A Penthouse at The Quinn Gets an Makeover

A walnut slatted wall is the dining area’s showpiece. Chairs from Rove Concepts paired with a contoured custom table soften the overall silhouette.

A coffee table from Wendell Castle anchors the living area and incorporates what interior designer Trevor Fulmer calls the home’s accent hue: “a steel-blue colorway inspired by the mountains in the distance and the sky.”

On the back wall in the living area, the nautical-inspired rope sconce from Luke Lamp Co. references the client’s Cape Cod roots.

Crafted by Jeff Woods, the bar features open shelving to display glassware and bottles; the circles in the grain-matched cabinet doors are inset with individual veneers.

The kitchen was largely in sync with Fulmer’s overall concept, so he saw no need to replace the counters or cabinetry.

The room has an old-fashioned secret, though: it functions as a workspace most of the time, but when company arrives, a Murphy bed effectively transforms the space into comfortable guest quarters (complete with Frette bedding). The rug is from Fulmer’s Foundations collection.

The guest room-slash-office is a light, modern space.

Like the kitchen, the shower area was deemed compatible with the redesign so it was left as is.

The clean-lined, luxurious primary bath boasts million-dollar views—best enjoyed from the Cantrio soaking tub.

The primary bedroom’s dresser is Belle Meade Signature, as are the nightstands; the painting is by artist Lisa Ridgers.

Comfort is the operative word in the primary bedroom. The dramatic ceiling fixture is from Hubbardton Forge.

A Luxury Penthouse at The Quinn

When Trevor Fulmer was hired to reimagine a penthouse perched atop The Quinn, a luxury building in Boston’s South End, he could skip over an important part of the designer-client discovery process: the getting-to-know-you phase.

“We met in college in 2001. He was the best man at my wedding and I at his,” says Fulmer of his client. “We’d worked on a previous project together, and I absolutely knew his style.” When the client finally found what he’d long been looking for—“an epic penthouse with sweeping city views”—Fulmer was all in. And he was thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with one of his oldest friends.

The design process was seamless. “He wanted a mature, urban, and elevated look,” says Fulmer. “I knew his likes and dislikes. I knew what colors and wood finishes don’t resonate with him. I knew how important creative lighting was, and I understood that the condo had to evolve with his family.” (The client married and learned he and his wife were expecting their first child, all while the project was underway.)

An Urban Aesthetic Shaped by Light, Texture, and Views

The palette is subtle, neutral, and textural; the idea was to complement the steel-gray skyline, distant mountains, and blue sky. A streamlined leather sectional was a must, so Fulmer kept looking until he found the “perfect leather in the softest shade of sand.” Because the client hails from Cape Cod, there are subtle nautical touches throughout.

Intimate seating zones and a built-in home bar were informed by the client’s love of entertaining. In one of the cleverest moves you’ll never see, surround-sound speakers were plastered into the walls and covered with wallpaper.

FBN Construction came on the scene to paint, update the plumbing, and address the soffits in the primary bedroom. Bobby Ernst Jr., the firm’s director of custom client services, says the defining challenge was finding creative solutions to complex electrical and lighting specifications. “A lot of the residences in the newer high-rises like The Quinn are ‘white boxes,’ for want of a better term,” says Ernst. “So we really started with a blank canvas.”

Multifunctional Living Spaces

Fulmer turned to Jeff Woods of Woods Furniture & Design, a frequent collaborator of the designer, to create a feature wall in the dining room. Inspired by the city skyline, the wall has intermittent LED lights inserted between walnut slats. Fulmer describes it as “a mood setter and a defining moment of the space.”

The common rooms are all wrapped in a Phillip Jeffries wallcovering that combines grasscloth and silk for a subtle sheen. In the primary bedroom, the client wanted texture with leather details, so a leather-paneled headboard literally became the wall itself.

Out of necessity, the home office also serves as a nursery, and when company arrives, a Murphy bed by Clei effectively transforms the space into a comfortable guest room. On the ceiling: a crystal-like handmade wallpaper from Vahallan that gives the illusion of stargazing when the light hits it just right.

“While we were given direction and parameters,” says Fulmer, “we also had the freedom to push creative limits.” A trust he believes was granted because of his “expertise and communication style—and of course, our friendship.”

Project Team
Interior design: Trevor Fulmer Design
Builder: FBN Construction

Styled by Kaylei McGaw  / Anchor Artists