Massachusetts

Louis XV chairs frame the view from the master suite’s sitting area, which looks due east over Chatham Harbor and North Beach Island.

A Shingle-style grid of square openings in this porch wall gives the back entry a sense of fun.

The front porch’s mismatched furniture lends a “collected” look and adds a sense of history to the new home.

Arch-topped windows introduce maximum light and views into the playroom, where oversize furniture and reclaimed oak barn siding on the ceiling keep a large space human-scaled.

The screened porch gets sun from every side. A Shingle-style grid of square openings in this porch wall gives the back entry a sense of fun.

Stools patterned after traditional English high-backed chairs sit before the vast mahogany-topped kitchen island, with fabric patterns repeated from the adjacent dining room.

Simple, white-painted furniture in the second-floor guest bedroom comports with the owners’ desire for cottage decor in this space.

A cut-slate fireplace rises past a second-floor balcony in the family room, its horizontal ashlar pattern catching sunlight from an adjacent window.

A bluestone walkway leads to the entry of Warm Welcome, where an oversize weathervane honoring Star of India, a local sailboat, spins above an Asian-inspired roof.

Classic Cape ornamental landscaping helps screen the parking area while framing the view from the street.

A distressed cast-iron chandelier hangs from a coffered ceiling in the English country dining room.

With its mild blues and grays, warm wood, and a traditional step-up, four-poster bed, the master bedroom conveys what designer Susanne Lichten Csongor calls “a sense of incredible comfort.”

Lounge chairs help keep the living room as comfortable as it is elegant.

Beaded white wallpaper in the powder room shimmers gently at night.

A cherry-paneled media room was painted a custom-mixed bright blue to add color and reflect light.

Fabrics with hues of citron and fuchsia offer a lively contrast to the room’s neutral furnishings.

With no kids or pets in residence, the homeowners embraced this pale, custom-designed rug by J.D. Staron. Photographs by Jim Nickelson add a graphic punch, and gold coffee tables gleam at the center of it all.

Heather Kahler from Downsview Kitchens of Boston brightened up the kitchen, which had been moodier in its previous incarnation.

A guest room used by the couple’s adult daughter when she visits boasts a custom Phillip Jeffries wallpaper embellished with a white embossed design.

Fauteuils from the homeowners’ prior home flank the painted limestone fireplace.

The condo’s beautiful crown moldings seduced the homeowners on first viewing; modern white-leather dining chairs keep the dining space from feeling too rococo.

Starr Daniels says she couldn’t pass up the digital painting that matched the master bedroom’s color scheme.

The patio offers sweeping vistas of the estate on which the carriage-house-turned-condo sits.

The marble floor and wrought-iron banister already in place helped inspire the “Paris apartment” feel of the redesign. Designer Starr Daniels painted the stair steps black and added an animal-print runner for a chic, modern look.

The fireplace’s sculptural treatment adds subtle movement to the living room. The panels of the Nada Debs cocktail table can be reconfigured for a variety of looks.

The kitchen is defined by straight lines and sleek surfaces: glass backsplash, countertops, and upper cabinets; stainless steel walls; and a quartzite dining counter.

The short walls of granite extending from the house are an aesthetic move, says Glen Valentine of Stephen Stimson Associates. “They extend the geometry of the building into the site,” he says.

The entrance area features an open stairway supported by the walls and outfitted with glass ­guardrails.

Designer Beth Martell and her partner, Enda Donagher, designed the family room fireplace. As elsewhere in the house, Martell used color sparingly as an accent against a neutral palette.

The front of the house presents a formal yet modern symmetry that relaxes as the house unfolds toward the back. A grid of zinc-coated copper defines the entry. The same metal is used on the exterior trim and the decorative visors above the windows. An entry court flanked by groups of hawthorn trees reflects the landscape’s classical nine-square grid.

Carefully chosen accessories and art stand out against the dining room’s simple ripple-fold curtains and pale walls.

Detail-conscience Daher designed the husband’s walnut desk with a metal band skimming the bottom and, for practicality, a berth for a Rose Tarlow ottoman. The painting is by Kate Doyle.

Frette bedding amps up the luxury in the master bedroom.

Light streams from the terrace into the living room through French doors, creating a visual echo of artist Michael Zigmond’s riveting work above the bar cabinet.

A Dennis & Leen sofa with a somewhat formal silhouette plays off the room’s contemporary art.

A border of reclaimed wood along the base of the vent hood ties in with the kitchen’s new beams.

The chandelier came from the owners’ previous home.

The entry’s tile floor, which continues into the dining room, is original to the house. “It speaks to the home’s character,” says designer Paula Daher. The adjacent living room floors were restained a dark shade as a foil for the room’s creamy-colored woodwork.

Nailhead trim on the upholstered dining chairs and Conrad handwoven shades at the windows introduce an extra layer of subtle texture.

A pair of Gregorius Pineo wing chairs nestling by an original fireplace are an unexpected delight in the dining room. The landscape above the mantel is by Tracey Lane. A cache of snowy china fills the new floor-to-ceiling cabinets.

The breakfast area’s raffia-backed chairs are favorites of the designer. “Modernity was needed, and they have a casual elegance that fits the house,” she explains. The banquette features pull-out drawers for bonus storage.

Adolfo Perez designed the variable-sized circle lights that dance across the playroom ceiling. With a ping-pong table, foosball, a billiards table, and plenty of comfortable seating, the expansive space is a favorite gathering place.

A chenille sectional makes a playful sitting arrangement in the living room.

A custom billiard table in a matte lacquer matches the concrete-lookalike walls; its organic shape appears to float, softening the straight lines of the upper play area. A sliding barn door opens to the playroom for entertaining, or closes it off for privacy.

A steel-and-concrete console in the entrance plays off the rigorousness of the sintered-stone walls and corten steel door frame.

Lined with white oak, the innovative wet bar instantly transforms the front parlor into an ideal entertainment space.

New steel-framed windows give the back parlor the feel of a Parisian atelier.

The room’s wealth of texture includes a sculptural metal Jieldé floor lamp and a bold Merida carpet topped with a hide area rug.

The sparkly Ochre pendant is a modern twist on chandeliers of the past. A hide rug by Yerra references scallop shells, playing to the wife’s love of the ocean.

Tom Rickman’s engaging landscape gives the front parlor—the first room visitors see—a burst of blue sky.

Meticulous planning allowed for additional shelving and cabinetry in the family room, where Eero Saarinen’s Womb Chair from Knoll is a popular seat.

The contemporary vibe is played up with an Andy Warhol poster above a streamlined console.

Original brick walls and wood ceiling beams were preserved throughout the former industrial space. Cold-rolled steel with a black patina finish and reclaimed heart pine comprise the staircase, which has cantilevered elements that make it appear to float.

The second level holds a smaller seating area, grounded by a Paola Lenti rug, for intimate conversation.

The powder room’s sculptural concrete sink partners with another of Adelman’s light fixtures.

Rachel von Roeschlaub Maniatis’s acrylics on LP records add a dash of color to the media room.

Roomy, but cozy, the swiveling sofa adds a bold punch of color to the master bedroom.

In the master bath, custom wood millwork embellishes the concrete trough sink and warms the room’s pale palette.

A bright red chair and Marjorie Minkin’s vivid artwork add energy to the serene upstairs living room without detracting from the stunning view visible beyond a generous terrace with plantings by Winston Flowers.

The kitchen’s tapering metal island is inspired by midcentury iconography and fabricated by metal artisan Bartek Konieczny. Konieczny also crafted the island’s movable light fixture.

A floating wall forms the guest room headboard, where three photographic works by CE Morse hang above the bed.

Lindsey Adelman’s Agnes chandelier hovers above the B&B Italia chairs and dining table.

In the master bedroom, a luxuriously upholstered bed and geometric grasscloth wallcovering replaced a spartan four-poster and bland painted walls.

Wainscoting of Italian tile adorns the niche that holds the new freestanding tub.

A soffit was extended to provide the great room’s new barrel ceiling a place to land. It also allowed the designer to inch the sofa forward by placing a thin table behind it.

