A Bold Reinvention of Classic Style

In the heart of a classic Boston neighborhood, Carter & Company Interior Design brought their signature style to life by blending their renowned design sensibilities with a dynamic young couple’s adventurous spirit. The result is a harmonious fusion of classic Georgian architecture and modern design in a newly renovated home.

The client’s creativity and bold vision were pivotal to the design process. “She has a very confident and wonderfully adventurous aesthetic,” says Michael Carter, Owner of Carter & Co, who collaborated with project manager Justine Cassata. “Sometimes the client would follow our lead, and other times we would follow hers.” This dynamic partnership became the foundation for the project’s success.

Under the guidance of architect Frank McGuire, the house underwent a complete reorientation, with contractor Payne Bouchier meticulously crafting custom moldings and millwork. Key structural changes included transforming the library into a sophisticated dining room and reimagining the family room to enhance its functionality.

A formerly utilitarian passage now connects the garage to the main house, and was reinvented as a multifunctional masterpiece. “It is much more than just a mudroom now,” Carter emphasizes. The space boasts a repurposed fireplace, a vaulted wooden ceiling, and stone flooring that blurs the boundary between indoors and outdoors. Sliding doors open into a lush garden, where mature plantings, fieldstone walls, and rhododendrons create a serene retreat.

The dining room, once a library, retains traces of its original character while embracing modern artistry. Bookcases were reimagined as an artful centerpiece featuring a gold plate installation enclosed by custom doors. Luxurious de Gournay wallpaper, Asian-inspired window treatments, and jewel tones complement a Dennis & Lean crystal chandelier and a dining table handcrafted by artisan Keith Fritz.

Throughout the home, classical architectural details coexist effortlessly with modern furnishings and contemporary art. “The interplay of contemporary design with classical influence is stunning,” he adds.

A cohesive color palette of jewel tones, peaches, corals, silvery blues, and champagnes flows seamlessly through each space, enriched by strategic layering of textures, fabrics, and fixtures. “The client joined us for a major shopping trip in New York City,” Carter recalls. “Her enthusiasm when she finds something she loves is seismic—it’s one of the reasons this project came together so beautifully.”

Even the more relaxed spaces, such as the family room, breakfast nook designed by Frank McGuire, and primary suite, feature thoughtful, creative touches. A rounded bay window in the breakfast nook creates an airy, atrium-like space overlooking a garden fountain, with a celestial-inspired light fixture above to echo the orbital theme. The primary suite, completed later in the timeline, is crowned with brass accents that highlight an onyx fireplace surround and a limestone mantle.

From start to finish, this home radiates the perfect balance of classic elegance and modern artistry, forming a space as vibrant and dynamic as the couple who now calls it home.

Photography: Warren Patterson