY GARDEN

In Boston, Olmsted was contracted to build not just one

the necklace. They include Franklin Park, the Arnold Arboretum,

large park, but an entire park system where residents, he

Jamaica Pond, Olmsted Park, Back Bay Fens, the Riverway,

described, could “easily go when the day’s work is done, and

the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, the Public Garden, and the

where they may stroll for an hour, seeing, hearing, and feeling

Boston Common. (Some parks, like the Common and the Public

nothing of the bustle and jar of the streets.” He began the

Garden, existed before the Emerald Necklace plan was laid out.)

project in the mid-1870s when he was living in New York and

Olmsted came up with the idea for parkways by converting

the undertaking was so vast that it was the driving factor in

former carriage paths into wide roads that separated

his relocation to Massachusetts. He would ultimately settle in

commercial vehicles from recreational ones. Greenery-filled

Brookline, opening the country’s first andscape architecture

parkways like the Arborway, Jamaicaway, and Riverway loosely

firm. His p operty, Fairsted, is now open to the public as the

follow the Muddy River, connecting the parks in the Emerald

Frederick Law Olmsted Historic Site.

Necklace. According to Olmsted, the Emerald Necklace formed

Olmsted’s plan for the Boston Park System was bold and complex. It consisted of a 1,100-acre chain of nine parks linked by parkways and waterways known as the Emerald

“a grand parkway of picturesque type…reaching from the heart of the city into the rural scenery of the suburbs.”

These jewels of the Emerald Necklace are part of the

Necklace that stretches seven miles from downtown Boston

enduring national legacy Olmsted left behind. Below is a

to Dorchester. The name was derived from the way the

sampling of spots on the chain to check out when you need

planned “chain” appears to hang from the “neck” of the Boston

to unplug and rejuvenate. For more information on the any of

peninsula and each park along the route represents a jewel in

these locations and others, visit emeraldnecklace.org.

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JAMAICA POND

BACK BAY FENS SCARBORO POND Olmsted changed his original designs of Franklin Park in response to public demand for a waterway. It took two years to excavate Scarboro Pond, which is home to mallard ducks, large flocks of Canadian geese, cormorants, and great blue heron. Two old stone bridges cross over the park in different locations and scattered park benches provide a perch for one to take in the setting.

OLMSTED PARK This heavily wooded park in Jamaica Plain features a series of pathways and planting patterns that create a series of dramatic vistas. Neighborhood ball games take place on Daisy Field and Ward’s Pond is part of the preserve.

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JAMAICA POND A glacial kettle hole, Jamaica Pond is the largest body of water in the Emerald Necklace. Olmsted preserved much of the existing vegetation and framed the pond with new trees, shrubs and paths. Today, the boathouse at Jamaica Pond provides facilities for sailing and rowing.

The 1.5-mile path around the pond is a favorite of joggers and dog walkers, and the pond is stocked with trout and salmon raised in state hatcheries every year.

ARNOLD ARBORETUM The oldest public arboretum in North America and a National Historic Landmark, the Arnold Arboretum is owned by the city of Boston and managed by Harvard University. With a collection of more than 15,000 plants, this verdant oasis encompasses 281 acres of meadows, forest, ponds, and tree-shrouded, meandering pathways.

In celebration of Olmsted’s bicentennial, Olmsted200 was created as a yearlong celebration of his work and design principles. Visit Olmsted200.org for a list of activities, conferences, tours, talks, and competitions.

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By Stacey Marcus

8 family-friendly resorts that celebrate old fashioned fun.

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Soon, school will be out for the summer. Families all over are considering where they can travel to make lasting vacation memories.

There’s great news on that front: you needn’t go far. New England resorts are brimming with ways to savor summer days with kidcentric activities that range from chasing hermit crabs, zip-lining down mountains, fly fishing, smoremaking, swimming in ponds, pools, and the cool blue waters of the Atlantic, and much, much more. We rounded up eight spots that o er an abundance of ways to celebrate the season of fresh air and freedom with your children.

Woodstock, Vermont There's a summer activity for every member of the family at this iconic inn on Main Street in Woodstock, which has been a mainstay since 1892. “From golf to fly fishing and garden tours to spa treatments, both kids and adults will find outdoor adventures, relaxation, and spaces to enjoy time together, such as making s'mores over our oversized fire pit or playing games in our retro game room,” says Courtney Lowe, president of the Woodstock Inn & Resort. Throughout the summer, kids’ camps are held for families staying at the resort. Activities typically include tennis and swimming at the Woodstock Athletic Club, golfing at the Woodstock Country Club, gardening at Kelly Way Gardens, history exploration at Billings Farm & Museum and mountain biking, hiking, and outdoor games. Woodstockinn.com

Nantucket, Massachusetts Nantucket, cooled from the season’s heat by ocean breezes, is in its prime in the summer. One of the most authentically American locales in the nation, Jamie Holmes, the general manager at The Nantucket Hotel, says “being on Nantucket feels like being part of a Norman Rockwell painting. It’s a little old fashioned, fully in bloom, and filled with great restaurants.”

The bustling hotel is geared for young families to experience the joys of summer with a kids’ club day program: a full morning of programming, activities, and games with counselors. During the evening program, kids can eat dinner, play outdoor games, and watch a movie while parents enjoy a little time to themselves! Nantuckethotel.com

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Westerly, Rhode Island A Relais & Chateaux property, Weekapaug Inn is a natural jewel surrounded by a salt pond and overlooking a barrier beach. Families can enjoy beach walks, boat trips, biking, and bird watching.

