contemporary

Floating treads keep the stairway feeling light.

A stone floor and Western red-cedar timbers make the screened porch feel as though it’s part of the outdoors.

“There’s nothing more timeless than a white house,” says Carroll about the shingled main house.

Nickel-gap paneling and a free-floating wooden shelf bring warmth to an all-white powder room.

The second-floor main suite has a deck overlooking the river; the gray, white, and palest-yellow rug is from Mougalian Rugs.

The main bath sports a trough sink and a shower that spans the width of one wall.

Architect Jessie Carroll chose slender muntins of black metal for the windows to keep the focus on the view.

“We don’t like a lot of spoons in jars on the kitchen counter,” the wife says. No fear of that in this kitchen where small appliances and the pantry hide behind the paneling.

A double-sided wood-burning fireplace separates the living and dining areas. The dining table of aged walnut with a metal base, crafted by Hudson Valley, New York, artist Chis Lehrecke, sits atop a wool rug from Portland, Maine-based Mougalian Rugs.

A metal roof tops the breezeway that leads from the dining room to the screened three-season living room. Todd Richardson’s landscape design incorporates native plantings that help the house sit unobtrusively on its riverfront site.

A twelve-foot skylight illuminates an island topped with porous concrete, while a painting by Colombian-born artist Alexis Duque accents the gas fireplace.

Rows of lockers by SchoolLockers.com offer plenty of storage for the family and their guests to stow everything from flip-flops to sunscreen.

Landscaping by Jennifer Anderson Design & Development adds the right touches of green to a backdrop of blues and whites in order to complete the bucolic scene.

A custom teak shower surround allows for a luxurious—and private—outdoor bath.

A Holly Hunt sectional surrounds a firepit from Restoration Hardware.

The porch runs along the front of the house and wraps around one side.

Handler balanced masculine and feminine sensibilities in the main bedroom. The painting by Cameron Schmitz was purchased at The Drawing Room in Cos Cob.

The brass-capped acrylic stools around the kitchen island are by Interlude Home, and the roman shade fabric is from Thibaut.

Drapery in a dotted stripe pattern from Schumacher adds a graphic burst of green to the guest room. The chest and chair are from local antique shops.

The Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams velvet sectional in the family room is comfortable, durable, and perfect for lounging; the horizontal muntins on the doors to the patio echo the sidelights in the front entry.

The scheme for the entry started with the stair runner by Prestige Mills, which inspired the color choice for the chest, Benjamin Moore Champion Cobalt. The Urban Electric Company lantern ties the black door to the handrail. “If it were up to me, every room would have some black,” Handler says. “It’s classic and dramatic.” The photograph over the mantel in the lounge is by Fairfield County-based artist Allyson Monson.

A mixed-media diptych by pop artist Jenn Lewis takes centerstage in the dining room, painted Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, in this modern farmhouse. Interior designer Kimberly Handler says, “The piece includes newsprint, duct tape, a little bit of everything. The longer you look, the more things you find.”

The bar, which connects the lounge to the family room, has a mosaic marble-and-metal backsplash by Akdo.

The blue cushion on the antique stool in the main bathroom inspired the choice for the spotted Schumacher fabric used for the roman shade.

The master bedroom’s pine walls continue into the bath, where they are whitewashed to add variation.

Located on the ground floor, the master bedroom is “all about the views,” says designer Kalur. With its simple furnishings and horizontally paneled pine walls, “it’s their little Zen space,” she adds.

A modern pendant chandelier hangs above the dining table.

Each cabin features a built-in queen bed and a twin daybed.

The quietly refined kitchen blends in with the open-plan space. Concrete countertops add modernity, while leather bar stools lend a soft touch.

The living area’s vaulted ceiling permits ample natural light. Interior designer Claudia Kalur chose custom Kravet sofas for their clean, modern look.

The master bathroom includes his and her vanities as well as a teak-lined sauna that opens to the walk-in steam shower clad in Siberian white marble.

A clean, simple design and quiet palette (with just a punch or two of color) turn the master bedroom into a peaceful sanctuary.

An artistic steel, glass, and wood floating staircase keeps things airy and allows light to flood the home.

A lineup of glass pendants in different shapes and sizes lends subtle interest to the streamlined kitchen.

The dining room’s white walls, like many throughout the home, were designed to display the family’s growing collection of modern art. The generously proportioned, custom-designed dining table is flanked by chairs that offer bold accents of color.

