MODERN TOWNHOUSE RENOVATION IN BOSTON’S BACK BAY: ATRIUM HOUSE
The owner of this property in Boston's Back Bay could clearly see the potential of a townhouse in the heart of the city — but the Victorian era interiors were dark, compartmented, and not conducive to the large social gatherings the owner often hosts. The solution: a wide-open first floor built around a central open stairwell, bringing light and openness to every level of the townhouse.
Upon entering, the front door opens unexpectedly into a sunlit space at the center of the structure. A three-story, tightly laid schist wall rises up to a new skylight, which bathes a built in banquette dining table on the first floor below. To either side, what used to be a series of dark, divided rooms is now uninterrupted space — from a gleaming new kitchen at the front to a warmly modern living room at the rear. One floor up, a transparent glass bridge spans the triple-height space, connecting two new bedroom suites and allowing light to penetrate down to the entry. 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 are a media room, 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, tactile materials and abundant natural light define this townhouse’s aesthetic throughout. Matte white lacquer cabinetry and a soft, reconstituted gray wood veneer complement the white Carrara marble kitchen island and stainless steel prep counters. Custom stained oak flooring and stainless steel and wood railings unite the common spaces of the apartment. 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 result is a house that is both soothing and uplifting: a modern retreat within a historic Back Bay shell.
Location | Boston, MA
Completion | 2013
Architecture and Interior Design | Ruhl Walker Architects (predecessor firm)
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 HOMES:
