Design Ne 20110304

renovation ▼

High VoltageInterior designer Liz Caan cleverly layers color and pattern to create a home bursting with energy and personality.

green building ▼interiors ▼

Tall OrderUpdated in style and substance, a town house in Boston’s South End earns design kudos and a LEED rating.

Aggressively PassiveA super energy-efficient house on Martha’s Vineyard crowns a family’s commitment to sustainable living.

places ▼Inside the Box • Recycled shipping containers add up to new vitality for Providence’s industrial fringe.

house proud ▼Classical Splash • Car king Ernie Boch Jr. spared no detail to make his exquisite pool house fit for a regal celebration.

FRESH OUTLOOKBold ideas meet personal expression

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the magazine of splendid homes and gardens • march / april 2011

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6 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

“We are in front of people all the time and we wanted privacy, a place where we could chill.” —HOMEOWNER CHRISTOPHER BORN

68 Interiors • High VoltageInterior designer Liz Caan cleverly layers color and patternto create a home bursting with energy and personality.

76 Green Building • Aggressively PassiveA super energy-effi cient house on Martha’s Vineyard crownsa family’s commitment to sustainable living.

82 Architecture • Tall OrderUpdated in style and substance, a town house in Boston’sSouth End earns design kudos and a LEED rating.

90 Getaway • Rural RefugeFor a husband and wife who each work in different cities, a minimalist Rhode Island retreat is a perfect place to recharge.

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On the Covera house by newport architect gale goff.photo by warren jagger. story, page 90.

features march/april 2011

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BENCHMARK • Little of the furniture designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944), the British architect whose work inspired the pool house on Page 48, survived the years. That fate, however, did not befall the Thakeham garden bench he created in 1902. Today, it is an archetypal form known simply as the Lutyens bench and is sold in many forms, from do-it-yourself plans from American Furniture Design Co., americanfurnituredsgn.com, to licensed replicas by granddaughter Candia Lutyens at London’s Lutyens Furniture and Lighting, lutyens-furniture.com.

departments march/april 2011

5048 104

10 Editor’s Note

12 Publisher’s Note

18 visit • Campo de’ FioriMossed terra-cotta containers are its specialty, but there is no containing its exuberant garden.

27 selections • Ever-green Three designers share fresh, easy ideas for fi lling rooms with foliage, no matter the season.

36 kitchen • Northern Light As simple and solid as a country barn, a Vermont kitchen is oriented to follow the sun.

42 bath • No Place Like Home Habitual travelers give up the itinerant life when their new master suite becomes their favorite getaway destination.

48 house proud • Classical Splash Car king Ernie Boch Jr. spared no detail to make his exquisite pool house fi t for a regal celebration.

50 places • Inside the Box Recycled shipping containers add up to new vitality for Providence’s industrial fringe.

54 art • Nice Save A rare mural by acclaimed Cape Ann artist Emile A. Gruppé is rescued and preserved by a thoughtful homeowner.

58 icon • All-American Born in New England, the pared-down Shingle Style made an architectural declaration of independence.

62 green essentials • Haute and healthy furniture and fabric, and the power of water.

98 compendium • Products, and an event, that catch the eye.

102 resources

103 advertiser index

104 giving back • Curling for a Cause Architect Rolf Kielman trades his hockey stick for a broom in the charity challenge he helped found, and plans to win.

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from the editor

JOEL

BEN

JAM

IN

IT’S A RUNNING JOKE AROUND OUR OFFICE that just about every issue we publish could be themed “Personal Style.” It doesn’t matter what style it is — if a home’s design doesn’t refl ect the true sensibilities of the occupants, it might look great, but it won’t feel right.

Each and every department and feature in this issue strikes the perfect balance of both. We start with the exuberant gardens at Campo de’ Fiori (Page 18) in the foothills of the Massachusetts Berkshires. Every overfl owing pot and each boisterous exotic perennial speaks to the proprietors’ embrace of garden as show with full orchestra. At the other end of the spectrum, and our page count, is a secluded getaway retreat in seaside Rhode Island (Page 90). Its owners leave their hectic professional lives at the door and are soothed by the simple but solid architecture and streamlined interiors. In between, there is a master suite designed to be its owners’ vacation oasis (Page 42), a house built on energy-saving principles that match the family’s philosophy of sustaining themselves and the earth (Page 76), and a home full of color, pattern, and easy living, which suits its happy, engaged family of fi ve (Page 68).

Different styles, different needs, same satisfying results.Speaking of satisfying results, we are proud to announce that Design New England has won

two more editorial and design awards from FOLIO: Magazine’s annual competition, consid-ered the Academy Awards of periodical publishing. Our Contributing Editor for Renovation & Architecture, Bruce Irving, won a silver EDDIE (editorial) for the feature he wrote about a net-zero-energy house on a Cape Cod bluff (“The new New World,” July/August 2010), and we won an OZZIE (design) for our Selections feature (“We’re Seeing Red,” May/June 2010) designed by Jenna Talbott and produced by Molly Jane Quinn. What a pleasant way to welcome spring.

nancy humphrey case is a freelance writer, lifelong New Englander, and a contributing writer for Vermont Magazine. Having recently remodeled the kitchen in her family’s 1840s farmhouse, she was delighted to write about another kitchen tied to the Vermont landscape. northern light, page 36.

bruce irving, contributing editor and renovation and real estate specialist, is also a fi ne writer. He impressed the judges at FOLIO: Magazine with his story “The new New World” (July/August 2009) and earned a Silver EDDIE award. His column on New England’s icons runs in every issue of Design New England and is the basis for a book to be published this spring. icon, page 58.

tovah martin (tovahmartin.com) is a garden writer and author of many books including The New Terrarium (Clarkson Potter, 2009). She loves to share ideas through her two blogs and lectures throughout the region. With 300 potted plants and gardens galore around her Connecticut home, she fi nds herself headed toward Campo de’ Fiori often. visit, page 18

CONTRIBUTORS

gail ravgiala, editor

ma2011REVISEednote.indd 2 2/23/11 6:01:57 PM

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from the publisher

Olson Lewis Dioli & Doktor

assachusetts

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A R C H I T E C T U R E

stephen twombly, publisher

AS WINTER MELTS INTO SPRING, CHANGE IS IN THE AIR. The pent-up desire to tackle home projects now translates into activity, and this issue of Design New England is here to offer inspiration, now across mediums. Our free app for your iPhone and iPad, along with our digital edition for your computer, means inspiration can always be at your fi ngertips

We began to think spring in February, when we welcomed more than 150 guests who turned out to meet Mitchell Gold, a founder of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, at the furniture company’s Boston showroom. Gold unveiled the new spring collection, and helped us celebrate our MIDDIES program, which will honor Mentors in Design later this year.

As spring approaches, so does a full calendar of events. Room to Dream Foundation, which brings comfort to children suffering from serious illness by creating healing environments in their homes, will host its Carnival of Dreams gala on March 19 at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter in South Boston. A few days later on March 24, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) New England chapter will hold its annual gala at the Mandarin Oriental, Boston. The AD 20/21 Show, which features art and design of the 20th and 21st centuries, is at The Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End April 7 through 10, and the annual Residential Design and Construction Show sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects will open its doors April 28 and 29 at the Seaport World Trade Center on Boston’s waterfront.

Inspiration and motivation await.

mitchell gold + bob williams spring collection launch: (clockwise, from top left) Mitchell Gold; Ivo Cubi, Cumar; Tom Grant, EcoStructures; Shawn O’Neill; George Lellios, Audio Concepts; Andrew Terrat, MG+BW; publisher Stephen Twombly; Steve Elbaz, MG+BW; editor Gail Ravgiala; Carlotta Cubi and Dawn Carroll, Cumar; Sally Grant, EcoStructures. Guests wandered the showroom while MG+BW’s John Trifone (below, at left, in black) answers questions.

at m. steinert & sons, panelists on the changing luxury market (from left) Evan Strul, Cutting Edge Systems; Sally Wilson, Wilson Kelsey Design; editor Gail Ravgiala; Colleen McCracken, Thos. Moser.

a valentine from Trianon Antiques at the Boston Design Center to the Animal Rescue League of Boston: (from left) Julie Rogowski, BDC vice president and general manager; Jay Bowen, Rescue League president; Scott and Diana Cooper, owners of Trianon Antiques. TO

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DES I GNnew england

ALL REAL ESTATE ADVERTISING IN THIS MAGAZINE IS SUBJECT TO THE FEDERAL FAIR HOUSING ACT OF 1968, THE MASSACHUSETTS ANTI DISCRIMINATION ACT AND THE BOSTON & CAMBRIDGE FAIR HOUSING ORDINANCES, WHICH MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO ADVERTISE ANY PREFERENCE, LIMITATION OR DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, HANDICAP, FAMILIAL STATUS, NATIONAL ORIGIN, ANCESTRY, AGE, CHILDREN, MARITAL STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, VETERANS STATUS, OR SOURCE OF INCOME OR ANY INTENTION TO MAKE ANY SUCH PREFERENCE, LIMITATION OR DISCRIMINATION. THIS MAGAZINE WILL NOT KNOWINGLY ACCEPT ANY ADVERTISING FOR REAL ESTATE THAT IS IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW. OUR READERS ARE HEREBY INFORMED THAT ALL DWELLINGS ADVERTISED IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE

AVAILABLE ON AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY BASIS. TO COMPLAIN OF DISCRIMINATION CALL HUD TOLL FREE AT 1-800-669-9777. FOR THE N.E. AREA CALL HUD AT 617-994-8335.THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED IS 1-800-927-9275.

