Master bedroom with French doors opening onto verandah. Timber wall panelling creates a more intimate scale in this tall space.

Elegant master bedroom with vaulted ceiling and sitting area

This property was completely gutted and redesigned into a single family townhouse. After completing the construction of the house I staged the furniture, lighting and decor. Staging is a new service that my design studio is now offering.

[Our Clients] We were so excited to help these new homeowners re-envision their split-level diamond in the rough. There was so much potential in those walls, and we couldn’t wait to delve in and start transforming spaces. Our primary goal was to re-imagine the main level of the home and create an open flow between the space. So, we started by converting the existing single car garage into their living room (complete with a new fireplace) and opening up the kitchen to the rest of the level. [Kitchen] The original kitchen had been on the small side and cut-off from the rest of the home, but after we removed the coat closet, this kitchen opened up beautifully. Our plan was to create an open and light filled kitchen with a design that translated well to the other spaces in this home, and a layout that offered plenty of space for multiple cooks. We utilized clean white cabinets around the perimeter of the kitchen and popped the island with a spunky shade of blue. To add a real element of fun, we jazzed it up with the colorful escher tile at the backsplash and brought in accents of brass in the hardware and light fixtures to tie it all together. Through out this home we brought in warm wood accents and the kitchen was no exception, with its custom floating shelves and graceful waterfall butcher block counter at the island. [Dining Room] The dining room had once been the home’s living room, but we had other plans in mind. With its dramatic vaulted ceiling and new custom steel railing, this room was just screaming for a dramatic light fixture and a large table to welcome one-and-all. [Living Room] We converted the original garage into a lovely little living room with a cozy fireplace. There is plenty of new storage in this space (that ties in with the kitchen finishes), but the real gem is the reading nook with two of the most comfortable armchairs you’ve ever sat in. [Master Suite] This home didn’t originally have a master suite, so we decided to convert one of the bedrooms and create a charming suite that you’d never want to leave. The master bathroom aesthetic quickly became all about the textures. With a sultry black hex on the floor and a dimensional geometric tile on the walls we set the stage for a calm space. The warm walnut vanity and touches of brass cozy up the space and relate with the feel of the rest of the home. We continued the warm wood touches into the master bedroom, but went for a rich accent wall that elevated the sophistication level and sets this space apart. [Hall Bathroom] The floor tile in this bathroom still makes our hearts skip a beat. We designed the rest of the space to be a clean and bright white, and really let the lovely blue of the floor tile pop. The walnut vanity cabinet (complete with hairpin legs) adds a lovely level of warmth to this bathroom, and the black and brass accents add the sophisticated touch we were looking for. [Office] We loved the original built-ins in this space, and knew they needed to always be a part of this house, but these 60-year-old beauties definitely needed a little help. We cleaned up the cabinets and brass hardware, switched out the formica counter for a new quartz top, and painted wall a cheery accent color to liven it up a bit. And voila! We have an office that is the envy of the neighborhood.

This room just wasn’t working until Leslie Landis showed us how to rearrange the furniture. Simply rotating the bed 90 degrees magically created enough space to have the reading nook of my dreams! Photo © Bethany Nauert

Nathalie Priem Photography

This design scheme blends femininity, sophistication, and the bling of Art Deco with earthy, natural accents. An amoeba-shaped rug breaks the linearity in the living room that’s furnished with a lady bug-red sleeper sofa with gold piping and another curvy sofa. These are juxtaposed with chairs that have a modern Danish flavor, and the side tables add an earthy touch. The dining area can be used as a work station as well and features an elliptical-shaped table with gold velvet upholstered chairs and bubble chandeliers. A velvet, aubergine headboard graces the bed in the master bedroom that’s painted in a subtle shade of silver. Abstract murals and vibrant photography complete the look. Photography by: Sean Litchfield --- Project designed by Boston interior design studio Dane Austin Design. They serve Boston, Cambridge, Hingham, Cohasset, Newton, Weston, Lexington, Concord, Dover, Andover, Gloucester, as well as surrounding areas. For more about Dane Austin Design, click here: https://daneaustindesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://daneaustindesign.com/leather-district-loft

Black window frames can be bold in light-colored rooms. The windows became a focal point in the room, so, simple gray window treatments were the perfect window treatment to blend into the walls during the day and provide privacy at night.

photo patirobins

JANE BEILES