Contemporary Slant in New England

At the end of a cul-de-sac in a Boston suburb stands the formal entrance to a recently revamped contemporary home. A freshly graveled four-court driveway and flawless, new gray-shingle exterior offers an inviting view to guests and passersby alike. But people were looking even before the renovation.

"We weren't even looking for a new house. We were just out for a walk on a Saturday," recalls the homeowner. A native of Brookline, a greater Boston community, he explains that he always liked the neighborhood and had his eye on this dead end road for some time. He and his wife went on frequent walks and one day walked up to the 40-year-old house in the cul-de-sac. As timing would have it, the then-owner was standing in the front yard and the couple learned that the house was being put up for sale, he says. The object of their eyes would soon be called home.

"We intended to paint it...not to renovate to the extent we did," says the homeowner. "It just kind of blossomed." The couple moved into the house in 1996, when it was a considerably smaller version of the current structure. What would begin with minor renovations became an all-encompassing redesign.

"They wanted to redo it to their tastes," says Adolfo Perez, a Newton, Massachusetts-based architect who redesigned the home. He explains that that the homeowners' styles were a combination of modern and cozy contemporary.

Structural changes were also necessary to better accommodate their lifestyle as an Orthodox Jewish family. The original kitchen was small, and they wanted space for separate working areas to keep foods kosher, says the homeowner. "The kitchen was made a little bigger to duplicate two separate kitchen areas: one meat and one dairy," he says. The family keeps separate pairs of appliances, including two ovens, two dishwashers, two refrigerators, and two sinks. Serving both the meat and dairy areas of the kitchen is a breakfast room. "It's a nice little area outside of the house," says the homeowner.

Other basic design requirements were to replace a multi-purpose room with individual rooms for each function — a den, play area, and dining room — to add a terrace on the back, and, last but not least, to build an indoor pool to entertain family and friends. "We like to entertain. The house had an outdoor pool that was down the hill and we always had to walk down to the pool, down a long flight of stairs. We wanted it closer," says the homeowner.

"We sat down [with Perez] for six months and planned the whole process beforehand." The couple chose to work with Perez after seeing a home he designed for a family friend. They liked the interiors and contacted him for ideas. The renovation did not begin until 1998 and lasted approximately two years.

"The whole house is completely redone — from A to Z," says the homeowner. Built on the original foundation, the new 12,000 square feet house has many amenities including a master suite, central play rooms, guest area, 24' ceiling recreation space with basketball court, roof terrace, and indoor steam shower and sauna.

The homeowners entrusted Perez with the tone of the house. Through fine detail, lighting combinations, and wood colors, he set the style for each room. The lighting fixtures include subtle recessed lighting and contemporary pendants in the living room and kitchen. In terms of materials, warm or dark stained woods are commonly seen in every room, while the all-new kitchen is comprosed of European steamed beech and dark brown granite countertops for a contemporary yet warm space. The living room has oak floors complemented by dark chair rails, wainscoting, and crown moldings. A photo gallery of display niches opposite the double patio doors adds detail to the space, while the accordion-style fireplace takes center stage.

"As in many fireplaces I've designed, they are meant to act as the main focus of the room and to bring together various details and materials evident elsewhere in the room," says Perez. Conceived of as a "big screen" or "folding room partition," it is constructed of white oak veneer stained dark to match the floor and trim. "The piece is meant to be experienced three-dimensionally," he explains. To accomplish this 3-D appearance, he says its sides contain glass shelves and storage, and the chimney box behind the mantel is articulated as a stone box behind a screen.

A favorite space is the den — a media room with five large screen TVs programmed to work independently. "It's the one room that's sort of [the husband's] room that's all about being able to watch four different channels," says Perez. It's a popular spot for following several sporting events at once or keeping track of an election, as the homeowner says he did during the 2000 race for presidency.

In addition to the surround sound and audio-video systems in the den, there is a complete lighting system throughout the house, says the homeowner. He and his family are Sabbath observers and computerized lighting was a key aspect of the design. "We don't turn the lights on Friday and Saturday night," he says. Designed by Audio Video Systems of Wellesley, Massachusetts, the lighting system turns the lights off every Friday evening and presets them to go on and off at the appropriate times and dimness over the course of the next day and night, he explains.

After an extensive renovation process, the couple that once walked along the dead-end street is now a young family of five living in a home they had not initially imagined. Their trek not only brought them to a beautiful, secluded hilltop in the metro area, it opened the door to a home for new memories and growth; a home for entertainment, convenience, and comfort that they can enjoy for years to come.

Credits

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Robyn Lorusso