Design ConstructionRestorations Additions Remodels

781.335.4275THEHOLLANDCOMPANIES.COM

theHOLLANDCOMPANIES 2009 Best Shelter Magazine 2010 Best Shelter Magazine

Editor Gail Ravgiala [email protected]

Art Director J Porter [email protected]

Associate Editor Danielle [email protected]

contributing editors

Editor-at-Large Jill Connors

Style & Interiors Estelle Bond Guralnick

Renovation & Architecture Bruce Irving

contributing photographersJoel Benjamin, Michael J. Lee,Warren Jagger, Greg Premru,Rich Pomerantz, Nat Rea, Eric Roth, Sperling Interactive, Brian Vanden Brink, Jim Westphalen

contributing writersNancy Humphrey Case, Regina Cole, Laura MacKay, Tovah Martin,Barbara F. Meltz, William Morgan

contributing copy editorsBarbara Pattison, Michael Trotman

internSaniya Ghanoui

To advertise: 617-929-2706To subscribe: 800-591-8802email: [email protected]

Publisher Stephen D. [email protected]

Account Executive Wendy [email protected]

Project Director Thomas F. X. [email protected]

boston globe media

President Christopher M. Mayer

Chief Advertising Offi cer Lisa DeSistoVice President, Advertising Jason Kissell

acknowledgmentsBoston Globe Account Executives Wayne A. Baker, Mary Bentson, Mike DeLello, Arlene Evans, Julie Glibert, Joanne Hall, Bruce MacDonald, Linda MacLean, Margaret Mancinelli,Tom Pilla, Melissa Severino, Diane WandersAdvertising Managers Joseph R. Brancaleone,Candice Geers, Barbara Gibson, Mary Kelly,Anthony Merullo, Ted Peterson, Elizabeth SucherDistribution Mark Anastas, Roy Cramond, Tew Chou, Kevin McGue, Nazrudeen Mohammed, Robert Saurer, Yu WangMarketing Lisa Baker, Kristin Bedard, Kathy Colafemina, Susan DiManno, Keith Dolan, Scott Halstead, Laura Pond, David Prior,Vanessa Riggio, Susan SutliffeProduction Support Sean P. Keohan, Kerol Lundy,Kelly Mallebranche, Irene Mauch, Elisabeth Murphy, Steven O’Connell, Jeffrey Zaks, Mary Ellen ZarroAdministrative Jean Kong

Design New England is published every other month by

Box 55819Boston, MA 02205-5819

In addition to newsstand and subscription sales, complimentary copies of Design New England have been mailed to select households throughout the Greater Boston region.

Copyright © 2011 Boston Globe Media Printed by The Lane Press Inc.

please recycle this magazine

TM@DesignNE

2010 FOLIOOZZIESILVER WINNER

2008 FOLIOEDDIEGOLD WINNER

2009 FOLIOOZZIEBRONZE WINNER

2009 FOLIOEDDIESILVER WINNER

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18 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

visit written by tovah martin • photographed by rich pomerantz

CAMPO DE’ FIORI • Unique mossed terra-cotta containers are its specialty, but there is no containing its exuberant garden

UT T E R T H E P H R A S E “ M A S T E R plan” in Barbara Bockbrader’s prox-imity or suggest that any blueprint was involved when planting the garden at Campo de’ Fiori, and she will fi x you with one of her “Hello . . . Is anyone

home?” gazes. Then she’ll turn toward her garden and, with a broad gesture, let the plantings do the talking. They are exuberant, resplendent, sensual, and brilliantly wrought, but clearly not calculated. This is a garden of pure evolution.

When fi rst installed 15 years ago, this roadside Eden had drivers slamming on their brakes. Part of Campo de’ Fiori, a retail/wholesale shop where Bockbrader’s husband,

OCEAN HOUSE1 Bluff Ave.Watch Hill, Rhode Island888-552-2588oceanhouseri.com

to showcase their collaboration of plants and pots, Barbara Bockbrader and Robin Norris (above) hung antique mesquite doors (right) to frame the garden and its angel’s trumpet from the porch.

CAMPO DE’ FIORI1815 N. Main St., Rt. 7Sheffi eld, MA413-528-1857campodefi ori.com

MA2011visit.indd 18 2/24/11 2:24:54 PM

M O N T H / M O N T H 2 0 1 0 • D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D 19

MA2011visit.indd 19 2/24/11 2:25:33 PM

20 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

visit CAMPO DE’ FIORI

Robin Norris, sells uniquely designed terra-cotta planters, it was like nothing the locals had ever encountered. This exceptional collaboration resides in Sheffi eld, Massachusetts, a small town in the Berkshire foothills verging on the Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and Lenox cultural scene.

Burgeoning around the immense choc-olate-brown nouveau-barnlike building that

Norris built to serve his expanding business, the garden began with a framework of path-ways. Those remain, but everything else is fl uid. Masses of nicotiana, cannas, angel’s trumpets, rhizomatous begonias, coleus, and other fl am-boyant fl ora all bristle in harmony. Suffused colors — oranges, deep purples, magentas — banter back and forth. Textures play. But most

of all, the volume is full blast, loud and lush, yet somehow calming.

It is the containers, however, that put Campo de’ Fiori on the map. Norris has per-fected the look of mossed terra cotta with a patina capable of imbuing any garden with instant agelessness. Bockbrader, whose back-ground is in cut-flower and garden design,

using a deliberate aging process that adds character to his containers, Norris mosses everything from terra-cotta busts with carex hairdo by Bockbrader (top) to iguanas and troughs carved of limestone (right). Meanwhile, the ghostly angel’s trumpet (above) flares open at dusk to emit its musky perfume.

MA2011visit.indd 20 2/18/11 4:57:46 PM

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visit CAMPO DE’ FIORI

fi lls them with everything from huge tuberous begonias, fuchsias, and elephant’s-ears to abutilons and passion-fl owers. Yet rather than “mixed chaos,” the focus is on just one ravishing, look-at-me plant. The arrangements are big, voluptuous, come-hither master-pieces that Bockbrader has honed to a fi ne art. “Well, what are you supposed to do when you marry the pot man?” she asks.

That first year, summer was already in progress when Bockbrader started planting, so she turned to big annuals such as sunfl owers, amaranth, ornamental corn, and fl owering kale (“I wasn’t planting petunias, that’s for sure,” she says) to give the space instant impact. Since then, perennials have come to provide the backbone of the garden, but annuals continue to give it pizzazz. Visitors, whether interested in containers or en route to Tanglewood, are irresistibly drawn

to accent the field beside the garden and reinforce the sense of the surreal, Norris set up a semicircle of columns made of limestone quarried in Mexico to cast their long shadows.

MA2011visit.indd 22 2/23/11 12:49:49 PM

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Lifestyle By Design

CAMPO DE’ FIORI visit

in by the dangling, foot-long, ghostly white trumpets of a brugmansia or an oversize angel wing begonia that seems poised to take fl ight.

Bockbrader still creates massive flower arrangements, the kind that require a ladder to fi nesse, but nowadays, orchestrating the look at Campo de’ Fiori inside and out takes most of her time.

At Campo, she can let all her opinionated proclivities rip. “Stubby, ungraceful scrum,” she’ll mutter at the slightest mention of wax begonias. She prefers orange Exbury azaleas, any lettuce leaf poppies except red, white love-in-a-mist, “scrumptious sherbet peach” dahlias, and magenta four-o’clocks. Actually, the four-o’clocks are on probation. They went downhill rapidly after their moment of glory last season. “But that was all right, because I’m always editing,” she says. “Some people are loath to pull things out. Maybe I’m just a control freak.”

the work of various local craftspeople provides punctuation (and is simultaneously for sale), while ‘Tardiva’ hydrangea and banana, which is sheltered in a greenhouse over winter, also serve as focal points in a garden spilling with exuberance.

MA2011visit.indd 23 2/22/11 2:43:39 PM

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www.asidne.org or call 617-261-3995

THURSDAY MARCH 24, 20116:00-9:00 PM

I N V I T E S Y O U T O

A S I D

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T H E 2 0 1 1 H O N O R E E S

Jerry Arcari L A N D R Y & A R C A R I O R I E N TA L R U G S

Stacy Garcia S T A C Y G A R C I A I N C .

Dennis Duffy D U F F Y D E S I G N G R O U P

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G O L D :

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Please RSVP by March 16 and purchase tickets at www.asidne.org

Taniya Nayak

P L AT I N U M :

Ferguson Enterprises

G O L D :

Back Bay Shutter Co. Inc.Jimmy Stuart’s Mohawk Floorscapes

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DNE.indd 1 2/3/11 1:57:40 PM

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Creating New England’s Finest LandscapesLandscape Construction | Site Development | Masonry | Maintenance

Landscape Architecture by Morgan Wheelock, Inc.Photography by Rosemary Fletcher

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selections EVER-GREEN • Soon New England will be lush once again, but why endure months of lackluster color waiting? Three green-thumbed designers, each given a room, share fresh, simple ways to have everlasting foliage, no matter the season.

produced by danielle ossher • photographed by joel benjamin

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1 • D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D 27

MA2011selectionsFIN.indd 21 2/18/11 4:42:53 PM

28 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

selections

(b)

(c) think big with large branches eucalyptus, mahoney's garden centers. gallery piece from the pure artisan collection, $250, exclusive to simon pearce, boston; simonpearce.com.

(a) opt for low maintenance air plants and spanish moss, mahoney’s garden centers; mahoneysgarden.com. bark, cedar grove gardens, boston; cedargrovegardens.com.

(b) keep it self-containedvintage ball jar terrariums, $50 and $55, custom made by lyndsay maver (lynzariums.blogspot.com), available through hudson; hudsonboston.com.

the bathroom “Humidity, temperatures, and light can vary, so I focused on great plants that are going to thrive

in that environment, and how to make the most of them.”CAREY ERDMAN, ERDMAN DESIGN INC., BOSTON; 617-816-6467, ERDMAN-DESIGN.COM.

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30 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

(c) choose unexpected materials varia ecoresin translucent resin panels in bear grass, mirror silver lodge, and thatch, 3form; 3-form.com.

(a) capture nature through art "spider mum" by shoshanna white, $3,300, available through studio elements; studioelements.com.

(b) make fresh herbs eye-catchingsmall grass ceramic vases, $3 each, cedar grove gardens.

(a)

(b)

(c)

the kitchen “Using iconic imagery and contemporary interpretations of the expected brings the outside in

with organic materials.… It doesn't have to be literal.”TRACY A. DAVIS, URBAN DWELLINGS, PORTLAND, ME, AND NEW YORK CITY; 877-533-6248, URBAN-DWELL.COM.

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32 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

selections

(c) elevate outdoor potssnake plant, cedar grove gardens. tree-trunk pot, $50, fdo group, boston design center; fdogroup.com. cast pedestal, $150, restoration resources, boston; restorationresources.com.

(a) snip and showcase leavesphilodendron leaves in addison vase, $125, simon pearce.

(b) sprout for spring paperwhite bulbs and river pebbles, mahoney’s garden centers. woodbury bud vases, $65 each, simon pearce.

(c)

(b)

selections

(a)

the living room“To add drama to a room that

has a lot of surface space, I bring plants in from my garden and use them in place of flowers.

I play with the scale, placement, and arrangement to create

an unexpected surprise.” SARAH B. SPONGBERG, SARAH B. SPONGBERG

INTERIORS, SOUTH DARTMOUTH, MA; 508-636-3212, SARAHBSPONGBERGINTERIORS.COM.

MA2011selectionsFIN.indd Sec1:30 2/22/11 2:35:08 PM

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Sudbury Design.indd 1 2/22/11 11:32:21 AM

Over the last 20 years, Dream Kitchens has earned more than 135 awards for best value and best design. They have had projectsfeatured in national media every-where, from HGTV to Woman’s Day magazine. What sets the com-pany apart is more than just the ability to design beautiful kitchens, it’s their pledge to increase storage and counter space by at least 30 percent.

