closets hallways corridors

Bensonwood created the striking steel-and-white-oak staircase in this Salisbury home, while interior designer Claudia Kalur paired the couple’s own rug with two mid-century chairs.

For storage, Bensonwood designed a series of closets in the primary suite with clear vertical-grain Douglas fir.

Comfortable time-outs for the couple’s two Jack Russell terriers, Mischief and Jinx, come courtesy of custom built-in dog beds in the mudroom.

Built as a series of rings, the Sonneman chandelier acts as an art installation in the foyer. The black feature wall in the background was key to the architectural design.

YGK also crafted the cabinetry in the his-and-hers dressing room, which includes cubbies for handbags above the mirrored closet doors.

The mudroom features plenty of storage as well as a sink where the homeowners give their dog his bath.

A glass-walled passage connects the living spaces to the garage and includes a changing area and coat closets designed and built by carpenter John Russo.

A simple, uncluttered mudroom has pegs and cubbies to keep everything in its place.

The dressing room and closet space is a room unto itself.

A kitchenette at the rear of the house acts as a service area for the back porch. The window above the counter on the right folds open to become a pass-through when serving meals at the outdoor table.

The first-floor primary suite’s dressing room holds white-oak built-ins with mirrored closet doors.

In the mudroom, a ceiling of tongue-in-groove white oak holds a Brightbound light fixture of handblown glass bulbs hanging from knotted ropes by San Francisco artist Windy Chien.

The front facade offers a modern take on classic New England architecture. Even the garage (at rear) looks inviting and features an office and art studio on the second floor.

The wife’s closet is layered with a vintage chair from Hickory Chair and an antique runner from Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting.

Given the home’s open floor plan, playful touches were confined to enclosed spaces like Stacey’s closet, where a banana-leaf pendant illuminates a ceiling covered in exuberant Sanderson wallpaper.

The mudroom provides entree to the new rear stair; the flooring is antiqued limestone from DiscoverTile.

Accessed through steel-and-glass doors, the dressing room features walnut cabinetry.

The living room’s original parquet floor makes a gleaming base for a seating arrangement that includes a pair of Kravet chairs in a striped velvet fabric from Romo

The kids’ hallway features an Arte wallcovering; “This time around, we were definitely more adventurous, especially with wallcoverings,” says the husband.

The design team broke through to the third floor to give Kimberly her two-story closet; Haines painted the walls a demure blush pink.

The mudroom’s checkerboard floor is made of local Panton stone, matching that used in the walls of the house and on the property.

The staircase tower, originally designed to house an observation nook, was left open to maximize light flow.

In the entry hall, natural elements such as slate, stone, and wood help marry inside and out. An open breezeway connects the house and the garage.

Nearby, the wife’s dressing room features custom closets and a marble-topped island; crystal chandeliers, refitted with shades from Blanche Field, were relocated from the hallway.

In the stairwell, a portrait of the wife of the original owner peers from behind a cascade of contemporary light globes from John Pomp Studios.

The second-floor landing has become a gallery for the art Nancy and Joe didn’t previously have the wall space to collect.

The staircase leads to the new second floor and connects the main part of the house to Nancy’s office and a guest suite.

The tall stairwell makes a perfect gallery space.

The owners’ art collection provides the home’s color.

The grand Alexander Parris staircase illustrates the fluidity of design, movement, and circulation that was so important to the homeowners.

The modern look of the rebuilt main staircase and midcentury-style pendant lights brings a fresh touch to the classic bones of the stair landing.

The theme of offsetting neutrals with bright colors continues in the master suite’s closet, which has custom shelves and cubbies to organize the wife’s belongings.

A colonial-style staircase was replaced with this simple, modern design of iron and painted wood.

Maritime-inspired cables support the bubbled-glass staircase panels.

The foyer trumpets the home’s new relaxed persona with pale walls and antique rugs in soft, woody tones.

The central hall leads to home offices, a screened porch and the kitchen-dining-living room.

An oyster veneer chest and a pair of curvaceous walnut chairs warm the painted paneling of the foyer.

In the ample entrance hall, worthy of "Downton Abbey," designer Kate Coughlin let the space speak for itself, punctuating it only with a linen-wrapped table by Furniture Guild and a Murano glass chandelier.

A lush purple velvet sofa, black-and-white checkerboard flooring and subtly patterned wallpaper add drama to the foyer.

A pickled wash subdued the paneled ceilings without disturbing their nautical flavor.

A detail of the bathroom barn door.

Guests can borrow walking sticks, boots, hats and more, all found in the mudroom.

A Corbin Bronze sculpture stands guard on the landing.

More of the designer's art collection.

The simple, organic color scheme plays up the foyer’s original moldings and leaded-glass windows.

The glossy Dakota Jackson table in the hall outside the master suite has a floating glass top and leather-front drawers.

Nobilis paper covers the walls in the back hallway.

"I like seating in an entryway," says interior designer Mally Skok. "It does double-duty; it looks welcoming and you can dump your things."