Design Diary: Leather District Loft by Michael Ferzoco

Michael Ferzoco of Eleven Interiors has made a bit of a specialty sprucing up living spaces for single men. That’s not to say he doesn’t deal in couple, families, and women—he does—but recently I’ve written about a couple of so-called bachelor pads” that he’s designed.

This one, which appeared as “All That Glitters” in Boston Home (photography by Michael J. Lee) is owned by a doctor who moved to Boston from Richmond, Virginia, where he lived in a four-level Italianate row house. When he relocated, he decided to seriously downsize, purchasing a 994-square-foot loft in Boston’s Leather District for him and his two large dogs. He now lives there with one mix breed beagle named Daisy.

After living there 13 years, he consulted interior designer Michael Ferzoco about upgrading his furnishings and re-imagining his kitchen. While he still loved the “gritty” feel of the neighborhood, he wanted a more luxurious living experience once he stepped inside. He says, “I wanted a place that felt like a very comfortable—but chic—hotel suite.” Ferzoco infused grandeur into the small space.

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Ferzoco left the four large windows bare, so the space is bright all day. He helped the homeowner “vigilantly edit” his belongings. They kept the pair of mid-century modern leather-and-wood armchairs that the homeowner purchased at a yard sale in Texas. They also kept the large mirrored Scandinavian armoire from the 1800s, which the homeowner had purchased from close friends. Ferzoco steered him to replace his sofa with two new Minoti “Hamilton” sofas from The Morson Collection in Boston, which the homeowner had been admiring for a while.

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The mirrored console from Horchow pre-dates Ferzoco. The homeowner purchased years ago in what he calls “a two martini moment,” on the advice of a friend. He couldn’t believe how large it was when it showed up. It definitely adds a spot of glam.

Suspended track lighting by Bruch highlights artwork by local artist Sand T. Kalloch. Ferzoco says, “I’m not into recessed lighting; it makes the ceiling look like Swiss cheese.”

The homeowner says, “I  lean toward clean lines, but I also have an affinity for older things with classicism,” so they kept the clawfoot Baker dining table and chairs, which he purchased after finishing his residency. The chairs are upholstered in gray gabardine.

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The emerald green and gold Bisazza mosaic tile backsplash goes all the way up to the ceiling. Chilmark Architectural Millwork made the glossy white lacquer cabinetry. The countertops are Caesarstone in Arctic White. The LEM Piston stools are from DWR.

The homeowner found the mid-century Austrian J.T. Kalmar chandelier, made from thick panels of textural crystal, in a consignment shop in Germany on a side trip from Russia.

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The homeowner already had the chartreuse Emma Gardner rug. The marble-topped Minotti cocktail table was purchased along with the Minotti sofas from The Morson Collection when they went on sale. The mobile-like  “Crescendo Chandelier” by Tech Lighting suffuses light across the room.

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The glass brick wall behind the sofa is pre-existing, dividing the entry from the living space. Contemporary artwork makes for a fun backdrop for the bottles.

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The homeowner purchased the cowhide when he lived in Texas. He bought the “L’Instant Tattinger” print on eBay. The wavy maple screen is by Knoll.

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The framed red silk tapestry from the early 1900s is a family heirloom.

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Master bathroom.

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The homeowner had the leather tiles in oxblood from Ann Sacks installed shortly after purchasing the loft, to give the place some character. He says, “I figured the room has no light anyway, so why not embrace the dark richness?”

Photography by Michael J. Lee

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Design Diary: Color Theory Brings a Suburban House to Life

Boston-based interior designers Brad Dufton and Kendra Amin-Dufton, the husband and wife duo behind Color Theory (of Apartment Therapy Small Cool fame in 2009), recently finished a top-to-bottom project on a house in Winchester, which I wrote about for the Boston Globe Magazine. The story, “Against the Gray,” details the process of and relationship between the designers and clients on their journey in creating a color-filled home. Note that Color Theory did it entirely from retail sources, so if you’re interested, re-creating the look is within easy reach.

Living Room Designed By Color Theory

 Photo by Michael J. Lee

Funnily enough, although the clients wanted color, Brad went with gray paint throughout the house. It makes a great backdrop for the saturated furnishings. Above, in the formal living room, he used a relatively dark shade, Benjamin Moore “Rock Gray.”  Brad says, “Formal spaces benefit from darker colors; it decompresses your energy, makes you want to stay longer for conversation.” This is one of three rooms in the house that he tags as moody.