Flooded with light, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and eleven-foot-high ceilings, the airy living room features a neutral palette of grays and off-whites. The dramatic fireplace surround is Siberian marble.

A pillowy sectional sofa by the newly installed fireplace makes the family room the perfect kick-back-and-relax zone.

The stunning staircase of glass and metal rises to a casual family room that includes a dining nook and built-in bar. The Harvard logo was commissioned from artist Jennifer Lashbrook.

A custom Ping-Pong table, set against Rivets wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries, plays to both sophisticated tastes and college-kid interests.

A segmented layout was scrapped to create an airy, open floor plan with hardwoods, a fresh blue-gray-natural palette, and whimsical light fixtures.

A mix of styles, from art deco to midcentury to coastal chic, makes for a sophisticated lounge space grounded by a youthful touch of fun in the neon wall sign.

All the artwork is meaningful. For the master bedroom, Frazier framed a poem her husband wrote in celebration of their first wedding anniversary. The ink blot figure is another piece by Brittney Ciccone.

Pops of peppy color punctuate the playroom. The modular sofa by Nugget can be configured into forts. The trio of prints are by London photographer Karin Berndl through ArtStar.

Vintage MR chairs by Mies van der Rohe surround the polished marble dining table. “The chairs already have wear and tear, so I don’t worry about the kids ruining them,” Frazier says.

Frazier and her husband spend evenings around the gas fireplace in the den. The painting is by SoWa-based artist Brittney Ciccone, who is also a close friend.

In the den, black leather sling chairs and sculptural floor lamps by Aerin for Visual Comfort provide symmetry, while the ottoman and cocktail tables soften the arrangement. The result is orderly yet effortless.

Artwork by homeowner and designer Katie Frazier’s sister-in-law, Christina Jervey, and custom throw pillows add touches of subtle pattern in neutral colors to the living room.

A restful palette and rich textures, including silk wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries, give the master bedroom its serene aura. Elms designed the platform bed and the nightstands, as well as the upholstered wall behind the bed.

A white kitchen has been jazzed up considerably by the backsplash of custom smoky mirrored glass tiles.

The open living and dining area offers a lot of flexible seating options that are great for entertaining. The space is large enough to accommodate a show-stopping back-to-back sofa and a versatile coffee table that provides storage and surface area in equal measures.

Designer Dee Elms crafted sophisticated scenes and sightlines at every turn in the ninth-floor condominium overlooking Boston Harbor.

The entryway extends a dramatic welcome with its midcentury bench and a large abstract painting.

The view from the master bath includes a wall-size photo of a marsh.

A light-colored Luce chair and Frette linens on the bed, along with a glass wall that admits sunlight from the living room, brighten the master bedroom. The mitered Ann Sacks marble headboard shimmers like a waterfall.

The absence of obstructions, such as pendant lights or a vent hood, means outside light can penetrate deep into the kitchen. Minimalist tap-operated lights hang almost invisibly above the custom Boffi kitchen island. Like the collected works elsewhere in the home, the framed prints on the shelf get moved or swapped occasionally, offering fresh looks for repeat guests.

A tubular LED light from Luke Lamp in Mamaroneck, New York—twisted into shape by the designer and client—coils above the reflective surface of a Flexform Zefiro table and De Padova chairs clad in Spinneybeck leather.

On the dining area wall, the owners’ original photos of Ellis Island are displayed on inlaid art hangers.

Natural light spills through floor-to-ceiling windows onto midcentury furnishings set on a silky teardrop rug. The rounded lines of the chairs, cocktail table, and rug soften the home’s predominantly linear design.

Daher added wall panels with bronze inserts to give the bedroom more interest.

The den’s wallpaper is a Kirkby Design from Romo. Once again, Daher shows her talents for blending: the cubes are marble, the desk is leather-topped, and the arresting green chair wears a cotton/linen blend from Kelly Wearstler.

Daher designed the fireplace’s marble surround and the screens on either side. Stepping up their profile, the three-part screens were wallpapered and then painted. The palette throughout is a sophisticated gray and white with the occasional spark of gold or emerald green.

The great room encompasses several different activity areas and a wealth of textures, such as the layered cowhide rug beneath the coffee table at the room’s center, the high-gloss lacquer on the doors of the wet bar, and the nubby boucle Pierre Frey fabric on the chairs around the corner cocktail table. The vibrant painting above the bar is by Peruvian artist Maria Cecilia Fernandez De Arrospide.

The lacquered table in the intimate dining area is enlivened with a chrome base. Not to be outdone, the banquette sports bronze detailing.

