Blog
Posted May 15 at 7:40 PM in by Sandy Giardi
Shagreen, a term that typically refers to the skin of a stingray or shark, isn’t new. The exotic leather has long been prized, and may even date back to the time of the pharaohs and the Chinese Han dynasty, and appeared during the Middle Ages on the sword hilts and armor of Japanese samurai.
Europe started importing objects with a shagreen sheath in the mid-1700s, when a Parisian tanner—...
Posted May 14 at 1:31 PM in by Sandy Giardi
We recently asked a group of New England architects and builders what they would suggest for a quick beautification project to their home’s exterior. Their tip? A resounding, “add shutters.”
Shutters can animate, polish and maximize a home’s curb appeal, impacting the home in a positive way—in very short time.
We looked to New England Shutter Mills to see firsthand the kind of impact shutters...
Posted May 10 at 8:57 PM in by Sandy Giardi
Adorable spaces for the baby, tot and tween. Because you’d give them the world (and the sun, moon and stars) if you could….
The North End nursery above, built by S+H Construction, is chock full of spirit and character. Its many architectural merits (bricked walls, oversized windows and casings) are played up by the room’s lively color palette. The homeowner did the interior design (thanks, Mom...
Posted May 9 at 1:37 PM in by Anonymous
The American Cancer Society’s Annual Key Gala, held last Thursday, May 3rd, is an event close to my heart. I remember standing alongside the late Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Joyce Kulhawik when they raised the first beam of Boston’s Hope Lodge (designed by CBT Architects) in 2008, and chairing the very first Key Gala that launched the construction mobilization a few years prior to that.
Today, the...
Posted May 8 at 4:15 PM in by Sandy Giardi
High-gloss surfaces, deep navy blues, starched whites, colorful flags. We can almost taste the Veuve Clicquot. We spotlight high-end living spaces that cast a maritime tone—in architecture, finishes and accents or all of the above.
Kotzen Interiors
Kotzen Interiors' handsome sitting area in Chatham, designed by principal Barbara Kotzen, has us yearning to breathe in salt air. Shiplap (what else...
Posted May 7 at 4:15 PM in by Sandy Giardi
Principal Doreve Nicholaeff of Nicholaeff Architecture + Design worked makeover magic when she transformed a humble Cape Cod ranch-style home into a glorious Osterville gem.
It’s hard to imagine that this is the same house, but it is indeed—and then some. Nicholaeff gave it a full renovation and addition, and more than a little vision and architectural flair. She took a home that was firmly in...
Posted May 3 at 2:44 PM in by Sandy Giardi
Country grandeur. Rolling, grassy paddocks. Raw power and beauty. Utility and grace. A beautiful farm property can move you with its natural majesty, transporting you to another time and place. Here follows a gallery of equine-minded homes and stables that are, in our minds, thoroughbreds.
Forest Edge
Architecture: Shope Reno Wharton; landscape architecture: LeBlanc Jones Landscape Architects;...
Posted May 1 at 10:27 PM in by Sandy Giardi
We’ve patiently awaited our time in the sun and now that it’s arrived we know just where we’re headed—outside! Temps are soaring and so are our spirits. So pull up a chair, sofa or chaise and meet us on any one of these resplendent patios by Boston area landscape professionals.
Dana Schock and Associates’ award-winning—and magical!—terrace. It has intimacy despite the breadth of its outdoor...
Posted Apr 30 at 11:03 AM in by Sandy Giardi
Murky and unenticing, this outdoor pool and spa was in dire need of an overhaul—its plaster and coping had deteriorated badly over the course of 20 years. South Shore Gunite Pools & Spas Inc. (SSG), which has built high quality pools throughout the New England area for over 40 years, was happy to give it the attention and help it required.
The team checked and updated the pool’s filtration...
Posted Apr 27 at 1:21 PM in by Sandy Giardi
Make haste to Plymouth! Dillon & Company, the purveyor of European Antiques & Interiors, is currently holding a Sample Sale, which means shoppers can score beautiful pieces for their interiors at a fraction of the price.
Owner Gillian Dillon has just returned to Massachusetts after making her seasonal pilgrimage to the North Carolina international furniture shows, which means that the...
