Modernist pieces, including Italian tulip swivel armchairs, give the living room a stylish but informal look.
Kenneth Cobonpue’s Bouquet end table pairs with a vintage sofa treated to new chartreuse upholstery to create a playful mood.
The pinstriped gray wallpaper helps scale the master bedroom’s high, slanted ceilings down to comfortable proportions. Deep-pile carpeting and a brace of burlap-covered ottomans warm the space.
The midcentury design favored by the owner is manifest in the gracefully curved desk in the office.
Guests are welcome to lay their heads in an upstairs bedroom that modestly departs from the home’s restrained use of color; a ribbed Lucite rocker and ottoman even flirt modestly with whimsy.
Banquette seating maximizes the relatively narrow space utilized for the dining area, which is further defined by an oversize print of curling surf.
The new fireplace, window seats, and built-in shelves give the living room a strong focal point.
A glass-topped coffee table has a wooden base that suggests rolling waves.
Driftwood edging around a mirror provides subtle hints about the home’s nautical setting.
Textured surfaces breathe life into this downtown Newport home’s living room, with a linen sofa and leather armchairs signaling the designer’s delicate balance between comfort and masculinity.
The master bath’s barnacle-like mirror frame and wave-patterned floor tiles reference the home’s coastal location.
The bunk room’s nautical touches include rope sconces, anchor-print bedding, and a line-and-cleat detail.
Patterns in a guest room mix and match, from florals on the wall to stripes and plaid in upholstery and pillows.
A space-age ball chair is a playful addition to the bunk room.
The pool connects the main house and guesthouse in a unified landscape.
An all-wood wing chair softens the master bedroom’s vibrant colors.
The master bedroom’s vintage and antique furniture is refreshed with plucky hues drawn from the wallpaper in the hallway.
A chandelier strung with tiny bits of turquoise is framed by the angled ceiling in the master bedroom.
The kitchen joins in on the colorful fun with wallpaper (protected by glass) behind the range and inside the glass-front cabinets. The white wall faces the property line, so the high windows let in the light while allowing for privacy.
Ambles through the village inspired architectural details like the cap over the front door and the curved upper corners of the columns.
A combination of benches and transparent chairs surround the concrete-slab dining table.
Bold stripes of blue, green, and turquoise in durable, stain-resistant outdoor fabrics make for a bright, easy-care sitting area.
A rope railing is the final seafaring touch for the stairway painted in two glorious shades from Benjamin Moore—Caribbean Blue Water on the wall and Adriatic Sea on the treads.
The bright blue of the cottage’s front door hints at the rainbow awaiting inside.
Photo by Peter Vanderwarker
Photo by Peter Vanderwarker
Photo by Peter Vanderwarker
Photo by David Sundberg/Esto
Photo by David Sundberg/Esto
Photo by David Sundberg/Esto
Photo by David Sundberg/Esto
Photo by Matthew Snyder
Photo by Matthew Snyder
Photo by Peter Vanderwarker
Photo by Matthew Snyder
The master bedroom’s tufted headboard and diaphanous drapes add even more elegance to a glam space.
The shower’s Bisazza tile wall adds a bold touch to the wife’s serene bathroom.
The spiral staircase in the wife’s dressing room leads to an extension of her closet.
Quilted barstools make for comfortable seating at the lower-level bar.
The fun-loving homeowners and their guests enjoy lively bowling competitions.
The billiards room is on the lower level—a space dedicated to entertaining and fun and outfitted in sumptuous reds and black.
The kitchen was designed with two islands: one for the couple to share with every party’s ubiquitous crowd in the kitchen and another for the caterer.
A gorgeous alcove with unparalleled views holds the family’s only indoor dining space.
The walk-in bar visually expands the living room in a practical and appealing way.
The living room is glamorous and comfortable in equal measure; the black doors open to the roomy bar.
Another guest room, which doubles as an office, has a desk cleverly composed of leftover marble from the kitchen counter atop legs from IKEA.
The original beams in a guest room have been partially revealed for a rustic touch.
The master bath’s vanity of reclaimed barnboard was custom made by an Indiana craftsman.
The Stones found the arched chairs, likely from a church, in an antique shop. One of Hank Hudson’s “dot series” images of celebrities (in this case actor Daniel Craig as James Bond) is from the Provincetown gallery Woodman/Shimko.
Light from the dormers spills into the comfortable new master bedroom in the second-floor addition.
The back patio has gray stone tiles for continuity with the look and feel of the kitchen floor.