The chair is from Silver’s new line of indoor/outdoor furniture, GONG.

The master bath’s sink was crafted from mitered slabs of basalt stone.

Last summer, while Silver helped her son relocate, she says she stayed in a hotel for a month, an experience that made her appreciate her home more than ever. “Coming home after that was the epitome of sanctuary.”

The charcoal drawings in the meditation room are by Canadian artist Cathy Daley; the beechwood tripod lamp is part of Silver’s own line of furnishings.

Homeowner/designer Mar Silver refers to the fireplace as the 5,300-square-foot home’s heart. “It radiates warmth and spirit,” she says. The chair and ottoman, by Swedish designer Arne Norell, reflect Silver’s appreciation for sculptural furniture.

A fan of midcentury-modern style, Silver loves these vintage acrylic barstools that seem to float under the kitchen counter.

Five years ago, Silver discovered Korean artist Yong-Soo Lee, who created a series of three-dimensional bowl wall hangings. Silver purchased five of the seven in the series, keeping this one and giving the others to clients.

Behind the lime tree in the corner of the sitting room is a painting by Manolo Valdés.

The sumptuous master suite brings together a wealth of textures—the wood mantel, an alpaca throw, linen curtains, and the wool flannel-clad armchair that cozies up to the fire. In true Hirsch mix-it-up style, there’s also an eye-catching walnut Jonathan Adler Claude étagère with a midcentury vibe. “We wanted this to be a sophisticated and quiet place,” the designer says.

A pair of Chisholm lanterns from The Urban Electric Co. in a custom red color that plays off the Lacanche range illuminate the updated kitchen.

Southwest-inspired hues, like the family room’s Ikat fabric, are a nod to Santa Fe, “a place the owners love for its energy,” Hirsch says. New shelves make way for a growing collection of pottery, while the wood-topped coffee table affords space for any number of activities.

The parlor is a festive mix of dynamite wallpaper (with a theme that reminds the wife of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are) and cool furnishings. To give the Seventh & 7th Designs cabinet even more character, Amy Aidinis Hirsch added solid brass Lisa Jarvis hardware.

The master suite is a soothing sanctuary from the bustle of hosting visitors.

A Four Hands sectional and chair are the centerpieces of a classic and comfortable family room. Fletcher gravitated toward timeless pieces. The colorful image on the far wall is of a beloved vacation spot, Lake Tahoe.

Clean lines and a neutral palette define the kitchen, which boasts a seventeen-foot-long island topped with engineered stone.

The oft-used wine wall was sourced from Canadian company Cable Wine Systems.

Blue Corroded Propeller, a photograph by Peter Mendelson and a nod to one of Fletcher’s favorite pastimes, holds court in the dining room. Rough-sawn painted-wood ceilings throughout lend consistency to the first floor’s open plan.

An open and airy glass entryway connects the house and the four-bay garage.

Cabinetry and the long kitchen island are painted in Sherwin Williams’s Bohemian Black, while cluster lighting and the white island surface keep the room bright. Windows facing the property line are purposefully high.

Facing south with a door to the balcony, the master bedroom is flooded with light.

The quartz kitchen island, with its accent of bright brackets, is a generous thirteen feet long.

Floor-to-ceiling red glass tiles from Ann Sacks are a vivid, reflective counterpoint to the concrete floors. A zero-clearance shower with a full-width linear drain eliminates the need for an enclosure.

The bar, the ladder, and the loft railings were fabricated by Adam Brandt of ArcArt in Sterling, Massachusetts.

Najnigier kept the cottage from being too rustic with clean lines (note the lack of baseboards and moldings), modern furnishings, and strategic use of saturated color.

Rich velvet and brass accents add a dose of luxury.

Designer Jill Najnigier contrasted rustic elements, such as the original ceiling (which was lightly sandblasted to bring it back to life) and the stone fireplace, with simple interior architecture. A ladder made of metal piping and salvaged hemlock leads to a loft with a queen-size bed.

Part of the design challenge was displaying the art—such as the primitive statuary in the hallway—while retaining a flowing, functional, and livable space.

A pair of dervishes give the side-eye to the guest bedroom, where a bubble ceiling light reflects the playful spirit of the room. The queen bed splits in two when the owners’ college-age sons are in town and need a place to crash

The muted palette of whites and grays continues in the kitchen.

A Chinoiserie desk from the eighteenth century paired with a transitional desk chair creates a quiet workplace in a niche between the family room and kitchen.