Nina Hackel, President, de-signed her fi rst kitchen when she was eight years old, “work-ing” for her fa-ther’s kitchen design business. Her passion and

creativity hasn’t cooled over the years. She and fi ve other designers create award-winning kitchen and bath designs at Dream Kitchens in Nashua, New Hampshire.

“So much of our work is done in and around Boston that we consid-er ourselves to be a locally owned family business,” says Hackel.

Dream Kitchens is not like other remodeling companies. “We don’t just replace kitchens and bath-rooms, we create lifestyles for our clients. We can knock down a wall and create a space that enables family and friends to be together, yet not underfoot in the work area.”

Hackel believes in creating spaces that make every multi-tasking parent’s life easier; where the television is visible, the kids are in view and the dishes are getting done, all at the same time.

The designers at Dream Kitchens start each project with an in-depth client consultation. Clients thenreceive three unique designs for their project, along with guidance about the pros and cons of each lay-out along with objective opinions. This process helps clients make all the necessary decisions about their project. “Our designers pride them-selves on the ability to creatively solve challenges of budget, space, function and style, to ultimately

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Dream Kitchens’ designers are well-versed in many style options, from traditional to contemporary and ev-erything in between. They provide cabinetry, countertops, sinks, faucets,

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36 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

kitchen

THE MAIN STAIRCASE OF THIS HYDEPark, Vermont, house leads straight into the kitchen rather than the front hall because that is the room — harmoniously laid out, warmed by

wood, and saturated with light — that draws Sandy Conklin fi rst thing in the morning. “I love coming

down and walking into the kitchen,” she says. That is due to the sensibilities of Milford

Cushman, the architectural designer and founder of Cushman Design Group of Stowe, Vermont, who planned the space. He considers the beauty of a site “a gracious gift.” And for this project, set on 100 acres with mountain views, he hon-ored the land’s openness to the full arc of the sun

written by nancy humphrey case • photographed by jim westphalen

NORTHERN LIGHT • As simple and solid as a country barn, a Vermont kitchen is oriented to follow the sun

clean lines, blocky shapes, and utilitarian details such as black-painted steel convey the ambience ofa classic old Vermont barn. Structural 8-inch-square posts and 8-inch-by-12-inch beams are Douglas fi r, fi nished with a Bioshield stain.

architectural design: cushman design group

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The kitchen is fl ooded in natural light from four sides: Early bright-ness pours into the oversize sink through an east-facing triple window; midday sun warms the eating area through the mostly glass south-fac-ing wall; late-afternoon beams wash into the kitchen and great room with sunset colors visible from the stove. Balancing this, north light seeps in from the side-by-side laundry room and butler’s pantry.

Cushman grounded his design in the image of a barn at the edge of a fi eld, uniting the house to its environ-ment. Like the 19th-century agrarian building that characterizes the Vermont landscape, the house is framed with massive, load-bearing timbers, and the kitchen resonates with their clean,

a slightly raised counter is all that separates the cooking zone from the eating area, enhancing the fl ow of light and space. Housing state-of-the-art venting equipment, the stove hood was fashioned from a sugarhouse-style steel drum by John Bornemann of LWI Metalworks in Morrisville, Vermont.

ma2011KitchenFIN.indd 4 2/18/11 12:38:23 PM

kitchen

sturdy lines. The shiplap Douglas fi r ceiling is reminiscent of a barn’s crib-bing, while the fl oors are planked with warm Caribbean pine. Elegant in their simplicity, the cabinets were crafted of heart pine by Whitaker Hartt of Lake Elmore, Vermont.

The “Kodiak brown” granite coun-tertops, with a leather-like fi nish, have more texture and undulation than honed granite and require less care than soapstone. Brought to market just a few years ago, granite fi nished this way is “as durable a product as you could fi nd,” Cushman says, “and has the feeling of being ageless.”

The lack of sheen throughout the kitchen was an intentional decision. “Our goal was to have all the wood surfaces look and feel like they’d been oiled, letting the beauty of the wood be transparent,” Cushman says.

sandy conklin chops vegetables at her favorite work space, the 6-foot-10-inch-long-by-3-foot-5-inch-wide island, as Lulu, a chocolate Labrador retriever, and Stella, a black Lab, hope for scraps. Topped with recycled old-growth pine, the island was designed to hold large pieces of Conklin’s pottery collection as well as food prep equipment.

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The hood over the range, like the black-painted hardware, continues the util-itarian aesthetic. Fashioned from a large steel drum similar to those found in maple sugarhouses, it hides sophisticated venting equipment. The blocky work island topped with recycled old-growth pine and fi tted with an antique soapstone sink is perhaps the most distinctive feature of the kitchen. The pine’s tight grain is a testament to the fact that the tree grew in competition with other trees in a forest.

Cushman paid attention to all the details in the kitchen’s layout, with every-thing stored within reach of where it’s used, down to the compost bucket set into a work-island drawer, so that vegetable scraps can be swept right into it. When it is full, the compost pile, and Conklin’s large, well-tended vegetable garden, are just steps away

the only upper cupboard in the kitchen is above the island, suspended from steel pipes so light can pass over it. Glass doors on both sides allow light to pass through. The recycled soapstone sink adds authentic farmhouse character to the room.

ma2011KitchenFIN.indd 6 2/22/11 3:25:41 PM

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on the other side of a glass door. Housing cabinetry in the pantry allowed

for a maximum of glass above the kitchen counters, where cupboards might have blocked light and views. Both the pantry and the compact laundry room may be closed from view by a barn-style sliding door.

The fl ow of the space, the warmth of the wood, and the simple, solid barn sensi-bility all combine to create a kitchen that feels especially good to live in. Standing at the sink, drenched in morning light, Conklin can look out at her zinnias, watch (even hear) deer chewing apples under old fruit trees, or catch a glimpse of a red-tailed hawk swooping down over the fi eld. The nurturing she feels in this harmony between the built and the natural envi-ronment embodies what is at the heart of Milford Cushman’s approach to design — “the sacredness of everyday spaces.”

a pantry compensates for the lack of wall cabinets. Both the pantry and a small laundry room beside it may be closed from view by a barn-style sliding door, hung on a black-painted steel track. A copper warehouse light by Baselite hangs in front of the door.

ma2011KitchenFIN.indd 7 2/16/11 5:58:19 PM

42 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

NO PLACE LIKE HOME • Habitual travelers give up the itinerant life when their new master suite becomes their favorite getaway destination

written by gail ravgiala • photographed by eric rothbath

THE COUPLE WHO OWN A CONDO-minium in a 1920s house in Brookline, Massachusetts, had a penchant for get-away weekends. “We’d always be heading out for Maine or the Berkshires,” says the husband, a college administrator. He and

his wife, a teacher, considered buying a vacation home to satisfy their habit, but the search for the perfect place in the just-right location left them wanting. “We realized we really like where we are,” he says.

But after almost 20 years in their unit, they hadn’t tapped its full potential. While they owned the top two fl oors of a three-story house, the attic was an unused war-ren of dark little rooms. Set on a hill, the house offered

striking views of Boston from the second-fl oor kitchen window, but those paled in comparison with the pan-orama the top fl oor could offer. They asked architect Katy Flammia of THEREdesign in Boston to help them turn the 725-square-foot space under the eaves into a serene, private, self-contained master suite where they could recharge at the end of the day.

“We wanted to evoke a Japanese feeling,” says the wife, noting that the rest of the Arts and Crafts-style home is fur-nished with the couple’s collection of Stickley furniture and period pottery. “There is a strong relationship between the Japanese and Arts and Crafts aesthetic,” she says, adding that the new and old spaces needed to be visually simpatico. Bridging that transition is the made-in-Maine American-cherry furniture from Thos. Moser. The wood pieces are a

there is a view of the Boston skyline from both the 31-inch-deep Duravit tub and the shower stall. A translucent glass panel elegantly breaks up the shower wall. Plyboo bamboo fl ooring plays to the Asian theme and unifi es the master suite.

architecture: theredesign

ma2011bathFIN.indd 42 2/22/11 11:41:13 AM

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modern take on classic Arts and Crafts styles and are a perfect fi t for the minimalist Asian oeuvre of the renovated space.

The challenges for Flammia were many. Her clients didn’t want to expand the fl oor plan or change the roofl ine, but they did want the space to be open and airy, with the sleeping and bath

the built-in dressing area includes a vanity, closets, and drawers. The shoji screen at left slides to close off the suite from the staircase. In keeping with the Asian theme, colorful textiles, such as the 50-year-old embroidered child’s dress from Pakistan, are displayed as pieces of art. The early 20th- century Mongolian double chest is painted with traditional fl oral motifs.

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areas clearly separate. There was one stair-case that opened right into the middle of the space with an immov-able chimney opposite it; in the far corner was another, narrow stair-case. Removing the second staircase added fl oor space for the new suite (and more usable square footage for the level below). An existing dormer

offered enough head-room to accommodate a deep Duravit tub, an oversize shower, and a double vanity — all framed in a large new window offer-ing easterly views to the Prudential tower. Next to this mini spa, a water closet was tucked under the eaves; across from it is

the grid of skylights takes full advantage of the view through the trees to the Boston skyline. All furniture, including the platform bed, is from Thos. Moser’s Edo line. An embroidered silk dress from Uzbekistan (right, top) that dates to early 20th-century is on display in the sleeping area. The kitchenette (right, bottom) is equipped with two refrigerator drawers and its own skylight.

ma2011bathFIN.indd Sec1:43 2/22/11 2:45:14 PM

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a dressing area with a built-in vanity. The walls around the remaining staircase

partition the space while still allowing some sightlines. At the top of the stairs, a sliding shoji screen, rather than a conventional swing-ing door, provides privacy and saves space. Around the corner, another shoji hides audio equipment and a fl at-screen television.

The suite’s sitting area and platform bed

are washed in natural light from a grid of 10 skylights that Flammia had installed to take in the eastern vista and allow the cou-ple a cinematic perspective on the Boston skyline. Push-button controls open and close the electronic shades in each frame.

“The clients also wanted a kitchenette” where they could make coffee in the morning and chill wine in the evening, says Flammia. She tucked that in by the brick chimney, which is painted off-white to blend into the quiet tones of the space.

