BDG23 PRELUDE Fall 2019

Fall 

TOWN & 

COUNTRY 

with Michael Carter 

A first look at One Dalton and 

the designer’s own rustic lodge 

A publication of Boston Design Guide

What you can’t see in an ad...

An ad does not show you the process we undergo with our clients 

when building their dream home, from the beginning of planning to the very 

last decision. It doesn’t show the quality of craftsmanship behind the surface 

that stands up to real life. It doesn’t show the lives that are lived in the homes 

we build, nor the relationships formed in that process. It doesn’t show our 

company’s owners at the jobsite daily until the job is done. Most importantly, 

it doesn’t show our lifetime commitment to you, your family, and your home. 

We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your project. 

- Ken & Sam Soderholm 

508-650-9880 . soderholmbuilders.com 

South Natick, Massachusetts

This is the place for you. Imagine hundreds of exceptional bath, 

kitchen and lighting products from trusted brands, in settings that help 

you envision them in your own home. You’ll find classic styles alongside 

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OVER THE BRIDGE 

JW Construction, Inc. 

Announces New Cape & Islands Division 

JW Construction, Inc., one of Boston’s premier builders, 

has just celebrated the grand opening of its Cape & Islands 

Division. The general contractor, which was named to Inc. 

5000’s list of the most successful companies in America, has 

recently completed renovation on its new historical property 

at 66 School Street in Hyannis, a stone’s throw from the 

Steamship Authority. 

This second facility has everything needed to service and 

satisfy the growing construction demands of the Cape and 

Islands. Homeowners who have used JW Construction in the 

MetroWest area and have grown to trust the builder, have 

long been requesting services for their second homes. The 

Cape & Islands Division, which specializes in custom new 

construction, additions, renovations, historic preservation 

and in-house millwork, answers that wish with a full-time 

office and dedicated team. 

“We are thrilled for this opportunity to build new 

relationships and create a second home on the Cape,” 

says JWC founder and president Jon Wardwell. “We have 

one rule, always delight. And it’s our promise to deliver 

a pleasant experience for every client as we guide them 

through the homebuilding journey.” For more information 

on JW Construction, visit jwconstructioninc.com. 

bostondesignguide.com 5

The Sky’s 

the Limit! 

For years, driving on the Mass Pike on the way in 

to Boston, we’d see cranes stretching up to the 

sky by the Christian Science Plaza and Prudential 

Building; they had become part of the skyline. While 

not exactly picturesque, those cranes held promise 

and symbolized that an exciting moment in Boston 

construction and a change to the city’s architectural 

fabric was under way. 

Now, when you drive in, those cranes are no longer 

there (they’ve moved on to another part of the city), 

but a new icon is: One Dalton, The Four Seasons 

Hotel and Private Residences. This landmark 

building, located in the heart of Back Bay and 

designed by renowned architect Henry N. Cobb, is 

the third tallest in Boston, but may well be tops for 

its sophistication and cutting-edge cylindrical form. 

After all of those years of admiring this structure 

from the outside, I was invited in to One Dalton for 

a private party celebrating the extraordinary work 

of interior design firm Carter & Company and the 

other tradespeople who crafted the incredible unit 

that graces our cover for one of One Dalton’s newest 

residents (see our Town & Country feature on page 

13). It was a privilege to meet the gracious and 

down-to-earth couple who call One Dalton home, 

raise a glass in that richly appointed setting and, of 

course, take in those stunning views from the inside. 

That evening I felt incredibly grateful, as I do every 

time a homeowner or business opens their doors to 

the staff here at BDG and PRELUDE, to allow us to 

share exceptional projects with our readers. 

It is in this spirit that we bring you a wealth of 

settings and stories that you, too, can inhabit on the 

following pages. And, to really feel like you are there, 

check out Boston Design Guide’s YouTube channel, 

which features videos on projects in a variety of 

forms and phases. There you’ll find a recent video 

with Michael Carter set at his own New Hampshire 

lodge, again for our Town & Country feature, that 

transports you to his horse-and-buggy era retreat 

and beautiful grounds. Enjoy! 

Warmest regards, 

Melanie Perillo, Publisher 

@BostonDesignGuide 

@BostonDesignGuide 

@BostonDesignMag 

PUBLISHER 

Melanie Perillo 

EDITOR 

Sandy Giardi 

DESIGN DIRECTOR 

Rob Silsby 

DIGITAL DIRECTOR 

Kathleen Parente 

SALES/DISTRIBUTION MANAGER 

Ian Kaplan 

MARKETING SALES DIRECTOR 

Daniel Kaplan 

ACCOUNT MANAGERS 

Ellie Benson 

Colleen Keelan 

Maureen Lampert 

ACCOUNTING/ADMINISTRATIVE 

Darlene Neufell 

CONTRIBUTING WRITER 

Edie Ravenelle 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Warren Patterson 

Roger Pelissier 

Greg Premru 

Keitaro Yoshioka 

www.bostondesignguide.com 

BDG PRELUDE - Fall Edition, 2019, prints seasonally (spring, fall and winter) 

and is published by Boston Design Guide, Inc. 365 Boston Post Road, Box 373, 

Sudbury, MA 01776. Boston Design Guide (“BDG”) provides information on 

luxury homes and lifestyles. Boston Design Guide, its affiliates, employees, 

contributors, writers, editors, (Publisher) accepts no responsibility for 

inaccuracies, errors or omissions with information and/or advertisements 

contained herein. The publisher has neither investigated nor endorsed the 

companies and/or products that advertise within the publication or that are 

mentioned editorially. Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims 

made by the Advertisers or the merits of their respective products or services 

advertised or mentioned editorially herein, and neither expressly nor 

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expressly assumes no liability for any damages whatsoever that may be 

suffered by any purchaser or user for any products or services advertised or 

mentioned editorially herein and strongly recommends that any purchaser 

or user investigate such products, services, methods and/or claims made 

thereto. Opinions expressed in the magazine and/or its advertisements do 

not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Publisher. Neither the Publisher 

nor its staff, associates or affiliates are responsible for any errors, omissions 

or information whatsoever that have been misrepresented to Publisher. The 

information on products and services as advertised in BDG PRELUDE are 

shown by Publisher on an “as is” and “as available” basis. Publisher makes 

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information, services, contents, trademarks, patents, materials or products 

included in this magazine. All pictures reproduced in BDG PRELUDE 

have been accepted by Publisher on the condition that such pictures are 

reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the photographer and 

any homeowner concerned. As such, Publisher is not responsible for any 

infringement of the copyright or otherwise arising out of any publication 

in BDG PRELUDE. BDG PRELUDE is a pending licensed trademark of 

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Email: Info@BostonDesignGuide.com or telephone 978-443-9886. 

6 

bostondesignguide.com

BEFORE 

Daylight is powerful. It redesigns the look and feel of our home 

every hour of the day. It balances our Circadian rhythm, improves 

our general health and well-being, decreases our dependency on 

electricity, and gives functionality back to our space. We often ask, 

“Why skylights,” but with endless reasons why you should install a 

skylight the question becomes more, “Why not skylights?” 

For more information, explore the complete Velux line of Skylights, 

Roof Windows and Light Tunnels at www.veluxusa.com or contact 

your local authorized dealer: 

800-598-5400 | 800-9-HARVEY | www.harveybp.com 

Find a contractor to install your Velux skylight at 

www.harveybp.com/prozone

CONTENTS 

13 Town & Country 

Inside a soaring new home at One Dalton, designed 

by Carter & Company, and its antithesis: a rustic 

New Hampshire Lodge where time stands still. 

26 Rustic Elegance 

Premier builders and landscape pros give rugged 

design elements a heightened sophistication. 

28 Wish Fulfillment 

A family is granted the home of their dreams, and 

makes it their own with a masterful renovation. 

40 Publisher’s Picks: Entertaining 

Top-shelf wet bars and media spaces, cocktail-ready 

bar carts, and a world-class kitchen on wheels. 

28 

45 Designer Digs 

Landscape architect Matthew Cunningham takes 

us into the woods to see his backyard retreat. 

49 Supporting Cast 

The unsung tradespeople (artists, really) behind 

extraordinary builds get some well-deserved 

minutes of fame. 

57 Tech Talk: Get Smart 

Systems Design & Integration unveils its New 

Experience Showroom. 

59 Tech Talk: Safe and Sound 

Sounds Good’s Dave Noland talks Control4 

security: mockupancy, cameras, smart locks & more. 

43 13 

49 

60 First Impressions 

Projects with instant appeal: grand entrances, 

glowing landscapes and homes with a striking 

street presence. 