Custom designed to fit this space in the master bath, the walnut makeup table has a hidden mirror inside; the material choice takes its cues from the artwork hanging above.

An antique rug and bronze table add warmth to the master bathroom, an airy space where the owners can soak in the view of Boston Harbor.

The low profile and neutral color of this chaise—a prized spot for reading and relaxation—does little to distract from the vistas of the Boston waterfront.

David Kroll’s Apples and Two Vases, the owners’ favorite painting, provides a focal point in the living room as well as a starting point for the choices of color, texture, and materials used in the room design.

While not gallery white, the paint scheme and fabrics provide a sedate palette that lets the artwork remain the focal point in every space, as here in the living room.

A wall of heavily veined marble offers a natural touch to the modern kitchen.

Ornate architectural details meet a neutral palette, modern furniture, and a Moroccan tribal rug to give a narrow front parlor a scaled-down, open feel.

A bedroom closet holds an abundance of storage.

The master bathroom runs the full sixteen-foot width of the townhouse and features a standing tub as well as an expansive shower.

Night tables are tucked into the built-ins in the master bedroom. Blackout drapes offer cozy nighttime privacy, and open to views of the rear park come daybreak.

A vintage copper artichoke chandelier illuminates the midcentury-inspired dining room in a Boston townhouse. In renovating, the architectural team took full advantage of the park-like views by opening up the rear of the home with an airy window wall.

The family room, once the rear parlor, opens onto a patio that overlooks the shared neighborhood park.

One of the things that attracted Corrie to this condo was the fact that it was the only one on the wharf with a loft space for sleeping.

A lacquered box from Provincetown’s Yates & Kennedy adorns the living room’s Palecek side table.

Most of the art is by local artists from Provincetown galleries.

Corrie completely gutted the kitchen, replacing the upper cabinets with glass shelving and a range hood, both of which he designed. He wanted the room to be a “sea of open with no actual ending.”

Guests are welcomed by a warm fireplace and an expansive leather couch; copious built-in cabinets virtually eliminate clutter from the home.

The first-floor satellite kitchen allows the owner to entertain guests while keeping the upstairs rooms private.

Oversize windows admit plenty of natural light to reflect off living room walls painted the ever-so-pale gray of Farrow & Ball’s Wevet.

The second-floor main kitchen has plenty of food prep and cooking space; appliances stay out of sight behind the veneered cabinets. The eye-catching wallcovering, made of randomized strips of cut marble, matches the backsplashes

The compact library takes on a more formal air with its dark walls and a golden chandelier illuminating the Christian Liaigre Ile de Ré table.

The greenhouse courtyard entrance is the only place where the original historic brickwork remains visible.

Objects collected by the well-traveled owner find their places on custom shelves in the office.

A fireplace and upholstered chair add a warm touch to the spare master bedroom.

The interplay between stone and wood continues in the master bath, where an Asian-inspired bench and stool offset the marble sink and limestone floors.

The Spanish Blanco Macael marble used for this sink appears throughout the home as a unifying element.

The central staircase rising though all six floors provides a focal point for the entire house.

Minimalist decor prevails throughout the home, including the dining room. The wall art of painted concrete panels adds just a hint of texture and muted color to match the velvet sofa.

The roof deck oasis includes a roomy new head house, a replacement for a tinier rendition. “The copper cladding, an authentic metal found on many area head houses, will patina with age,” says architect Bob Paladino.

The architect nixed the dated spiral stairs that led to the roof deck and extended the handsome central staircase from the foyer on up.

Classic dark floors add gravitas to the airy kitchen.

Sculptural elements like the gold-leafed table beside the midcentury daybed along with well-chosen art—that’s Boston-area painter Caroline Rufo’s painting above the mantel—boost the living room’s persona.

The bay window’s sumptuous banquette, where the owners often settle for meals or with their laptops, hails from Lisa Tharp’s collection. With multiple seating choices—including an iconic Alky chair designed by Giancarlo Piretti—the room is party-perfect, too. A painting by Takefumi Hori is one of several bold gold touches.

Vintage Oscar armchairs revamped with a lustrous Robert Allen fabric anchor a dreamy sitting area by the window. The intriguing linear pattern of The Rug Company’s hand-carved wool Circuit rug pops come nighttime, illuminated by the deco-style ceiling light.

Mahogany night tables cozy up to the couple’s bed.