“Now we stay here on weekends,” says the husband. “We are up among the treetops,” adds the wife. “We feel we can restore our-selves. There is nothing nicer than to be on vacation in your own home.”

a shoji screen hides audio equipment and the fl at-screen television. Niches along the fl oor hold Arts and Crafts pottery. Variations in the ceiling height are used to advantage to add architectural interest.

for more details,see resources

ma2011bathFIN.indd Sec1:44 2/17/11 5:06:52 PM

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48 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

house proud written by barbara f. meltz • photographed by michael j. lee

CLASSICAL SPLASH • Car king Ernie Boch Jr. spared no detail to make his exquisite pool house fi t for a regal celebration

WHEN HE’S NOT MAK-ing commercials for his Boch auto dealerships, playing gui-tar with his band, Ernie and the Automatics, or promoting his newly published book,

Boch Rock Facts: A Cool Collection of Rock ’n’ Roll Memories, there’s a good chance Ernie Boch Jr. is in his pool, no matter what the weather.

Just down the hall from his kitchen, the 15-by-45-foot indoor pool sits behind massive double doors with Roman-style hammered-bronze grilles. Two years in design and two years in construction, this isn’t just a pool — it’s a 5,000-square-foot add-on to Boch’s carefully restored 1929 brick Georgian Revival in suburban Boston. “At one point, it was going to look like a Greek bathhouse, all green and red tiles,” Boch says. “But I wanted more of a spa feel. Even though it is what it is, it’s not gaudy or overstated. It’s a subdued look.”

That is the merit of the classical design by architect Gregory L. Colling, who was inspired by the orangery that British architect and landscape designer Sir Edwin Lutyens built at Hestercombe in southwest England. For this project, rusticated piers, Doric-order pilasters, and arched windows meet modern technology. Clayton Austin of Boston Ornament Co. used special additives to make plas-ter moisture-proof, then he employed Old World

techniques to replicate limestone. Combined Energy Systems of Littleton, Massachusetts, installed state-of-the-art ventilation in the pool

house. The water, which is kept at 85 degrees with geothermal heat, is fi ltered with a chemical-free (no chlorine) ECOsmarte system.

In keeping with the Lutyens model, Colling, who with partner Eric Inman Daum opened Merrimack Design Associates in Amesbury, Massachusetts, also created a graceful connection to the garden. Twelve sets of double French doors open onto a spacious patio and lawn, where last summer, 400 guests found plenty of room to rock to LeAnn Rimes live. Boch says he uses the pool almost daily, but he isn’t into swimming laps. “I hit the hot tub fi rst,” he says, “then I spend about an hour in the pool. Mostly, I just frolic.”

interior designer Anthony Catalfano of Boston worked with Boston Ornament Co.to attain the soothing palette. He selected chaise longues from Janus et Cie as a modern complement to the classical design.

for more details,see resources

REVISE#2BochFIN.indd 2 2/22/11 4:30:07 PM

M O N T H / M O N T H 2 0 1 0 • D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D 3

BochFIN.indd 3 2/14/11 5:06:51 PM

50 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

written by william morgan • photographed by nat rea

INSIDE THE BOX • Recycled shipping containers add up to new vitality for Providence’s industrial fringe

CHEEK BY JOWL WITH THE RAIL-road, the Box Offi ce, a three-story offi ce complex, is defi nitely on the wrong side of the tracks. Made of 32 recycled metal shipping containers, it occupies an abandoned lumberyard in an industrial

section of Rhode Island’s capital city. This is not the pretty Providence of Colonial-era houses — the gritty landscape of brick mills recalls 19th-century industrial powerhouse Rhode Island.

Akin to a stack of bright blue, yellow, and green chil-dren’s blocks, this office complex is more than just an eye-catching landmark — it is a remarkable economic and architectural achievement accomplished during a recession. While shipping containers have been recycled as housing in London, Amsterdam, and Seattle, the Box Offi ce is a pio-neering commercial effort.

It is the brainchild of young Rhode Island School of Design–trained architects Peter Gill Case and Joe Haskett and Brown University graduate and builder Joshua Brandt. The three were willing to take a risk on developing afford-able offi ces in an energy-effi cient new form of construction,

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but the small, local, and underfi nanced team could not afford mistakes or costly delays.

“We had what we called integrated design,” Haskett says, meaning all the stakeholders involved “were brought to the table on Day One to fi nd solutions at the beginning, and not at the end, when changes are more costly.”

Each recycled container measured 40 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 9½ feet high and was plumbed, wired, and insulated before arriving at the site; doors were cut and win-dows installed. Thus, it took only four days to set them up. “The principles are simple, but construction with containers was incredibly challenging,” says Brandt.

Stacked three high, in two clusters con-nected by a bridge made from container walls, every offi ce has its own private entrance that opens on to the common outdoor space, itself protected from the weather by an awning-like roof. Each 700-square-foot module can be grouped fl exibly, and walls can be opened up. Some of the 12 offi ce suites occupy three units, which spread either horizontally or ver-tically (with internal spiral staircases). The two larger offi ces, located at each end of the com-plex, feature fl oor-to-ceiling windows as well as balconies. The fi rst-fl oor spaces were outfi t-ted with solar tubes to bring in additional light, and throughout, the ribbed ceilings were left exposed to retain the container fl avor.

Many new buildings claim to be greener than Kermit the Frog, yet the Case-Haskett-Brandt team covered most of the bases, and at an almost unheard of cost of $125 per square foot.

exposed in each unit, the ribbed metal ceiling recalls the container that forms it.A spiral staircase connects floors.

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High-effi ciency heat pumps create a comfortable ambience, windows are operable, and daylight response sensors measure lighting. Bioswales, or rain gardens, reduce two-thirds of rain runoff; a planted roof helps with water fi ltration.

Completed in November 2010, the building’s bold architecture, environmental responsibility, and affordability attracted a vari-ety of young, visionary tenants, including Case, Haskett, and Brandt, whose companies, Truth Box Inc., Distill Studio, and Stack Design Build, respectively, all have offi ces there.

Bert Cooper of the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning wanted offi ces that refl ected his work. “Those containers turned out to be the perfect size for an operation that requires two or three desks . . . plus, the build-ing is pretty cool.”

Kelly Taylor worked with Peter Case on the building’s interiors and then moved her design firm, Kelly Taylor Interior Design, there (“Who wouldn’t want to?” she asks). “So many aspects of the Box Offi ce are in align-ment with our mission,” says Kelly Ramirez of Social Venture Partners Rhode Island. For John Kilkelly, sales director of the German translation company acrolinx IQ, “the space is visually inspiring and brings me in contact with like-minded people.”

Everyone smilingly mentions the rail-road tracks, only a few feet from the building. A lumbering freight train or a speeding Acela adds additional vibrancy to the Box Offi ce. Crayola blue, green, and yellow containers announce to train passengers that they are arriving in an unusually creative city.

a canopy roof protects the common outdoor space between the two clusters of recycled containers from the elements.

MA2011PlacesFIN.indd 5 2/18/11 12:46:48 PM

54 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

art written by regina cole • photographed by eric roth

NICE SAVE • A rare mural by acclaimed Cape Ann artist Emile A. Gruppé is rescued and preserved by a thoughtful homeowner

GWEN RYAN’S DILEMMA WAS VEXING:Her beach house was a tear-down, but the mural painted on the bath-room wall 50 years ago was precious. Long after she had finalized plans for a handsome replacement for the

tired 1959 one-room cabin at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts, she delayed the project, search-ing for a way to save the art before bulldozing the house.

“Emile Gruppé was a good friend of my godparents,

who owned this cabin before me,” Ryan says. “He and my godfather loved to fi sh. Afterward, they sat on the porch, looking out at the water, drinking and talking.”

One of the best known of the mid-20th-century artists of the Cape Ann School, Emile A. Gruppé (1896–1978) was drawn to Gloucester by the now-iconic paintings of American Impressionism, a movement that took hold there after the turn of the century. He considered himself an Impressionist painter, and while his early paintings lean on historic pointillism, his mature work displays a muscular

d h b b f ” R “H d to remove the mural, located in the tiny cabin bathroom, Marc Sears braced the wall behind it as Jacob Smith looks on (inset, left). The salvaged painting, now set in a frame (inset, right), was presented to homeowner Gwen Ryan.

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yet lyrical style well suited to the wharf scenes he liked to paint.

“One day he came out of the bath-room, complaining that the wall was terribly boring,” says Ryan. “He spent the next several days painting the mural.”

Roughly 4 feet square, the mural dominated the rudimentary 5-by-7-foot bathroom. Classic nautical Gruppé subject matter is depicted against the backdrop of Cape Ann’s northern coastline, garnered from the cabin’s expansive view.

“He kept looking through binocu-lars to get it right,” says Ryan, who dates the work to the early 1960s. “Murals weren’t Gruppé’s usual art form; I’ve heard of another in Florida, where he fi shed and painted during his later winters. Apparently, he only did them in friends’ homes, and only on terribly bor-ing walls.”

Unsigned and offbeat, the mural is nonethe-less the recognizable product of an artist whose star has risen. “During his lifetime, Emile Gruppé was unjustifi ably considered a ‘tourist painter,’ ” says Gloucester artist Charles Movalli, who studied with

Gruppé and authored several books with him. “He was very successful and sold a lot of

paintings, but now that he’s been dead for over 30 years, he’s becoming a historical fi gure,” Movalli says. “Today, his work is sold at Sotheby’s and displayed in prestigious galleries. A Gloucester beach scene recently sold for just under $50,000.” Gruppé’s Gloucester Harbor scenes, he says, are the most desirable. “His Vermont landscapes are superb, but he is known for his Cape Ann work.”

While Ryan and her friends con-tinued to brainstorm options for the mural’s removal, the solution came to her through work.

A promotional marketing consul-tant, she had recently created staff apparel for the Essex, Massachusetts, architectural fi rm Carpenter & MacNeille.

“I had learned about the guys in the shop and the Home Services Division. I called Marc Sears, who said, ‘Gruppé? You have a Gruppé mural?’ Before that, I knew it was special, but I was afraid that no one else would care enough to approach the removal job

with reverence.” The division provides a range of services,

including carpentry. “We have secured permits and put in moorings, responded during storm emergencies, done seasonal maintenance, and built a vestibule entry that’s taken down in spring and put back up in fall,” says Matthew Wolfe, who, with Sears and Jacob Smith, removed Ryan’s mural one cold winter day. “This, how-ever, isn’t like anything we’ve ever done.”

the one-room Wingaersheek Beach cabin where Emile A. Gruppé relaxed on the deck after a day of fi shing with Ryan’s godfather.

MA2011art bcg.indd 56 2/22/11 4:14 PM

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Approaching the mural from a small closet on the wall’s backside, they hammered braces into the studs to stabilize the 3/8 -inch drywall under the paint. To gain access to the studs, they fi rst removed plumbing and vent pipes, some made of cast iron.

Sears and Smith bolted a large Lexan-covered frame built in their carpentry shop to the wall around the mural. The two passed a machete-like handsaw back and forth through space left by the medicine cabinet, alternately bracing the wall and sawing through it. Thus, they were able to carefully remove an intact sec-tion of bathroom wall, complete with Emile Gruppé’s mural.