64 Soapbox 

Thoughtforms President Mark Doughty talks 

Construction, Climate & the Possibility of a Future. 

45 

Cover: Michael Carter of Carter & Company 

Photography by Warren Patterson 

8 


Yes 

Inspires the power of possibility. 

“Yes” is a philosophy. It’s the promise of something 

extraordinary and unique. From elaborate holidays to 

ordinary Tuesdays, we embolden your ideas with the 

power of possibility. Because we believe that when 

you start with “yes” anything is possible. 

Vision Accomplished. 

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508.231.5085 

Established 1977

Clear Advantage 

Western 

Window Systems’ 

Series 7000 Performance 

Line harnesses the power 

of aluminum 

Lovers of contemporary home design, an architectural 

style quickly gaining traction here in the Northeast, 

should consider inviting aluminum doors and 

windows into the home. The versatile metal is an 

optimal choice for the boundary-defying glass 

expanses with minimal sightlines that have become 

a mainstay of ultramodern architecture. Aluminum’s 

clean-lined good looks are a natural for today’s 

cutting-edge designs, and completely customizable 

for both size and style, with finishes available in a 

variety of textures and colors. 

Aluminum’s beauty is matched by its brawn; due to its 

inherent strength (which can be bolstered with steel if 

additional strength is needed), it is a powerful and durable 

choice for windows and doors. This durability also makes 

it a practical choice, as it saves homeowners maintenance 

costs over the long term. Looking for energy efficiency? 

Aluminum can be configured to meet the strictest 

of energy codes, and when thermally broken with an 

insulating strip in the frame, aluminum windows and doors 

can prevent conductive thermal energy loss. 

Western Window Systems, the luxury window and door 

innovator out of Phoenix, Arizona, harnesses the many 

merits of aluminum with its Series 7000 Performance Line, 

and further enhances its benefits with state-of-the-art 

technology and designs. This revolutionary and decidedly 

picturesque product family of moving glass walls, windows 

and specialty doors beautifully blurs the lines between 

indoors and out. To learn more about Western Window 

Systems’ products, visit westernwindowsystems.com. 

10 


Interior Designer: Bill Lewis; Photographer: Warren Patterson 

A developer, who had converted a South End church into high-end city residences, was 

vexed at how to configure the second floor of a penthouse suite blessed with sloping roofs 

and a great octagonal drum. A vast space with 20-foot-high ceilings, arcing custom windows 

and 360-degree skyline views is a rare gift in Boston, but how do you make it a home? You 

hire Ruhl Studio Architects and Kistler & Knapp Builders and “bring it down to a human 

scale,” says Project Manager/Vice President Reihl Mahoney of Kistler & Knapp Builders. 

Architectural elements—like a Zebrano and bronze mesh room divider and a suspended 

ceiling of wood frame and perforated metal infill—partition the living areas and “make each 

individual space unique and feel appropriate in size,” says Mahoney. The design, finish and 

craftsmanship demanded for the project is of the highest caliber. “It was a challenge for 

sure,” says Mahoney, “but it’s consistent with what we do every day.” 

Visit kistlerandknapp.com to learn more about the builder. 


Photography: Michael Partenio

& 

A dynamic unit in One Dalton, Boston’s 

chicest new address, and its antithesis— 

a New Hampshire lodge where time stands 

still—reveal the artistic range and talent of 

interior designer Michael Carter. 

Town 

Country 


“What makes 

The Lodge so 

special is that it 

encapsulates a 

time and place 

gone by.” 

Carter’s New Hampshire living space is rife with things that 

speak to his past and bring him joy—from heirloom antiques to 

his collections of vintage rolling pins and yellowware (Carter’s 

ardor predates Martha Stewart’s). Right: The staff at Carter 

& Company raise a glass to one another and enjoy a leisurely 

luncheon in The Lodge. 

14 


At Carter & Company, “our job is to create environment,” says Principal Michael Carter 

slowly, in his honeyed North Carolina drawl. It goes beyond imagining beautiful spaces 

with pretty things. It’s more about conjuring a feeling and a palpable sense of place. 

Whether recreating a turn-of-the-century, “horse and 

buggy” era camp on a picturesque mountaintop in New 

Hampshire for himself and his husband, David Rousseau, 

or injecting character within the sparkling, sculptural allglass 

canvas that is One Dalton, Carter’s designs, above all 

things, are meant to resonate with the client. It is for this 

reason that Carter and his team can operate—and soar— 

in two very different universes, conceiving meaningful, 

soulful living spaces for settings that fall on opposite ends 

of the interior design spectrum. 

“No one will ever accuse Carter & Company of being a 

one-trick pony,” he says with a certain sense of pride. And 

though the interior designer’s roots are grounded in the 

traditional, Carter & Company’s aesthetic is fluid, receptive 

and ultimately a reflection of the client. Carter takes cues 

from personal interests and life stories, and “edits and 

interprets” the client’s opportunity for expression. 

The Lodge, Carter’s country escape that he has lovingly 

restored since purchasing it in 2001, mirrors facets of his 

own makeup—his passion for preservation and history, 

and for antiques—a trait he inherited from a favorite aunt. 

When he was first introduced to the “wreck of a property,” 

a cluster of lakeside buildings comprising an old summer 

camp and former “party house” high on a hilltop and 

far from the prying eyes of the Prohibition, and, later, a 

summer camp, he was enchanted by its log walls and 


“In many ways, 

this property is 

about leaving things 

alone that should be 

allowed to be old 

and have patina.” 

From horse-drawn carriage rides to taking a moment of pause— 

and a breath—on the porch, there is a slower pace to life at The 

Lodge. Right: In the main room, Carter “didn’t touch a thing,” he 

says, due to the planed fir logs (many with the bark still on), and 

the extraordinary hearth. As he moved beyond that space, there 

was a lot of artistic freedom. 

16 


eams, ironwork and stone fireplace. Says Carter, “I feel 

like this property has soul.” So, after pouring his time and 

talent into a series of renovations, including reorienting 

the house to frame water views, and creating a two-story 

drop in the heart of the home, The Lodge has become the 

place where he and Rousseau, their dogs, horses, friends 

and family can disconnect, recharge and entertain. 

“What makes this house so special is that it encapsulates a 

time and place gone by,” he offers. For a few years it had 

no indoor plumbing, and it still has no TV (“we’ve never 

missed it,” says Carter) or cell-phone service. What it does 

have is an “intangible,” muses Carter; a hard-to-pin-down 

air “that, once you’re there, you can sense and smell.” 

How, then, did he go about selecting very real items— 

furnishings, finishes, art, accessories—that further this 

mystique? “You use the edit button,” answers Carter, to 

accentuate the wood, stone and ironwork that give the 

structure its charm, and fill the home with one-of-a-kind 

pieces with meaning—antiques passed down by his aunt, 

furnishings his uncle crafted by hand, items repurposed 

from the general stores of yesteryear, finds from the 

Brimfield Fair. “Items that have a certain soul,” says Carter, 

to say nothing of ingenuity. The designer had great fun 

“using interesting things in an atypical way.” In the kitchen, 

an old-fashioned meat scale, weighed down by sacks of 

flour, finds new life as a chandelier, while an old piano leg 

turned upside down becomes a lamp for the living room. 

The grounds beyond The Lodge’s rustic walls are as 

essential to the spirit of the home as its interiors. As 

much as the setting is “back to basics,” it is also “back 

to nature,” shares Carter. He and his guests enjoy 

vintage canoe rides, horse-drawn carriage rides and 

simple pleasures like sitting in one of the many rocking 

chairs on the oversized porch, sangria in hand. True to 

its provenance, in a way The Lodge is still a party house, 

laughs Carter. “It’s a ball,” he says, “made for celebrating, 

family reunions, gatherings and holidays.” 


The living room’s walnut fireplace wall, built by Saltsman Brenzel and finished by Wayne Towle Master 

Finishing & Restoration, contrasts with the subdued color palette. Phillip Jeffries wallcoverings, applied 

by Paul J. Beath, were used throughout the home for texture and to soften the space. The sense of 

serenity is a foil to the city’s vitality; “You really can connect to Boston at this level,” says Carter. Right: A 

breathtaking chandelier by Donghia and bespoke John Boone burled table wow in the front entry hall. 

Town & 

While The Lodge is about time gone by and savoring 

moments with friends and family, a unit at One Dalton, 

Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences, conceived 

by Carter & Company for empty nesters, is about daring 

greatly. “It is bold of them,” underscores Carter, his 

admiration for his clients clear. “This is definitely their big 

moment,” he says. “They have left suburbia to go literally 

up to the sky,” inhabiting an instantly iconic building, 

which, designed by famed architect Henry N. Cobb, is, in 

Carter’s estimation, the chicest in the city. 

