Our business transaction was nearly complete when I learned that Laura is partners in a company called Orange Street Design Studio. This is an excerpt from their website:

Orange Street Design Studio is the collaborative project of two designers brought together by a unified philosophy and passion for design. Brooke Richard and Laura Watson combine innate sensibilities with formal education, both having earned their Master of Arts in Interior Design. Following graduate school, each designer went on to gain a breadth of experience in prominent commercial and residential firms, and have since become adjunct professors of design. Ultimately, they merged their individual talents to establish a design studio with an uncommon approach.

The studio covers a broad scope of design, including architectural renovation, interior and event design, and custom furniture. From the Vegas strip to a quaint street on Nantucket, they have worked on high-end residential spaces, retail stores, offices, and restaurants, and are always ready for the next challenge.

Studio design by Orange Street Design

POINT OF VIEW

We believe a well-designed space should inspire, surprise, humor, delight, and comfort those who experience it. Every project brings its own story and depth, and that uniqueness is brought to the forefront of each design. Our goal is not to achieve a particular style or look, but rather to create a design that is harmonious and relevant. Our inspiration has no boundaries, from an elegant urban boutique to a rough and tumble lumber yard with simple reclaimed timber. Deep roots in fashion, psychology and the arts are manifested in thoughtful and unexpected ways. The result is an authentic collaboration of minds and materials, with a bit of edginess and humor for good measure.

Dining room design by Orange Street Studio

CREATIVE STRATEGY

Throughout our creative process we assume various roles. We are part psychologist, understanding the visions, objectives, and lifestyles of our clients; we are part artist, tapping into our passion, innate design sensibility, and background in the arts; and we are part technician, using learned tools and advanced technology to actualize our design effectively and skillfully.

Personally, I’m in love with the style they evoke. It seems to me, and this is just one man’s opinion, to be a successful marriage of classic furniture, Danish or Swedish simplicity and just a pinch of Brooklyn Hipster. Don’t tell Laura, but I have already stolen a number of ideas from her website. Shhhhhh!

Anywho, welcome to Jamaica Plain Watsons! If you are in need of some killer interior design skills, Laura’s your gal.

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Gorgeous Sumner Hill Mansard Victorian

Are you in the dog house? Have you besmirched your good name? I have an opportunity for you to redeem yourselves. At the base of beautiful and historic Sumner Hill, across from the old Congregational Church,  you will find this gorgeous Mansard Victorian. Bring your sweetie and give the Valentine’s Day gift of a lifetime! We’ll be having an open house for neighbors only from 11a-11:30a, and then a public open house from 11:30a-1p.

Unique architecture

A landmark property to anyone who travels the streets of Jamaica Plain – the unique overhang is thought to be an architect’s sneak. There’s about 70SF hanging out over the sidewalk. Don’t quote me on that little historic tidbit – I’m not sure where I heard/read it anymore. I’ve got a request into a local historian to find out what I can on this lovely manse.

Fully one-third of this home resides out of view from the street. There is another unit that is roughly half the size of the upstairs, that opens on three sides the the pretty back yard. It’s really neat to see the massive, rough hewn granite blocks that form the foundation under the sidewalk. You can see it from within the fence at yard level.

This stately home got a serious facelift less than 10 years ago. The entire Mansard “hip” was replaced with architectural shingles, new windows and soffits were added as well as copper gutters and downspouts. Quite a bit of old siding was replaced at this time as well. Generally, the exterior is in perfect condition. The current owners have done a smashing job with the interior as well. Josh & Julie have added their own brand of sophisticated, modern charm. There’s definitely more than a hint of the Orient in the decor – including a very tasteful bamboo wall treatment in the master bedroom.

Giant master suite

There are three bedrooms that are  small, medium and large and have a gentle slope to the wall from the roof line. It adds a lot of charm and character without adversely effecting the layout or space whatsoever.

