In Focus

The triangular top of the custom oak coffee table allows space for the chair—a slim-lined, vintage-inspired piece with strong geometry—which rounds out the seating arrangement. / Photo by Michael J. Lee

A great deal is accomplished in this Chestnut Hill living room. The space, which opens off the home’s newly expanded dining room and kitchen, is where the family of five gathers for conversation, game-playing, movie-watching, and more. Organizing key components—piano, desk, television—on the fringes, Hall claimed the main wall for the knockout focal point. “With the white walls and wood floors, I knew I could go really bold for the fireplace and built-ins,” she says. “I love that Arabascato marble with the Benjamin Moore ‘Bermuda Turquoise’ paint color.”

It’s not just the vivacious veining and saturated ocean hue that wow; the chunky geometric treatment of the open shelving contributes to the dramatic moment. “The wide frames around the shelves turn the built-ins themselves into art,” Hall says. “The cabinetry has even more prominence than what’s displayed in it.” And the rhythmic reeded doors along the bottom, where the family stores board games and such, play off the wide horizontals above it.

White sofas with some nubby texture (and individually articulating headrests!) from DWR keep the focus on the fireplace wall while effectively filling the center of the room. This configuration also allows for a side table with a vintage lamp from Reside. The Prouvé Potence sconce, a midcentury classic, stretches out to light the center of the seating area.

For the finishing touch, Hall worked with local artist Liz Roache on a custom coloration of one of her energetic geometric prints. “We nailed it,” Hall says. “The colors make the room!”

Cabinetmakers
McIntosh & Company Cabinetmakers

Interior Designer 
Annie Hall Interiors

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Fall 2023 issue, with the headline, “In Focus.”