There are lawn games, crabbing, and kite-flying excursions facilitated by young staff members who act as camp counselors focused on making sure the kids at the inn are having fun. This summer, the inn is offering a special family package that includes an activity with the resort’s naturalist. You can also add pony rides and a VIP experience at the Mystic Aquarium. Fear not if rain is in the forecast: there’s an onsite Hunter boot borrowing closet so families can stay dry while they discover the area during inclement weather. Weekapauginn.com

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire When the Mount Washington Hotel first opened in 1902, families would flock from cities for the entire summer for the fresh air, outdoor activities, and bustling social scene. “While their visits are shorter today, guests are still attracted to the same basic comforts which are now enhanced with more modern amenities and activities. From learning something new like fly-casting or sinking the perfect putt, to sharing stories and making s'mores around the fire, we continue the tradition of welcoming generations of families for the simple joy of being together,” says Craig Clemmer, director of sales and marketing. In addition to an 18-golf course, there are tennis courts, horseback riding, and both indoor and outdoor pools. Kids 12 and over can also join in on the Bretton Woods Canopy Tour at the ski resort across the street, for a thrilling adventure featuring nine ziplines, two sky bridges, and three rappels. Omnihotels.com

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Boothbay Harbor, Maine Situated on 55 acres of coast and pine forest on a peninsula in Boothbay Harbor, Spruce Point Inn inspires families to relax and play the old-fashioned way: unplugged and outdoors. The slice of nirvana is within miles of hiking trails, offers a fleet of complimentary kayaks, and has two swimming pools including one just for kids! In addition to a game room in its recreation hall, the inn also offers a selection of day and evening programs for kids to make friends, play games, and get out and explore nature. One of its popular programs is its marine biology field trip, which brings kids out into nature to go "tide-pooling" for sea critters from baby lobsters to hermit crabs. Be sure to take the crew into the village to enjoy ice cream cones, sailboat cruises in the harbor, whale watching, and oyster farm tours. Sprucepointinn.com

Washington, Connecticut Mayflower Inn & Spa, part of Auberge Resorts, is perfect for families looking to escape to a luxury country retreat. Beyond hiking and meandering around the 58-acres gardens and woodlands, the resort offers outdoor wonder including archery lessons and fly fishing and afternoon picnics along the riverbank.

There’s a pool set amid the verdant landscape and tennis courts nearby. Bookworms will love the resort’s partnership with Hickory Stick Bookshop which provides baskets full of books for all ages around the hotel.

Aubergeresorts.com/mayflower

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Brewster, Massachusetts There is something truly special about a Cape Cod summer! The peak of summer is an amazing time to visit Ocean Edge as the days are long, the air is salty, the beaches welcoming, and the lobster rolls are ready to eat! All seasonal attractions such as whale watching, art galleries, and historical museums are also open and are great to explore after a morning of swimming, hiking, riding, golfing, or lounging at the resort.

For family-oriented activities, Ocean Edge’s robust roster includes beach relay races, carnivals, tennis challenges, scavenger hunts, and movie and trivia nights. This summer, the resort is also poised to welcome back its menu of private experiences for families to book, including private oyster bed tours, pickleball, archery, picnics, private dining, tennis, and beach firepits with s'mores and private beach yoga. oceanedge.com

Edgartown, Massachusetts With its iconic historic white Federal-style homes and quaint lanes, the village of Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard feels a world away from the mainland. Matt Moore, Winnetu’s general manager, describes Edgartown as a place with unspoiled natural beauty, “with retro charm that makes you feel nostalgic for a time that has slowly disappeared from our everyday lives. In summary, it is picture perfect.” Complimentary kids’ programs feature beach treasure hunts, arts and crafts made from natural elements, water relays, and field games. Save Wednesdays for family clambakes where you can enjoy classic Vineyard fare complete with acapella, sunset s’mores, and stargazing. Make sure to hop on the antique firetruck or wood paneled Winnetu Jitney! Winnetu.com

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or every construction challenge this Guilford, Connecticut, property presented, it delivered an equally dramatic reward. The long, narrow lot culminates in a rocky ledge perched over the banks of Long Island Sound.

While this substrate of solid rock posed challenges for contractor Hallmark Associates, it provided a tantalizing blank slate for architect Nathan J. Topf, who merged New England vernacular with Tuscan influences o create a sensual seaside retreat.

The site’s sloping geography reminded Nate Topf, principal of Nathan J. Topf Architect, LLC, of a trip to Italy with his wife. “We stopped briefl at Lake Como, and I was immediately taken with the way the architecture there seems to grow out of the stone ledges. You see heavy, solid stone bases anchoring very light, beautiful, colorful architecture,” he describes. “It was such a clear picture of the Dark Ages transitioning into the Renaissance.”

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Realizing the parallels between the topographies, and channeling this Italian inspiration, Topf designed his clients’ coastal home similarly: rooted solidly in rock, then rising up to capture sunlight and views. From the entry court, the home’s massing is purposefully restrained. “We reached peak building heights in many areas,” the architect notes of the town’s height restrictions. But to the rear, the structure blossoms with terraced indoor/outdoor spaces gracefully stepping down towards the shore.

