Wonders of Wood

Top designers and builders embrace the beauty and warmth of this prized material - inside and out! 

In the rec room...
For a harborside oasis in Marblehead, Groom Construction Co., Inc. layered an entertainment center in quartersawn white oak. The material is blong and beautiful within the contemporary cabinetry, shelving and built-ins and in the arched slotted designof a dramatic barrel ceiling. The latter was chosen for its effective acoustics - one end of the sapce is dedicated to a state-of-the-art home theater. Builder: Groom Construction Co., Inc.; design: Grazadao Velleco Architects; interior design; Jean Verbridge, S+V Design


In the courtyard… 
Landscape architect Matthew Cunningham gave western red cedar a central role in the striking courtyard of a row house in Beacon Hill built in the 1890s. The small setting is a study in materials, as bands of bluestone and red brick mingle with the organic beauty of a custom wood shed and illuminated alcove that lines the entirety of the garden on one side. Landscape design: Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design; landscape construction Michael Coffin Landscape Construction; Paradis Metal Works 


In the bath… 
Reclaimed beams and salvaged floorboards give a Provincetown bathroom by Bannon Custom Builders a rustic sophistication. During the construction of a major renovation, every last beam was saved, numbered and integrated when possible in the redesign. Wood is an unlikely choice in the bathroom, but distinctive alongside marble, brass accents, and distressed white subway tile with dark grout that affords a brick-like effect and a historic yet somehow timely flair. Builder: Bannon Custom Builders; architecture: Hammer Architects; cabinetry by Sharp Woodworking


In the pantry… 
This 2 1/4–inch thick walnut countertop gives a nautical flair to a butler’s pantry crafted by Longfellow Design Build of Cape Cod. The firm is known for its high-quality built-ins and cabinetry—an arm of their firm is devoted to it—crafted from choice, furniture-grade woods and veneers. In this treatment, they’ve embedded drainage channels within the polished wood, allowing liquids to spill directly into a single basin apron-front sink. The piece is finished with a lifetime, no-maintenance marine oil finish similar to that used on fine yachts.  Designed and built by Longfellow Design Build 

Top photo: 
Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design; landscape construction Michael Coffin Landscape Construction; Paradis Metal Works