Newton couple moves three doors down, makes radical change
Empty-nesters in their 50s were tired of their big Victorian, so they built a contemporary. Read more Design New England stories at realestate.boston.com.
A couple, empty-nesters in their 50s, were tired of their big (6,500-square-foot), old, energy-inefficient, high-maintenance house and thought, just briefly, of doing what many have done in that situation — move to a condo in the city. But they liked their neighborhood in the Chestnut Hill section of Newton, Massachusetts; they just no longer needed or wanted the Victorian manse that had been their home for 30 years. So when a 1940s Colonial-style house three doors down came on the market, they seized the opportunity to create their dream home.
It wasn’t the house, which was dated and in need of repair, that attracted them, but the lot, which is next to woods and a reservoir owned by the City of Newton, conservation land that would forever be protected from development.
The couple, both medical doctors, tore down the existing house and built anew to their exact specifications, which included privacy, energy efficiency, and an open floor plan (in contrast to the plethora of small dark rooms in their old Victorian), a screened porch, and single-story living.
They engaged Richard Levey, principal at RBL Architects in Newton, to make it a reality. Before he took pencil to paper, the architect studied how the couple used the space in their old house and made note of their large art collection. What he designed — and Keystone Development of Marlborough, Massachusetts, built — is a 5,000-square-foot glass-and-cedar-clapboard contemporary house with an open floor plan, 16-foot ceilings, and folding glass doors that open to a large screened porch overlooking the conservation land. Built to be energy-efficient, it has 46 rooftop solar panels that kept last summer’s electric bill to zero.
The house does offer one traditional element, a wood-burning fireplace. Set in the wall between the great room and the porch, it is open on two sides and can warm both spaces.
The couple’s art is a key element from the moment of entry. The front hall is a perfect spot for the whimsical Xylophone table by Georgia-based sculptor Gordon Chandler. From there, the wall gently curves as the space widens to reveal the airy dining area/kitchen/great room combination. In the great room, Keystone master carpenter Peter Benson built a gallery wall that holds paintings and sculpture and slides open to reveal the television.
The main floor includes the master suite, as well as an office for the wife, who works for a global technology firm, and an office with separate entrance for her psychiatrist husband. The basement level has a gym and a guest bedroom with bath.
The wife, a serious cook, spends a lot of time in the kitchen, which is augmented by a large adjacent pantry that is completely out of sight. In the old house, the kitchen was closed off, the cook isolated. Here, she has full views of the living and dining areas, which have expanses of glass overlooking the garden and trees beyond. “I love cooking here,” she says. “Even in the midst of a snowstorm, I’m facing the woods.”
The furnishings are just as new and contemporary in style as the house itself, with a wood-and-steel dining table by Boston artist Paul Walcott, metal chairs that are quirky enough to be considered part of the art collection, polka-dot upholstered pieces, and more color in the great room than was ever seen in the old Victorian. “I love black, white, and gray,” says the wife, “but purple is my favorite color,” pointing to the purple couch. Working with interior designer Sue Falls of Mast & Falls Interior Design in Concord, Massachusetts, she also selected a turquoise chair for the great room and red chairs from BoConcept for the table-height kitchen peninsula.
The couple may not have moved far physically, but stylistically, they are on a different plane. “It’s so much fun to live here,” says the husband. Going modern agrees with them.
See more photos of the home:
Due to a production error, a previous version of this story gave the incorrect square footage of this home. It is 6,500.
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