Designer Snapshot: Something Old, Something New

By Paula M. Bodah

Susan Orpin, of the Boston-based Orpin Group calls herself “essentially a contemporary designer.” That doesn’t mean every room she designs is filled with nothing but modern pieces, however. Rather, she arrives at her fresh, contemporary spaces by using classic materials in a new way and by what she calls “the refined union of old and new.” Susan, who was a featured designer for Perspectives in our March-April issue, gives us a few examples of how she approaches design.

Photograph by Chad Lingle

In this space, Susan combined classic and modern materials for a beautiful result, by using resin panels embedded with linen to separate the living from the dining area.

Photog by Chad Lingle

New materials that have a traditional, even Old World look can be used in a very modern way. “For this custom-designed bath, I used a porcelain tile that has a wood-like grain,” Susan says. “It looks like wood, but feels like stone, giving the hard surface a softer, warmer look.”

Photo by Iris Johnson

Susan added a cocktail table crafted from reclaimed wood to the sleek, contemporary furniture in this media/billiard room in a Wellesley, Massachusetts, house. “It takes all the fuss out of eating pizza and beer,” she says. “Spills on the table are added patina.”

Photo by Iris Johnson

“This dining room is an example of taking antique furniture and updating the look,” Susan explains. “We changed a matched English dining set by refinishing the English chairs in black lacquer and adding new upholstery. I then added contemporary arm chairs to mix with the antique set to give it new life. Contemporary accessories and mirror completed the update.”