Photo by Neil Landino
Terraces on each level were designed by Zen Associates with low-maintenance, natural-palette furnishings and vegetation that can survive New England winters.
A pillowy sectional sofa by the newly installed fireplace makes the family room the perfect kick-back-and-relax zone.
The stunning staircase of glass and metal rises to a casual family room that includes a dining nook and built-in bar. The Harvard logo was commissioned from artist Jennifer Lashbrook.
A custom Ping-Pong table, set against Rivets wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries, plays to both sophisticated tastes and college-kid interests.
A segmented layout was scrapped to create an airy, open floor plan with hardwoods, a fresh blue-gray-natural palette, and whimsical light fixtures.
A mix of styles, from art deco to midcentury to coastal chic, makes for a sophisticated lounge space grounded by a youthful touch of fun in the neon wall sign.
Sturdy fencing topped by a guardrail almost slips out of sight behind a series of fiberglass planters in varying sizes and two shades of putty holding conifers, perennials, hellebores, and sun-tolerant ferns.
To contrast the sharp angles of the planters and steel edging corralling the groundcover sedum “lawn,” ZEN Associates custom designed an oval stainless-steel spa.
From the comfy four-season sitting room, the evergreens form a vista to frame the skyline.
The terrace, which opens off the living room and overlooks the city, is a summertime haven. “It’s our tiny backyard,” Frazier says.
All the artwork is meaningful. For the master bedroom, Frazier framed a poem her husband wrote in celebration of their first wedding anniversary. The ink blot figure is another piece by Brittney Ciccone.
The nursery’s rug is joyful without seeming childish, and an Eames lounge chair makes for a sophisticated reading spot. Frazier says, “The room is happy but consistent with the rest of the house with its modern feel.”
Pops of peppy color punctuate the playroom. The modular sofa by Nugget can be configured into forts. The trio of prints are by London photographer Karin Berndl through ArtStar.
Vintage MR chairs by Mies van der Rohe surround the polished marble dining table. “The chairs already have wear and tear, so I don’t worry about the kids ruining them,” Frazier says.
Frazier and her husband spend evenings around the gas fireplace in the den. The painting is by SoWa-based artist Brittney Ciccone, who is also a close friend.
In the den, black leather sling chairs and sculptural floor lamps by Aerin for Visual Comfort provide symmetry, while the ottoman and cocktail tables soften the arrangement. The result is orderly yet effortless.
Artwork by homeowner and designer Katie Frazier’s sister-in-law, Christina Jervey, and custom throw pillows add touches of subtle pattern in neutral colors to the living room.
A restful palette and rich textures, including silk wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries, give the master bedroom its serene aura. Elms designed the platform bed and the nightstands, as well as the upholstered wall behind the bed.
A white kitchen has been jazzed up considerably by the backsplash of custom smoky mirrored glass tiles.
An alcove was transformed into a cozy office with the addition of steel-and-glass doors.
The open living and dining area offers a lot of flexible seating options that are great for entertaining. The space is large enough to accommodate a show-stopping back-to-back sofa and a versatile coffee table that provides storage and surface area in equal measures.
Designer Dee Elms crafted sophisticated scenes and sightlines at every turn in the ninth-floor condominium overlooking Boston Harbor.
The entryway extends a dramatic welcome with its midcentury bench and a large abstract painting.
Washington St., Boston Planeta Design Group
The view from the master bath includes a wall-size photo of a marsh.
A light-colored Luce chair and Frette linens on the bed, along with a glass wall that admits sunlight from the living room, brighten the master bedroom. The mitered Ann Sacks marble headboard shimmers like a waterfall.
The absence of obstructions, such as pendant lights or a vent hood, means outside light can penetrate deep into the kitchen. Minimalist tap-operated lights hang almost invisibly above the custom Boffi kitchen island. Like the collected works elsewhere in the home, the framed prints on the shelf get moved or swapped occasionally, offering fresh looks for repeat guests.
A tubular LED light from Luke Lamp in Mamaroneck, New York—twisted into shape by the designer and client—coils above the reflective surface of a Flexform Zefiro table and De Padova chairs clad in Spinneybeck leather.
On the dining area wall, the owners’ original photos of Ellis Island are displayed on inlaid art hangers.
Natural light spills through floor-to-ceiling windows onto midcentury furnishings set on a silky teardrop rug. The rounded lines of the chairs, cocktail table, and rug soften the home’s predominantly linear design.
Daher added wall panels with bronze inserts to give the bedroom more interest.
The den’s wallpaper is a Kirkby Design from Romo. Once again, Daher shows her talents for blending: the cubes are marble, the desk is leather-topped, and the arresting green chair wears a cotton/linen blend from Kelly Wearstler.
Daher designed the fireplace’s marble surround and the screens on either side. Stepping up their profile, the three-part screens were wallpapered and then painted. The palette throughout is a sophisticated gray and white with the occasional spark of gold or emerald green.
The great room encompasses several different activity areas and a wealth of textures, such as the layered cowhide rug beneath the coffee table at the room’s center, the high-gloss lacquer on the doors of the wet bar, and the nubby boucle Pierre Frey fabric on the chairs around the corner cocktail table. The vibrant painting above the bar is by Peruvian artist Maria Cecilia Fernandez De Arrospide.