If you’re used to New England bedroom sizes, you’ll find the master suite to be a pleasant surprise.  It’s spacious and light with views out over the neighbor’s roofs to Green Street and the grand architecture of The Bowditch School. The bedroom opens to the bath by passing through a custom closet outfitted with a very well thought out organizational system. Someone with lots of clothes and an analytical mind clearly designed it. The bathroom is large for a Victorian. I doubt this room always served as a bathroom, but it certainly should have. There’s an old clawfoot tub and some bath fixtures that are reminiscent of the period, but in reality everything is new.

There is another full bath on the second level for the other two bedrooms. All the rooms open off a landing flooded with natural light from a skylight opening above the exposed rafters. Downstairs, the first floor flows just as well. The kitchen, dining and living rooms are large and perfect for entertaining – although, make everyone take off their shoes because the floors are truly luminous and it would be a crime to mar them.

The kitchen isn’t so easy to pin down to a specific style. Although the Bosch stainless steel appliances and white cabinets give it a decidedly modern look, the counters are darkly stained wooden butcher block that have a warmer feel than the typical granite counters that are so common of late.

There is a laundry cabinet that doubles as a pantry adjacent to the kitchen – and an ample deck through sliding glass doors, leads down to a beautifully landscaped yard.

The dining room is probably my favorite room in this house. One wall is covered with books, and the others are practically all windows – looking out over the yard, deck and Green Street. There’s a large closet as well, so if you put the table in the kitchen this could actually be a fourth bedroom or an office – but I think it’s configured best as it is.

The location doesn’t really get any better. When I write that this home is steps from everything – I mean it. Maybe 127 steps to the subway? (Give or take 10.) There are shops, boutiques, restaurants, pubs, etc. just a few blocks away on Centre as well as the Mosaic school across the street in the Congregational Church, and Hollow Reed up on Sumner Hill.  There’s a playground around the corner with water sprinklers in the summer and a great play structure. Further up Lamartine Street there’s a baseball field, basketball courts, the list goes on and on.

Check out our website at www.TheBostonHomeTeam.com for more information on this home and other property in and around Jamaica Plain as well as  the virtual tour at www.84Seaverns.com.

]]> http://www.thebostonhometeam.com/blog/a-sweetheart-deal-on-valentines-day-real-estate-jamaica-plain-ma/feed 0 http://www.thebostonhometeam.com/blog/sliding-house-by-drmm-architecture http://www.thebostonhometeam.com/blog/sliding-house-by-drmm-architecture#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:04:22 +0000 wbrokhof http://www.thebostonhometeam.com/blog/?p=693 I’m really annoyed at architecture for the sake of it. Architecture is not the same as fashion. In that industry you have the runway model. Everyone knows the runway model is there like a moving piece of art. The embodiment of an idea, a fancy.

Sliding House by DRMM

When you see the bouffant hair and the bizarre outfits you understand that it’s to be taken with a grain of salt. Who wears that stuff on the street? I feel the same way about architecture. When I see these projects that have pushed the envelope so far that the house becomes impractical, I can’t help but think they have failed. Beyond the waste of precious resources, the creator has failed at the basic challenge – to build a better house. How can the architect/builder consider a project successful unless it can stand the test of time and utility? This is probably why most of my favorites end up being very sparse. I find myself most touched by clean lines that exemplify volume and materials. I’m also often captured by unique and ingenious use of space. It’s fun to challenge the concept of house, but one is only successful if it actually improves the design…

I’m purposely leaving this video large, sacrificing my format for your viewing pleasure. I’m a fan of this house. It’s one of the rare exceptions of architectural haute couture that really works…

From Platform 5: Mapledene Road is situated in a conservation area in Hackney. The property had been stripped of virtually all its period features and had become run down and used as a “crack den” leaving it ripe for modernisation. The cellular ground floor was opened up and extended to the rear to allow the spaces to flow into each other and to the garden. The kitchen and patio areas are unified by a concrete floor and London stock brick garden wall. The expansive glass roof opens up the view to the sky giving the space an external character.The project has been shortlisted for the RIBA Awards, AJ Small Projects Awards and the Grand Designs Awards 2009.