Indian rug from Mohr & McPherson in Boston;  “Fillmore” sofa from Thrive; barley twist chairs from Zimman’s near Boston, upholstered in “Prospect” ikat by Thom Filicia for Kravet; starburst mirror from Zimman’s; coffee table from Horchow.

Farmily Room Designed By Color Theory

The family room, above and below, is huge. The walls are a lighter gray, Benjamin Moore “Wales Gray.” (By the way, Brad started out as a professional painter; he swears by and only uses Benjamin Moore, preferring its Regal Select line with a matte finish.) They used a three-dimensional, dried black lava stone tile for the fireplace surround. He calls the handmade, Brazilian chevron cowhide rug, from PureRugs, a “god-like” material, saying, “Everything and anything washes out of it.” Chairs from Circle Furniture; trio of acrylic tables from Wayfair.

Farmily Room Designed By Color Theory

A 14-foot-long Flexform sofa from Showroom in Boston dominates the main portion of the family room. Thomas H. Little Upholstery in Southboro, MA crafted the round ottomans and throw pillows. As for the juju hat installation, the client, who is from Congo, had the orange one. Brad and Kendra asked her to bring back “as many as she could carry” went she went to Africa to visit her mom. They admit they had no idea what they’d do with them all, but in a fit of inspiration, they clustered them on the wall

Sunroom Designed By Color Theory

Photo by Michael J. Lee

The sunroom boasts an amazing collection of indoor/outdoor pieces by Paolo Lenti from Montage in Boston. The sofa is actually three individual chairs that can be moved around (or dragged out to the deck). They originally purchased the ensemble for the basement playroom, but in an Aha! moment, Kendra realized they’d be perfect for the sunroom. The indoor/outdoor rug was a steal for $150 at RugsUSA, a welcome addition after the splurge on furniture. Continuing the high/low mix, there’s also a “Martini” side table from West Elm and a trio of cage pendants from CB2.

Lighting Designed by Color Theory

In the stairwell, nine brass and stainless steel pendants with rope cords and Thomas Edison filament bulbs by Lunabella, purchased at Zimman’s. We hear the electrician was none too pleased to have to hang them all.

Lighting Designed by Color Theory

Bedroom Designed by Color Theory
Photo by Michael J. Lee

The master bedroom is done in a glamorous scheme of black and magenta, with Benjamin Moore “Rock Gray” on the walls. The bed, which the clients first saw in an apartment they rented in Paris, is B&B Italia by Max Aalto, purchased from  Montage in Boston. It’s black-stained wood, with a gray tweed upholstered headboard and platform. The ottoman is West Elm and the ikat rug from Wayfair.  The Horchow fainting chaise came in gray velvet, but Brad and Kendra had it reupholstered in a magenta fabric by Iman for Kravet that they’d had their eyes on for years.

Boudoir Designed By Color Theory
 Photo by Michael J. Lee

The client was hot for a vanity. Brad and Kendra couldn’t find one they loved, so they pieced together its components using the Jonathan Adler “Channing” console, an inexpensive acrylic chair, curvy “Cattaneo” mirror from Horchow, and chrome sconces with black shades from Lamps Plus. I love the Senegalese storage basket from Serena & Lily, presumably used as a hamper.

Bathroom Designed By Color Theory

The master bath is done with a 3D tile on the floor, inspired by Manhattan bathrooms of the 1920s, and staggered oversize marble tiles on the wall. The egg-shaped tub was a splurge, and caused a bit of a ruckus with the plumber, but they finally got it right.

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 Photo by Michael J. Lee

The client, pictured here, is expecting a baby. Luckily, they were able to use all the pieces from her now two-year-old’s nursery from their prior home to create a new gender-neutral nursery. The walls are a grayish blue, Benjamin Moore “Sterling.”  The chartreuse lacquer dresser is the “Latitude” from CB2, the sleeper sofa from Room & Board, and the crib is Stokke. The stuffed animals are from Africa and the animal photographs purchased online from The Animal Print Shop, finished in frames by Room & Board. The chevron rug was created from FLOR carpet tiles. The cuckoo clocks over the crib were Brad & Kendra’s (you may recognize them from their living room), purchased a while back for 99 cents each at Urban Outfitters.