The lacquered table in the intimate dining area is enlivened with a chrome base. Not to be outdone, the banquette sports bronze detailing.
Designer Paula Daher’s skill for choosing unique accessories is evident throughout; atop an ebony chest leading the way to the great room resides a paper lamp similar in shape to a nautilus. Daher drew on memories of her Moroccan travels when designing the handsome screen.
A vine-covered pergola leads into the tea house at Harkness Memorial State Park. Photo by Tovah Martin.
Theodate Pope Riddle, one of this country’s first female architects, hired Farrand to “bring order” to the hexagonal sunken garden at Hill-Stead, her home in Farmington, Connecticut. Image courtesy of The Gardens at Hill-Stead.
Open to the public by appointment, Maine’s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden features a pink wall inspired by the Forbidden City and antique sculpture acquired from Asia. Photo by Larry Lederman.
Beginning in her youth, Farrand’s family summered in coastal Maine, leading to her friendship with the Rockefeller family and the design of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller garden in Seal Harbor with its legendary moon gate. Photo by Larry Lederman.
An aerial view of Harkness Memorial State Park shows the Farrand-designed gardens. Photo courtesy of Harkness Memorial State Park.
Beatrix Farrand designed some 200 landscapes, both private and public. Through her work for Yale University’s campus, she was commissioned to renovate Eolia, the Waterford, Connecticut, estate that became the Harkness Memorial State Park. Photo: courtesy of Friends of Harkness Memorial State Park.
Originally, the garden featured cut flower beds in the center, until the design was simplified with a central lawn. Photo by John B. Gibb.
Beatrix Farrand. Portrait: courtesy of Dumbarton Oaks.
The deep borders in the Rockefeller garden billow with blossoms throughout summer. Photo by Preserve staff Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden.
Farrand thoughtfully spent time corresponding with the gardeners who cared for the estates she designed. Courtesy of Dumbarton Oaks.
In a letter to Mildred Barnes Bliss, owner of Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., Farrand tucked a sprig of white heather from her own Maine garden. Image courtesy of courtesy of Dumbarton Oaks.
Simple, informal plants surround a swath of grassy lawn.
Hydrangeas and other native plantings border the dining area. Amanda and John Rich discovered that the space under the floating WWOO benches in the grilling area make a perfect spot for storing firewood.
Homeowner Amanda Rich cloned her summer tomatoes and raised them in her greenhouse over the winter.
The WWOO system posts are high enough to afford privacy without creating a closed-in feeling.
Inge Daniels used Ipe panels with the concrete system from the Dutch company WWOO both for privacy and to create a sense of outdoor rooms on the compact lot.
Raised beds are ready for vegetables and herbs, while the espalier trellises await apple and pear trees.
Frameless glass fencing, treated to keep salt at bay, keeps the focus on the view. A major challenge, says landscape architect Peter White, was subtly changing the design vocabulary to go from Cape Cod classic at the house level to contemporary at the pool level.
The outdoor shower gets a spa-like look with blue granite walls.
The bar is a stylish mix of French limestone and black granite; the doors behind it open to storage.
The lower-level deck takes on a contemporary vibe with its French limestone tile flooring and a low wall of stone supplemented by soft plantings behind the chaises.
An entertaining deck holds an outdoor kitchen with everything needed to throw a party, plus a fire table for gathering even on chilly nights early in the season.
Architect Rolf Kielman incorporated garage doors on two sides of the house to let summer breezes flow freely. Designer Chapman salvaged an old trough of galvanized metal to stand in for a sink at the bar.
The TV sits above the bar, hidden behind a Vermont maple syrup sign interior designer Cathy Chapman commissioned.
Keith Wagner’s landscape plan includes segmented serpentine walls of local Panton stone.
“The pool house was designed to look like it emerges from the woods,” Wagner says.
Where better to enjoy the fire than on one of a pair of red-cushioned swinging benches?
The tables are always set for seasonal soirees.
Look closely at the relief behind the counter—it’s designed to mimic shelves of books.
Baristas prepare La Colombe coffee at Mod Espresso.
The shop is much larger than it appears on the outside, inviting shoppers to explore various nooks and crannies.
The 6,000-square-foot space includes vignettes of living rooms, dining spaces, and bedrooms. Keep an eye out for vintage artwork and accessories.
Modern Relik’s design director, John Dransfield, and shop owner Meg Kimball.
Modern Relik owner Meg Kimball has a penchant for design tomes. “Whenever I need some inspiration, I look through one of these books,” says Kimball.
This look at the back of the house shows how the designers used oversize windows and sliding doors to maximize waterfront views and fit the home to the sloping lot.
The home’s exterior, with its twin gables and cedar-shingle siding, reflects the island’s vernacular.
The soaring family room features eye-catching scissor trusses as well as a comfortable collection of chairs and sofas.
In keeping with the owner’s wishes, the design team opted for a cathedral ceiling to fill the kitchen with light and chose custom-designed walnut cabinets and a white oak floor to reflect the home’s natural setting.
The master bedroom features a custom-designed headboard.
The master bathroom boasts a freestanding tub with an unobstructed view to the outdoors.
Protean (2013), 9’H x 5’W.