“It is a serious fresh start,” Carter continues, and 

a renaissance that is centered on expression over 

functionality. The owners are bringing precious few 

possessions from their previous residence, which was 

traditional in nature; cutting their square footage 

considerably; and making a sleek and sinuous unit with 

spectacular views home. The new setting is triangular with 

rounded ends and walls of curving glass. “It’s like being in 

the nose of an airplane,” says Carter. “It is floor to ceiling 

glass all the way around.” 

How do you appoint such a leap of faith? If you’re Carter, 

you look to the architecture of the building itself, which 

is wildly inventive and features “modern and timeless 

bones,” and set out to fully understand the clients and 

what will resonate with them. As One Dalton is, in essence, 

“a three-sided piece of sculpture,” Carter expanded that 

concept indoors. “We thought of everything in this whole 

unit as an expression of sculpture,” he explains. With 

its art, sculpture, color and texture, “it’s like being in a 

personalized art gallery.” 

18 


Country 

This urban home is dripping with luxury 

and courage in equal measure. 


Carter & Company crafted a confection of a home office for 

the woman of the house, complete with lacquered painting 

by Stephen Barton Painting, a slender desk overlooking the 

city, meaningful accents and art, and custom soft furnishings 

appointed by Eliot Wright Workroom. 

Town & Country 

The modern art selections, chosen in collaboration with 

the clients’ daughter, who is an art entrepreneur and has 

the benefit of knowing the clients better than anyone 

else, give the unit much of the soul Carter was after. “The 

space is begging—I mean, it won’t even work—unless 

you have wonderful art in it,” says Carter, so the team 

animated the space with modern art from Boston galleries, 

such as Lanoue Gallery and Beacon Gallery, and included 

showstopping pieces like Jeremy Holms’ infinite wood 

ribbon installation in the living room and an exuberant 

turquoise abstract by Aja Johnson in the office above. 

For the lighting, finishes and furnishings, the homeowners 

joined Carter for a day in New York, scouring the wares of 

two design centers. A pair of bespoke semicircular sofas, 

a custom burled wood John Boone table, and a dazzling 

light fixture comprised of 90 glass dewdrops suspended by 

barely-there cables were among the selections. That day 

made a world of difference. Says Carter, “because you’re 

in this glass bubble, everything has to be special.” 

Overall, the home’s aesthetic has a sense of luxury that 

is derived from nature. Quartz sconces, rich woods and 

even geode accessories speak to the clients’ spiritual side 

and mindfulness. Though it would have been easy to go 

with the cool grays that are so pervasive at the moment, 

instead, the client embraced warmer tones, beautiful 

bisques, shimmering topaz hues, both smoky and blue, 

that coalesce into an inviting, zen-like cocoon. This is, 

after all, their space, their moment. So while The Lodge is 

intended to be a “simpler, non-digital escape” and a 

time capsule, “One Dalton is about embracing now as 

hard as you can,” says Carter. It’s not afraid of it. “It’s 

celebrating now.” 

Text: Sandy Giardi 

Photography: Warren Patterson 

20 


Let them eat cake. 

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Architecture and Construction... Simplified. 

Whether a client is near 

or far, PSD’s integrated 

process and technology 

ensures a stress-free 

experience. 

Photos by Brian Vanden Brink 

What happens when you hire an experienced 

and highly collaborative team of licensed 

architects and contractors, landscape architects, 

construction managers, cost estimators, and 

master craftspeople to design and build your dream 

home? You get a home that’s better than you imagined. 

As a full-service firm, with an integrated process, 

Polhemus Savery DaSilva (PSD) provides just that. From 

first meetings to discover your vision, aspirations and 

budget, to permitting, to detailed schematic designs 

and construction schedules, to turnkey delivery and 

ongoing property maintenance services, PSD keeps 

clients informed, engaged and excited at every step. 

“Our focus is completely on the process through the 

client’s perspective,” says PSD President and CEO 

Aaron Polhemus. “In 24 years of business, we’ve come to see how our fully integrated architecture and construction 

process—with all the necessary services—and our project management system keep us aligned with our clients so no time 

or energy is wasted, alleviating the frustration that can develop when designing and building a home.” 

Because PSD’s busy clients often reside in other parts of the country or world, they value the attention to detail and 

communication the firm delivers. Here’s what one recent client had to say: PSD took the time to understand us and how 

we live. Their process is so thorough that they really fleshed out a lot of things you don’t think of if you’ve never built a 

home before. We knew exactly where things stood during every point of the project. With their use of technology, I knew 

on a daily basis what was going to happen when. They started the project on the date set and it was done a day or two 

early in just over a year. To learn more about Polhemus Savery DaSilva, visit www.psdab.com. 

Written by Edie Ravenelle 


The MacDowell Company Landscape Architecture 

21 Center Street, Weston, Massachusetts - TheMacDowellCompany.com - 781.899.9393

WOMEN IN BUILDING 

Eleni Kaplan of E.K. Sanford Builders 

takes us inside her glorious, move-in 

ready home in Weston. 

Architecture: Silipo Architecture & Design; Photography: Keitaro Yoshioka 

Ever since BDG ran a “Successful Women in Building” feature two years ago and 

dubbed Eleni Kaplan of E.K. Sanford Builders one to watch, we’ve been tracking her 

career and progress in a highly competitive field. In just two years, she’s completed a 

spec home in Sudbury, a custom build in Sudbury, numerous bathroom and kitchen 

remodels, and her newest project—a sunny, stunning new construction in Weston 

that falls somewhere in between—a turnkey home with all of the custom, high-end 

features homeowners today are seeking. 

“It’s a beautiful house with a lot of details and curves everywhere,” says Eleni, laden 

with finishes that homeowners would have chosen themselves had they been in 

on the construction process. The home is graced with elements Eleni has admired 

over the years when working alongside her father Marc Kaplan of Sanford Custom 

Builders, as well as features sure to appeal to buyers—picture windows throughout, 

a tranquil master bath and a showcase kitchen with two islands and a secret pantry. 

As of press time, this home—Eleni’s latest masterpiece—is on the market. To learn 

more, email eleni@sanfordcustom.com or call 617-719-9273. 


26 


Elegance 

Rustic 

In the hands of premier builders and landscape 

professionals, rugged design elements take on a 

heightened sophistication. 

Mudroom with a tack-room feel... Part of an addition 

to a Carlisle farmhouse, this generous mudroom by 

Merz Construction abuts an existing antique barn. Rich 

yet utilitarian, the space certainly doesn’t come off as 

new construction; its salvaged barn board and slate floor 

are seamlessly integrated within the 200-year-old home. 

Builder: Merz Construction, merzconstruction.com; 

architecture: Dewing Schmid Kearns Architects + 

Planners; photo by Peter Vanderwarker. 

Meandering stone path… Comprised of salvaged 

New England fieldstone steppers and Goshen stone, 

and flanked by natural fieldstone walls, this resplendent 

walkway, designed by Gregory Lombardi Design, makes 

a gentle descent from the main home to a secondary 

residence and recreational building. Its plant palette uses 

a mix of native and ornamental plantings, including a variety 

of edible plants, and was tailored to the light and land 

conditions of its terrain. Landscape architecture: Gregory 

Lombardi Design, lombardidesign.com; landscape construction 

by R.P. Marzilli & Co., Inc.; photo by Susan Teare. 

Intimate family room and hearth… This granite hearth 

warms a transitional sitting room/family room in a Lexington 

home crafted by custom builder Brookes + Hill 

Custom Builders. Its hearty presence serves as a counterpoint 

to the space’s moss-green, clean-lined cabinetry, 

anchoring the environs and bringing a quiet sense of 

permanence. Builder: Brookes + Hill Custom Builders, 

brookesandhill.com; architecture: D. Michael Collins 

Architects; interior design: Beauchemin Grassi Interiors; 

photo by Michael J. Lee Photography. 

Hardy granite outdoor bar… Granite State landscape 

design/build company Pellettieri Associates, Inc. takes its 

cues from nature, and this monolithic stone bar with an 

embedded grill seems to have emerged from the ledge 

surrounding Lake Sunapee. As shown by this sturdy and 

stunning hardscape, Pellettieri Associates, Inc. relies heavily 

on native granite when sourcing its enduring, sustainable 

projects. Builder/designer: Pellettieri Associates, Inc., 

www.pellettieriassoc.com. 


Architecture: Patrick Ahearn Architect 

Construction: Whitla Brothers Builders Inc. 