Wall paneling cures multiple ills in the great room by giving the small firebox more presence while minimizing the impact of the television.

A fresh finish was all the perimeter cabinets needed. The island, however, was enlarged and reborn in the image of a European range.

A built-in wet bar adds versatility to the breakfast nook.

An antique hall rack hits a traditional note in the entryway.

Stripping, painting, and reupholstering the dining room chairs lent the beautiful but staid mahogany dining set a whole new look.

The antique pool table, turned chair, and Scottish tartan rug reference a country manor, but the purple walls, upholstery, and mantelpiece disrupt any presumptions.

The sitting room got new life as a billiards room.

In the master bedroom, Koto wood panels and a leather Christian Liaigre bed create a decidedly contemporary edge.

A marble floor was removed in favor of a warmer floor of wood laid in a herringbone pattern.

Contemporary club chairs and a geometric rug bring the library into the twenty-first century. Rather than remove any of the room’s elaborate woodwork, the designer had it ebonized, allowing it to recede into the background.

The streamlined contemporary kitchen on the fourth floor is adjacent to a comfortable media area and just steps away from the bi-level roof deck.

In the stairwell, a portrait of the wife of the original owner peers from behind a cascade of contemporary light globes from John Pomp Studios.

Decorative artist Pauline Curtiss, owner of Patina Designs in Lincoln, Massachusetts, devised the eye-catching office ceiling. “Due to the number of windows, that was the only surface we had to work with,” Russell explains. An engaging Neal Rantoul photograph hangs above the oak desk.

A Ro Sham Beaux chandelier illuminates the master bedroom, where French doors open to a deck overlooking the pretty yard.

Vibrant black-and-white chairs, contemporary sconces, and abstract art are fun contrasts to the living room’s understated heirloom sofa.

Comfort in the family room includes a cozy sectional and ottoman along with a feels-good-underfoot Stark carpet.

Designer Phoebe Lovejoy Russell brought modern art and a contemporary light fixture into the airy dining room to balance traditional furnishings. The painting’s colors echo the room’s palette, while the candlesticks and striking chandelier are in step with Russell’s penchant for brass.

The nursery adheres to the home’s neutral theme with rattan shades and a wicker elephant for added texture.

A small built-in desk of cerused oak adjacent to the sunny breakfast area ties in with the color of the Bungalow 5 dining chairs ringing the marble-topped table.

Antique beds in the four-year-old’s bedroom belonged to Russell’s father.

Horn-and-bone mirrors enliven the master bath’s Restoration Hardware vanity.

The kitchen’s marble surfaces sport a leathered finish, which translates to less maintenance.

In the generously scaled master bedroom, the designer confidently mixed a modern chevron wallcovering with the bold chinois drapes, and created a link between an old house and a modern mood with the graphic custom rug. The chairs add classic style and a pop of plum.

Rich wood paneling gives the living room its cozy feel. The homeowners had used the vast felt rug in their New York City apartment but, amazingly, it was a perfect fit here as well.

The kitchen was a complete redo. Custom cabinets were painted to brighten the space and provide contrast for the dark floor finish.

The family room was previously used as a sunroom, and the homeowners admit they initially had no idea what to do with it. Rivoli suggested the transformation, and her clients love it.

The classic home on a tight urban site was fully fenced and comfortable in its surroundings, with a “nice enclosed, landscaped feel,” says architect Robert Adams, but previous renovations hadn’t been kind to it, so he set about restoring its original beauty.

A stone backed sculptural tub.

Custom bedding from Muse Bespoke adds another luxurious layer to the upholstered bed in the master suite.

Discreet LED lighting helps underscore the master bath’s quality craftsmanship, which includes a double vanity spanning the entire length of the wall.

Architect Adolfo Perez designed the kitchen’s steel hood and the shelf beneath it to boost efficiency. Corian boxes—one a knife holder, the other a nest for oils and vinegars—support the latter.

The custom dining table is made from reclaimed American walnut. Below: In the study, de Santaren teams a desk of his design with a vintage Dunbar chair he nabbed on 1stdibs.

A bounty of built-in cabinetry provides a display area for treasures as well as books.

