Best of Boston Home 2013
Living & Dining
Photograph by Eric Roth
Architect
RUHL WALKER
Over the past 17 years, Will Ruhl and Brad Walker have proven that inventive, contemporary design can work particularly well in older homes. They’re especially skilled at transforming wild, wide-open lofts into inviting spaces with surprisingly clever details and elegant finishes.
60 K St., Boston, 617-268-5479, ruhlwalker.com.
Furniture, Vintage
RESIDE
Operating under the philosophy that “good design is good design,” mother-daughter team Pamela Watts and Nicole Rueda Watts offer an eclectic mix of out-of-production vintage furniture from modernist designers like Knoll and Eames, pieces from the Arts and Crafts movement, and everything in between.
1409 Washington St., Boston, 857-350-3594; 266 Concord Ave., Cambridge, 617-547-2929; resideinc.com.
Interior Designer
KRISTIN PATON INTERIORS
Kristin Paton spent a decade living and working abroad, an experience that has imbued her work with a distinctly European style. Because she’s a native New Englander, though, she also brings a pragmatic sensibility to the homes she designs, layering rooms with approachable materials and rich but welcoming tones.
152 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge, 617-491-9000, kristinpatoninteriors.com.
Rugs & Carpet
LANDRY & ARCARI
Landry & Arcari goes a step further than most carpet retailers, hosting lectures on antique rugs, weaving, and repair, and even helping build a school in a weaving community in India. Their gallerylike space showcases stacks of Turkish Oushaks, Persian Gabbehs, and Moroccan rugs made in the Atlas Mountains, as well as a vast broadloom collection featuring pieces from Louis Dabbieri.
333 Stuart St., Boston, 617-399-6500; 63 Flint St., Salem, 978-744-5909; landryandarcari.com.
Image courtesy of STANHOPE FRAMERS
Fine-Art Framing
STANHOPE FRAMERS
Trust your limited-edition Naoki Honjo print to a shop that has framed museum collections for more than 40 years. Committed to minimizing its environmental impact, Stanhope avoids exotic woods and employs only water-based finishes for its frames, which are crafted by artisans in the company’s Somerville workshop. Once you’ve chosen between options such as gold-leaf, French matting, and high-quality glazing, take advantage of Stanhope’s speedy delivery and installation service.
411 Marlborough St., Boston, 617-262-0787; 55 Bow St., Somerville, 617-666-2000; stanhopeframers.com.
Window Treatments
THE BOSTON SHADE COMPANY
Decked out with motors, timers, and sun sensors, today’s shades are smarter than ever before, and Boston Shade Company sells only the top of the class. Here you’ll find just about every type of window treatment under the sun—some even regulate temperature when you’re not home—not to mention eco-friendly shades that are halogen-, formaldehyde-, lead-, and mercury-free.
Boston Design Center, One Design Center Place, Ste. 627, Boston, 617-268-7460, bostonshadecompany.com.
Lighting
CASA DESIGN
This well-curated South End showroom is the interior designer’s choice for sourcing hard-to-find Italian lighting. Many come in to take advantage of owner Zhanna Drogobetsky’s vast knowledge of fixtures. Ask about her current illumination obsessions, and she’ll show you a bevy of creative pieces, including energy-efficient “Happy Apple” lamps by Pedrali, Lzf’s “Spiro” suspension lamps, and Foscarini’s reinterpreted “Birdie” lamp.
460 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-654-2974, casadesignboston.com.
The Boston Home team has curated a list of the best home design and home remodeling professionals in Boston, including home builders and contractors, interior designers, home accent décor, and more. Get the help you need with FindIt/Boston's guide to home renovation pros.