“The entry elevation displays the timeless beauty of local Shingle Style architecture, while the waterfront

elevation is more Tuscan in style,” explains Topf. “I wanted it to look like it grew naturally from the earth. On the water side, it sits very high and proud, with nearly 60 feet between the height of the roof and the lowest level.”

Purposeful volume changes—cozy rooms contrasted by soaring spaces—break down the home’s imposing scale.

To Topf, each room is one stop along a carefully composed, well-orchestrated visual journey. For guests, the journey starts at the front entrance inside a modest foyer. After a couple steps, this comfy vestibule opens to a soaring double-height stair hall capped by a square cupola.

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The 9,000-square-foot house boasts three levels, including a ground floor populated by main living spaces, a self-contained guest suite, and an office situated in the façade s lighthouse-inspired turret.

“Here, we really evoked the tradition of old seaside mansions with some darker woods and a richness of detailing,” notes Topf. Veteran interior designer Raymond Forehand, principal of Forehand + Partners, masterminded the home’s interior design, including the stair’s intricate balustrade.

“The second you walk in, you see straight through the house to the water views,” says Topf. “You connect with the ocean and the movement of the trees on the opposite side. It’s a large home but we incorporated as much transparency as possible.”

After the stair hall, the home’s scale contracts into a central corridor, which organizes some of the main floor’ quieter, more private spaces, including a formal dining room with domed ceiling. Then, Topf’s floor p an expands once again into the main living areas. Here, the architect unleashed his most dramatic gesture: a double cupola topping a central great room/dining area, flanked by the kitchen on one side and living room on the other.

Maximizing glazing without sacrificing the home’ architectural story was a primary concern of Topf, who opted for Marvin’s “Signature Ultimate” collection because of its extensive customization possibilities. “Their versatility in size and function as well as their quality of design protects the house even in the harshest of weather conditions,” he notes. “The window openings reflect th traditional scale of a Shingle Style house yet still transform the water-facing elevations with views and light.”

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Michael Marroney, an outside sales rep for Ring’s End, Inc., a Connecticut-based building supply company, lent his own specialized expertise to the challenging project. “We were tasked with delivering top-of-the-line products that offer classic looks and cutting-edge performance for every aspect of the build,” says Marroney.

Marroney’s expertise aided the builder in achieving the architect’s spectacular window applications.

Pushing the interior towards the view as much as possible, Topf capped off the main living area with a bonus sunroom, a riff on a more traditional New England-style screened porch. It pushes out from the main volume of the house towards the water in three directions, with clearstory windows maximizing the already impressive allotment of glazing.

To reduce the need for air conditioning, both cupolas were outfit ed with banded operable Marvin windows. “Controlled remotely, these windows allow

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both sunlight and fresh air to reach deep into the house,” says Topf.

For the home’s water-facing elevations, Topf unleashed a predominance of stone, a nod to the site’s natural environment. Two terraces expand the home’s indoor-outdoor living with plenty of entertaining and sunning opportunities. French doors

by Marvin connect the kitchen, living room, and sunroom with the main-level terrace. The lower-level terrace boasts a covered outdoor room with fi eplace and a plunge infinity pool, poised 30 feet abo e the shore below.

Another Renaissance flourish is the p operty’s exterior helix stair situated within a stone turret. “This stair is a necessary transition between the main and lower levels and is one step along the way down to the dock,” says Topf. Punched openings in the turret walls are reminiscent of medieval arrow slits; their square shape welcomes light into the rotunda. NEL

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Above: The sunroom off of the main living space is a take on a traditional New England-style screened porch. Below: Inside the stone turret; one of the upper level’s bedroom suites.

Architect: Nathan J. Topf, Architects Builder: Hallmark Associates, hallmarkhomesassociates.com Interior Designer: Forehand & Lake, forehandpartners.com Material Supplier: Ring’s End, ringsend.com

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By Jaci Conry Photography by Meg Matyia

SITE Spectacular A minimalistinspired home with an edgy material palette is all about the astounding ocean views.

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The ocean is visible as soon as one steps in the front door, thanks to floo -to-ceiling windows along the back of the house. Similarly, the streamlined design of the stairway allows for unfettered views as well.

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he site of Kerry and Jed Stevens’ current home, they say, picked them. Once they realized it was available, they had to have it. Indeed, waterfront parcels in New England are tough to come by and few are as idyllic as this one in Norwalk, Connecticut. Located on Long Island Sound, the property juts out over the ocean. “In the house, you really feel like you’re on a boat, as if you’re on top of the water,” says Kerry Stevens. “We feel very fortunate to live here.”

While the Stevens’ were smitten with the setting from the start, it took a while to create the home they envisioned.

They contracted Beinfield A chitecture’s Mark Goodwin, whom they had worked with previously, to design their new residence. While the team had initially considered razing the house to begin anew, Goodwin says that because code dictated the footprint of the original home be used and it was in the highly regulated flood one, it was easier to transform the existing structure.

“The Stevens didn’t want a typical sort of beach house, they wanted something a little edgier,” says Goodwin,

whose firm is known for designing homes that utili e a mix of materials and styles. “There’s a little barn aesthetic to it, with the coziness of a costal home, combined with urban sophistication that is achieved with concrete, streel, and raw wood.” The home is capped with a steel roof and bleached cedar siding used vertically evokes a contemporary feel. “We like to take New England structures and distill them down,” says Goodwin, of the slightly unconventional exterior vibe of the home. Yet the pitched roof and simplicity of the window style and arrangement nods to more traditional structures in the neighborhood.

The Stevens’ wanted the house to have a modern, minimalist feel so nothing would compete with the main directive: capturing the sublime ocean views in as many vantage points as possible. “As soon as you walk through the front door of the house, you see the water,” says Goodwin, who called for the design of the stairway to the second floor o be spare; one can see right through the steel rails through to the expansive view.

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“The goal was to create synergy between the water and interiors,” says Ashley Schapiro, CEO of Milton Homes, the firm that built the house. he main level encompasses an open floor p an and features glass walls. The large expanses are from Marvin’s Modern Line windows, which are designed with clean lines and simplicity in mind to provide maximum light and views. The line is made out of high-performance HD Fiberglass, a revolutionary material that echoes the look of its modern counterparts with thermal efficiency.

“The Marvin windows and multi-slide doors have the modern feel the homeowners were looking for,” says Ben Kahan, marketing manager for Interstate Lumber, the product supplier. “Not only are they the right choice for functionality, they complement the style of the gorgeous waterfront home.”

The interior color palette is understated and neutral. “We don’t have much hanging on the walls because most of them are glass. Art comes from outside,” says Kerry Stevens. “As soon as you walk in you see water on all sides and that’s where we wanted the eye to go.”

Since the home’s footprint couldn’t be expanded, it was a challenge to accommodate the number of rooms the Stevens’ required, says Schapiro. “We were able to avoid compromising on room size by creating an open space plan design.” With smart configuring and the addition on a thi d level of living

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space, the house encompasses roughly 3,000 square feet with four bedrooms that ensure all three of the Stevens’ grown children have a spot of their own. There are also multiple hangout spaces, including a top-floor family oom.

The kitchen features cerused oak cabinetry and open steel shelving systems that tie into the home’s exposed steel beams and stairway. “With all steel and glass, it’s a pretty raw space,” says Goodwin, who called for wood-clad ceilings in the living areas and master bedroom to soften the spaces. “The ceilings and stained hardwood floors c eate a sense of warmth throughout the home,” adds Schapiro.

Two of the three paneled glass enclosures on the three walls of the main living space and master bedroom open, so fresh air fil ers constantly through the house in the warmer months. “When everything is open, you really feel like you’re outside,” says Kerry Stevens. In the winter the windows provide ample solar gain that heats the house.

The view of the ocean changes with every season. “There are a lot of boats and activity in the mooring field during th summer and early fall. As you head into the colder months, there are oyster boats. In February, the sunsets are amazing,” says Jed Stevens. “Depending on the tides and how the sun and clouds are moving, the view is always slightly different.here is always something special to see.” NEL

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Architect: Beinfield Architecture, beinfield.com Kitchen and Millwork: Deane, deaneinc.com Builder: Milton Homes, homesbymilton.com Material Supplier: Interstate Lumber, interstatelumber.com

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family first

An expansive island compound is poised to become a beloved, multigenerational retreat.

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By Jennifer Sperry Photography by Nat Rea

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At 5,800 square feet, the compound's secondary home offers ample room for living and entertaining. Its shingled exterior blends effortlessly with the architectural fabric of Nantucket.

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Nantucket has long been a cherished haven for the homeowners. Which is why, in 2017, they approached Mellowes & Paladino Architects about redeveloping a property they owned in Surfside, a beach community on the island’s south shore. The couple, who have grown children and grandchildren, wanted a retreat exemplifying New England coastal style with plenty of room for their expanding family tree.

The idea was to purchase an adjoining lot that would double their property’s footprint and build a compound where everyone can gather and also have room to breathe. Firm principal and lead architect Bob Paladino spearheaded the compound’s design, which includes an 8,000-square-foot main home (plus garage/ guest house), 5,800-square-foot secondary home (plus another garage/guest house), and a luxe poolscape.

“Previously, these clients owned a property

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overlooking the harbor, but it wasn’t big enough to fulfill their vision of a generational home,” explains Paladino.

“They had no qualms about trading ocean views for the more pastoral, private feel of a slightly inland property with room to grow.” Project manager Emily Sanders Coutu agrees with the homeowners’ priorities: “This couple is all about views of their grandchildren now.”

Working with the Nantucket Historical Commission’s strict architectural language, the architects developed timeless Shingle Style exteriors.

Height restrictions led to a prevalence of living spaces arranged within dormers and gables. “With all of Nantucket’s rules about architectural forms and materials, it’s hard to distinguish yourself on the outside,” elaborates Paladino. “But the benefit of these restrictions is that individual houses lend themselves to a cohesive visual fabric that stretches island wide.”

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Bleached white oak appears throughout the compound, including the main home's kitchen island. Below: In the secondary home, a bank of white oak cabinets separates the kitchen and dining room while adding functionality.

For their interiors, the clients wanted a beachy feel. They envisioned something lighter and breezier than their more traditional Boston residence, also designed by Mellowes & Paladino Architects. Composing two homes on the same property for one client was an intriguing challenge for the fi m. “We had no interest in designing the same house twice,” notes Coutu. “We used similar materials in both houses— bleached white oak, tiles, plumbing fixtures—but bumped up the level of detail and introduced more formal molding profiles in the primary residence.”

At the heart of the primary home is a bright, white kitchen.

Form and function were prioritized equally in this space.

A Wolf rangetop and two Wolf wall ovens do the heavy lifting for family meals. Meanwhile, two full-size refrigerators, under-counter wine storage, and a refrigerated drawer—all Sub-Zero models—accommodate the needs of a full house.

Paneling effortlessly blends the hefty appliance allotment into the supporting custom cabinetry.

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Radiating off the kitchen are two informal gathering spots: a breakfast nook tucked into a window-lined alcove and a family room with TV. A ceiling treatment of V-groove wood and paneled beams unites these core spaces. “We wanted to keep the kitchen feeling central and connected but didn’t want a completely open plan,” notes Paladino.

Architectural formality increases in the living room, where white oak paneling frames a soapstone fi eplace surround. A flourish of the home’s exterior architecture created the opportunity for a recessed window seat on the room’s outer wall. “Paneled with wainscoting, it’s a fun little nook for reading or napping,” says Paladino.

“Our goal with the interior architecture was to achieve a classic aesthetic,” asserts Coutu. “The shell, with its paneling and wainscoting, leans towards traditional, but we kept things fresh with more contemporary-leaning tile and fixtures.”

“The effect is a timeless look with updated details,” says Paladino. “There’s a richness to the materials but the overall palette is very clean.”

Besides a master suite in its own separate wing, the main home boasts four en suite guest bedrooms and a basement-level bunkroom for young guests.

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Elegant yet approachable living spaces abound in the main home. The light-fille breakfast nook (top left), dining room (top right), and living room (opposite top) all pair traditional millwork with more contemporary fixtu es and furnishings. A recessed window seat (above) lends charm to the living room.

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A standout feature on the primary property is this linear poolscape, which stretches from two cabanas on one side to a guest house/ garage on the other.

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Above: Slightly more informal than its neighbor, the secondary home has an open-concept stretch of main living spaces. Its kitchen, outfitted with a olf rangetop and wall ovens, overlooks both the dining area and living room.

Opposite: White millwork, soft neutrals, layered textures, and pale woods keep the compound’s interior spaces feeling cohesive and decidedly coastal.

Outside, the inviting pool area offers all the comforts of home within two pavilions. One houses a kitchenette and bathroom and the other a TV. In between, a pergola-covered sitting area overlooks the linear pool, which stretches all the way to the main property’s guest house on its opposite end.

The four-bedroom secondary home is oriented on its own lot about 200 feet from the primary house. Its kitchen, dining area, and living room are lined up in one long, hangout-

friendly rectangular stretch.

Subtle differences in materials and molding profiles establish this secondary home as more relaxed than its larger neighbor. “The flooring is a different grade of white oak; you can see the knots,” says Coutu. Similarly, the kitchen cabinets and paneling around the living room fi eplace are simpler in profile. “Everything is a little more rustic and casual,” she adds. Not to be outdone, it has a bunkroom of its own to lure younger guests.

The compound was completed in 2019.

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Left: A custom bathroom vanity crafted by Jutras Woodworking.

Below: Both homes feature a bunk room for young visitors.

Since then, the family has filled both houses every summer weekend. Children play on the lawn, splash in the pool, and stay up too late in the bunk rooms. Adults lounge poolside or stroll down a dirt road for an afternoon at the beach. From corner to corner, the property is filled with gathering opportunities and memory-making potential.

It’s exactly what the owners had in mind.

Architecture: Mellowes & Paladino, www.mellowespaladino.com Builder: Cross Rip Builders, crossripbbuilders.com Interior Design: Cynthia Hayes Interior Design, cynthiahayesinteriordesign.com Cabinetry and Millwork: Jutras Woodworking, jutraswoodworking.com

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By JULIET PENNINGTON

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Restaurant photos clockwise from left: PlantPub; Littleburg; Double Zero, Littleburg

r MORE

As vegan options abound, the demand for plant-based restaurants in Boston and throughout New England is on the rise: there’s a slew of local vegan eateries turning out delicious dishes that you should know about.

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he new PlantPub, scheduled to open across from Fenway Park this year, is likely to make a huge dent in the Greater Boston food scene. What’s equally good news for area diners who are plant-based or just plantcurious is that there are many other options nearby including the original PlantPub vegan food and beer hall in Cambridge.

Co-owners Pat McCauley and Mary Dumont, head chef, opened PlantPub in Kendall Square in September 2021. Earlier this year, they partnered with international celebrity chef Matthew Kenney in the PlantPub brand, which includes the larger Fenway location and plans for additional PlantPubs elsewhere. The Cambridge restaurant’s menu, overseen by Dumont, an award-winning chef, includes small bites like Buffalo cauliflower wings and chili ques fries, burgers, and a variety of pizzas ranging from pepperoni to wild mushroom truffle The garlic fingers “appeti er” (it’s huge and can easily feed a family of four) is made with organic dough, roasted garlic, scallions and melted mozzarella, and comes with herbed ranch and basil marinara dipping sauces.