Guest Room Designed By Color Theory

The guest room, above and below, is done in the punchy black and white “Feather Fan” wallpaper by Cole & Son. “Wood Tiled” whitewashed dresser from West Elm; assorted carpet tiles by FLOR.

Guest Room Designed By Color Theory

“Window” headboard from West Elm and “English Garden” comforter set from Target.

Color Theory Girls Bedroom Boho

Finally, the daughter’s bedroom is done with a hippie chic, boho bibe, in a slight departure from the rest of the house. Brad says, “I want her to feel like she is carried to a far away land when she steps in.”

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Shop Serena & Lily for beautiful kids’ rooms. 

Serena & Lily Girls Bedrooms

Shop stylish sofas at Dwell Studio

Get the Look: Crystal Ball Chandeliers

Following up on yesterday’s Montage: 20 Rooms with Crystal Ball Chandeliers, and simultaneously pushing my own living room light fixture quest forward, I scrounged around for crystal ball chandeliers and floral sputnik styles. While these all aren’t exactly uniform in style, I resisted the urge to include other types of globe-shaped pendants, like the pierced Oly pieces, or spikey corals, or capiz shell creations, or globules of hand blown glass, in the effort to (mostly) approximate a globe shape in crystal (or at least crystal detail).

The vintage Italian versions from 1st dibs (#11 and #21) are what I’d love to hang. #1, which is a contemporary version, is great looking too, though minus the patina. I discovered that Juliska makes light fixtures (who knew?) and I’m kinda smitten with the Serena & Lily (#5) in concept, though it skews too Moroccan for my own home. Check out #8; it’s quite beautiful, and interesting (and I wouldn’t have expected to find it at a department store). #7 is a popular pendant that gets the look across without being frouffy, and #15 is a bit more feminine, petite, and very inexpensive. Anyway, enough of my musing, have a look yourself and let me know your thoughts.

 

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S H O P P I N G

1 Remy Sixteen Light Pendant by Cyan Design, $2,730 at Zinc Door.

2 Crystal Ball Pendant, now $1,495 at Neiman Marcus.

3 Maxim Arabesque Golden Silver Pendant, $990.91 at Lamps Plus.

4 Juliska Florence Large Globe Pendant, $650 at Bloomingdale’s.

5 Marmont Pendant.,$275 at Serena & Lily.

6 James R Moder Tekno Mini Sun Sphere, $913.68 at Decor Designs Unlimited.

7 Maxim Lighting Glimmer Chandelier, $698 at Lumens.

8 Waterford Persia Pendant, $18,000 at Bloomingdale’s.

9 Dar Geneva 15-Light Gold Pendant, £599.50 at Mail Order Lighting.

10 1920s Crystal Ball Floral Chandelier, $4,300 at Gallipoli, 1st Dibs.

11 1950s Crystal Ball Chandelier by Lobmeyr, $18,600 at Brady’s, 1st Dibs.

12 Tresor Pendant by Terzani, $10,500 at Lumens.

13 14.1 Suspension Lamp by Omer Arbel for Bocci, $350 at Switch Modern.

14 Worlds Away Knox Antique Mirror Large Pendant, $613 at Zinc Door.

15 WAC Roxy Chrome+ Crystal Pendant, $288.91 at Lamps Plus.

16 Ortenzia Pendant Light, $2,191.50 at Ylighting.

17 Currey & Company Crystal Bud Sphere, $986 at Layla Grace.

18 Fascination 3-Light Halogen Chandelier, $299 at Ylighting.

19 Caboche Piccola Chandelier by Patricia Urquiola, $1,078 at Ylighting.

20 Bloom by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell, $380 at Switch Modern

21 Chrome & Glass Ball Chandelier, $2,500 at Assemblage, 1st Dibs.

22 Plastic Floral Sputnik, $3,100 at Coolhouse, 1st Dibs.

23 ET2 Brilliant 1-Light Pendant, $170 at Macy’s.

24 Antiqued Silver-Leaf Chandelier, $1,500 at Horchow.

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For kick-ass contemporary glass fixtures,
check out Switch Modern.

