Brookline Home

Location:
Brookline, MA

A legacy client with two young children was transitioning from their main residence in Boston’s Ritz-Carlton—an earlier project they had engaged Elms to design—to a 7,800-square-foot home in Brookline. The client wanted to repurpose their furniture from three households, which required creative editing. The Brookline house, dated to the mid-1800s, had its challenges. An original steel-and-glass conservatory was in poor shape and was completely rebuilt. The previous owners had installed ornate fireplaces out of scale with room proportions. Some spaces, like the formal entry hall, were paved in marble, which made them feel cold and sterile. Because of its size and history, the house would need layering to create a more comfortable contemporary style better suited to a modern family.

In the marble foyer, Elms wrapped the space in a moody custom wallcovering hand-painted on charcoal paper. Art consultants helped the clients select high-impact art, such as a James Nares brushstroke painting and a Damien Hirst butterfly which hangs above the fireplace, which was redesigned to feel contemporary. The living room incorporates art pieces from the Ritz-Carlton apartment and upholstered furnishings in soothing grays and ivory. For a bit of sparkle, Elms added grasscloth wallcoverings and satin-patterned drapes. The dining room furniture, original to the house, got a textural lift with new upholstery, complemented by original artwork on the surrounding walls.

Elms infused the rooms throughout the home with new textures and artistic touches, giving the traditional kitchen more vibrancy and the powder room a high-glam makeover. The renovated conservatory is now a comfortably modern sunroom with rustic tumbled stone floors and woven lounge furniture. The final effect reflects the combined vision of the designer and the owner, an art-inspired collaboration.