Houzz Tour: Old Meets New in a Historic Boston Home
A designer helps her clients showcase their beloved antiques, pulling everything together in a fresh way
This Boston-based couple has a love of antiques, both family heirlooms and treasures found at the Brimfield Antique Flea Markets. But when they moved from a smaller urban home to a rambling Victorian on Boston’s North Shore, they needed help figuring out how to put the house together. “They hired us to make it look finished and pulled together,” interior designer Sarah Henley says. “The idea was old-world style meets new-world style, organized in a fresh and clean way, so that it didn’t turn into a hodgepodge grandma look.” The couple have two young children, so creating a family-friendly home was also important.
“Antiques really resonate with these clients. They love pieces with history and soul and knowing the provenance of them,” Henley says. “But they didn’t know how to incorporate them in a way that wouldn’t feel like they were living in their parents’ houses. They looked to us to mix new and old in a way that felt authentic to them and who they are.”
The homeowners had the house painted white before they hired the design firm. Henley felt it would be wasteful to repaint, so the team concentrated on bringing color to the trim and other smaller details. “We used a historic New England palette — blues, greens and rusty brick reds,” she says. In the mudroom, she painted the existing wainscoting Light Blue by Farrow & Ball.
The homeowners already had the antique bench. The designers played off it by sourcing vintage botanical prints online and having them framed. Then they added a more contemporary rug. Almost all the rugs in the house are wool for durability and because they are easy to clean.
Rug: Jayson Home
The homeowners had the house painted white before they hired the design firm. Henley felt it would be wasteful to repaint, so the team concentrated on bringing color to the trim and other smaller details. “We used a historic New England palette — blues, greens and rusty brick reds,” she says. In the mudroom, she painted the existing wainscoting Light Blue by Farrow & Ball.
The homeowners already had the antique bench. The designers played off it by sourcing vintage botanical prints online and having them framed. Then they added a more contemporary rug. Almost all the rugs in the house are wool for durability and because they are easy to clean.
Rug: Jayson Home
Every room has a mix of old and new and incorporates the homeowners’ existing furniture and artwork. The couple already had this sofa, which the designers placed in the living room. It was in great shape and fit the space perfectly. The trunk had been passed down through the family. “The great thing about the antiques is that they bring in the homeowners’ personalities. And they keep the spaces from looking like catalog photos,” Henley says.
“Our clients had been trying to find a place for this chest that had been passed down through their family. The piece adds height to the room and anchors it with an older piece,” Henley says. The room is light and has some more modern furniture, which keeps the chest and the trunk from feeling too dark or heavy.
The house also has a worldly vibe that gives it a collected look. The vintage rug is from Morocco and the blue pillow fabric is a vintage textile from Africa.
The house also has a worldly vibe that gives it a collected look. The vintage rug is from Morocco and the blue pillow fabric is a vintage textile from Africa.
“Our clients had a lot of great artwork but they didn’t know where to hang it. We had some pieces reframed and found the right places for everything,” Henley says. This antique ship piece was part of their collection.
A new blackened bronze table provides a spot for drinks between two new comfortable armchairs.
Armchairs: Four Hands
A new blackened bronze table provides a spot for drinks between two new comfortable armchairs.
Armchairs: Four Hands
This is the view from the kitchen into the breakfast room. The previous homeowners had recently renovated the kitchen so there was no need to touch it. “I think we only added new counter stools and a runner in there — it had been renovated very tastefully,” Henley says. The coal-burning stove and surrounding brick chimney are original to the house. The stove was made by Cyrus Carpenter Co., which operated in Boston from the 1840s until the 1920s.
In the breakfast room, the designers placed their clients’ existing antique table, Windsor chairs and fern artwork. They ordered a custom area rug in blue wool and Sunbrella threads for durability.
Shop for Windsor chairs
In the breakfast room, the designers placed their clients’ existing antique table, Windsor chairs and fern artwork. They ordered a custom area rug in blue wool and Sunbrella threads for durability.
Shop for Windsor chairs
The existing built-ins create a transition between the kitchen and breakfast room. The homeowners use the desk when working from home. The design team painted the inside of the built-ins to bring in historic New England color. “The house had lots and lots of white, so adding color in places like this added character and customization. It also kept it from looking like a modern farmhouse,” Henley says.
On the shelves, the designers mixed their clients’ existing items, such as the fish and lighthouse prints, with items the team sourced, like the vintage duck decoys and bell collection.
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On the shelves, the designers mixed their clients’ existing items, such as the fish and lighthouse prints, with items the team sourced, like the vintage duck decoys and bell collection.
Find professional local painters
The homeowners already had the sectional sofa, which was a great fit for the family room. The designers sourced the narrow cabinet at an antique shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and selected a giclée print of a waterfront scene to place over it.
Browse sectional sofas
Browse sectional sofas
“We wanted to add just enough custom things to make the home feel tailored,” Henley says. “We picked our moments with designer fabrics on things like these throw pillows.” Using high-end fabrics like these ikats on smaller items helped them stay within budget. The window treatments are semicustom, made by The Shade Store.