Landscape Architecture: Dana Schock & 

Associates 

Landscape Construction: R.P. Marzilli & Co., Inc. 

Interior Design: Hanlon-Wantuck Design 

Millwork: Horner Millwork and Carpenters Millwork 

Windows: Pella Windows and Doors 

Photography: Greg Premru 

Text: Sandy Giardi 

28 


Wish Fulfillment 

When a dream becomes 

reality, a family makes a 

Wellesley home its own. 

A couple had long admired a gracious Georgian estate in Wellesley. They were taken 

with its streetside presence and imagined raising their family there. And though they 

weren’t looking to move, when they learned the home had been put on the market, 

they jumped at the chance to make the dream a reality. Suddenly talk of “if only” 

became a matter of “when,” and there was a new conversation—how to renovate 

the home to make it wholly their own. 

The exterior facade couldn’t change dramatically. This was, after all, the home they 

had fallen in love with, so they assembled a team that felt a responsibility to the 

1920s structure and to preserving its integrity. Patrick Ahearn Architect and Whitla 

Brothers Builders, Inc. were a natural choice. Architect Patrick Ahearn FAIA wrote 

the book on keeping the flavor of an era intact within his architecture, all the while 

delivering the needs of a modern lifestyle. As for builder Doug Whitla? He has a 

degree in preservation and would choose a renovation over a new build every time. 


30 


“The house is seamless. When you walk in, 

you have no idea that there was an 

addition. It flows and feels 

totally natural.” —Patrick Ahearn 

A redesigned foyer, “a special feature on 

the house,” says Doug Whitla, provides a 

sightline to the backyard garden, and includes 

a statement-making black marble fireplace 

and an heirloom grandfather clock. Horner 

Millwork crafted the parts for the staircase 

and provided all of the trim, including that of 

the ceilings. 


“The homeowner is upbeat and loves color, and 

I think that shows inside and out.” —Doug Whitla 

32 


While subtle, the alterations to the home’s approach were significant, and 

included a redetailed entry portico, a formalized motor court, new shutters and 

synthetic slate roofing. As you move to the rear of the house, the transformation 

is bolder, its bricked extension detailed with generous swaths of classic windows 

and doors stretching deep across the grounds. The team, in essence, “built an 

addition that was practically a second home” onto the original building and 

performed a “surgical gut renovation,” says Patrick Ahearn, that respected 

the hierarchy of the original home yet enhanced it with a new circulation 

and a greater connection to the outdoors. “The whole back of the house is 

reimagined,” he continues, and rife with custom windows and doors by Pella 

Boston that turn on the charm, usher in natural light and invite the grounds and 

gardens to come inside. The new construction includes a new library wing, a 

glass sunroom and a carriage house wing—all imbued with the character and 

theme of the original brick colonial. 

“Patrick shines at these renovations,” says Doug Whitla; his plans are derived 

“from what the home offers,” heavily detailed, and “scaled appropriately new 

and old.” From a construction standpoint, the work is painstaking. The brick has 

to match, rooflines and soffits need to be perfect, and thresholds and floor levels 

have to align. “It is harder to do a successful renovation than it is to build a big 

new house,” explains Whitla, but it’s rewarding. 

Inside the home, change was embraced straightaway, though it isn’t detected. 

Michael Tartamella AIA, Managing Principal of Patrick Ahearn Architect, shares 

that the team studied the original house and its earlier additions before 

reimagining and developing what the new spaces could become. The original 

entry is a case in point. During construction—even after the plumbing had 

been roughed—the client felt that the foyer was just too small. That concern 

was answered by opening up what had been a small library to redefine the 

spine of the home and create a grand yet intimate foyer. The entry isn’t larger 

than life and it doesn’t boast sky-high ceilings, but “you still have that sense of 

ceremony,” says Whitla. “You’re immediately drawn in,” and welcomed. 

The floral and mocha wallcovering in the butler’s pantry 

drove the design scheme of the dining room. The head 

chairs belonged to the client’s grandmother and were 

reupholstered in a green velvet fabric by Pindler and 

detailed with trim. The shining cobalt walls feature 

Fine Paint of Europe’s Hollandlac interior oil paint and 

required multiple coats and sanding to perfect. 


“We made a conscious effort to create a sense of transparency 

in the new and old parts of the home.” —Michael Tartamella 

34 


Pella Windows and Doors fill the modestly-scaled rooms with 

natural sunlight. In keeping with an antique house, Ahearn cased 

each opening from one space to the next, creating “an enfilade 

of spaces joined by a series of arched openings that really carry 

your eye through, yet still give a sense of individuality to the 

spaces,” says David Wantuck. Pella of Boston used the Architect 

Series product line and supplied custom exterior casings and sills 

to match the original details. 

That approachability is something interior designers David 

Wantuck and Jennifer Hanlon-MacQuarrie of Hanlon- 

Wantuck Design channeled throughout the home. As the 

family is young, active and likes to entertain, they didn’t 

want the home to feel standoffish. Its palette is fresh and 

vibrant, with notes of electric blue throughout the living 

spaces and bursts of raspberry as an accent hue. “Those 

pops of color make it feel happy,” says Principal Jennifer 

Hanlon-MacQuarrie. “To me, the color makes it feel more 

like a family home and comfortable.” 

Many of the furnishings were culled from the couple’s 

cache (much of which was in storage), consisting 

of treasures from parents and grandparents as well 

as belongings from their former home. They were 

inventoried, cataloged, and ultimately reimagined—every 

room has a mix of old and new. 

At the project’s culmination, the family stayed away for 

a few weeks while the designers worked their magic, 

unpacking boxes, books and possessions to be displayed. 

When the home was 100-percent complete, they were 

treated to a “Chip and Joanna”-style reveal. Some pieces 

were almost unrecognizable, thanks to reupholstery, 

repainting and custom details, while others were 

presented in creative ways, like the framed Hermès scarves 

that climb the stairs. There are memories and meaning at 

every turn. In the end, says principal David Wantuck, “It 

was their house, their collections and their history. They 

had come full circle.” 


photography by Nat Rea 

CELEBRATING OVER 40 YEARS IN BUSINESS. 

617-876-8286 www.shconstruction.com 

BEST OF BOSTON HOME 2017, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008 / BEST OF BOSTON 2017, 2007

BUILDING IN THE CITY 

LIGHTING THE WAY 


A few DiFoggio Electric team members, from left to right: Mike Iodice; Dan Wynne; Andrew Bermingham; Eddie Stack, Director of 

Operations; Andrea DiFoggio, Director of Internal Operations; and Larry DiFoggio, President 

Founded by President and Electrical Consultant 

Larry DiFoggio in 1973, DiFoggio Electric, a fullservice 

electrical contracting company serving 

the residential and commercial markets, has 

been powering Boston for over 4 decades. 

From townhomes in historic Louisburg Square to Back Bay 

icons like the Four Seasons to burgeoning new builds 

in the Seaport District, serving Boston residents has 

become second nature to the team of electricians at 

DiFoggio Electric. 

The work is not for every electrical contractor. Director of 

Operations Eddie Stack, who began his career at DiFoggio 

as an apprentice at age 18, explains, “Working in Boston 

really is its own animal.” It requires a firm grasp not only of 

the work itself—which, for elite properties like One Dalton 

and The Millennium Tower is increasingly complex—but 

also of city logistics and operations. As 85% of DiFoggio 

Electric’s business is in the city, the needs of clients are 

swiftly met, whether the company is called upon to 

“replace a switch or rewire a house from top to bottom.” 

Plus, with today’s intricate high-end AV systems, lighting 

and shade control, people look to DiFoggio Electric for 

counsel on details beyond what a plan delineates. 

With 18 team members and growing, DiFoggio Electric 

is a family-run business with a big-city mentality. They 

work at such distinguished properties as the Mandarin 

Oriental, 50 Liberty, The Echelon Seaport, and more, and 

their standards are as high as the buildings they work on. 

DiFoggio Electric stands behind everything they do, and 

safety is paramount. “Our owner, Larry DiFoggio, views 

every project, as if it were his own,” says Stack. “That’s the 

way we approach it.” 

Learn more at difoggioelectric.com 


PUBLISHER’SPICKS 

the 

LIVING ROOM BAR 

Now this is living. The homeowners 

of this Brendon Properties’ home can 

belly up to the bar in their very own 

living room. This mirrored, Tiffany-blue 

wet bar is dynamic and social and the 

toast of this elegant living space. The 

inspired design has a clubby vibe and 

is the perfect solution for people who 

like to entertain. brendonhomes.com. 

Interior design by Jill Goldberg. 

Photo by Greg Premru. 

MEDIA SPACE & LOUNGE 

Created for a film buff by Interiology 

Design Co., this entertainment center 

and viewing lounge does movie 

night right. The space is equipped 

with a projection TV (a must!), a 

comfortable sectional, and tiered 

seating at the bar for a full view of 

the screen. A wet bar with custom 

cabinetry (stained espresso on 

pecan) is an elevated refreshment 

stand, with its beverage refrigerator, 

sink, microwave, storage and pendant 

lighting. interiology.com. 

40 


FOR THE LOVE OF ENTERTAINING 

PENTHOUSE WET BAR & WINE FRIDGE 

Cocktail hour is even more intoxicating when enjoyed by 

this bold and beautiful wet bar created for a Back Bay 

penthouse renovation by Adams & Beasley Associates. The 

bleached walnut bar, the color of fine bourbon, is bejeweled 

by a backlit honey onyx backsplash and floating star fire glass 

shelves that add drama and intrigue. adamsbeasley.com. 

Photo by Eric Roth. 

THE WALSH BAR CART 

This portable bar cart, designed 

and artisan made in the USA for 

ARTEFACT, is a modern-day riff 

on an Art Deco style bar cart. 

More understated than Gatsby, 

but no less glam, the frame’s finish 

is a custom umber (hand rubbed 

to an antique patina), while the 

stone top is honed Nero Marquina 

marble. The black stone marble 

has a velvety feel and is one of the 

most important marbles from Spain. 

Available at artefacthome.com. 

CLARKE’S MOBILE SHOWROOM 

Clarke’s Mobile Showroom puts food trucks to shame when 

it rolls in to food and wine festivals, design events and 

charity fundraisers to bring that extra bit of sizzle and delight 

culinary-minded guests and gourmets. This 1980s passenger 

bus turned appliance showroom on wheels is equipped with 

a fully working world-class Sub-Zero and Wolf kitchen and is 

the first example of a mobile kitchen in the country. To learn 

more, visit clarkeliving.com/clarkes-mobile-showroom. 



The landscapes of Onyx Corporation capture 

the color and warmth of the season. 

It used to be that Onyx Corporation was thought of as just an excavation company. No longer. These 

days, the full-service Acton-based landscape contractor is tending to projects as varied as pools and 

entertainment spaces to orangeries and orchards to reclaimed hardscapes for historic homes. 

Come autumn, however, “fire features seem to be what people are thinking about,” says Landscape Division Manager Julie 

Bergeron of Onyx Corporation, and sitting fireside is the perfect way to enjoy the shoulder season. The above pool terrace 

and fire feature is one of their more recent projects to fan the flames. The elegant outdoor hearth brings warmth to the 

lighter, cooler hues of the marble terrace and pool coping. 

This outdoor space serves as an extension of the house, 

with owners and visitors lounging by the 9-foot-long fire pit 

while the kids gather at the bubbling spa. These landscape 

features are usable well into fall, prolonging time spent 

outside, so family and friends can enjoy the change of 

the seasons, a quick dip in the heated pool, and maybe a 

s’more or two. 

As for softscapes, meadows are a mainstay in Onyx’s fall 

portfolio, particularly with the company’s proximity to 

Concord. While they appear to be rustic and untouched, 

they require patience and expert care. “Meadows typically 

take two years to establish, however, once matured, they 

bring incredible character to a property,” explains Bergeron. 

A worthy sight, those swaying, kissed-by-the-sun grasses are 

a gorgeous payoff and synonymous with New England. 

Visit onyxcorporation.net to learn more about Onyx Corporation. 

42 


One home is a historic, high-character Colonial that was 

renovated on Provincetown’s hottest thoroughfare. The 

other is a new cedar-and-glass sculpture of a home on a 

private piece of land on Martha’s Vineyard. The two projects 

couldn’t be more different, but they do have something in 

common: Bannon Custom Builders brought them to life. 

It takes a special builder to inhabit two very different worlds 

with such skill and care. For the Provincetown restoration, 

Bannon Builders salvaged, labeled and reinstalled 

every floorboard for a client who is passionate about 

preservation. On the Vineyard home, every board of the 

butterfly roof was a different length and had to be “field 

measured, cut and installed separately,” explains Owner 

Paul Bannon. 

And, while Bannon Builders had to excavate one side 

of the Provincetown house by hand in order to raise the 

structure and carve out a subterranean lair underneath, for 

the Vineyard home, his team installed temporary windows 

to keep the project moving until the custom Makrowin 

windows that were angled “to follow the roofline” came in. 

Such efforts are part of the everyday. The office joke is that 

the work is easy, laughs Bannon, “but it’s not easy at all.” 

Visit bannonbuilds.com for more information. 

Study 

in 

Contrasts 

Bannon’s custom builds 

take very different forms 

Architecture—Provincetown: Hammer Architects; Martha’s 

Vineyard: Maryann Thompson Architects 


BUILDING IN THE CITY 

GOING UP! 

Architecture: Flavin Architects; Interior Design: Erica Darnall Design 

Photography: Warren Patterson and Keitaro Yoshioka 

Born and bred Bostonians Arthur Massaro and Kate Durrane of Columbia Contracting Corp. 

know the city’s neighborhoods well—their charms and eccentricities. When building within the city limits—whether 

new constructions or historic renovations—it’s crucial to have a builder that knows the ins and outs of each enclave, 

from permitting to logistics to best practices. 

This striking townhouse in a tight-knit neighborhood is a testament to the custom builder’s dexterity. Working 

within a width of just 27 feet, with only a 2.5-foot alleyway and little to no access, Columbia Contracting Corp. had 

to demo the existing structure by hand before building from the ground up. (We do mean up; the statuesque row 

house has three levels, culminating in a cedar roof deck.) 

Building a new construction single family custom home is almost unheard of in Boston’s Back Bay, Beacon Hill, 

Charlestown and South End neighborhoods,” explains Director of Operations Kate Durrane. So, how exactly 

does a home like this reach completion? Through constant coordination, virtuosic staging, live loading, delivery 

management (from the order setup to the size of the truck that can navigate a single-lane street), police details, 

crane lifts and cooperation from the neighbors. Organization is paramount with such a small footprint. Says 

Durrane, “Everything is connected and interconnected.” To learn more, visit columbiacon.com. 

44 


Designer Digs 

Photography: Roger Pelissier 

Matthew Cunningham, owner of Matthew Cunningham 

Landscape Design, had been living in downtown Melrose 

with his partner Cody Thornton, when he knew it was time 

for a change. Melrose, which lacked privacy and wideopen 

green spaces, “was killing my soul,” he says earnestly 

and without a hint of hyberbole. After all, both Thornton 

and Cunningham were raised in rural environments, and 

switching to a home that is “rooted in the woods” proved 

to be kinder to their collective spirits, and sensibilities. 

“The whole idea of us moving was to be able to enjoy 

nature,” says Cunningham. So, they renovated a home in 

Boxford abutting 100+ acres of conservation land, which is 

teeming with wildlife and birdlife, and “created a backyard 

retreat for ourselves.” 

The private oasis is comprised of sun-dappled native 

plantings, a pool and spa, and plenty of reclaimed 

granite—from bands of salvaged curbing sourced from 

Boston, Portsmouth and Portland to a colossal granite 

partition, cut by stonemasons in Cunningham’s hometown 

in Maine, that is the heart of the garden. Etched with a 

trough that can hold up to 10 bags of ice, not to mention 

champagne, the sculpted vessel has become “their party 

trough,” laughs Cunningham, and boasts “an amazing 

patina,” covered with lichen and moss. 

Beyond the pool, a “carpet of fern” cushions the drop 

from a board formed concrete retaining wall (negating 

the need for a pool enclosure fence) and stretches clear 

out to the conservation land. While their previous cottage 

garden had a mash of everything, the goal here was to 

achieve a pollinator-friendly landscape with a sense of 

calm. At Thornton’s urging, Cunningham selected just 

10 species for the plantings—including sweet and hayscented 

fern, Prairie Dropseed, bayberry and hydrangea. 

Editing the garden was the hardest part, explains the 

landscape architect, but the constraints were ultimately 

liberating. The grounds are captivating and serene, and, 

dare we say it, soulful. View additional MCLD projects at 

matthew-cunningham.com. 


Photography: Warren Warren Patterson Patterson 

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF AWARD-WINNING LANDSCAPES 

508-358-4500 abladeofgrass.com 

46 


SMALLER FOOTPRINTS, 

GRAND IDEAS 

On Cape Cod, large-home features grace 

limited spaces with Longfellow Design Build. 