Pat combined traditional with contemporary, as in the breakfast area’s antique table surrounded by Eames chairs.
Ben and Pat Stone enjoy a glass of wine at the marble-topped reclaimed-wood island, while Franklin signals his approval of Pat’s choice of gray porcelain floor tiles.
Above the foyer’s welcoming bench hangs a prized photograph by a favorite artist—Caitlin Stone, the homeowners’ daughter.
The ground-floor walls and the home’s original staircase now wear horizontal shiplap for a traditional Cape Cod cottage feel.
The living room’s original ceiling beams were left exposed, brushed with paint, and paired with new beadboard. The art in the house is largely from artists with a local connection, as with the landscape by Truro-based Michael del Visco.
The master bath opens onto an outdoor shower planted with bamboo.
A mirror from the North Carolina furniture company Skram is a curvy foil to the master bedroom’s sleek Giorgetti desk.
A top-floor guest bedroom has a wide balcony for enjoying the view.
Like the first modernists on the Cape, who built houses to celebrate summer, indoor spaces are linked with the outdoors.
Because the house is on a hill, it provides one of the longest views in Truro.
Forgoing upper cabinets keeps the kitchen sleek; the architects added a second pantry for storage.
High and low styles—a dining table from Roche Bobois, cabinetry from IKEA—coexist happily in the open kitchen/dining area.
High awning windows on one side of the house and low ones on the other create a constant flow of cooling breeze.
While most of the site uses native plantings, such as bayberry and sweet fern, to blend into the surroundings, color and geometrically designed perennial beds announce the entryway.
Architects Don DiRocco and Mark Hammer tucked three levels into the side of a steep hill. Landscape architect Jessalyn Jarest planted red pines and tupelo trees to screen the house from neighbors below.
For sheer fun the basement bunk room, with cheery splashes of orange and its pool table, is hard to beat.
Two more girls cozy up in a room with built-in beds that incorporate helpful storage.
A standing mirror visually enhances the size of a daughter’s room.
The generous deck wraps around the living room, increasing the home’s livable space. Interior designer Audrey Sterk elevates the outdoor area’s allure—as she has the whole house—with comfortable pieces that correlate with easy living and relaxation. The adjacent guest house/studio mimics the home’s design and provides bonus overnight accommodations.
The study, with its grasscloth-covered walls and peaceful color scheme, affords a quiet spot for reading. It’s also the only room with a TV, which the owners use primarily for viewing tennis matches. A beach scene by Philip Barlow displayed above the sofa nods to summer.
Sterk chose walnut stools with leather tops for a warm counterpoint to the kitchen’s cool gray tiles.
The mudroom’s colorful door gives notice that this is a modern house.
A cityscape of Manhattan on handmade paper by Barbara Macfarlane ratchets up interest in the dining area.
Cutone’s straightforward design reflects Nantucket’s architectural roots while maximizing the compact lot with an open-plan house that flows from front to back.
French doors in the living room lead to the deck, so the family feels connected to the outdoors even when they gather inside. To lend the room’s fireplace added interest, architect Mark Cutone included a millwork wall. A large collage by artist Selena Beaudry adds subtle color to the serene setting.
In the master bedroom, chests from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams sport navy blue stain and are customized with gold-toned hardware.
Spiky, plum-colored Urchin pendants by Varaluz hang on either side of the guest room bed. “I love unexpected color combos,” says designer Dane Austin.
The office’s light fixture is made of metal strapping sourced from old wine barrels.
Lady Gaga wore these Black Dahlia Mary Janes during performances commemorating the closing of the Roseland Ballroom in New York in 2014.
The Venetian plaster finish on the kitchen island masks scuffmarks.
In the dining room, a deconstructed collaged portrait of George Washington by Tokyo-based artist Tomoya N hangs above Lady Gaga’s shoes, a purposeful contrasting of pop-culture with politics.
Gold leaf tops the round resin Fabergé egg–like coffee table.
Graphic black and gray upholstery and bold jolts of color stand out against the statement-making blush-pink walls of the living room. The oil painting by Croatian artist Stjepan Šandrk pictures a young woman holding a cup of coffee and a cell phone in front of an 1866 masterpiece by Gustave Courbet.
The intrusion of structural beams in this contemporary guest bath hints at the home’s antiquity.
Removing the attic opened up the ceilings of the second-floor guest bedrooms, where exposed beams offer subtle contrast to the white walls.