Braced, framed, its surface under Lexan, the mural now weighs 50 pounds by Sears’s estima-tion, though it is nonetheless portable and easier to display than it ever was.

“What a difference!” Ryan says. “You could never see the painting from more than 2 feet away; it’s a whole other experience. And it can be viewed by more than one person at a time. Of course,” she says with a laugh, “it looks better when it’s not next to an ugly old sink and toilet.”

The Gruppés paint as the Wallendas fl y: generation after generation. Since Canadian native Charles P. Gruppé (1860–1940) went to the Netherlands and became a dealer for Dutch painters in the United States, painted for the Dutch royal family, and was elected to The Hague’s Pulchre School, the Gruppés have produced a succession of artists and art dealers. Charles moved to the States with the advent of World War I. In 1929, his son Emile established a gallery in the 1858 Schoolhouse in the Rocky Neck section of Gloucester, Massachusetts, where his brother, the sculptor Karl Gruppé (1893-1982), their watercolorist sister, Virginia (1907-1980), and their father all joined him. All produced work at the gallery. Emile’s son, Robert Charles Gruppé, now works in that same Rocky Neck studio. His Impressionistic oil paintings draw on the local waterfront for light-fi lled harborscapes rendered in a palette of vibrant colors. They have clearly grown out of his father’s and his grandfather’s work, but they are distinctly his own. In Jericho, Vermont, his sister, Emilie Gruppé Alexander, exhibits and sells her father’s paintings from a renovated 1860s sheep barn.

The Gruppé Gallery, 32 Rocky Neck Avenue, Gloucester, MA; 978-283-2720, gruppegallery.com.The Emile A. Gruppé Gallery, 22 Barber Farm Road, Jericho, VT; 802-899-3211, emilegruppegallery.com.

F A M I L Y B U S I N E S S

paintings by Emile A. Gruppé (left): “At Dock” (above) and “Beach with Pier and Shacks.”

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58 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

jane goodrich and Jim Beyor spent 20 years building “Kragsyde II,” a replica of the classic 1882 Shingle Style house pictured on Page 60.

written by bruce irving • photographed by brian vanden brink

ALL-AMERICAN • Born in New England, the pared-down Shingle Style made an architectural declaration of independence

icon

RENOWNED ARCHITECTURAL HIS-torian Vincent J. Scully Jr.’s defi nitive book on the Shingle Style is aptly titled Architecture of the American Summer. Relaxed, informal, and comfortable, the Shingle Style produced houses

with names like “Breezyside by the Sea,” “Breakwater,” “Wave Crest,” and “Seacroft.” They dotted the turn-of-

the-century New England coast, capturing the essence of the new leisure class and sending out a very American declaration of architectural independence.

High style and beautiful, the Shingle Style, in its heyday from 1880 to 1900, was the first truly home-grown American architecture. Its creation coincided with the formation of the fi rst real class of professional architects in the country, and many of them (notably

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H.H. Richardson, William Ralph Emerson, John Calvin Stevens, and the fi rm of McKim, Mead and White) embraced the genre.

Their buildings were “innocent of orna-ment,” as architectural historian Margaret Henderson Floyd put it, nearly free of the fret-work and ornate pilasters of preceding styles. Shingles stretched over irregular massing, often with a Colonial saltbox roofl ine added somewhere, the taut skin giving a snug, uni-fi ed look. Stone foundations made the houses look as if they sprang naturally from living rock, and interiors were open and fl owing, unlike rigid Victorians with their receiving parlors and sitting rooms. Entry halls were wide and welcoming, staircases broad and handsome, porches deep-set and roomy. And since these summer houses were unheated, the shingles were a practical way to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the wooden frames through the changing seasons.

Born in New England, the Shingle Style was, at its heart, a reaction against the deco-ration and European feel of Romantic and Victorian architecture. Each in their turn, Gothic Revival, Italianate, French-derived Second Empire, medieval-inspired Stick, and “olde” English Queen Anne were popular in the States over the mid- to late 1800s and all shared DNA that led back to the Continent.

But as the centennial of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence approached, there was a sense that the country was moving too fast and had become corrupt and overly sophisticated compared with the simpler times of 1776. All this led to a renewed interest in Colonial architecture and its practical features. “The halls are wide and deep,” wrote Thomas Bailey Aldrich in an 1874 Harper’s article titled “An Old Town by the Sea,” about houses in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, “after a gone-by fashion, with handsome staircases, set at an easy angle, and not standing nearly upright, like those ladders by which one reaches the upper chambers of a modern house.”

By 1876, when the Centennial Exhibition, attended by 10 million visitors, opened in Philadelphia, the stage was set for a full-throated embrace of national roots. Those roots were in New England, where hearty Englishmen (and pointedly not recent immigrants from Eastern Europe or Ireland) had built their houses on the shores of a wild continent. It was the rugged sim-plicity of those structures, tightly shingled against

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the elements, to which architects now turned for inspiration. The Shingle Style was a merging of the Queen Anne style (deemed acceptable for its English historicity) with humble materi-als such as shingles and stone that symbolized simpler, more democratic times.

Which isn’t to say that these new houses were not grand — anyone able to commission an architect to design one would most likely be more of a plutocrat than a democrat. But at least the rich could seem, and possibly feel, less highfalutin in the shingled “cottages” they built along the seashore. Driving home the point that this was hardly everyman’s architecture, many of the most beautiful Shingle Style buildings weren’t houses at all, but secondary structures: stables, laundry buildings, gatehouses, coach-men’s and gardeners’ cottages, icehouses, and even bowling alleys built on large estates. There were country clubs, yacht clubs, casinos, fi sh-ing and shooting clubs, and chapels, and a few exclusive hotels as well.

Shingle Style houses have since developed a devoted following, especially among architects, perhaps because relatively few were built (high style comes at a high price). Architect Robert A. M. Stern, for one, has made a career out of resur-recting the style for a monied clientele.

One of the most iconic Shingle Style houses of all, “Kragsyde” — built in 1882 in what is now Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, and torn down in 1929 — captured the imag-ination of one couple, Jane Goodrich and Jim Beyor, who, 100 years after its construction, began building a replica on Swan’s Island in Maine. Using original plans they’d discovered in the Boston Public Library, it took them 20 years to complete “Kragsyde II.” An American original reborn, it has the signature summertime feel, but this incarnation has heat.

the original “kragsyde,” designed by Boston architects Peabody and Stearns, was built in 1882 and torn down in 1929.

MA2011icon.indd 5 2/17/11 2:27:58 PM

62 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1more

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High-end design meets top-notch eco-manufacturing in Q Collection’s line of to-the-trade furniture and fabrics. Concerned with the amount of toxins that permeate the home, Q Collection (qcollection.com) set out to offer a clean, healthy (and seriously stylish) alternative in 2004, and has been a go-to source ever since. All fabrics are nontoxic and use 100 percent biodegradable or recyclable materials. The furniture uses only certifi ed woods, natural batting, and water-based adhesives to form sleek statement pieces, like the Bessie Arm Chair, right, and Abigail Settee and James Side Chair, below.

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Drink Up • Design Within Reach merges clean lines and clean water with its sleek stainless-steel and glass Water Pitcher ($85, dwr.com). A central steel cylinder holds porous charcoal that absorbs any solutes and softens water, while stones from Japanese mountains enhance it with minerals. One stone-and-charcoal fi lter outlasts the typical plastic ones by months (up to six, that is), bypassing waste and hassle to boot.

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WATER POWER • Gregorian Oriental Rugs (gregorianrugs.com) needs only one thing to revive any dirty carpet — pure water. The Newton, Massachusetts, company instituted a detergent- and chem-ical-free cleaning process that goes back to basics without compromising results. The rugs are fi rst beaten and vacuumed to remove any large particles, then scrubbed, rinsed, squeegeed, and air-dried. And if you’re in the market, Gregorian stocks 100 percent organic wool rugs, colored with vegetable dye. — S.G.

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M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1 • D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D 65

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M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1 • D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D 6 7

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playfully trimmed in pink, a fl ower-laden bike only hints at the lively decor inside designer Liz Caan’s home, Page 68.

frontis.indd 67 2/22/11 11:42:25 AM

6 8 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

W R I T T E N b y D A N I E L L E O S S H E R

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the large henri maik painting was the jumping-off

point for the vibrant living room, where designer Liz

Caan taps into the playful mood with son Leo, 3.

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MA2011CaanFIN.indd 66 2/18/11 3:34:38 PM

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1 • D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D 6 9

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7 0 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

LIZ CAAN IS USED TO PEOPLE INVITING THEMSELVES into her home. In fact, she loves it — it is, she says, affi rma-tion of a job well done.

“It’s fun for me to see people come in for the fi rst time,” says Caan, who captivates visitors just by opening her bright red front door. “There’s a lot going on, a lot to look at. I was try-

ing to create an energy achieved through color. There are defi nitely some currents running through the house.”

An interior designer with a mastery of layering color, texture, and pattern, Caan exudes a warm, fun vitality. And so does her home. Tucked behind the stately brick facade is a cheerful, lighthearted interior burst-ing with individuality.

“The three homes in a row are almost the same,” says Caan of the 1920s Georgian-style house in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, that she and her hus-band, Geoff, purchased one whirlwind weekend in 2003 when relocating from Chicago. “So I wanted something different on the inside. Different and a bit unexpected … while not ignoring the integrity of the house.”

Standing in the doorway, it’s clear she achieved just that. Rather than the expected entry of rich wood furnishings and Oriental rugs, the space hints at the playful intrigue to come. A black-and-white zigzag stair runner adds an exuberant fl air to the traditional stair-case, where a red “Beastie” statue by Dennis Pearson resides on the landing. Visible just beyond is the checkerboard pattern of the cherry-and-white painted kitchen fl oor.

“It’s a matter of layering and giving it personality, about scale and how things work together: quiet and loud, bold and soft,” Caan says. “I am pretty daring. Sometimes you just need to go for it. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but fun.”

For a visitor, walking around the house is like getting to know Caan’s

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M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1 • D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D 7 1

the entry is anything but expected, thanks to the black-and-white zigzag West Elm stair runner, custom-upholstered chair, and a hint of the kitchen floor beyond. Leo happily bikes past the stately brick exterior (left) of the 1920s Georgian-style house in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

REVISE2MA2011CaanFIN.indd 69 2/18/11 3:02:45 PM

7 2 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

A M P R E T T Y D A R I N G . S O M E T I M E S Y O U J U S T N E E D T O G O F O R I T .

