Our focus with this elegant, two-story Commonwealth Avenue apartment was to maintain the general layout but increase the functionality and overhaul the design in the new owner’s style. We remained respectful of the historic integrity of the property while streamlining its function and uses. The entire project strives to balance preserved historic details with contemporary and functional elements, which is achieved with transitional items that physically and aesthetically bridge the two styles together.

The largest design intervention was the alignment of the first-floor hallway, which connects the living room, kitchen, and dining room. It was simplified with the removal of a raised level, and the axis of the hallway was straightened. These small changes had a vast impact on the flow of the entire first floor of the apartment. The sight-lines of the hallway unify the home and highlight the beautiful bay windows at the front and rear, framing their elegant views of the Back Bay. In addition, we incorporated subtle, custom storage throughout and updated the color palette with soothing blues and grays and elegant brass fixtures. The simplification of the hallway and the other contemporary design elements increase the functionality of the space while celebrating the historic details. On the second level, glass walls from Albed were used to divide the guest bedrooms while allowing light to move through them and into the hallway.