A glass-paneled railing creates a see-through barrier for the open hallway that provides access to the second-floor bedrooms.
The kitchen’s contrasting window grids are another Piet Boon influence.
The outdated kitchen was replaced with a clean and functional one designed in collaboration with SieMatic of Boston.
Removing a portion of the ceiling above the dining room created a loft-like second floor. The original wood-burning fireplace and baking oven were refaced with matte black granite for a contemporary look.
Adjacent to the reading room, the family room reflects the influence of Dutch designer Piet Boon, a favorite of both Balsbaugh and her clients.
Maureen Griffin Balsbaugh designed the bookshelves and matching chaises in the reading room.
The reading room on the main floor offers a peaceful alternative to the beach, and like other rooms throughout the house, draws on a balance of white walls, a neutral floor, and black accents.
The curves that are a refrain throughout the house are on display in the stairwell, where Fremont-Smith has hung color-printed lithographs from Audubon’s Birds of America.
A guest room is outfitted with a custom tufted headboard in a restful purple-and-blue floral fabric from Schumacher.
The sheep sculptures are by local artist Dan Falt, who has been welcoming children into his studio for art workshops since the homeowner and her designer were kids summering on the island.
Fremont-Smith let herself go wild with color and pattern in the TV room, a space more for family retreats than public entertainment. A green-painted floor and blue-painted ceiling continue the home’s summery vibe.
A mobile crafted of wooden fish the wife painted back in childhood holds pride of place above the breakfast table.
Fremont-Smith successfully mixes patterns even in a small powder room, installing a bone inlay mirror against a bright Meg Braff wallpaper.
At the homeowners’ request, the kitchen cabinets were painted a vibrant peacock blue.
The turret’s third-floor media room is a Moroccan fantasy, complete with tented ceiling.
The hand-blocked, trellis-patterned wallpaper keeps the dining room feeling summery, while the round table softens the square room.
Fremont-Smith designed the living room rug as a contemporary take on a traditional hooked rug.
The designer created a variety of seating areas in the large living room, layering pattern on pattern in soft-hued fabrics.
A garden near the house holds seventeen varieties of roses, an arbor, and a swinging bench.
A curved second-floor balcony is a crowning touch on the front entrance.
Designed in 1989 by architect Christopher Glass, the Shingle-style home is a playful take on the grand cottages of the turn-of-the-century rusticators of Maine’s Mount Desert Island. The extensive gardens were laid out by landscape designer Dennis Bracale and are now tended by Erika Lindquist, who works full-time on the grounds.
Walnut and polished-nickel lamps and a teak lounge chair are masculine touches.
Walls, floor, and ceiling in the master bath are covered in Marone Toscano travertine field tiles, lending an outdoorsy atmosphere to a space starlit by dozens of dangling LED globe lights. The enormous single-pane mirror was carefully maneuvered into place before the rest of the bathroom was built around it.
Natural denim wallcovering and soft, stone-hued fabrics give the master bedroom its restful mood.
The custom wet bar crafted from reclaimed pine has a copper countertop and sink and an antiqued mirror reflecting the bottles and glassware.
For Edelman, games aren’t limited to the football field: this video gaming area is announced with eight gaming-themed metal art prints. The lush longwool rug encourages sprawling during epic Xbox or PlayStation battles.
Exposed brick adds warmth to the playful loft lounge.
Framed photos of palm trees above the high-backed banquette remind Edelman of his West Coast upbringing.
Opening the space between the kitchen, living room, and dining area permitted the addition of an expansive island. Subway tiles, bronze cabinet hardware, and a rolled-steel range hood add an urban feel. The steel and wood staircase leads to the loft.
Photos of golden-age Hollywood starlets adorn a bold Farrow & Ball Raddichio-painted powder room that serves the home’s spacious roof deck.
A vaguely Egyptian bar unit covered in architectural vellum in a natural stone finish serves Julian Edelman’s living room guests.
Sunlight streaming through restored nineteenth-century windows and modern artwork, such as Cherry Bomb! by Matt McKee, brighten the living room with its sturdy midcentury furnishings in a variety of natural textures.
The artist’s weekend studio contains a custom built-in desk and enough room for recent works, in this case, likenesses of Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, and Chelsea Handler.
The random flagstone pool deck is a throwback to midcentury summers.
The master bedroom’s built-in shelves, stocked with period treasures and dominated by Stein’s portrait of comedian Samantha Bee, float above the floor.
