If a person were to ask me to offer an off the cuff phrase describing Sally’s and my style, I would say “classic traditional with an enticing European influence”. Having said that, there’s a piece of me that that will sit right up and say, “Whoa!” when I come across the right modern interior – an interior that uses form, surface, light and shadow to define and shape form, function and volume. Add an exterior that offers up not a clue as to what you are walking into, you have a formula that spells magic. Such is this project – a house with a stone exterior built in 1937 and an interior renovated to feel like a modern gallery in New York City.

Wouldn’t you expect a charming rustic interior?

The central fireplace has been reworked as part of an open floor plan.

Tucked around the corner… Antique keys.

Fantastic!!! A 1769  schrank & 18th century church pew play vs. tuxedo style furniture.
What’s a schrank you ask??? The short answer is it’s an antique wardrode.

Love the sweep of the shelves and counterpoint of modern tufting and practical  period furniture.

What a compostition – modern island between antique painted chairs and rustic shelves - brilliant!

 Look at the different thicknesses of the shelves. Real understanding of scale and weight!

Cantalevered shelves again. The antique windsor chair looks so alive! Context!!!

Saarinen Womb Chair, modern quilt, folded tin sand pipers, antique basket having a conversation.

A singular vision throughout. Beautiful!

 Could you live here?

 All images from Architectural Digest, Architecture by French & Crane and Jeanne Scandura. Interior Design by Lauren Sara.

Last night Sally and I attended the Builders Association of Boston’s 2011 Prism Awards at Boston’s House of Blues. We were thrilled to hear our names called as winners in the 2011 Best Living Area category. We had submitted our condo project on Commonwealth Ave. in Boston, a project with a modest budget and some oddball architectural constraints.

All photographs by Eric Roth.

I’ve tried to pin a “style” on this project and have found it hard to do. Eclectic? Transitional? Modern Traditional?

What would you call it?

Other winners included our good friends from Meyer & Meyer, Jan Gleysteen Architects, Micheal Kim Associates and Leslie Fine Interiors. Be sure to take a look at their websites – all very diverse and different one from the other and all very talented.

Cheers,