A Family Home on Boston Harbor

After a complete gut renovation that considered rising sea levels, this Boston townhouse has it all, including a place for the owners to dock their boat (named after one of their daughters) right outside their back deck.

Seen from the living room, the new mudroom, with its Schumacher linen wallcovering and Woodbridge Furniture sideboard, gives off an air of formality.

A coffered ceiling distinguishes the living room from the more casual kitchen and dining area. The grid pattern on the carpet from The Rug Company echoes the ceiling’s architectural details.

The kitchen cabinetry, painted the same color as the walls, reads as paneling, says Caan, while plaster and gold-leaf pendants add texture and glam.

Interior designer Liz Caan turned a bay window into a dining nook that seats six.

Relocating the kitchen freed up space for a tiny powder room clad in custom wallpaper from Abnormals Anonymous located off the mudroom.

For a couple with three small children, storage was paramount, and the design team obliged with an abundance of built-ins, as evidenced in the first-floor reading nook. “They still have empty cabinets and drawers,” says Caan, “so there’s room to grow.”ocal: 0

The built-ins in the second-floor family/guest room boast refrigerated drawers so no one needs to go downstairs for snacks.

The third-floor primary bedroom features Phillip Jeffries grasscloth on the walls and lighting by Visual Comfort & Co.

New niches around the kids’ beds provide storage for books and games.

The walls in the youngest child’s room wear Schumacher’s Edwin Stripe wallpaper.

Architect Timothy Burke says the design team rebuilt an existing deck off the primary suite, adding a retractable awning with wind sensors and a stainless-steel railing to withstand saltwater. The mirror is from Made Goods.

There’s no doubt it’s a privilege to live in a top-tier city like Boston, but when you can walk to work, stash your three toddlers’ toys completely out of sight, and dock your boat at your back door, you really know you’re doing something right.

That’s the case with the couple who reached out to architect Timothy Burke and interior designer Liz Caan about their three-story 1978-built Union Wharf townhouse. After living in the home for two years,and with a rapidly growing family, the homeowners wanted to maximize their space, replace an unsightly—and dangerous—spiral staircase, and mitigate rising sea levels in a structure that essentially sits on the water. Burke and builder Jeremiah Foster accomplished the latter by removing all ductwork and piping from the crawl space under the townhouse and installing closed-cell insulation that acts as a thermal barrier during Boston’s infamous astronomical high tides.

Burke also relocated the kitchen from the entry to the opposite side of the house, which created space for a mudroom and a powder room. “It was
a little radical,” says the architect, who’s renovated two other townhomes on the same wharf, “but it works well because that side of the house has the most dramatic views and lighting. The resulting kitchen is smaller, but it’s a good working space with beautiful cabinetry.”

The wife, who’s related to the founders of Cabot House Furniture, grew up in more stately homes with a sense of formality. When it came to decor, she wanted a sophisticated color palette and classic touches without sacrificing her young family’s casual, water-loving lifestyle. “We wanted to give her her first version of an elegantly decorated, timeless home in an appropriate way,” says Caan.

That translated into thoughtful sight lines—when seen from the living room, the mudroom reads as a formal entry—and an abundance of cabinetry that, at first glance, appears to be paneling. A coffered ceiling distinguishes the more formal living room from the casual kitchen and dining area, but the space remains open so that multitasking parents can cook dinner and keep an eye on their little ones at the same time.

The home’s second floor includes the kids’ rooms and a colorful family/guest room. The entire third floor is dedicated to the adults with a primary suite that features an awning-covered deck with panoramic views of the city skyline and Boston Harbor.

Caan says that it’s a townhome that truly has it all, and with some thoughtful updates, it can now withstand the
elements—and an active family that’s in no rush to decamp to the suburbs.

Project Team
Architecture: Timothy Burke Architecture
Interior design: Liz Caan & Co.
Builder: J Foster Homes