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In neighboring Somerville, veg diners will find Littleburg, which opened in spring 2021 and serves Mediterranean food from the garage front of a former catering kitchen. Owner Graham Boswell says the made-from-scratch Greek pita bread and gyros are a huge hit with customers, as are the stuffed flatbreads and hush puppies with a variety of vegetables mixed into the batter.

“We’ve slowly built-up a following,” says Boswell, who admits that opening during a pandemic presented challenges, but adds that his customer base has grown steadily “They like that we make stuff from scratch that has great ingredients and really great flavor.”

The St. Louis native, who moved to Boston in 2010 to attend Boston University, said he hopes to open a sitdown restaurant in the future.

“I think we’re finally at a place where the future looks bright for vegan dining,” Boswell says. “I’m vegan because I’m a food lover and I want to eat things that reflect my values.”

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Veg-Out Vegan dishes include endless veggie delights along with burgers, pizza, and pasta.

Other Somerville options include True Bistro, a fine-dining eatery that serves globally inspired food, and Taco Party, a kitschy counter-serve spot that offers a meatless Mexican menu featuring innovative veggie tacos.

The newest addition to the Boston vegan scene is Double Zero—an Italian-themed restaurant known for its pizzas and calzones made with finely ground double zero flour for the crust—which opened on Newbury Street in June 2021. Some pizza favorites include artichoke (with tomato, spinach, garlic cream, balsamic, and shallots) and bianca (with macadamia ricotta, cashew mozzarella, parmesan, rice mozzarella, pepperoncini, rapini, and plant yolk. Non-pizza menu items that are also customer favorites include cacio e pepe with parmesan and black pepper cashew cream and pasta Bolognese with walnut mushroom ragout.

Double Zero is owned by Kenney, who has other Double Zero restaurants in Providence (at Plant City), New York City (Manhattan and Brooklyn), Baltimore, and Los Angeles.

Other popular Boston vegan restaurants include The Grasshopper, My Thai Vegan Café, Oasis Vegan Veggie Parlor, Ramen Red White, and LuLu Green. NEL

While the Boston-area and beyond plant-based dining scene in Massachusetts is on the upswing, there are many new—and some not-so-new— restaurants in other cities and towns throughout New England that are meat- and dairy-free. Below is a state-by-state breakdown of some of our favorite plant-based, go-to eateries:

Connecticut Three Girls Vegan Creamery, Guilford Three Girls Downtown, Guilford Arles & Boggs Vegan Eatery, Wallingford

Rhode Island Plant City, Providence PiANTA, Providence

New Hampshire Col’s Kitchen, Concord The Valley Vegan Café & Crystal Shop, North Conway

Vermont Pingali Café, Burlington Flavors of Our Travels, Rutland

Maine Copper Branch, Portland Lovebird Donuts, Kittery

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By JACI CONRY Photography by TOM HOPKINS

JOIE de IVRE Legendary FrenchAmerican chef

Jacques Pepin finds delight in whatever he does.

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A

fter writing 30 cookbooks,

Beard Foundation awards, a Daytime Emmy, and an

renowned chef Jacques Pépin

honorary doctorate from Columbia University where

wanted to produce a different

he earned his bachelor’s degree at night.

sort of volume. His next book, to be published in September, Art of

Pépin’s focus shifted after a near-fatal car crash made it difficult for him to endure hours on his feet in

the Chicken, features his own vibrant illustrations of

restaurant kitchens. In the mid-1970s, he wrote the

chickens—more than 120 of them—paired with, says

first of his many cookbooks and became an educator,

Pépin, “stories from life.”

offering classes at cooking schools and privately. In

And what a life 86-year-old Pépin, who’s lived in Madison, Connecticut since the 1970s, has had. A

1989, with his good friend, Julia Child, Pépin worked to create a culinary certificate program at Boston

celebrity chef long before the

University, which led to the first,

term had been coined, Pépin

and still one of the few, Master’s

learned the art of French cooking in the restaurants his mother ran in Bourg-en-Bresse, France.

At age 13, long convinced he wanted to be a chef, Pépin left home to apprentice at Le Grand Hôtel de l'Europe. During his military service in 1956-1958, he was recognized for his culinary training and skill and was assigned to be the cook for French heads of state, most notably, Charles de Gaulle.

In 1959, Pépin made his way to New York City to work in the kitchen of Le Pavillon. The following year, he was hired to serve as the director of research

“Cooking is the purest act of love. You have to give a lot of yourself and in doing that there is joy, because it makes the people you love happy,”

degrees in Gastronomy. This spring, Pépin plans to be back in Boston to teach for his 39th semester at BU. Pépin’s popular culinary television shows on PBS—he starred in 12 series’—were the first of their kind. Debuting in the 1980s, the shows were a precursor to the abundant foodbased programming available today. As he showcased his delicious recipes and Frenchhoned techniques, Pépin was a natural on camera, both relaxed and engaging; his joy for cooking apparent.