The bedside nightstands, too, are suspended from the wall to visually increase floor space. The sculptural female form of this vintage lamp is partnered with a male version on the opposite side.
The designer’s contemporary redesign of the kitchen is less a midcentury move than an elegant response to a confined space.
Concealed behind shoji-style doors, a bar cabinet is outfitted with vintage shakers and glassware from Davies’s collection.
The long, narrow family room presented a spatial challenge that Davies conquered with extra-slim walnut shelving and a custom sofa from Vladimir Kagan.
The dining room’s Saarinen table and chairs from Knoll serve up midcentury style beneath a contemporary chandelier. Light from an existing skylight floods the room, which was made even airier with the removal of a wall separating it from the kitchen.
In remodeling, Davies retained the living room’s original stone planting bed but reduced the foliage to a level more appropriate for her busy clients.
In the living room and throughout the house, paintings by Stein, an artist, enliven the walls.
A finish of brick-red paint (Farrow & Ball’s Blazer) spotlights the front entry.
Tyler Karu carved out a highlighting niche to frame this bed. Photo by Justin Levesque.
Wallpaper, art, lighting, pillows, and furniture all act as layers of pattern in a bedroom by Diane McCafferty. Photo by Eric Roth.
Gina Baran extended a statement wall onto the ceiling for extra architectural definition. Photo by Emily O’Brien.
A mosaic wall in the guest shower picks up the texture theme.
Reflective materials give the smallish master bathroom a sense of space.
A guest room’s textured wallpaper echoes a serene palette of silvery gray with touches of deep green.
The master bedroom is a symphony of deep, rich blues set against a gray-blue grasscloth shot through with metallic threads.
The master suite’s coral-inspired lamp and ocean-blue ombré velvet armchair reference the water views.
The kitchen is a simple, modern, tactile marvel, with metal-trimmed leather upper cabinets and backsplash tiles of textured antique mirror.
The dining area is simple, with open cantilevered chairs, and a ceiling fixture that helps to define the space.
The floor-to-ceiling sculpted fireplace wall is a show-stopper.
The living room is the apartment in microcosm: all contours and texture, mixed materials, muted jewel tones, water references, and modern moments—carefully composed in a painterly way.
A raised base conceals the plumbing for the master bath’s oversize freestanding tub.
The master bedroom features a custom headboard of dark-stained bamboo.
In the dressing room, clothing, shoes, and accessories are all discreetly stored away in walnut cabinets and a dresser.
The polished wood vanity top in the guest bathroom is a rare irregular shape in the home.
A narrow opening between the kitchen and dining area was dramatically expanded to create the sense of openness.
The range is the only visible appliance in the kitchen; all others are disguised behind the cabinetry.
The television sinks into a hidden alcove in the built-in cabinet, crafted by Woodmeister Master Builders, when it’s not in use.
A walnut dining table and pale gray chairs adhere to the color scheme defined by the walls.
The entry greets homeowners and guests with a sense of calm.
Designer Rina Okawa balanced the clean, geometric lines of the open floor plan with the softness and warmth of natural materials, including walls of walnut and mosaic stone, quartzite kitchen counters, and a leather sofa and lounge chair.
An eye-catching mirror enhances light and makes the compact guest room feel bigger.
“You never see a bookcase in a bath, that’s why we love it,” says Josh Linder about the master bath’s photo.
Bold patterns and bright colors happily coexist in the guest room; the photograph is by David Heitholt.
Green-as-malachite wallpaper revs up the powder room.
Festive flashlights lined up along the patio fence add nighttime ambience.
Bee drawings in the sunroom are mounted on wallpaper intended to represent the insects’ busyness.
A colorful lineup of cookbooks stands as a design element in the kitchen.
Spikes and spiky items—the Pyrus lamp and a metal-studded chair inspired by the British punk fashion movement—are a fun theme throughout.
Nodding to the home’s traditional past, the living room’s decorative moldings remain.
A grid of lively Brooklyn street scenes greets visitors as they enter.
Favorite pieces—like the wife’s father’s lounge chair and the couple’s headboard—were redone and incorporated into the master suite.
The family room’s accent colors were inspired by the tulip painting in the homeowners’ art collection.
The kitchen features vinyl-covered bar chairs for worry-free eating.
A built-in of stainless steel and faux-ostrich vinyl makes a striking display for art pieces.
A sultry Sophia Loren ups the glam factor in the dining area.
Pops of color amid a sea of neutrals keep the living room warm and inviting.
