An elegantly designed 1860s brownstone in the heart of Beacon Hill, an historic neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, has been completely remodeled by interior designers Terrat Elms. The clients have a home in the suburbs, but their busy work lifestyles required that they have a pied-à-terre in the city. They originally purchased one in a high-rise building called the Clarendon, a beautiful modern home with spectacular city views. Then a lifestyle changed happened, their children went off to college, and one of the homeowners took a sabbatical from work, leaving her with a little more free time.

Suddenly, she desired something with more personality and character, a fourth floor home in a brownstone with trees and people out exercising, it felt more like a neighborhood. A lot of the original details were preserved, such as the crown molding, window casing and the Nero Portoro marble fireplace. The interior design scheme of this Beacon Hill home was centered around the beautiful fireplace, accenting it with furnishings so that the focus would not be taken away from it. The open bookshelf, fabrics and decor pick up the gold hue from the veining in the black marble. Gold seems to be the accent color, however several shades of gray helps to unify the rooms traditional and modern elements.

In the couple’s suburban house, the design scheme features a more traditional styling with antique furnishings and classical art. So for their pied-à-terre, they were looking to display their growing art collection of more modern paintings that they have pick up from Boston galleries.

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What We Love: A layering of textures and materials helps to blend traditional and modern design to create an elegant and sophisticated pied-à-terre perfect for entertaining in the city. The fluid layout helps to draw people to the stunning views offered through the bay windows. The neutral color scheme provides a nice backdrop to the modern artworks, adding bursts of color throughout.

Readers, what are your thoughts on this Beacon Hill pied-à-terre, do you think the designers fulfilled their task of creating a luxurious yet livable home?

A generous bay window overlooking the Boston Common was an area the designer wanted to draw everyone to. Even though there was already a dining table, the built-in banquette is a less formal space to sit and entertain company while soaking in the views. A sculptural chandelier hangs above it, illuminating the space with ambient light.

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Design Challenge: The designers came across a dilemma when wallpapering the light soffit above the credenza. They could not continue the wallpaper over the sharp corners, so instead of painting the area with a solid hue, they opted for a Venetian plaster which blends in quite well.

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Photos: Courtesy of Terrat Elms Interior Design