If what makes a house an exceptional home pivots on 

customized, well-executed and beautiful design— 

not extravagant square footage—then Cape Cod’s 

Longfellow Design Build has it down. “So many of 

our customers are looking to build their second 

home on the Cape to accommodate kids who are in 

college, or married and starting their own young families,” 

says Longfellow’s Owner Mark Bogosian, “but that doesn’t 

necessarily mean they want a large second home.” Instead, 

Bogosian is seeing more customers ask for fine home 

details in smaller footprint homes—beadboard, shiplap 

and custom millwork used for a variety of built-ins, stunning 

centerpiece gas fireplaces with media surrounds, coffered 

ceilings, paneled walls, and window seats. “These are the 

kinds of details that add personalized, beautiful features 

while also maximizing efficient use of space for living, 

dining and sleeping,” says Bogosian. 

Longfellow has three on-Cape showrooms, in Falmouth, 

Osterville and Chatham, where clients can meet with 

architects and designers surrounded by a selection of 

beautiful samples and options—and gain inspiration 

and insight for their projects. Because there isn’t a lot of 

buildable land on the Cape and teardowns often trigger 

the headaches of current zoning regulations, “buying an 

existing older home and remodeling it with an addition can 

be a better option for many buyers,” says Bogosian. “Many 

of our homeowners just want a nice cozy place they can 

spend quality time with their friends, family and especially 

grandkids.” To learn more, visit longfellowdb.com. 

–Written by Edie Ravenelle 


We Make Wood Beautiful. 

166 CresCent road 

n e e d h a M, Ma 02494 

781-449-1313 

Dedicated to the fine craft of finishing and restoration of 

architectural woodwork and furniture since 1980. 

W W W.WaynetoWle.CoM 

Architect: Morehouse MacDonald and Associates; Construction: Sanford Custom Builders, Inc.; Photography: Nat Rea

Architects, builders and designers are typically associated by name with the extraordinary 

projects and buildings we have grown accustomed to seeing here in Greater Boston. 

Yet there is another group of committed individuals who are integral to the creation and 

maintenance of these buildings who get far less recognition. Though commonly known as 

“subcontractors,” Sam Soderholm of Soderholm Custom Builders maintains the word doesn’t 

begin to do justice to the value, knowledge and artistry these individuals bring to the process 

and their respective crafts. He further adds, “The continued success of our projects, company 

and, most importantly, the clients’ expectations and happiness are a direct result of the 

amazing craftspeople we have the pleasure to work with on a daily basis.” We celebrate the 

contributions of these unsung tradespeople with some well-deserved minutes of fame…. 

Pictured (L to R): Peter Murray, Fine Finish Inc., (seated); David O’Brien, Ares Structures; Wayne & Debbie Towle, Wayne Towle Master 

Finishing and Restoration, Inc.; Nick O’Hara, O’Hara & Company; Jim & Jack (seated) Sweeney, Sweeney Brothers Construction; Chris 

Boucher, Sagamore Select Group; Jon Moss, Installations Plus, Inc.; Patrick Ford, Anderson Insulation; Photography: Roger Pelissier 


Photograph: Keitaro Yoshioka 

Ares Structures 

Through high-end framing and exterior carpentry, 

Ares Structures brings shape and form to highlydetailed 

construction plans. 

www.aresstructures.com 

Sagamore Select Group 

Specializing in decorative finishes, Sagamore Select 

Group excels at the painstaking application of 

wallpaper, paint and specialty plastering. 

www.sagamoreselect.com 

Photograph: Richard Mandelkorn 

O’Hara & Company 

This master stonemason’s work is known for the 

artistry, beauty and permanence of its architectural 

hardscaping, masonry and stone veneers. 

www.oharacompany.com 

50 


Photograph: Marcus Gleysteen 

Wayne Towle Master Finishing & Restoration 

Wayne Towle has been called a magician for the 

luster and texture he imparts in custom millwork 

through treatments from surface coatings to liming. 

www.waynetowle.com 

Photograph: Richard Mandelkorn 

Fine Finish Inc. 

Cutting-edge technologies meet old-world 

craftsmanship in Fine Finish Inc.‘s singular custom 

cabinetry, moldings, interior trim and more. 

www.finefinishinc.com 


Installations Plus, Inc. 

The meticulous work of this leader in custom tile, 

ceramic and glass installation brings lasting beauty 

and visual interest to design features of all types. 

www.installplusinc.com 

Photograph: Keitaro Yoshioka 

Anderson Insulation 

Anderson Insulation’s trusted technicians are onsite 

at dozens of projects any given day, installing spray 

foam, cellulose and fiberglass insulation. 

www.andersoninsul.com 

Photograph: Nat Rea 

Sweeney Brothers Construction 

This roofer and exterior architectural metal expert 

brings time-tested techniques and hand work to 

complex roof designs in slate, tile, cedar and copper. 

www.sweeneybrothers.net 

52 


Photography: Rosemary Fletcher 

One of the highest honors a landscape contractor can 

receive is to win the bid to rebuild and maintain a National 

Landmark, but when the site pays homage to a botanist, the 

laurel becomes all the more meaningful. Horticulturalists 

at Cambridge’s renowned Mount Auburn Cemetery and 

arboretum were so enamored with R.P. Marzilli & Co.’s 

residential work that they called upon the landscape 

professionals, together with landscape architecture firm 

Halverson Design, to return the display garden, which is 

located near the entrance gate, to its former magnificence. 

LANDMARK 

S TAT U S 

R.P. Marzilli & Co., Inc. cultivates the Asa Gray 

Garden at Mount Auburn Cemetery 

Named for Asa Gray, who is buried at Mount Auburn and 

widely considered the most important botanist of the 19th 

century, this tranquil jewel is comprised of a central fountain, 

stone benches and beautiful beds that have four-season 

interest and historical significance. Over 130 species of trees, 

shrubs, perennials and grasses from Asia and North America 

honor Gray’s legacy, and represent “the original genus and 

species of the plants,” explains Principal Bob Marzilli. 

The project was as challenging as it was compelling. A deep 

excavation and the construction of a new granite fountain 

(with hidden mechanicals and an intricate jet design) required 

a strong team effort by the site and project managers, 

stonemasons and plantsmen at R.P. Marzilli & Co., and the 

firm is thrilled to be associated with the landscape. Says 

Marzilli, “It was a treat to work to recapture the intent of the 

original vision.” View additional projects at rpmarzilli.com. 

Mount Auburn Cemetery welcomes over 200,000 visitors a year 

and is free and open to the public. mountauburn.org 


Hot Trends, 

Cool Looks 

with Monique's Bath Showroom 

The experts at Monique’s Bath Showroom don’t want homeowners to get 

lost in a sea of fixtures. That’s why, though they offer a diverse selection 

of the bath and kitchen industry’s best, their Watertown showroom 

boasts a neighborhood feel. 

The family-owned, second-generation business is “passionate about what they sell,” says 

Sales Associate Chris Sawicki, and knowledgeable. As a resource to architects, builders 

and interior designers, as well as homeowners, Monique’s is well versed on Massachusetts 

code regulations, the finest brands, and what will look best in your kitchen or bath. 

They are also up on the trends, so we asked for a highlight reel of Monique’s hottest 

items. “Unlacquered brass is really popular right now,” shares Sawicki, pointing to 

Watermark, (featured above) a product line that rocks the look. Chrome and stainless, 

however, seem to be leaving people cold, he continues, and they are opting instead 

for fixtures that are warmer, and edgier. “Faucets have become statement pieces,” says 

Sawicki, and brands like California Faucets allow buyers to create their own looks, with 

over 30 finishes to choose from. The industrial look—“the blacks, golds, graphites and 

carbons”—are also en vogue, as is mixed metal, particularly black and gold. 

As for vanities, shoppers are smitten with Robern (middle) and Furniture Guild 

(lower). That aesthetic—a metal frame, furniture-style box topped by quartz or an MTI 

composite—is the style of choice. Both look less like a cabinet, says Sawicki, and “more 

like a design piece.” Visit moniquesbathshowroom.com to learn more. 

Photography: Keitaro Yoshioka 

54 


A MArbleheAd renovAtion in the MAking 

A traditional oceanfront home revived by Groom Construction Co. goes ultramodern within. 

Groom Construction has been hard at work renovating 

a neo-Georgian oceanside home in Marblehead for 

owners who are leaving South Boston for a more 

spacious environment in which to raise their twin 

girls. That is, if you can call it a renovation. Both 

Residential Project Manager Tim Dougherty of Groom 

Construction and Interior Architect Jeremy Jih of 

J.Roc Design agree that the project all but amounts 

to a new construction. 