The ottoman is custom, made by local company Thayer Design Studio. The yarn is by Sunbrella and will stand up to stains from sticky little fingers.
The tufted leather chair and nest print already belonged to the homeowners. The designers had a custom pillow made for the chair in a Holland & Sherry wool plaid and added a coordinating alpaca wool throw. They also found the limestone side table, which adds a contemporary silhouette to the room. These items help tie the chair into the color scheme of the room. A brass floor lamp makes it a fabulous little reading nook.
“Our clients weren’t sure if their midcentury modern dining table would work in this house. But the size was right and we told them we could make it work. Every room is a mix,” Henley says. The designers paired the table with their clients’ existing Windsor chairs. The oil-rubbed bronze finish and candle-like lights of the chandelier nod to traditional style, while its clean lines and crisp linen shades update the look.
The homeowners also had the Oriental rug and sailboat oil painting in their collection. New items include the antique brass-framed mirror over the mantel.
The homeowners also had the Oriental rug and sailboat oil painting in their collection. New items include the antique brass-framed mirror over the mantel.
The original moldings and built-ins in the dining room illustrate the charms of this architectural era. Once again, the team used historic paint color inside the built-ins. They mixed some of the clients’ favorite things with items they chose for the shelves.
A clean-lined gray buffet adds a brand-new piece into the mix. And it brings in gray-blue color and texture from the caned doors and antique brass knobs. The lamp on the buffet is from Vermont company Simon Pearce.
Built-ins paint color: Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball; buffet: Sofia, Worlds Away
A clean-lined gray buffet adds a brand-new piece into the mix. And it brings in gray-blue color and texture from the caned doors and antique brass knobs. The lamp on the buffet is from Vermont company Simon Pearce.
Built-ins paint color: Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball; buffet: Sofia, Worlds Away
While Victorian wallpapers were known for florals, this new wallpaper in the powder room updates that idea with an abstract pattern. A brass mirror, a vintage Moroccan rug and an Audubon print bring additional personality to the room.
On the staircase, the designers selected a Dash & Albert indoor-outdoor runner that will stand up to high traffic. They painted the original handrail Van Deusen Blue by Benjamin Moore.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Click here to learn the basics
Not sure where to start on your home project? Click here to learn the basics
In the primary bedroom, the team worked to incorporate the homeowners’ existing pieces with new furnishings in a fresh way, while scaling everything properly. For example, a queen-size bed was the best fit for the not-so-big bedroom.
The clients already had the bed and the seascape. “It was really nice to pull together such beautiful existing things,” Henley says. The antique crock lamps and nightstands were items the couple already had, but they weren’t sure where to place them. The designers added worldly touches with the vintage geometric Afghan rug and the Scandinavian-modern-style bench.
The clients already had the bed and the seascape. “It was really nice to pull together such beautiful existing things,” Henley says. The antique crock lamps and nightstands were items the couple already had, but they weren’t sure where to place them. The designers added worldly touches with the vintage geometric Afghan rug and the Scandinavian-modern-style bench.
The designers chose custom gray sheer linen window treatments for softness. They placed their clients’ leather chair in the corner, adding a floor lamp and a drinks table to turn it into a reading area.
Window treatments: The Shade Store; Creighton end table: Four Hands
Window treatments: The Shade Store; Creighton end table: Four Hands
In another spot in the room, the team repurposed their clients’ antique desk into a makeup table. They added a bone inlay mirror and a chair with a caned back for texture. A tall, slender lamp is a nice fit for this vignette.
Chair: Britt, Four Hands
Chair: Britt, Four Hands
The guest room features stunning original leaded glass French doors that open to a sleeping porch. The artwork is a vintage print of the city of Boston and was part of the clients’ collection.
“The sleeping porch is the coolest and they use it to sleep in the summer. It’s really fun for little-kid sleepovers,” Henley says. The daybed also makes it a breezy place to read a book during the day.
“This was such a wonderful project to work on. We want the homes we work on to reflect the homeowners, we don’t want them to reflect us,” Henley says. “In this house we really leaned into the antiques because our clients appreciate the history of them so much.”
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“This was such a wonderful project to work on. We want the homes we work on to reflect the homeowners, we don’t want them to reflect us,” Henley says. “In this house we really leaned into the antiques because our clients appreciate the history of them so much.”
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two young children
Location: Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Size: 3,419 square feet (318 square meters); four bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Designer: Henley Design
The house is in Manchester-by-the-Sea, a quintessential coastal New England town on Boston’s North Shore. “This was actually a guest house on a much bigger estate,” Henley says. “The previous homeowners had lovingly cared for the home for years and there was no need for any major renovations.” Its original wood flooring, high ceilings and charming handcrafted moldings were intact.
“One of the challenges was that all the rooms were separate and somewhat small — opening it up would not have been true to the architectural style of the house. This made scale really important,” Henley says. The scope of the project involved painting; finding furniture, rugs, lighting and artwork to complement the homeowners’ existing pieces; and arranging everything in a clean, organized and fresh way. The design team loved the idea of working with the homeowners’ art, antiques and other furniture. They found the right fit for each room, mixing old and new and adding new furniture, lighting, rugs and art.
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