Sneak Peek: Light Show

By Maria LaPiana 

It’s fair to say that most of us never tire of gracious city homes, especially period brownstones; there’s something comforting in those old bones. And of course we’re fond of featuring Boston’s finest townhouses in the magazine. But now it’s time for something unexpected—and elegantly edgy. Prepare to be enlightened by a Back Bay beauty reinvented by Brad Walker of Ruhl Walker Architects and featured in our upcoming March–April issue. If you think the dark side to even the most stunning brownstone is its “long, front-to-back footprint that results in windowless middle rooms,” think again. Walker imagined light where there was none and made it happen by opening the apartment to the sky, with an atrium that soars three stories to a roof deck. Everything within reflects and responds to the defining light—every space, every surface, every stick of clean-lined contemporary furniture (and there are more than a few that will take your breath away). As much a technical wonder as it is drop-dead gorgeous, this home is a gem—and you won’t want to miss it. The March–April 2014 issue of New England Homewill be in the mail to subscribers at the end of February and hits newsstands on March 18.

Photos by Michael J. Lee.