While Pépin hadn’t done a

and development at Howard

network show in years, once

Johnson, where he developed

the pandemic hit, he and his

food lines for the emerging restaurant chain. To take

daughter Claudine started streaming videos on

the role, Pépin declined an offer to be the private chef

Facebook. The two-to-six- minute videos showcase

for the newly elected president, John F. Kennedy.

quick lessons featuring just a few ingredients. In

“I didn’t recognize the potential of working at the

his Connecticut kitchen, Pépin prepares hot dogs,

White House then. At the time, cooks were unknown,”

sushi rolls, and tortilla pizzas. He instructs on how to

recalls Pépin. “It’s much different now, chefs are

use knives, how to cut vegetables, how to use what

taken very seriously even though we’re still just the

you have in the refrigerator and not waste it. “The

mashed potato makers.” Humor is an integral part

pandemic brought a lot of people back to cooking at

of Pépin’s endearing persona. Quick to smile, he’s

home or they started cooking for the first time,” says

deeply humble; grateful for the life he’s led. While he

Pépin. And a great many of them were interested in

happily recounts his past, Pépin seldom emphasizes

learning from the seasoned pro, in just a few months,

his accomplishments which include 16 James

the viewership jumped from 350,000 to 1.7 million.

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Pepin has created vibrant menus for the meals he serves for his loved ones for several decades.

Scan here to watch the episode.

Pépin’s culinary inspirations come from ingredients; from what he

With his daughter, Claudine and sonin-law Rollie Wesen, Pépin created his eponymous, non-profit, o ganization the Jacques Pépin Foundation (JPF). The mission of the foundation is to provide culinary training to adults and youths with barriers to employment such as lowincome, low-skills, homelessness, issues with substance abuse, and previous incarceration. The JPF provides grants, equipment, direct teaching and video instruction to community-based culinary training programs around the USA. NEL

sees at the grocery store that looks appealing and the vegetables that are growing in his garden. “I don’t like to waste anything—that’s a holdover from growing up in a war,” he says, adding that one of his signature dishes is “Fridge Soup,” labeled by his wife. “For this, I go through the refrigerator and take a piece of one thing or another and make a soup with it. This soup recipe can never be the same. It all depends on leftovers so it is the spirit of the recipe which counts,” says Pépin.

“Cooking is the purest act of love. You have to give a lot of yourself and in doing that there is joy, because it makes the people you love happy,” says Pépin. Chickens are his favorite ingredient to paint. He depicts their feathers in unexpected hues, gives them moody expressions, and sometimes, shapes their bodies as fruits and vegetables. “I paint more the way I feel it than I see it,” he says. Unlike cooking, which he does for others, Pépin paints for himself, not to please anyone else. “And in that,” he says, “there is joy too.”

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Pepin’s new book features dozens of his celebrated paintings and more than 50 recipes.

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outdoor living OUTER FOCUS Page 128

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O U T E R A decorative pond is part of the sprawling landscape that accompanies this Chestnut Hill residence.

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F

A

O C

At last, the season for outdoor living is upon us. Once summer arrives, the unpredictable winters and often blustery springs we grumble about in New England somehow seem worth it. We’ve earned these months of sunshine, flowers, and fresh air. It’s time for backyard gettogethers, swimming, and school vacation; late bedtimes for the kids, refreshing adult cocktails, firepits, and ice cream. On the following pages, we feature three dreamy outdoor spaces designed for making the most of all aspects of alfresco living.

U S

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Brian V

NATURAL CONNECTION With multiple kids of different ages, the homeowners of this Nantucket property looked to Gregory Lombardi Design to transform the landscape into a series of distinct yet connected spaces. To expand the pool area, it was relocated to the side of the property from the small area between the main house and the guest house, a spot that now exists as a grassy courtyard connecting the

different spots. Defined by an entertainment zone with a grill and live-edge walnut bar, an expansive seating and dining area segues to the pool and a play lawn where an in-ground trampoline is situated by a craft barn geared for children’s activities. A firepit, privy to subtle ocean views and bordered by a native stone wall, conservation land, and lush plantings is located adjacent to the guest house.

Greg Lombardi Design, lombardidesign.com

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The trellised dining area is located directly off of the house; stonework is set into the lawn to create defined pathways; a grassy square where the pool was formerly located now harmoniously separates the main home from the guest house.

Brian Vanden Brink

Photography by Richard Mandelkorn

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BUCOLIC REVIVAL Spread upon two-and-a-half acres, this once beloved estate had become derelict. When new owners purchased the 1911 Craftsman style house in Chestnut Hill, MA they called in Dan Gordon Landscape Architects to revitalize the grounds, which includes a decorative pond, and rejuvenate the garden in the spirit of the neighborhood’s traditional character. The steep terrain was terraced to maximize sightlines from the house and stone walls were added to safeguard the new pool, define entertaining and recreation areas, and display an organized transition from the house to the landscape beyond. Hedges, gates, and entry piers beckon, guide, and add formality within the natural abundance.

Dan Gordon Landscape Architects, dangordon.com

Stone walls enclose the pool area while the same material was used for an outdoor fi eplace nearby.

Photography by Neil Landino

Brian Vanden Brink

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Photo by Sam Gray

PORCH PERFECTION Located off the back of a Shingle style home on Martha’s Vineyard, the idea for this porch was for it to represent an outdoor living room. The homeowners turned to design firm Gauthier Stacy to furnish the space as completely as an interior room would be. With ceilings clad with shiplap and crown molding—details exhibited in the home’s interior living spaces, the porch features a wood burning fireplace to warm on chilly evenings and furniture in the seating area and dining space by Kingsley Bate. The coffee table, ship model on the mantle, and lamps were vintage store finds. It’s an ideal spot for casual gathering and big family dinners and the view is sublime: overlooking the verdant lawn the eye stretches to a field beyond and all the way to the ocean.