I T D O E S N ’ T H A V E T O B E P E R F E C T , B U T F U N . ” — L I Z C A A N

instead of overhauling the kitchen (above), Fallon Custom Homes of Needham, Massachusetts, converted a powder room into a breakfast nook with banquette seating. “I threw the wallpaper on because I thought we should funk it up a bit,” says Caan. It’s apples-to-apples on the third-floor landing (right), with Designers Guild fabric on the chair, a Jonathan Adler pillow, and an Enzo Mari print. Raspberry walls, Bungalow 5 stools, and a vintage poster give the dining room (facing page) a playful spin on grandeur.

family of fi ve. Each room has its own distinct character and palette. The geometric kitchen is defi ned by its black-and-white horizon-tal-striped wallpaper, checkered fl oor, and custom-built banquette with storage (where a powder room had once been). The din-ing room embraces whimsical grandeur, pairing traditional white paneling with rasp-berry walls and yellow and royal blue accents. Inspired by a large Henri Maik painting that now hangs over the couch, Caan turned the living room into a virtual color wheel — “a fun Rubik’s Cube to play with,” she says.

Upstairs, the same “positive, stimulat-ing” environment awaits in the bedrooms. For 10-year-old Lilly, Caan designed a room using turquoise Quadrille wallpaper in a modern toile reverse silhouette, paired with pink-and-white striped window treatments and a white chan-delier with pink shades. For 3-year-old Leo, the focus of the room is a toddler bed Caan cus-tom-designed to be “a nice, mini version of a grown-up bed that he could jump around on.”

‘‘I

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When it came to the master bedroom, however, Caan exercised restraint. “It feels very calm to me com-pared to the rest of the house, which I think I need at the end of the day,” she says. “I am always tempted to zing it up, but I try not to.” Breath of Fresh Air blue Benjamin Moore paint on the walls and patterned neu-tral carpet form a soothing palette that serves as the backdrop for the mirrored dressers, orange-stitched monogrammed pillows, and silhouette portraits that Caan, who holds a graphic arts degree, made of older son Henry, 15, and Lilly.

“Our house is very functional and effi cient but also very creative and expresses us in a great way,” says Geoff Caan. “We are very creative and like colors and expres-sions. In our house, no one room is the same, but I get a sense that they all go together.”

That continuity is thanks to his wife’s singular vision and unwavering sense of style and self. She considers the house her personal “laboratory,” per-fect for test runs. Every room in it has been changed — and many changed again.

“This house is constantly evolving. I’m always fl ipping and changing things,” says Caan. “This is a space where nothing is off-limits. You can put your feet up here.”

after a fruitless search for the perfect toddler bed for 3-year-old Leo (above), Caan custom-designed him “a mini version of a grownup bed,” and paired it with Cowtan & Tout wallpaper and a whimsical dog poster. Turquoise Quadrille wallpaper in a modern toile reverse silhouette and a chandelier from Stray Dog Designs sets an exuberant tone for 10-year-old Lilly’s room (left). In her master bedroom (facing page), Caan exercised an unusual amount of restraint to create a calm, relaxing environment where she and husband Geoff can retreat at the end of the day. Between the windows are silhouette portraits of Henry and Lilly that Caan created.

for more details,see resources

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W R I T T E N B Y L A U R A M A C K A Y

P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y G R E G P R E M R U

A S U P E R

E N E R G Y - E F F I C I E N T

H O U S E O N

M A R T H A’ S

V I N E YA R D

C R O W N S A

FA M I LY ’ S

C O M M I T M E N T

T O S U S TA I N A B L E

L I V I N G

IIPASSIVE

AGGRESSIVELY

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G R E E N D E S I G N

the streamlined kitchen, modern and uncluttered yet warm and tactile, epitomizes the home’s aesthetic. The rear of the house (left) opens to territorial views and the warmth of the sun. Large overhangs provide proper shading, and the wind turbine generates about 9,000 kilowatts a year.

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The benefi ts of building to the rigorous Passive House standards are immediately apparent in the numbers. Using minimal energy, the house remains at a comfortable temperature and humidity year-round: between 71 and 73 degrees, with humidity no less than 40 percent, in the winter, and between 75 and 78 degrees, with humidity maxing out at 55 percent in summer. Even if the house is left unattended for a long period during the winter, the temperature does not drop below 55 degrees. Annual heating/cooling costs are about $900 for electricity (which includes the power provided by the wind turbine) to run the ventilation system and provide radiant heat in the kitchen and baths, plus another $500 for a cord and a half of wood. The domestic hot water system, augmented by solar panels, costs around $900 a year. That’s $2,300 annually versus the $10,000 it would take to keep a conventional house of similar size so comfortable, says the owner. The house does require some management, such as drawing the shades on hot summer days and lighting the wood stove on cloudy, cold days. “But so they should,” he says. “In fact, ‘management’ means just being in tune with the world in which you live.”

“It was a leap of faith,” says the owner. But leap he did, and after two blustery Martha’s Vineyard winters, he has no doubt he made the right call. He built his house, the fi rst in New England, to adhere to Passive House standards.

Unlike green building strategies that revolve around better ways to deliver heat, this approach, developed in Germany in 1996 by the Passive House Institute, relies on airtight construction, super-insulation, proper siting, and thermal mass. With little extra building cost, a Passive House typically reduces heating and cooling needs by as much as 90 percent. Goodbye, furnace. Goodbye, central air.

“It really works,” says Boston architect Craig Buttner, after a winter visit to the house he designed in consultation with the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS). “There’s a log in the fi rebox, and nothing else,” he says. “The house could not be more comfortable.” It is so tight, he adds, body heat generated by guests who come for dinner can keep rooms cozy for hours after they leave.

Aesthetically, there is little to give Buttner’s energy-effi cient tricks away. Tucked off a country road in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, the house is a welcoming riff on the classic New England Shingle Style. The tall wind turbine hints at eco-consciousness (so do the chickens and hogs feeding behind a stone wall), the light-fi lled, 4,000-square-foot interior embodies serene modern understatement.

From the beginning, Buttner’s clients were insistent on

design decisions

Measured success

A H O U S E ( A V E R Y R O O M Y O N E AT T H AT )

W I T H N O H E AT I N G S Y S T E M ? I N N E W E N G L A N D ?

architecture craig

buttnerarchitect

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in the den, the massive fieldstone fireplace, designed by Thayne Emrich Design with a niche for the owner’s art, contributes thermal mass. The master bath (facing page, top) has a supplementary outdoor shower. Uber-efficient windows (facing page, bottom) are a key component of the Passive House system.

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Energy effi ciency is achieved through rigorous building techniques that eliminate the need for costly mechanical systems and result in signifi cant reductions in heating and cooling demands.

BUILDER Clancy Construction RENDERING Craig Buttner Architect

S I T I N G Orientation is for maximum passive solar gain. South- and west-facing windows take in warming sun in winter, while large overhangs block it in summer.

A I R S E A L I N G A nearly airtight envelope requires nonstandard construction. To minimize thermal bridging, that is, heat transfer through solid materials, the framing never penetrates the envelope. High-performance windows and doors also are essential.

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saffron orange sheer linen curtains line the glass doors in the south-facing living room. Lit from within at night, the front facade’s small windows (facing page) suggest lanterns.

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P A S S I V E H O U S E P R I N C I P L E S

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energy effi ciency. The husband, a former executive in the energy/petrochemical fi eld, spent 16 years in Europe, where high energy prices dictate conservation aware-ness. When he and his German-born wife decided to settle back in the States with their young son a few years ago, that awareness came with them. Still, although some 20,000 houses in Europe had been built to Passive House standards, Buttner’s clients weren’t aware of the concept. Then, even as the architect was well into the design stage, they encountered Katrin Klingenberg, the German-born cofounder of PHIUS, who’d been invited to the island as a speaker by the Vineyard Energy Project.

The couple were immediately sold on Passive House principles, which fi t into their life philosophy, which included settling on the Vineyard. “I came here quite a bit in the summer when I was a kid,” says the husband, a native of Brooklyn, New York. “We had a chance to come back, and we just fell in love with the place. It’s got a real sense of community. And it has a lot of built-in self-suffi ciency and sustainability just by virtue of being an island.”

They contributed to that ethos by not only making the house as green as possible, but also by starting a small family farm to supply themselves, and some of the community, with produce, eggs, and meat. They have new day jobs as well: He is the president of a local renewable energy cooperative; she is in prop-erty sales and management.

Buttner and Klingenberg integrated enough Passive House principles into the original plans to get the house most of the way there. One change was replacing the traditional masonry fi replace — a big hole in the all-important building envelope — with an airtight fi rebox. Fortunately, the site orientation that best takes advantage of the property’s enviable pastoral views is a solar-friendly one.

Inside, they wanted comfort, says Thayne Emrich of Thayne Emrich Design in Bolton, Massachusetts, who was hired to do the interiors using “materials that were easy to live with and that would age with grace.” Among his challenges was lighting. Recessed fi xtures would have interfered with the insula-tion, so he used surface fi xtures and “bounced light around” with wall sconces. Thick walls and deep-set windows dictated an unconventional approach to moldings. “The trim is all about the windows and doors looking like they’re part of the structure, not applied afterward.”

If the couple’s new house is working out well, so is their new life, which now includes 200 egg-laying hens, 1,000 pasture-raised broiler chickens, and 10 to 20 hogs at a time. “We’re trying to do our little bit,” says the owner, “and we’re living a healthier life in the process. It’s not only close to our values, it’s rewarding.”

T O L E A R N M O R E , visit the Passive House Institute US website: passivehouse.us.

V E N T I L A T I O NTo prevent air-quality and moisture problems, a simple, compact ventilation system with heat recovery continually exchanges stale air for fresh without heat escaping to the outdoors.

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T H E R M A L M A S S Interiors incorporate materials such as tile or slab fl oors, concrete or granite countertops, and stone fi replace surrounds that retain heat in winter and stay cool in summer.

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I N S U L A T I O NExtra-thick walls and roofs are super-insulated to R-values of 45 or more.

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for more details,see resources

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o r d e rT

AL

L

UPDATED

in style and

substance,

a town house

in Boston’s

South End

earns design

kudos and a

LEED rating

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W r i t t e n b y

E S T E L L E B O N D G U R A L N I C K

P h o t o g r a p h e d b y

G R E G P R E M R U

R E N O V A T I O N

from the front door, dramatic new curvilinear plaster ceiling details redefine the bones of the entire first floor, establishing a fluid, artistic flow from front to backof the town house.

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OF BOSTON’S SOUTH END, on a typical side street lined with historic row houses, a staid 1867 brick Victorian belies the sophisticated essence of today’s urban living that dwells within. “These were cookie-cutter houses with formal, closed-in rooms when built,” says architect David Amory. “Now this one is the fi rst single-fam-ily residence in Boston to earn a LEED for Homes certifi cate,” he says, noting that the house rated a silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) award from the US Green Building Council, a rig-orous third-party program that sets standards for sustainable building practices.