Along with a complete gut of the interior, the team 

at Groom built front and side additions that preserve 

the traditional look of the exterior and incorporated 

steel throughout to support the ultra contemporary 

design within. “It’s funny,” offers Jeremy Jih, “the 

homeowners are not traditionalists at all, and yet they 

ended up buying this very traditional house…They 

found me to reinterpret the interior.” 

Groom Construction was tasked with bringing it to 

fruition, perfecting the clean lines of the cedar shiplap, 

the geometry of the angles and the minimalist decks 

with glass railing systems. In addition to standard 

practices, like crafting the home’s many built-ins, the 

highly modern style had the construction leaders 

doing things they haven’t done before, including 

sculpting a massive concrete veneer fireplace and 

building a walnut slat ceiling. Groom was up for the 

challenge. Says Dougherty, “It’s interesting integrating 

contemporary work within traditional work and making 

the two work well together. 

Visit groomco.com to learn more. 

Exterior architecture: Craig Bosworth 

Interior Architecture: J.Roc Design 


S I M P L Y C L A S S I C 

DUCKHAM 

S I M P L Y C L A S S I C 

A R C HITECT U R E & I N T E R I O R S 

www .kent d u c kham .co m 53 Centr a l A v e n u e , N eedham, MA 02494 781.449.4109 


DUCKHAM 

A R C HITECT U R E & I N T E R I O R S 

www .kent d u c kham .co m 53 Centr a l A v e n u e , N eedham, MA 02494 781.449.4109

Systems Design & Integration Unveils 

Get Smart its New Experience Showroom 

Owners Angel and Alexa Centeno 

Though Systems Design & Integration, Inc. has designed 

and installed audio video systems in businesses and 

residences for over 10 years now, performing work 

in Boston, Cape Cod and the New England area, it 

recently debuted a new home technology showroom and 

experience center in Needham. This sophisticated hightech 

firm shares a sleek showroom space with Newton 

Kitchens & Design on Wexford Street, and was created to 

show just how easily and seamlessly technology can be 

woven into the most beautiful and design-oriented homes. 

Visitors to the SDI Boston showroom can test-drive 

Savant’s luxury whole-home systems, which streamline 

and customize audio and video, lighting, security and 

motorized shades via one-touch “scenes” programmed 

to the homeowner’s preferences. Guests can also discover 

new advances in lighting—at the touch of a button, the 

experience center is transformed in a wash of vibrant blue 

(along with a booming sound!), and check out different 

custom fabrics for automated shades and new high-end 

finishes and looks for smart switches. 

The A/V products aren’t confined to the experience center 

either, patrons find top-tier brands like Leon, Séura and 

Bowers & Wilkins displayed throughout Newton Kitchens 

& Design’s stunning gallery space, from invisible speakers 

hidden within the plaster, to TVs that are hidden and lift 

from within hand-painted cabinetry to tower speakers, 

Smart Mirrors and outdoor entertainment products from 

Coastal Source and SunBrite. 

SDI Boston was awarded Best of Boston 2019: Best Smart 

Home Specialist. Visit the Experience Showroom at 34 

Wexford St., Needham, 617.391.8919, sdiboston.com. 


Fired Up 

for Fun 

Nick O’Hara of O’Hara & Company is donating 100 

percent of the sales of his fun, rustic stone fire pits to 

The Leo Project. An initiative close to his heart, The Leo 

Project is a non-profit organization that was started in 

honor of Nick’s daughter, Caitlin, who passed away in 2016 

following a double lung transplant. It’s the vision of Jess 

Danforth, another extraordinary young woman who vowed 

to honor the memory of her best friend, Caitlin. 

Pick your own custom, 

camp-style fire pit— 

all for charity! 

She has. The Leo Project, a 5,500-square-foot community 

resource center, moves beyond the classroom to provide 

supportive services, creative outlets, and opportunities 

not traditionally available to vulnerable youth in 

Nanyuki, Kenya. In this space, children will be exposed 

to: computers, basic coding, art, music, theater, yoga, 

tutoring, counseling—the same creative and supportive 

services that enriched Caitlin’s life during her thirty-three 

year struggle with cystic fibrosis. The project will also offer 

literacy and numeracy classes for community members and 

already has plans for expansion. 

The Leo Project is slated to open its doors in January 2020. 

To support this important work, stop by O’Hara’s shop at 

11 Cordaville Road, Ashland, to pick out your fire pit. Fire 

pits range from $1,000 to $10,000, and your donation is 

100% tax deductible. O’Hara & Company will deliver and 

assemble it at the site of your choice. For more information, 

call 508.881.6851 or visit oharacompany.com. 

To learn more about The Leo Project, visit theleoproject.org. 

Donations can be made at theleoproject.org/donate. 

58 bostondesignguide.com

SMART HOME SECURITY: 

MOCKUPANCY, IP CAMERAS, 

SMART LOCKS AND MORE 

Safe and Sound 

“A lot of people think of TV and music 

when they think of Control4,” says 

Director of Sales & Development Dave 

Noland of Sounds Good. “The security 

side is overlooked.” The Waltham-based 

tech integrator is hoping to change that. 

Control4’s smart home capabilities go 

beyond the atmospheric, its systems also 

bring considerable peace of mind. 

Control4 safeguards properties in a number 

of ways, including its Mockupancy feature, 

which gives the illusion that someone 

is home. The feature simulates the 

homeowner’s routine—switching lights on 

and off, lowering shades, turning on music 

and the TV—thwarting mischief and wouldbe 

threats. Mockupancy is not unlike the 

movie Home Alone, laughs Noland. “Only 

you don’t need Kevin pulling the strings 

to make it look like people are dancing in 

the window.” 

Control4 also works with IP (internet protocol) 

cameras, a staple in today’s connected 

home, and a property’s security system on 

an interface that allows homeowners to arm, 

disarm and control the alarm system from 

their touchscreen. In the event of a “security 

event,” you can open the Control4 app, see 

the cameras, and, if needed, set an alarm or 

alert emergency services—from anywhere 

in the world. 

Smart Locks and door stations with cameras 

also keep residents safe. With smart locks, 

you can lock and unlock any connected door 

remotely, and set and control dedicated 

codes, like that of a child coming home from 

school or temporary ones for a worker who 

needs access. An alert is issued when the 

code is input, so you know all is as it should 

be. Conversely, via two-way communication 

with video and audio, if someone rings the 

doorbell you can see who it is and unlock 

the door remotely. 

These features and others—like water 

sensors and carbon monoxide and temperature 

alerts—are game changers for second 

homes and allow homeowners to rest easy 

with access both “inside and outside the 

home,” says Noland. 

Contact soundsgoodboston.com to design 

and service your Control4 home. control4.com. 


first 

1. MGa | Marcus Gleysteen Architects, www.mgaarchitects.com 

2. Brian Frazier Design, www.brianfrazierdesign.com 

3. Fallon Custom Homes & Renovations, www.falloncustomhomes.com 

4. Cutting Edge Systems Corporation, www.cuttingedgehome.com 

5. Peter Sachs Architect, www.petersachsarchitect.com 

6. Boston Stone Restoration, www.bostonstonerestoration.com 

Photography 1. Marcus Gleyteen; 2. Dave Green; 3. Warren Jagger; 4. Peter Vanderwarker; 5. Courtesy of Peter Sachs; 6. Courtesy of Boston Stone Restoration 

60 


Impressions 

They say one shouldn’t rush to judgment, but we won’t deny we’re captivated by the instant 

appeal of the homes and scenes crafted, designed or treated by top Boston professionals. 

From timeless homes high on street presence, to grand entrances (whether a lake house 

or the venerable Boston Public Library), to a picture-perfect water feature or a warm, 

welcoming lighting design, these varied projects had us at hello. 


THE SOURCE DIRECTORY 

ARTISAN IRON 

54 Fitch Bridge Road Groton, MA 01450 

978-448-0028 

www.artisaniron.com 

@artisan-iron 

Artisan Iron works closely with homeowners, 

architects, interior designers and landscape 

architects, to create custom pieces in 

wrought iron, copper, bronze, brass and 

other architectural metals that reflect each 

client’s individual vision. 

LAVALLEE SYSTEMS 

(888) 884-4122 

info@lavalleesystems.com 

At Lavallee Systems, our master plumbers 

and HVAC specialists are renowned for 

quality, professionalism, and attention to 

detail. We work with both homeowners and 

builders to design and maintain complex 

plumbing, heating, and cooling systems. 