Gauthier Stacy, gauthierstacy.com

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Photo by Sam Gray

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COLDWELLBANKERLUXURY.COM

*Based on closed sales volume and total number of units closed information from MLS Property Information Network for Wellesley and Weston, MA, in all price ranges as reported®on Jan. 7, 2021 for the period of Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2020. Sales volume calculated by multiplying the ©2021 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy number of buyer and/or seller sides by sales price. One unit equals one side of a transaction (buyer or seller). Source data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. ©2021 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. 21BSK7_NE_1/21 of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker ® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. 21BSK7_NE_1/21

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real estate SUMMER IN THE SUBURBS Page 138

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BY LISA CAVANAUGH

SUMMER IN THE SUBURBS Two West of Boston residences with endless appeal are on the market.

Flowers are blooming, lawns are lush, afternoon breezes

Banker’s Residential Brokerage’s top broker in Wellesley

are balmy, and the sun is setting later each day. In

sales since 2011. “It’s when we get our largest amount of

the sylvan yet sophisticated suburbs of Boston, the

inventory, buyers begin to connect with agents, and it really

warm weather has arrived, and with it, elegant homes to

is so much nicer to see homes in the warmer weather.”

potentially call your own. “While the market begins to start

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One of Dailey’s featured properties is a perfect

up as early as January, sellers usually feel the best time

illustration of how extraordinary landscaping, gracious

to put their houses on the market is spring and summer

outdoor living, and an ideal location are shown to the

because everything is green,” says Melissa Dailey, Coldwell

greatest advantage in the spring and summer months.

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The distinguished circa 1927 Tudor at 151 Forest

house, so you actually get to enjoy the view of the pool

Road in Wellesley, in the highly desirable Country Club

from inside.” Surrounded by a brick patio with several

neighborhood, underwent a complete renovation

distinct areas for lounging and dining and augmented by

several years ago and is in Dailey’s opinion, one of the

a small changing and storage cabana, the pool sits next to

brightest houses she has seen on the market. “The bank

an expansive green lawn that is large enough for any kind

of windows along the back of the house, where the dining

of family fun activity or a sizable outdoor gathering.

room looks out to the pool, truly gives the interior so much

says Dailey. “And the yard is flat, which makes it incredibly

house is just so bright and airy.”

functional.” Inside, she says, the front-to-back living room

The exquisitely designed five-bedroom, five-bath

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“It is a very large lot for Wellesley, at just under an acre,”

light. People tend to think of Tudors as being dark, but this

with an oversized wood-burning fi eplace and spacious

home is well-suited for both stylish family living, as well as

kitchen/dining/family room make it a wonderful home with

lavish entertaining. It is also ideal for anyone who loves

lots of room for adults and kids. “It is a truly spectacular

to swim. “If you are a pool lover, this is the home for you,”

property, ready to move right in and be close to everything

says Dailey. “The pool area is beautifully set right off of the

Wellesley has to offer.”

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In nearby Weston, another gracious home beckons with both lavish lawns and incredible interior space. “46 Concord Road has been impeccably renovated and expanded,” says Kathryn Richlen, Luxury Property Specialist at Coldwell Banker Realty in Weston, and the company’s number one agent in Massachusetts. “It is a timeless and elegant colonial that is beautifully sited on 0.93 lushly landscaped acres.”

The home is situated within walking distance to Weston center and close to conservation land, and its natural stone patio and private wooded backyard allow for ample opportunities to relish the outdoors. The classic interior reflects the natural setting with a sundrenched floor plan, with open spaces perfect for modern living.

“There is a grand two-story foyer that leads to a fireplace living room, spacious dining room, and a brilliant chef’s kitchen,” says Richlen. “The great room with fieldstone fireplace and bay window breakfast room each also complement the home’s verdant setting.”

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This pair of tranquil suburban escapes are just two examples of the many properties that Coldwell Baker Global Luxury will have as part of its portfolio in the upcoming months. Noting that this year’s market will be nothing short of competitive, Pauline Bennett, President of Coldwell Banker Realty, New England, still says it doesn’t mean “you can’t find a go geous, dreamy listing to make your own.”

She firmly belie es that there is no better team to depend on than Coldwell Banker. “The New England luxury market is truly one-of-a-kind and offers an array of world-class lifestyles,” says Bennett. “Coldwell Banker Global Luxury agents are not only incredibly talented real estate professionals, but are deeply passionate about helping guide their clients home.”

For further details on these properties, visit melissadaileyhomes.com or kathrynrichlen.com.

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FINAL THOUGHT

A NEWPORT SUMMER A new book, A Newport Summer (Vendome 2022) pays homage to the Rhode Island haven that served as the summer playground for the late 19th century elite and currently exists as one of the last bastions of American high society. The largely untouched Gilded Age manses that top Newport’s oceanside cliffs and line Bellevue Avenue are revered and celebrated, a handful are even open to the public, yet many are not and life behind the facades of the privately owned estates is seldom revealed. The curtain is pulled back in this book by lifestyle and interiors photographer Nick Mele and interior designer, Ruthie Sommers. Vivid photographs of home interiors, garden parties, formal soirees, lawn tennis matches, and beach clambakes tell the story of summer in the storied locale.

Photo by Nick Mele

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