Scheming: Meredith and Daniel’s Master Bedroom

If you read my blog post about gray sofas earlier this month, then you know I have sashayed into the realm of decorator. To recap: A friend asked me to decorate her new four bedroom apartment in New York City. There’s no construction, kitchens or baths involved; it’s the paint and wallpaper, furniture, rugs, lighting, and accessories. There are a few pieces making the move that I’ll need to integrate, and the toddler’s room is pretty much set, leaving the master bedroom, nursery, guest bedroom/office, playroom, living room, and dining room.

The master bedroom seemed like the easiest place to start. Meredith is really drawn to this bedroom, particularly the jade color, designed by New York City designer Fawn Galli.

Designed by Fawn Galli

I’m a huge fan of Fawn’s work. In this room, I  love the dramatic green headboard and wallpaper with surreal  tree forms. However, the bedroom that really spoke to me for this project was the one I wrote about for TradHome, by San Francisco designer (of whom I am equally enamored), Palmer Weiss.

Designed by Palmer Weiss

Some of the differences between the two rooms reflect how my tastes and Meredith’s can differ. She tends to favor curvier, more feminine styles, while I really like more spare, hard-edged lines. Luckily, blue and green are both of our go-to colors.

She knew she wanted an upholstered headboard. After sifting through styles and swatches from Jonathan Adler, Dwell Studio, Serena & Lily, West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Ballard,  Williams-Sonoma, Oly, Cisco, Vanguard, and Lee Industries, we chose the Serena & Lily Pondicherry trimmed with nickel nailheads. We haven’t confirmed an exact fabric yet, but it will be white.

For wallpaper on the bed wall, we ordered samples from Walnut Wallpaper, Graham & Brown, Burke Decor,and indie designers’ sites. I didn’t find a jade green—most were sea foam or pale sky blue. She liked several, and we narrowed it to two choices: Grow House Grow! ‘Mme. Jeanne’ and the new Timorous Beasties ‘Butterflies,’ which we have yet to see IRL (in real life).

Master bedroom floor plan

Which decorating scheme do you prefer?  
Feel free to leave feedback. Remember, I’m new at this.

Scheme #1

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Scheme #2

S H O P P I N G

Scheme #1
Wallpaper:
Grow House Grow! Mme. Jeanne, Grow House Grow!

Bed:
Serena & Lily Pondicherry Bed with Nailheads, Serena & Lily.

Nightstands:
Malibu Loft by Somerset Bay Concave Side Chest, Zinc Door.
Bungalow 5 Jacqui Side Table, Clayton Gray Home.
Jonathan Adler Preston Side Table, Jonathan Adler.

Rugs:
Suzanne Kasler Oria Flower rug,  Safavieh.
Jill Rosenwald ‘Fallon’ flat weave wool rug,  Hayneedle.
Surya Spectrum wool rug, RugStudio.
Suzanne Kasler Athene wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Martha Stewart Ikat Marsh wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Frontier Moroccan flat weave wool rug, Zinc Door.
Bowron vintage shearling rug, Burke Decor.

Chandeliers:
Arteriors Caviar Staggered Pendant, Candelabra.
Calais Glass Chandelier in Aquamarine,  Z Gallerie.

Dressers:
World’s Away Studly Lacquer Dresser, The Well Appointed House.
Jonathan Adler Channing 6-Drawer Dresser, Jonathan Adler.

Scheme #2
Wallpaper:
Timorous Beasties Butterflies,  Timorous Beasties.

Bed:
Serena & Lily Pondicherry Bed with Nailheads, Serena & Lily.

Nightstands:
Bungalow 5  Jacqui Side Table, Clayton Gray Home.
Malibu Loft by Somerset Bay Concave Side Chest, Zinc Door.

Rugs:
David Easton Paro Grid wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Shabati Paxi wool & acrylic rug, Zinc Door.
Surya Spectrum ivory rug, Hayneedle.
Thomas O’Brien Deco Garden wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Surya Thom Filicia Griffith Park wool & viscose rug, Buy.com.

Chandeliers:
(Existing) Five-Light Coral Branch Chandelier, Ballard Designs.
Arteriors Caviar Chandelier, The Well Appointed House.

Dressers:
Bennett Lowboy Dresser, Zinc Door.
Malibu Loft by Somerset Bay 12-Drawer Dresser, Zinc Door.
Vanguard Mirrored Chest, Horchow.