The study’s vintage Arne Norell chairs, discovered in Antwerp, give the owners a perfect perch for contemplating their eye-catching light sculpture.

The Santa Teresa wool window sheers hail from Muse Bespoke in Chicago, de Santaren’s sister’s company.

A sitting area in the living room is a minimalist’s dream with its 1930s Jules Leleu chairs.

The living room’s hearthside sitting area provides a prominent place for a painting from the owners’ collection.

A vignette in the foyer foreshadows the home’s refined aesthetic.

Modern steel doors in the foyer and the passageway to the kitchen are, says designer Manuel de Santaren, “a nod to some of the architectural details we saw in Belgium during a shopping trip for furnishings and antiquities.”

The architecture of the poolhouse.

To integrate the pool with the landscape, “We conceived of the rectangular pool as a farm relic—perhaps the foundation for a farm structure,” says Horiuchi. Behind the pool, plantings on the sloping lawn will grow lush over time.

Stone mason Eben Armer hand selected each locust branch for this outdoor shower he designed and built.

Reclaimed vintage white oak rafters add a rustic touch to the cedar-clad great room.

The wife orchestrated the placement of the engaging cow photos—a nod to the home’s pastoral nature.

A boon to entertaining, the butler’s pantry is accessible to the kitchen and screen porch.

The screened porch provides views of the poolhouse (which also functions as guest quarters) and the water. Stiving-Nichols and furniture maker Jeff Soderbergh collaborated on the design of the handsome reclaimed cypress dining table, one of several he crafted for the house.

The random sizes and shapes of the paving stones further the natural look of the landscaping.

“The kitchen was a labor of love,” says interior designer Liz Stiving-Nichols. The room’s wood ceiling links the space to the adjacent great room.

In the guest quarters, a custom-built table and vintage Klismos chairs upholstered with Stark leather cozy up to one of the Otis house’s original fireplaces.

The master bedroom sits in a quiet corner of the addition with views out to the backyard.

A midcentury sideboard forms a stylistic bridge between the living room with its contemporary furniture and the dining room with its traditional Windsor chairs.

The open kitchen features a Thermador Pro Series gas range and hood and granite countertops.

Reclaimed bullseye windows were used in the entry hall’s transoms.

An upstairs guest room in the original house sports bright primary colors.

The original house, which holds guest quarters, is connected to the barn-style addition by the Royal Barry Wills-inspired entrance hallway.

The dining area features a dining table from Restoration Hardware and Windsor chairs from D.R. Dimes.

A soaking tub nestles between shiplap walls in the master bath.

Beams from an eighteenth-century New Hampshire barn frame the view from the living room to the backyard.

The star of the terraced backyard is the swimming pool with its natural rock diving platform. J.P. Zigante Landscaping kept plantings simple with lavender and grasses that dance in the wind.

Winding steps of uneven rock lead from dock to house for a more nature-in-the-raw experience.

Modernist architect Olav Hammarstrom believed in getting close to nature, in this case a private kettle pond. In the recent update, architect Coty Sidnam’s glass rail on the deck of the main house makes “up close” even closer.

The rebuilt deck ends with an outdoor shower outside the master bedroom.

A guest bedroom sports a Flou Notturno bed and Danish modern night tables by Poul Volther.

In the family room, once an old fishing cabin, Sidnam reinforced the ceiling with tie rods and added clerestory windows to bring in light.

The breezeway entry was hard to find until landscape architect Keith LeBlanc regraded and opened up the parking court.

Iconic Arne Jacobsen chairs ring the dining table.

A guest bathroom continues the sleek lines and neutral palette of the house.

From the perspective of the seating area, the pool’s infinity edge disappears into the waters of the bay.

At the near end of the pool, two pieces of granite stacked atop each other form a naturalistic and appealing diving platform. On the opposite end sits the fireplace, with a dining area and bar conveniently located nearby. Just steps from the bar, the spa is delineated from the pool by a curved wall designed for sitting and soaking.

The color of the pool, carefully chosen to blend with the surrounding vegetation and the bay, is a source of delight.

On the water side, the fencing is glass, while white-painted pickets do the job on the driveway side.

