A Tree Grows in Brookline
September 14, 2016
Family ties, an affinity for the classics, an eye for detailâand a natural wonderâcome together to inspire a standout Boston-area home.
Text by Maria LaPiana   Photography by Michael Partenio   Produced by Stacy Kunstel
![SO16_meyer_brookline_03 Stone home in Brookline, Mass. designed by Meyer & Meyer.](https://i0.wp.com/nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Meyer_Brookline_03.jpg?w=512&h=340&ssl=1)
For David and Stephanie DâAngelo, family was the inspiration for this house: the present needs of their family of five as well as the coupleâs future needs, as they intended to grow old there. For the architect, inspiration came from an unusually narrow lot and an inclination toward compelling, classic designs. For the interior designer, inspiration was sparked by a required melding of styles and a simple, sophisticated palette. For the landscape architect, it was the tree. As nature would have it, the treeâa century-old American beechâheld sway over the rest.
When the DâAngelos found an acre on a venerable street in Brookline, Massachusetts, they called on Boston architect John I. Meyer. He in turn called on a longtime collaborator, Boston landscape architect William Pressley, to take a look at the site. âIt was nothing special,â Pressley says he thought at the time. âA plain raised ranch sat on the lot, with a big old tree in the back.â
The next time he visited the site the house was goneâand the old tree seemed bigger, more meaningful. âI told John, âWhy donât we save that tree?â . . . although it seemed like the most impossible thing to do,â he remembers.
The tree turned out to be what David calls âthe most important element of designing the home. The house and the patio sort of wrap around the tree and the effect is pretty special.â
Says Meyer, âItâs on one of the nicest streets in Greater Boston, but part of the site is really narrow.â Because the house had to sit sideways on the lot, it couldnât have a conventional elevationâat least not until Meyer designed one with a hole in the middle of it. The tree in all its glory is visible through the keyhole in the facade.
Meyer channeled the work of renowned architect H.H. Richardson in designing the homeâs exterior. With the lavish use of masonry and stone, rounded arches, intricate details, and a sense of permanence, he paid homage to the Romanesque Revival style for which Richardson is known. A stately silhouette, grand doors and windows, and an abundance of fine materials (stone, slate, copper, and more) contribute materials,â says Meyer. âWe changed tones, darkened trim, we kept focusing until we had it. And only then did we get our very gifted craftsmen involved.â
The front door is nestled underneath the stone arch, providing a sheltered welcome into a home that is as sophisticated as it is comfortable. Interior designer Maureen Griffin Balsbaugh had worked with the family on two previous projects, but admits she was âblown awayâ when she saw these drawings. âThe plans were so detailed I knew I had to let it play out in my head.â
She and Stephanie share a design aesthetic (they even showed up in the same outfit at an early meeting). âShe wanted modernâbut the softer side of modern. A delicious mix of modern and elegant,â remembers Griffin Balsbaugh. The palette would be monochromatic, a combination of silvers and grays and whites, with the palest hint of blush. In a way, that helped to define everything that came later.
The general look is one of classic styling with modern overtones and a few glam notes. The designer and homeowners chose all of the hard materialsâfrom floors to countertopsâthat complemented Meyerâs classic vision, and almost all new furnishings. They to linens. And there are lots of lovely, curvaceous silhouettes. Also, says Griffin Balsbaugh, âIt was very important that, despite the homeâs presumed pedigree, it had to look like it was done now.â
Meanwhile, Pressley was developing a landscape plan that would give this special home the surroundings it deserved. âYou work with what youâve got to work with,â he says. âI knew we had a lot of stonework on the house, so whatever we did had to fit in with that vocabulary.â The first thing he did was erase the word line from his own vocabulary. âI just donât see a lot of straight lines, ever,â he says.
The evidence is everywhere, in the hardscape as well as the plantings. For visual interest, the land scape plan includes lots of color, âand not just for two weeks out of the year,â Pressley says. The rolled stone driveway had to be wide (they settled on twenty feet); itâs unusual, he says, but it works. Thereâs a terrace overlooking the pool area, and a long bench that curves around the now-celebrated tree. The foundation supports were crafted to protect the treeâs root systemâand up-lighting contributes added drama.
To truly understand this house you have to âgo there and look at it, and walk through the site,â says Meyer. âThen walk through the plan. There are really magical things all around. Itâs spatially surprising and interesting, without being glitzy.â
About that tree: âIt simply wouldnât have survived if weâd decided to build a regular, fat house,â says Meyer. âNow the magnificent tree is going to live another 200 years.â â˘
Architecture: John I. Meyer, Meyer & Meyer Architects
Interior design: Maureen Griffin Balsbaugh, Griffin Balsbaugh Interiors
Builder: Marc Kaplan, Sanford Custom Builders
Landscape design: William Pressley, Pressley Associates
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