A painting by French artist Pierre Lesieur and a stone Buddha from Burma keep watch over the conversation area. The Louis Vuitton cashmere throw is a nod to Cohen’s love of fashion.

Cohen says she’s traveled to two of the three places on her bucket list: Turkey and Morocco. The vintage suzani on the dining chair comes from Turkey. (The remaining spot on her list? India.)

The oil-rubbed copper mirror from Belgium is complemented by a vintage George Pelletier ceramic lamp.

A sofa and chair from Restoration Hardware pair effortlessly with an antique African side table and a raku bowl from South African artist Lauren Gelgor Kaplan. “I don’t like a lot of color in my home,” explains Cohen. “I bring in color through art. I like a calm, neutral palette with a lot of texture.”

The sunroom mixes Os de Mouton antique chairs, vintage mud-cloth pillows, side-by-side Chinese paver coffee tables, and a sofa from George Smith.

The great room has a global feel with its textured teak wood art from Brazil, a French midcentury travertine trio coffee table, and a wool rug from Afghanistan. The vintage rattan bench is from Italian designer Franco Albini.

Views from the sitting room and deck offer infinite interest, regardless of the weather.

The once-dim sitting room was transformed with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. A steel pendant fireplace and an Eero Saarinen Womb chair add sculptural touches.

A dramatic fireplace surround and partition made from Corten steel separates the formal living and dining areas from the kitchen.

The sleek kitchen features Caesarstone countertops, warm walnut casework, and iconic Bertoia barstools.

In a circulation area near the entry, porcelain tiles mimic the look of concrete, adding an industrial-chic vibe.

The architectural team added a clerestory and wrapped windows around the formal dining area, bringing the property’s views to the foreground. Throughout the house, aluminum-frame windows and doors were chosen for their quiet palette. Bocci pendant lights dangle delicately above the table.

A contemporary glass balustrade complements existing skylights in the revamped stairwell.

The main entry’s updated, large-scale glass panels and angled handrail draw the eye through the interior to the water beyond.

Sliding glass doors give the open dining room a more intimate feel and add a design element to the hallway.

A custom picture ledge wall in the breakfast area displays cookbooks, photos, and objets d’art.

Color, as in a trio of paintings by Rosenthal, makes a bright foil for the kitchen’s graphic black and white.

Another Rosenthal paper lines the pantry walls.

The powder room’s Splat KR wallpaper from Rosenthal’s collection sparked the home’s design scheme.

Rosenthal enlivened the living room’s neutral backdrop with deep blue upholstery and graphic pillows.

Light bounces off the high-gloss paint on the entry’s walls.

By day, the study serves as Michelle Pollack’s office; come evening, the plush chairs and fireplace make it a cozy place for quiet conversation with husband Ari.

Exposed-bulb lighting with orange cording adds pizzazz to the third-floor powder room.

Shiplap was installed vertically in the mudroom and spaced to accommodate oversized hooks.

At the top of the stairwell, a chandelier made of bottles plays with the strong geometry of the balustrade.

A seagrass rug and Maine Cottage fabrics invite casual luxury into the master suite.

Shiplap cabinetry wears Benjamin Moore’s Blue Suede Shoes and leather pulls.

The kitchen island’s heavy marble top is offset by translucent pendants and a pillowed-tile backsplash.

Plush lounge chairs swivel to face the ocean or accommodate TV viewing; shibori-dyed pillows boost the coastal effect.

The dining room’s azure rug and artwork hint at the home’s beachfront location.

Park and her husband purchased the painting by Gustavo Aceves in Venice while on their honeymoon.

Park, a master at mixing textures, brings a blue splash into the family room via an African feather hat above the fireplace.

The seating area adjoining the living room provides a peaceful spot for reading on a rainy day.

Waterfall edges sharpen the kitchen island’s silhouette. “We went with laminate cabinets,” Park says, “because of the elements and temperature changes in a home near the ocean.”

Original mahogany details lend punch to the living room, where every piece, from the Le Corbusier steel-legged coffee table to Rina Menardi’s ceramics flanking the door, illustrates good design.

The master bedroom opens to a second-floor porch with lake views.

The stairs descend first to the bedrooms, then to the ground-floor living area and the patio.

Durable indoor-outdoor furniture from one of the owners’ other homes was covered in new fabric and repurposed for the screen house.

The standout Tobias brothers painting in the kitchen provided a spectrum of inspiration for the color choices in the cottage.

Pine walls and floors provide a clean, light frame for colorful midcentury furnishings, like the orange-shelled Eames chairs in the dining area.