A smaller, round table for informal dining is located at one end of the pool, near the seating area.

A path leads across the lawn to the parking area.

Wide porches, two balconies, and a roof walk allow open-air views of Nantucket Harbor to the north.

At one end of the infinity pool, a cabana features an enclosed bar area, bathroom, and changing room.

In the master bedroom, a tailored approach lends structure to the powder-blue easy chair, custom headboard, and bed skirt. French doors swing open for a view of the harbor.

The living room gets a nice punch of color from the oversized painting by Ben Georgia above the fireplace.

The red-cedar roof and white cedar shingle siding, traditional for the area, are allowed to weather naturally.

In the basement bunkroom, striped bedding and nautical details add up to a space made for grandchildren.

Adjacent to the kitchen, the family room is outfitted for comfort with an oversized sectional and a hefty leather ottoman large enough to rest an extended family of feet. Durable fabrics are key to keeping the beach house relaxed and user-friendly, says Morgan.

Chairs upholstered in a Jane Churchill print liven up the white milk-paint dining table from Circa Antiques.

Artworks roost atop and below a Crate & Barrel table on the upstairs landing. The handcrafted felt rug from Patterson Flynn Martin reminded designer Richard Hallberg of cross-sectioned tree branches. The window on the stairway was framed with half-timbering, to make the house look like an old home that had been restored.

A built-in banquette hugs the walls of the sunroom, which was designed to suggest a screened porch that had been enclosed.

Resting atop a base of bluestone and New England fieldstone, this Cape Cod residence draws from nineteenth-century traditions, but includes amenities such as a ground-floor gym that opens out onto a swimming pool. The balcony belongs to the owner’s bedroom—one of three master suites incorporated to accommodate the owner’s children and their future families.

The room’s other seating area is geared toward conversation and the view, with all-weather outdoor upholstery to withstand wet bathing suits and the owner’s Labrador retriever, Sam.

The limestone on the floor is repeated on the kitchen’s island and backsplash, where it contrasts with stainless steel cabinets.

A game table anchors the center of the great room, whose retractable doors encourage easy indoor/outdoor flow, while sectional sofas surround a TV concealed behind stainless steel panels.

Antique hand-adzed timbers crown the walls throughout the main floor, instilling a sense of history and a rustic counterpoint to the sleek limestone floors.

Designer Richard Hallberg used two tables in the dining room to accommodate large or small gatherings; the woven rope patio chairs can be used indoors or out.

The homeowner says everyone congregates in the kitchen or on the deck, whose expansive table easily accommodates twelve.

A Max Frintrop painting commands the kitchen’s seating area, which features a customized pair of Alvar Aalto Paimio chairs. The television over the sideboard was recessed into the wall and framed with Sheetrock for a seamless, built-in look. The Tao Gray Light limestone floors are from Exquisite Surfaces.

The compact powder room off the dining room features a custom triangular sink crafted from limestone.

The swimming pool culminates in an invisible edge that visually blends into Buzzards Bay.

A desk doubles as a headboard in one of the guest rooms. The angled walls recall the attics the owner played in as a child.

A Wetstyle tub in the master bath overlooks scrub-covered dunes and the bay beyond.

The deck railing follows the curve of the wetlands setback abutting the house; a second seating area at the rear capitalizes on its western exposure.

The designer chose two brass bedside lamps, but opted for different tables to throw off the symmetry; two stacked navy-blue trunks sit on one side, and a single trunk fabricated from stainless steel, wood, and leather on the other.

Designer Steven Favreau likes to mix and match. Here, he blends periods (birdcage chairs are a modern foil for an antique grandfather’s clock) and price points: “The room represents a range from $19 Ikea light fixtures to an $8,000 sofa,” he says, “and it all looks luscious.”

Higgins and her client laid out the garden like a parterre, with four flower beds surrounding a bird bath.

Kevin Baker Stonework is responsible for the hardscaping, including the stone terrace on the water side of the house, where the homeowners’ pup, Chewie, enjoys the view.

Original exterior details, such as the cornerstones, were replicated in the new parts of the house.