A Boston Rooftop is an Entertaining Oasis

The rooftop paradise sports a colorful palette in both the furnishings and the lush plantings. The terrace’s separate areas are marked by ceramic tiles that are surrounded by ipe wood planks.

The dramatic fire table, Cinta by Lumacast, warms the sitting area so it can be enjoyed even in the cooler months. Designer Robin Pelissier created a vibrant palette of pinks, blues, and purples for the furniture.

The bar/TV area is surrounded by dozens of plantings, from evergreen shrubs to colorful perennials and annuals, many ensconced in planters painted a punchy magenta.

The bar/TV area is surrounded by dozens of plantings, from evergreen shrubs to colorful perennials and annuals, many ensconced in planters painted a punchy magenta.

The glass tile backsplash of the kitchen area complements the tile used for the base of the bar.

Among the many showstopping features of the roof-deck is the wall behind the TV, a handcrafted work by Alex Turco.

The Draenert stone-top dining table from Casa Design Group holds a hidden extension leaf that lengthens the table to seat twelve in seconds. Horticulturist Kerry Preston wrapped the space with bright, bountiful plantings for spring-to-fall color.

The inside of this Boston penthouse, featured on the cover of the November-December 2024 issue of New England Home, is a rainbow of color, so it’s no surprise that owners Karen Kames and Chris Gaffney would want their rooftop terrace to look and feel equally vibrant.

Interior designer Robin Pelissier, horticulturist Kerry Preston of Wisteria & Rose, and Sean Reynolds of Woodmeister Master Builders pooled their considerable talents to turn the space into a lush oasis.

The 1,200-square-foot deck holds a series of outdoor rooms for dining, cooking, watching TV, enjoying a cocktail, or conversing in the glow of a sculptural fire feature. Ceramic tiles delineate each area, while sturdy ipe wood planks tie
it all together.

A black pergola studded with hanging lights that change color to suit the occasion acts as a dramatic entrance to the whole scene. “It’s so lush, dripping with flowers and lights,” Preston says. Each spring, she plants lots of pink mandevilla, a tropical vine that grows quickly, covering the pergola with bright green foliage and flowers that bloom from spring to the fall frost.

A pretty shade of sky blue dominates the decor’s palette, from the bar/TV area to the cooking area (where even the grill is blue) to the dining area’s array of stackable Elba chairs from Paola Lenti. In choosing furniture, Pelissier explains, pieces needed to be heavy enough that a gust of wind won’t blow them off the roof, but light enough to be moved. The high-backed wicker-like chairs in the sitting area, for instance, look light as a feather, but Pelissier says they’re crafted of rope-wrapped metal. “Everything is weighted, even the pillows on the sofas, to prevent things from flying away,” she explains.

Besides the showy mandevilla, Preston devised a materials palette that combines evergreen shrubs, a range of perennials (including hydrangeas, black-eyed Susans, foxgloves, hollyhocks, peonies, and roses), and a broad spectrum of annuals for continuous blossoms from spring to fall. “Karen loves to cut flowers,” Preston says. “She can go out there every day and come back in with armloads of flowers for bouquets.”

Here, fifteen stories above the urban bustle, the design team has created a space with nonstop beauty for year-round enjoyment.

Project Team
Interior design: Robin Pelissier Design
Builder: Woodmeister Master Builders
Landscape design: Wisteria & Rose