ATRIUM HOUSE - Modern Townhouse Renovation
Upon entering this modern townhouse renovation, the front door opens unexpectedly into a three-story stairwell with sunlight bathing the space from a large skylight above. A custom live-edge walnut dining table with sling-back leather chairs and lacquer banquette anchors the center of the space, with a gleaming kitchen and a warmly modern living room opening out to either side. Where there used to be partitions and dark Victorian era rooms, the space now flows uninterrupted from the front to the rear of the building. A wall of tightly laid gray schist tile similarly unites three floors of open stairwell. One floor up, a transparent glass bridge spans across the triple-height-space, connecting two bedroom suites, and allowing light to penetrate down to the entry level while providing unrestricted views across the apartment. Located at the core of the building, white Carrara tile and contrasting koto wood veneer make the ensuite bathrooms bright and inviting. At the top level, a home office, with a custom steel and wood desk, now opens onto a private reading terrace in a new dormer, and overlooks the entry from three floors above. Across the open space is a media room, a guest bathroom, and stairs to a renovated roof deck. The rooftop, with its stainless steel kitchenette, affords 360-degree views of the city, and an all-weather TV and infrared heater make the built-in naturally weathering cedar banquette the perfect place to relax with friends most of the year.
Warm and tactile materials and abundant natural light soften the apartment’s modern aesthetic. Matte white lacquer cabinetry and a soft reconstituted gray wood veneer complement the white Carrara kitchen island and stainless steel prep counters. Custom stained oak flooring and stainless steel and wood railings unite the common spaces of the apartment. The clean-lined furniture, with practical, but luxe fabrics allow more whimsical pieces – Naoto Fukasawa’s “Papilio” wing chairs with dressmaker zippered backs, and two Tom Everhart “Peanuts” lithographs – to stand out. The overall effect is both soothing and uplifting – a perfect respite at the end of a busy day in the city.
Location |Boston, MA
Completion | 2013
Architecture and Interior Design | Ruhl Walker Architects
General Contractor | The Holland Companies
Photography| Michael J. Lee Photography
AWARDS
Interior Architecture / Interior Design Award
Boston Society of Architects, 2015
Grand Award, Architectural Interiors
Builder’s Choice & Custom Home
Design Awards 2014
Small Firms Design Award
Boston Society of Architects, 2014
PRESS
Custom Home Magazine
Fall 2014
The Atrium House, Boston
New England Home Magazine
March-April 2014
The Light Within
FEATURED RENOVATION PROJECTS:
