As we get into the warmer months (and by warmer here in Massachusetts I guess I mean above 50?), I am acutely more attuned to spaces that can blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. This is one of the hallmarks of design in California, which is ironic because in San Francisco (where we lived for many years), the temperatures plummet at night and you end up shivering in a cozy Patagonia jacket in your outdoor space. But I digress. Here in New England we may need screens but the warmer evenings and late sunsets mean that we cherish and savor every moment.
For new subscribers, in this weekly newsletter I share my top picks for the week - trends or particularly noteworthy design. Each week I share an interior, a real estate listing and a style item that I think are special. I hope you'll let me know what you think!
1] Handpicked: INTERIOR
Walker Warner Architects is based in San Francisco and I love their indoor/outdoor transitions. Many of their ideas translate beautifully to the east coast: oversized doors and windows, exposed trusses and nickel gap planks (translation: smoother shiplap) are all elements I love to use in my work.
Gorgeous, no? Which are your favorites? I particularly love some of the homes in Hawaii which frame and integrate into the natural landscape seamlessly.
2) Handpicked: REAL ESTATE
This week I want to talk about worker's cottages in Cambridge. In the mid to late 1800s, Cambridge witnessed the industrial revolution and was home to many factories, including the New England Glass Company, which produced both pressed and blown glass and the Valentine Soap Company, which used the byproducts of the local slaughterhouse industry (tallow) to make soap. East Cambridge witnessed an explosion of working-class immigrants who needed affordable housing, and the area boomed with new single and two-family houses, densely packed together. There are many charming worker’s cottages that come up for sale now, and they’re valuable since they’re reasonably affordable (for the city), are single family homes and are in an area that now pioneers biotech innovation for our nation.
This home on Winter Street is an excellent example of one of these cottages.
With efficient and practical layouts, these cottages are blank canvases for your personal design style.
3) Handpicked: STYLE
Since I’ve gone deep on an architectural history journey this week, I might as well go to my other love – art. Sarah Madeira Day, based in Maine, has incredible original artwork (affordable) and prints that showcase the painterly, evocative brush style I have always loved and heavy light/dark contrast reminiscent of some of my favorite artists historically (Edward Hopper anyone?). Her pieces are so moody that even those showing the ocean would be appropriate in a rural home because of their striking color balance.
That's all from our team this week - can't wait until next week!