Tour a Transformed Back Bay Brownstone

Interior designer Paula Daher found the four-foot-tall concrete sculptures that rest under the stairwell in Paris on a buying trip for her Maine boutique, Mélange Home Shop. “When the wife saw me post a photo of them on Instagram, she drove up on opening day just to purchase them,” says Daher.

Scalamandré wallpaper behind artwork by Jackie Moore Watson inspired the library’s teal wall color.

The living room’s detailed ceiling launched the home’s European-flavored design.

Near the living room’s conversation alcove, Daher topped an Italian commode with an antique lamp that belonged to the homeowner’s grandmother. The artwork is by Vickie Marsango.

An antique potting table from France serves as the vanity in a powder room tucked under the building’s stairwell.

n the kitchen, with its dramatic barrel-vaulted ceiling, Blue Caravaggio marble tops a cerused-walnut island and the nearby counter and backsplash.

The family’s dog loves to lounge on the the kitchen’s banquette, upholstered in a nubby olive green fabric. Overgaard & Dyrman chairs offer additional seating.

The chairs in the formal dining room are wrapped top to bottom in Romo fabric, while dual niches flanking the fireplace contain dry bars crafted from the same Calacatta Viola marble as the fireplace surround.

The dining room’s wine cave holds 750 bottles.

Absolute Glass disassembled stained glass original to the home and turned it into a statement piece on the second-floor landing; the artwork is by Vickie Marsango

The headboard in a guest room is eight feet tall.

In the new primary suite, Daher repurposed a sofa from the homeowner’s former living room, reupholstering it and adding fringe to the bottom. The artwork above the fireplace is by Cate West Zahl.

A closet in the primary suite showcases antique doors from France.

The primary bedroom’s empire chandelier is original to the home.

New Ravenna tile in the inset behind the primary bath adds an artistic element to the room.

Collaboration was key to a Back Bay Brownstone Renovation

It all ended with a massive party, but the guests weren’t just friends and family. They were also designers and builders—the collaborators who turned a quirky, dated Back Bay brownstone into an elegant contemporary home. The soiree acted like an exclamation point, a snapshot of how these particular homeowners move through life, says interior designer Paula Daher: “They are charismatic, happy, positive patrons of the arts.”

And it truly did take a village to gut the apartment and turn it into a colorful home that welcomes friends for Sunday afternoon football and kids for holiday gift exchanges. But even before the village was assembled—and well before the champagne was poured—it started with one very special living room ceiling.

David O’Malley and David Schwartz of BSA Construction, along with the architects at Payne | Collins Design, were already in the process of renovating the extra-wide (fifty feet!) brownstone when a couple and their realtor approached them about purchasing it. Before signing on the dotted line, the couple began auditioning interior designers, and when Daher arrived for her interview, the wedding cake ceiling in the living room took her breath away.“I told them, ‘Whether you hire me or not, don’t let anyone remove this ceiling,’ ” remembers Daher, who has offices in Boston and Maine. “It had these Haussmann-like details that just made me think of Paris.”

Custom Details Elevate the Design

That keen observation sealed the deal, and Daher got the job. Aside from the ceiling, the owners elected to keep most of the original fireplaces in the 1887-built home and insisted on repurposing its stained glass (more on that later), but a free-flowing staircase replaced the original suburban-esque design, and the home was given a luxe primary suite on the second floor. The team devised a dramatic barrel-vaulted ceiling in the kitchen, and Daher added a crescent-shaped banquette niche in the same space. “The wife only wanted curves in the house—no ninety-degree angles,” says Daher. “You’ll see that everywhere from the staircase to the wine cave in the dining room to the rounded corners on the range hood.”

Not surprisingly, challenges appeared around every curved corner. The team had to get creative with the new ductwork, and it took a small army to relocate 400-pound solid-mahogany pocket doors from the living room to the dining room, says O’Malley. “There were one hundred decisions we had to make for each room,” he explains, “but ultimately it made the project that much more rewarding.”

Hidden Features and a Party to Celebrate the Final Reveal

The high-gloss teal library is especially rife with details, and its built-ins contain all kinds of secrets. To the left of the fireplace, a TV rises on demand from a concealed opening in what reads as base cabinetry. To the right, says Daher’s son and business partner, Clayton, the bookcases slide to reveal a computer desk.

As for the aforementioned stained glass, the Dahers searched high and low for someone who could repurpose it in an unexpected way. They found a craftsman in Methuen, Massachusetts, who took the panels apart and integrated LED backlighting. The resulting art piece now takes center stage in a recess on the upstairs landing.

But back to that party. It was intended to thank the team for their creativity and gumption. “It really was a very special project in that everyone involved, from the builder to the artisans to the homeowners, was willing to go along with some crazy ideas,” says Daher. “It was such a treat to return and see the final outcome. It was a night to remember.”

Project Team
Architecture: Payne | Collins Design
Interior design: Daher Interior Design
Builder: BSA Construction