The owners bought the house after a story in Design New England triggered their interest in city living. The piece, “Home is where the art is” (January/February 2007), chronicled the renovation of a South End row house that demonstrated how these tall, narrow houses could be opened to new pos-sibilities. With their four

children now college graduates, the couple was ready to trade their house in the suburbs for an urban adventure. The city experience beckoned.

In short order, they found a place that needed “the works.” The sellers, 30-year occupants, had divided the house to include a rental apartment. Floors were painted yellow, and much of the once lovely

architecture and interior design amory architects

IN

TH

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EA

RT

small-scale furnishings are cozily grouped around the original marble fireplace in the intimate front parlor (above).A striking hand-sculpted and blown glass art installation, “Wallpaper and Portrait” by Beth Lipman, hangs above the mantle. At garden level, even the newly landscaped back terrace (right), enclosed by cedar fencing, has its share of curves. A “flex space,” the media room (facing page) sports an eye-catching vintage French advertising poster bought in New York City for the wall above the marble fireplace, now refitted with a gas insert.

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plasterwork was gone or damaged. But it did have a beauti-ful original curving mahogany staircase and fi ve charming marble fi replace surrounds. They decided to honor the old, reuse any materials that could be kept, and make the house environmentally sound.

“So then we had to fi nd the right architect,” the wife says. Referrals and interviews resulted in their putting together Amory and his wife, Sukie, another principal at Amory Architects of Boston, with Payne/Bouchier Fine Builders also of Boston, fi rms that shared the couple’s commitment to building responsibly. “Both husband and wife were involved every step of the way,” says David Amory. “They explained their vision and goals very clearly, did their homework, put in a lot of footwork, and made fi nal decisions. The quality of their savvy input can’t be underestimated.”

Transitioning the 4,400-square-foot house to 21st-century living was a tall order — literally. The structure is five stories with a 20-foot-wide, 40-foot-long foot-print. Essential to the owner’s plan was the new elevator installed at the building’s core. From garden level to rooftop, there are a variety of private spaces, such as the master suite and a guest room, along with what the owner calls “fl ex spaces,” mostly sitting rooms with sleep sofas that make it possible for this cozy house for two to easily accommodate many more. “There are spaces to gather and rooms to be alone,” says Amory.

New light sources also are a vital part of the scheme. Sun Tunnels, skylights that are essentially 14-inch-diame-ter ducts lined in refl ective material, extend from the roof into the windowless master bathroom, where they fi ll the space with daylight. On the top level, a glass fl oor and

with glass treads, open risers, painted steel, and curved mahogany railings, the stairway (above) leads to the roof deck. Glass insets in the hall floor allows light to filter to the level below. The roof deck (right) has a view of the John Hancock tower. The Sun Tunnel skylights in the foreground edge on the “green roof,” which is planted with low maintenance succulents. The roof also has solar panels for domestic hot water. In the kitchen (facing page), the stainless steel cooking station is opposite the the work island. Countertops are sealed tinted concrete. To the right is the staircase with the original curved mahogany balustrade and the front door with etched glass by Jim Anderson Stained Glass in Boston’s South End.

“A CEILING IS JUST ANOTHER WALL

waiting to add its humane, playful, exuberant,

dynamic presence to any space.” — David Amory

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design decisionsThinking up“Walls don’t have to be vertical,” says architect David Amory. “A ceiling is just another wall waiting to add its humane, playful, exuberant, dynamic presenceto any space. Think of the world’s great buildings. Their ceilings are extraordinary.” Amory’s attention to “the fi fth wall” was especially important in the renovation of this South End row house, which had lost its early plaster adornment, a most important birthright. His approach was not to replicate or even imitate the past but to design a plaster curvilinear segue between the centuries. “Curves aren’t domineering but create unity and movement — a fl ow so that the eye doesn’t stay in a straight line,” he says. “Building the Amory signature was a fi rst for us, and very exciting,” says contractor Oliver Bouchier of Payne/Bouchier Fine Builders. “Plaster curves and lines require experience and skill. It’s always a thrill to execute very fi ne design.”

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wall

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an adjoining glass staircase to the roof deck, accessed via an automated retractable glass hatch, combine to bring light into the middle of the house.

Though the clients ini-tially were drawn to Amory’s ability to meld clean contem-porary lines with the aesthetics

of l9th-century architecture, they were also intrigued by the fi rm’s signature “fi fth wall” — a.k.a. the ceiling. For this house, where many spaces are now open and fl ow-ing, Amory designed “a family of shapes for the ceilings, profi les that relate one room to another,” all executed masterfully by ornamental plasterer David Autio of Littleton, Massachusetts. Lisa Teague of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, also enhanced the stunning interiors by applying American Clay to all the wallboards. The eco-friendly product is a nontoxic combination of clay, reclaimed marble, sand, and crushed seashells that takes the place of both plaster and paint.

The renovation was complete enough for the own-ers to celebrate Thanksgiving 2009 in their new home and make use of the state-of-the-art 16-by-20-foot kitchen/ dining room. At the owners’ request, the space is “com-fortable rather than formal.” There is new red tile and

a Valor radiant gas insert in the original fi replace, a gently curved bay that opens to a balcony overlooking the back terrace, and room for 6 or 16 at the custom anod-

ized aluminum table. Green all the way, countertops are concrete, and windows have low-e glazing for energy effi ciency. Curves give the room an elegant cachet, espe-cially in the way that walls meet the plaster molding. “No cornices,” says Amory, “just an organic sculptural transi-tion to the 11-foot-3 ceiling height.”

“For us, it’s a house like no other,” says the wife, whose favorite spot is the small verdant section of the roof deck planted with perennial sedum that attracts birds and butterfl ies. Who wouldn’t love it?

First Floor

1 deck2 dining area3 kitchen island4 kitchen5 hallway

6 powder room 7 pantry8 elevator9 parlor10 entry hall

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ceiling

molding

Cove Cross Section

for more details,see resources

CONSTRUCTION Payne/Bouchier Fine Builders

the kitchen reflects the curvilinear design in the wall of cabinets to the left and the bank of windows to the rear. Moldings are a modern reminder of traditional details.

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constructed of stones salvaged from the foundation of a neighborhood barn, the fireplace anchors the living room, which is washed in light from its many windows.

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R U R A LRRRRR AAAAA LLL refuge For a husband and wife who each work in different cities, a minimalist retreat in coastal Rhode Island is a perfect place to recharge

Written by W I L L I A M M O R G A N

Photographed by W A R R E N J A G G E R

G E T A W A Y

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I T T L E C O M P T O N , Rhode Island, is a New England treasure one hesitates to write about, as it is all the better for being undiscovered. Dairy farms framed by stone walls reach down to the sea. Newport can be seen in the distance across the estuarine Sakonnet River. Founded by Quakers and later a modest summer col-ony, Little Compton prides itself on the preserved bucolic countryside ambience that seems as English as its name.

Only a few overtly modern houses have been inserted into the town’s agrarian idyll (and, alas, a few McMansions). Recently built houses by noted architectural fi rms such as Miami-based Arquitectonica, Boston’s William Rawn Associates, Architects, and Dan Bucsescu Architect of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, are good neighbors

along the leafy lanes. But the home that Gale Goff designed for an orthope-dic surgeon and his wife,

an executive with a baking company, is thor-oughly appropriate to the traditional and gentler Little Compton aesthetic.

At the time the house was com-missioned, Goff, who now practices as Gale Goff Architect in Newport, Rhode Island, was an associate at Estes/Twombly Architects also in Newport, a fi rm that mas-ters the contemporary seaside vernacular

Larchitecturegale goffarchitect

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at the heart of the house, the kitchen, viewed here from the living room, is seamlessly integrated with the breakfast nook, to the right, and dining room in the distance. To the left is the staircase, which is framed by opaque glass panels.

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with houses that avoid fussiness or pasted-on historical details. Christopher and Wendy Born considered several architects when looking to build on their 30-acre lot of woods and wetland, most of which is in conservation easement. “We interviewed people from as far away as Philadelphia,” Christopher says, “but we responded immediately to Estes/Twombly’s interpretation of the local.” Goff calls the commission “a dream job with dream clients.”

Since Christopher practices in Providence and Wendy works in Philadelphia, the couple spends a lot of time apart and commut-ing, so they wanted both a summer place and year-round retreat. “We are in front of people all the time,” says Christopher, “and we wanted privacy, a place where we could chill out.”

The 2,750-square-foot home makes a very small footprint on the property, in keeping with the owners’ sense of environmental

stewardship. The geothermal heating, solar power, and proposed wind turbine also go hand in hand with the architect’s building philosophy. And the size and seclusion of the property meant there could be fewer barriers between inside and outside.

As an interconnection of “farmhouse” and supporting struc-tures, the complex pays tribute to local tradition. The barnlike garage, which houses a guest apartment on the second fl oor, is a smaller ver-sion of the main unit, but turned perpendicular to it. The garden shed’s form recalls the area’s distinctive corncribs. The grouping offers shelter against the coastal elements, and aside from modern cues, it feels as though it had been on this land for generations.

The plan is brilliantly realized, with a strong horizontal spine that unifi es all the disparate parts. The trellised terrace at the west end of the house echoes the single-story shed that forms the deeply

In keeping with the owners’ sense of environmental S T E W A R D S H I P ,

the 2,750-square-foot home makes a very S M A L L F O O T P R I N T on the landscape.

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First Floor Second Floor

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1 front porch2 front hall3 den4 living room5 patio with pergola6 jacuzzi7 breakfast nook8 kitchen

9 dining room10 outdoor kitchen11 mudroom12 walkway13 outdoor shower14 garage15 vegetable garden16 potting shed

1 upstairs hall2 guest rooms3 guest bath4 master bath

5 master bedroom6 home office7 walkway roof8 guest apartment

CONSTRUCTION: Jacob Talbot Inc. Fine Homebuilders

the little compton complex embraces the New England farmhouse tradition of shepherding house and outbuildings into one thoughtful unit.

6

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sheltered main entrance. The shed’s roof morphs into the per-gola that links house and garage — and covers two outdoor showers along the passage, which continues as a walkway to the garden pavilion.

The sensible low-key aesthetic of white cedar shingles, stand-ing-seam metal roof, and large two-over-two windows carries on to the inside, where a sliding barn door closes off the den. The interior is starkly minimal: Except for narrow reveals, the house is without moldings. Framing the staircase to the second fl oor is an opaque glass panel that by night is backlit with LED bulbs.

Befi tting a casual getaway, kitchen, dining, and living areas fl ow together, the spaces defi ned by exposed structural-steel beams. Pine fl ooring was reclaimed from a historic mill, while countertops are Vermont slate. The fi eldstone fi replace that anchors the living area is composed of foundation stones from a dismantled nearby barn.