PLYMOUTH QUARRIES 

410 Whiting Street, Hingham, MA 02043 

781-335-3686 

www.plymouthquarries.com 

info@plymouthquarries.com 

@PlymouthQuarries @plymouthquarriesllc 

@plymouth-quarries-llc 

Since 1915 we have been supplying stone 

products for homeowners, designers, architects 

and contractors. Visit our 1800 sq. ft. showroom 

to see our Exclusives line of stones, 

concrete products, brick and artificial grass. 

SHIPLIGHTS 

68 Front Street, Marblehead, MA 01945 

781-631-3864 www.shiplights.com 

info@shiplights.com 

@Shiplights 

@shiplightslighting 

Shiplights provides high-end residential and 

commercial lighting. With lighting available 

in over ten finishes for inside and outside the 

home, their solid brass construction makes 

them ideal for use in humid, coastal and 

seaside locations. 

THE CARPET WORKROOM 

39 Highland Cir Ste 2, Needham, MA 02494 

781-844-4912 www.carpetworkroom.com 

info@carpetworkroom.com 

@thecarpetworkroom 

@CarpetWorkroom 

@the-carpet-workroom 

At The Carpet Workroom our goal is to 

perfect the art of carpet. We specialize 

in custom fabrication and installation of 

broadloom carpet and area rugs. We 

service all of New England and beyond. 

VARTER’S ORIENTAL RUGS 

327 Pleasant Street, Belmont MA 02478 

617-489-3700 

www.vartersrugs.com 

vartersrugs@gmail.com 

@Vartersrugs 

Quality selection of antique, vintage, 

contemporary, modern, and oriental rug 

collections to try in your home for up to 3 

days. Cleaning, repairs and restoration done 

on premises. FREE in-home pick-up and 

delivery. 

Photography: Keitaro Yoshioka 

Where old-world craftsmanship meets new age design. 

508-440-6455 | 231 N Main St, Natick, MA 01760 

62 


Snow and Jones, Inc. jumps in to help 

CCALS (Compassionate Care ALS) with their 

new Retreat Center in Falmouth. 

A Fixture in the Community 

When Snow and Jones, Inc. was asked to support 

the plumbing for CCALS’ (Compassionate Care ALS) 

new Retreat Center in Falmouth, they were honored 

but not surprised. In business since 1952 as a familyowned 

plumbing and heating supply 

company, it wasn’t the first time 

they’d donated their expertise. “We 

have eight locations on the South 

Shore and Cape Cod that have 

been actively involved in many area 

charities, including the Cape Cod 

Military Family Support Foundation,” 

says Danielle Jones, vice president of 

business development. Snow and Jones 

facilitated donations and discounts of 

over $70,000 in plumbing products for 

the Retreat Center, working together 

with Whitely Plumbing, Edgewater 

Plumbing and Tim Brown Plumbing. Cataldo Custom 

Builders of Falmouth managed the construction of the fully 

accessible ALS respite and educational facility. 

“We selected all Kohler products because Kohler is 

involved in a lot of charitable projects and has a large 

selection of ADA compatible options that are also high 

design,” explains Jones. To achieve a peaceful but vibrant 

Snow and Jones is doing 

a considerable number of 

ADA-compatible high design 

projects like this for people who 

want to stay in their homes as 

they age, but don’t want 

their baths to resemble those 

of a nursing home. 

look, bath fixtures are brushed nickel or polished chrome 

(some faucets have hands-free sensors), lively tile accent 

colors enhance white subway tiles, easy-care quartz crowns 

the countertops, and all showers have hand showers. In 

addition to respite accommodations 

for caregivers, there are two suites with 

kitchenettes and one room with a bath 

that is fully accessible to wheelchairbound 

ALS patients. Founder and 

executive director of CCALS Ron 

Hoffman maintains that everyone 

who has been in has been wowed. 

“The design and all the fixtures are 

extraordinarily beautiful,” he says. 

Jones sees beauty in the collaboration. 

“I loved seeing everyone coming 

together so selflessly to get everything 

done in the most timely and cost-effective fashion possible 

to create this beautiful new center,” she says. “The Center 

is an amazing asset to Cape Cod, and Snow and Jones 

was thrilled to be a part of such a necessary and incredible 

project.” To learn more about the ALS Center, visit 

ccals.org; for Snow and Jones, visit snowandjones.com. 

Written by Edie Ravenelle 


Mark Doughty is President of Thoughtforms and an alumni liaison for the 

MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, which focuses on developing and empowering 

leaders to act so that humans and nature can thrive for generations 

to come. He lives with his family in an all-electric home that generates 70% 

more energy than it uses—enough to power a Tesla for 35,000 miles a year. 

With all the complexity that can tangle up our modern 

lives, the idea of a fresh, luxurious home can be just 

the right tonic to brighten a day. That idea, like so 

many that flourish in social and traditional media, is 

quite seductive. It’s no wonder, then, that people react 

strongly when a contrary thought intrudes. But perhaps 

it is time to welcome just such a contrary thought as 

motivation to pause and reflect on our definition of 

the ideal home, in the context of our families and the 

broader community. 

This past summer, the Town of Brookline proposed a 

bylaw that requires all new buildings and gut renovations 

to be free of fossil fuel infrastructure. 

The proposal was met by some with 

grumbling about “big government,” 

a reaction that seems more soundbite 

reflex than thoughtful response: 

after all, the town isn’t all that big and, 

at this local level of our democracy, 

an engaged citizenry can have a 

major influence on the direction 

of government. So, rather than 

the expressed fear of government 

infringement on our freedom, the 

source of opposition is more likely the 

judgment implied in the proposal—i.e. 

“what you’ve been doing all along is 

not good”—and fear of change. It is 

indeed unsettling to think that the path 

we have been obediently following in 

homebuilding for a century might be 

taking us to the wrong destination. 

But, objectively, how much of a course correction does 

a move away from fossil fuel imply? Thoughtforms 

has built all-electric homes without any observed cost 

penalties. The indoor climate in these homes is healthy 

and comfortable. The systems themselves are reliable 

(which is not surprising—the electric-powered heat pump 

was introduced in the 1940’s, 20 or so years after the gasfired 

furnace was patented). Perhaps most importantly, 

clients who live in these homes are happy with their 

homes—in some cases happier than those in fossil fuelfueled 

homes. 

CONSTRUCTION, 

CLIMATE AND 

THE POSSIBILITY 

OF A FUTURE 

Given all this, a bylaw that takes fossil fuel systems out 

of the mix seems a matter of substitution rather than an 

abrupt detour onto a costly, risk-fraught path. So why isn’t 

everyone on board? Inertia. 

It’s quite easy to go through each day doing essentially 

what we did the day before, expecting similar, predictable 

results. Unfortunately, this “business as usual” approach 

no longer promises predictable results and is putting our 

collective future at risk (read Kerry Emanuel’s What We 

Know About Climate Change for a concise review of the 

crisis and possible mitigating actions—contact me and 

I can send you a copy). If we think of our ideal home in 

this context of society and survival, 

in-home fossil fuel infrastructure 

compounds the problem: while it 

may be possible through collective 

action to convert the shared electric 

grid to fossil fuel-free sources, it will 

be much more challenging to convert 

infrastructure in every individual home. 

Given this reality, and where we are 

situated in time, place and opportunity, 

building more homes with on-site 

fossil fuel infrastructure simply seems 

absurd. We are already in a hole and 

this proposal tells us: “Stop digging!” 

It’s hard to find a builder that doesn’t 

profess their commitment to quality. 

But how many limit their definition 

of quality to the traditional attributes 

of craftsmanship and beauty? True 

quality includes the health of the 

home environment, the lifecycle impact of the home 

on our world, and the physical and emotional well 

being of the families who live, learn and grow in the 

home. As a community, we should invest our time and 

resources building homes that make it possible for future 

generations to thrive. 

Author, educator and environmentalist Bill McKibben 

put it aptly when he said, “The problem with climate 

change is that it’s a timed test. If you don’t solve it fast, 

then you don’t solve it.” This is our opportunity to 

contribute to the solution. 

64 


MODERN MEETS OLD SCHOOL 

CRAFTSMANSHIP 

Metro-Boston | Cape & Islands | New Hampshire 

www.kvcbuilders.com 781.890.5599 Instagram @kvcbuilders

Welcome Home... 

to the place for creating a modern home. 

Our 8000 square-foot showroom at Battery Wharf is New England’s largest Modern Kitchen & Living showroom 

offering Europe’s top brands, including TEAM 7, LEICHT, MisuraEmme, Arketipo, Altamarea, Gaggenau, 

Thermador, Rolf Benz and Miele, for kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, and wardrobes. 

2 Battery Wharf, Boston, MA 02109 | 617-443-0700 | www.divinedesignbuild.com

BDG23 PRELUDE Fall 2019

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