An absence of window treatments, a low-backed sofa, and streamlined swivel chairs play up the show-stopping view from the living room of a condominium in Boston’s Seaport District.
The sofa dominating one end of the living room throws an insouciant curve at the room’s rectilinear lines. Oak beams and trim were treated to a gray-green stain that makes the wood less imposing but allows the grain to show through.
Duffy designed the master bath’s teak vanity with room to store towels and toiletries.
Graphic Romo fabrics give energy to the guest room’s reading nook.
The owners’ private sanctuary includes an ultra-suede upholstered bed.
Air, a digital photo collage by Ysabel LeMay, contrasts perfectly with the office’s midcentury desk.
“One of our goals was to provide plenty of storage,” says Duffy of the new kitchen, which has gone thoroughly modern with Leucos pendants and quartz counters.
At the table’s head, Plumb 12 (Leaves of Grass), by Henry Mandell, complements the dining area’s sophisticated tone. Intriguing accessories, like the trio of knot sculptures on the buffet, spark conversation.
The light-blocking wall separating the office from the relocated dining room has been shrunk to half its size.
A glass-topped table resting on a stone ball lends a sculptural note to the conversation area, while a fur pillow adds texture on the sofa. The paintings—Falling for You—are by Karine Léger through Boston’s Lanoue Gallery.
Rather than a massive rug that would hide the newly stained floors in the main living area, interior designer Dennis Duffy and his project captain, Michael Forman, went custom: “We designed the rug’s pattern and had a fabricator cut it,” Duffy explains. A printed velvet ottoman serves as a seat or a cocktail table when entertaining.
A deep Fleurco tub in the master bath promotes relaxing.
A silk and wool rug feels good under bare toes, while an Arctic Pear chandelier by Ochre lends sparkle.
Irving created an inviting sitting area in the couple’s bedroom.
As stylish as any grown-up haven, the little girl’s room holds an Ethan Allen bed from the owners’ previous home, which Irving refreshed with a coat of white paint. A geometric Tibetan wool rug and CB2 bedding strike additional notes of sophistication.
What was once a mere stair landing is now a sunny spot well equipped for private time with a plush daybed.
The chic mudroom incorporates a custom shade and a handy apron-front sink for washing hands.
The kitchen’s dining area sports an arresting acrylic on panel by Duy Huynh and a contemporary Apparatus chandelier in blackened brass.
To ensure the kitchen counters stay clear, Irving devised a bonanza of storage.
Irving brought the dramatic color into the family room, too, coating the bookshelves and window seat as a contrast to the room’s paler walls.
“The dining room’s focus is the wallpaper,” explains designer Kristine Irving, who also chose Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue paint for the ceiling.
A favorite gathering space, the family room includes Michael Mazur’s painting White Water and a game table for hours of fun.
Working with Boston’s Krakow Witkin Gallery and Jules Place, the designer and her clients found contemporary art that beautifully complements the old room. In the same congenial spirit, modern furnishings and fixtures look right at home with the living room’s classic architectural details.
The main staircase echoes the geometric design of the home and incorporates the building blocks used in its construction—wood, metal, and glass. Above twinkles a welcoming crystal chandelier, one of the few truly ornate elements in the home.
The backyard and pool area echo just enough of the geometry of the home to remain harmonic, while landscaping, ornamental flowers, discreet lighting, and a welcoming cabana soften the edges of a space used frequently for entertaining and family time.
A huge slab of polished marble serves as a focal point in the living room, complementing the views of the lush backyard and acting as a counterpoint to the room’s sleek, modern design.
Wood-grained Eggersmann cabinetry hides major appliances and provides contrast to the monumental marble kitchen island.
“Home-sized” windows, a bedroom balcony, and native trees help create a residential feel for a structure that intends to stand out from, not blend into, its environment.
Varied ceiling heights help define spaces throughout the home, while artwork provides color and texture. A wood panel buffed to a high gloss mirrors the custom staircase, itself a piece of functional art.
The sleek, blocky basis of the home’s abstract design is mitigated by the addition of a floating canopy, brise-soleil, and extensive plantings around the entry.
Marilyn Monroe smiles over the art deco dining room, where Parsons-style J. Robert Scott chairs surround a custom table by interior designer Manuel de Santaren.
A variety of textures is at play in the wet bar, where a mix of tile, marble, and polished wood brings warmth to the ultra-modern design.
Polished tile and marble make for a glamorous bathroom.
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