After a swim in the ocean and a shower on the covered walkway, family and guests enter this light-fi lled house through

a practical mudroom, tossing bathing suits and towels in the washer and putting sandals and sneakers in Shaker-style cubbyholes. Designed as transitional passage from outdoor activity to

indoor domesticity, the mudroom included in a special shelf where another kind of dream house, a 1930s dollhouse built for Christopher Born’s mother as a child, is proudly preserved. In 80 years, this real house will no doubt prove as timeless.

the outdoors seeps in at every opportunity, while views of meadows and woods are continuously framed. A large window at the stair landing (left) reveals the open-air showers and offers a glimpse of fruit trees beyond the garage. The opaque glass (bottom) focuses the downward path of the staircase. Behind it are the dining room and garden beyond. The pergola off the living room (right) gives shade from the summer sun and acts as a transition between the order of inside and the natural setting outside.

for more details,see resources

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MULTICOLORED WOVEN

polyurethane strips are paired with

striped cushions for a bold impact

in Mackenzie-Childs’s (mack-

enzie-childs.com) new line

of outdoor furniture. The

Flower Market Collection

expertly mixes patterns to create

vibrant pieces, like the love

seat (right), $2,975, while the

wrought-iron frame allows the fur-

niture to withstand mild weather

elements. — S A N I YA G H A N O U I

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Eye Candy • Visual interest reigns in these products for the home, garden, and shelf, and an event that illuminates America’s cocktail cultureedited and produced by danielle ossher

Picture Perfect • These hand-painted frames need no art — they are display-

worthy in their own right. Medford, Massachusetts, artist Cela Hobbs care-

fully crafts each of her pieces from FSC-certifi ed wood layered with up to 10

coats of paint and fi nished with hand-rubbed wax. From simple

and subtle to elegantly complex, all of Hobbs’s designs are com-

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(even ones she hasn’t come up with yet). Cela Hobbs,

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HE MIGHT BE A BRIT, BUT

surely James Bond would be at home at Rhode Island School of Design’s new exhibit, Cocktail Culture: Ritual and Invention in American Fashion 1920-1980. The evolution of iconic items, from the martini shaker to the little black dress, is toasted. April 15 to July 31, $10; 401-454-6500, risdmuseum.org. — S.G.

On site • Boston architect Jeremiah Eck considers siting a house an “almost sacred act,” which is evident in his new book, House in the Landscape: Siting Your Home Naturally ($40, Princeton Architectural Press). Using lush photography and detailed illustrations, Eck examines projects by some of the best and bright-est American architects who design with topography, sun, wind, and Mother Earth in mind. — S.G.

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accompaniment resources

For more information on products featured in this issue, please contact the design professional associated with the project.

42–46 • Bath/No Place Like HomeArchitecture: THEREdesign, Boston; 617-782-0833, theredesign.com. Construction: Alden Builders, Newton, MA; 617-928-1899, aldenbuilders.com. Furniture: Edo Line, Thos. Moser; 800-862-1973, thosmoser.com.

48–49 • House Proud/Classical SplashArchitecture: Gregory L. Colling, Merrimack Design Associates, Amesbury, MA; 978-388-8222,merrimackdesign.com. Plasterwork: Boston Ornament Company Inc., Boston; 617-787-4118, bostonornament.com. Pool: Combined Energy Systems, Littleton, MA; 978-486-0070, combinedenergysystems.com. Interior Design: Anthony Catalfano Interiors Inc., Boston; 617-536-3776, anthonycatalfanointeriors.com. Chaise Longues: Janus et Cie, Boston Design Center; 617-737-5001, janusetcie.com.

68–75 • Interiors/High VoltageInterior Design: Liz Caan Interiors LLC, Chestnut Hill, MA; 617-515-2965, lizcaan.com. Kitchen Banquette: Fallon Custom Homes & Renovations, Needham, MA; 781-453-6988, falloncustomhomes.com. Upholstery: Lousso Designs and Kostas Custom Upholstery, Needham, MA; 781-444-0224, loussodesign.com.

76–81 • Green Building/Aggressively PassiveArchitecture: Craig L. Buttner Architect P.C., Boston; 617-567-2228, clbarchitecture.com. Builder: Clancy Construction; 508-696-7570, West Tisbury, MA; lclancy.com. Interior Design: Thayne Emrich Design LLC, Bolton, MA; 978-405-2538, thayneemrichdesign.com.

82–89 • Architecture/Tall OrderArchitecture: Amory Architects, Boston; 617-695-0300, amoryarchitects.com. Construction: Payne/Bouchier Fine Builders, Boston; 617-445-4323, paynebouchier.com. Plaster: D.P. Autio Ornamental Plaster Company, Littleton, MA ; 978-952-2644, dpautioornamentalplaster.com. American Clay Installation: Lisa Teague Studios, Portsmouth, NH; 603-493-4516, lisateague.com. Green Roof: Dana McIntrye, Beverly, MA; 978-922-2015, plantedroof.com. Audio Video: Audio Video Design, Newton, MA; 617-965-4600, avdesigns.com. Kitchen Furniture: Montage, Boston; 617-451-9400, montageweb.com.

90–97 • Getaway/Rural RefugeArchitecture: Gale Goff Architect, Newport, RI; 401-855-1929, [email protected] . Construction: Jacob Talbot Inc. Fine Homebuilders, Adamsville, RI; 401-635-8200, jacobtalbot.com. Landscape Architecture: Martha Moore, Tiverton, RI; 401-624-2435, [email protected].

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ad index

AD 20/21 Show, ad2021.com 55Arco, LLC, arcollc.com 39ASID Awards Gala, asidne.org 24Audio Concepts, audioconcepts.com 23Audio Video Design, avdesigns.com 13Back Bay Shutter, backbayshutter.com 40Barrett & Company, barrettandco.com 61Battery Wharf, batterywharf.com Cover 2Boston Architectural College, the-bac.edu 64Boston Design Center, bostondesign.com Cover 4Circle Furniture, circlefurniture.com 65Coldwell Banker, NewEnglandMoves.com 5Cumar, Inc., cumar.com 45D. Michael Collins, dmcarch.com 40Daher Interior Design, daherinteriordesign.com 29David Mullen AIA, 781-402-1791 64Designer Bath, designerbath.com 38Didriks, didriks.com 103DNE iPad ad, designnewnewgland.com 99The Dorchester Awning Company,dorchesterawning.com 102Dover Rug, doverrug.com 35Dream Kitchens, adreamkitchen.com 34Eck | MacNeely Architects, Inc., eckmacneely.com 57ECO Structures, Inc., ecostructures.com 66Fallon Custom Homes & Renovations, Inc., falloncustomhomes.com 1Feinmann, Inc., feinmann.com 37Frank Webb’s Bath Center, frankwebb.com 43“g” Green Design Center, ggreendesign.com 10Gregory Lombardi Design, lombardidesign.com 59Hutker Architects, hutkerarchitects.com 60Jan Gleysteen Architects, Inc., jangleysteeninc.com 53Jean Brooks Landscapes, jeanbrookslandscapes.com 65Kitchen Views/National Lumber, kitchenviews.com 21Landry & Arcari, landryandarcari.com 4LDa Architects LLP, LDa-architects.com 46Ligne Roset, lignerosetboston.com 16Lucia Lighting, lucialighting.com 52M. Holland & Sons Construction,thehollandcompanies.com 14Marvin Windows & Doors, marvin.com 7Medallion Rugs, medalliongallery.com 63Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, mgandbw.com 25Museum of Fine Arts, mfa.org Cover 3N.E.T.R. inc., netrinc.com 102Nine Zero Hotel, kimptonhotels.com 100Olson, Lewis, Dioli & Doktor, oldarch.com 12Payne Bouchier, paynebouchier.com 9Poggenpohl, poggenpohl.com 3Renjeau Galleries, renjeau.com 53Residential Design & Construction, rdcboston.com 101Roche Bobois, roche-bobois.com 2Roomscapes, roomscapesinc.com 11RP Marzilli, rpmarzilli.com 26Runtal of North America, runtalnorthamerica.com 47S + H Construction, shconstruction.com 41Sage Builders LLP, sagebuilders.com 22Sudbury Design Group, sudburydesign.com 33Techo-Bloc, techo-bloc.com 17Thoughtforms, thoughtforms-corp.com 56Trefl er & Sons, trefl er.com 52Unilock, unilock.com 51Van Dam Architecture + Design, vandamdesign.com 60Venegas and Company, venegasandcompany.com 15Waterspot, water-spot.com 44Webster & Company, webstercompany.com 31Wellesley Kitchen Tour, whjwc.org 103

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104 D E S I G N N E W E N G L A N D • M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 1

giving back written by jill connors • photographed by jim westphalen

CURLING FOR A CAUSE • Architect Rolf Kielman trades his hockey stick for a broom in the charity challenge he helped found, and plans to win

For information about the organizations Rolf Kielman helps support, visit their websites: Howard Center, howardcenter.org; Committee on Temporary Shelter, cotsonline.org;The 52 Kids Foundation, 52kids.org.

IT STANDS TO REASON THAT IF YOU LIVE INVermont, have a heart of gold, and love to play hockey, those elements will come together for a good cause — on ice. On March 19 and 20, that’s precisely where architect Rolf Kielman will be. But the principal of TruexCullins,

an award-winning architecture and design fi rm in Burlington, won’t be skating; he’ll be curling. “It’s a bit like shuffl eboard on ice,” he says with a laugh. And he won’t just be participating in the second annual Curling Challenge to benefi t the Howard Center, a Burlington human services organization. He’s chair-man of this year’s event, assisted in launching it last year, and helped build (and is a board member of) Cairns Arena, where the event is held.

“I didn’t set out to do a lot of community service,” says Kielman, who was born in Holland, raised in Canada, schooled in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, and has

lived in Vermont, where he and his wife have raised three children, since 1978. “It was a gradual thing.”

Kielman served for 12 years as a board member of Burlington’s Committee on Temporary Shelter and continues to chair the organization’s property commit-tee, which renovates historic structures into housing and shelters for the homeless. He’s also involved with the “1 percent” architects and builders who help raise dona-tions by asking clients to add 1 percent to their bill. That money benefi ts The 52 Kids Foundation, a nonprofi t that assists AIDS orphans, among others, in Uganda. “It’s $500 here, $1,500 there, but it adds up,” he says.

Meanwhile, the lifelong hockey player has his eye on winning the Curling Challenge — which means fac-ing some stiff competition from teams made up of the likes of local landscape architect Keith Wagner and the defending champions from Lake Champlain Chocolates. “It’s going to be tough,” he says with a chuckle.

rolf kielman is in Cairns Arena ready to compete in the second annual Curling Challenge March 19 and 20.

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