Platform 5 Hackney House Extension

Open dining and kitchen

I’m not really sure how she managed a career, pregnancy and this stint as General Contractor, but she did – and it’s smashing.

From the street, this fashionable home on Plainfield St. is an unassuming Colonial, not unlike other single families in Jamaica Plain. Although it has a large yard and beautiful landscaping (you wouldn’t know it right now as it’s hidden under a layer of snow) you might not give it a lot of thought if you were walking by. However, behind the front door is an attention to detail and design seldom seen.

Anna had some help from her hubby Edward, but I think even he would give her the lion share of credit for this enormous undertaking. I sat with them recently at the robust dining table and talked about the work they had done. I got woozy. Much of the work that Anna did took place behind the walls. This isn’t just a little icing on a cake. She engineered this home top to bottom. Feel free to grab us at the open house Dec 13th (11:30a-1:30p) and we’ll tell  you all about that, but for now I’ll show you the fun stuff.

You enter a pretty common foyer with a set of stairs up and a doorway to the kitchen – which is uncommon. It’s kind of hard to describe Anna’s style but I guess you could call it Danish Modern.

Custom cabs, honed granite & fab apps

There’s just the right mix of mod light fixtures and Italian tile with warm wooden furniture and European decor. The powder blue cabinets are the first thing you notice. They look sturdy and significant – not the normal stock. It turns out that Anna had them custom finished because she couldn’t find something she liked that was mass produced. This is the kind of kitchen where you can make a serious meal and entertain a large group of people. The massive center island houses a Dacor range and a stainless steel vent hood hangs down from the ceiling. The honed granite counters contrast perfectly with the modern cabinets and the sleek tile backsplash. The wall oven and microwave are also Dacor and there’s a ginormous Amana fridge that could hold provisions for an army. It’s all well lit with recessed lighting and plenty of great natural light.

One of my favorite features of this home is the half flight up, half flight down design of the living and family rooms. It gives you easy and immediate access to both but provides enough separation that guests wont hear pots and pans banging while they’re conversing or watching the game, but getting food and drinks back and forth is a snap. Also, as those with kids would appreciate, mom or dad can easily keep an eye on the kids without having them underfoot during food prep or adult convos.  In the photo above, the door on the left goes up to the more formal living room, while the door on the right goes down a half flight to a family room.

Master bath

This was originally designed as a master suite. It is expansive and has french doors out to a very private patio on one side and sleek, narrow windows on the other that afford a little more privacy while allowing natural light to flood the room. The bathroom that ajoins this space is rich. Upon opening the door you are enveloped in cool green mosaic-like tiles and and a timeless marble floor. It’s not that thin, slippery, cheap stuff. It has a real permanence to it. The bathrooms in this home, in general, are amazing and will all look great in 20 years. The design is classic and solid. It’s the kind of materials you might see in a Gropius house or the like.

This space also has good storage and a laundry closet. It’s currently used as a family room where little Archie and Harrison can play without being out of earshot and mommy’s watchful eye. It’s even big enough to make into an au pair suite or an in-law when you need help with the kids. (That’s one lucky nanny.)

A half flight up from the kitchen is the formal living room. It has a cavernous volume to it. Cathedral ceilings slope down to a modern fireplace surrounded by a sophisticated, neutral tile.

Living room

Master bed or family room?

The combined open kitchen/dining, living room and family room are enough space to have a very large group of people without anyone feeling like they’re bumping into each other.

Off the foyer and the kitchen you’ll find another stunning full bathroom, mud room, closet (formerly used as a study!) and a door leading out to the deck and another large patio.

Anna put more work and money into her bathrooms than most people put into their whole house. Both of the lower level baths have showers with a simple glass panel and a tile ridge to keep the water in. The faucetry throughout the home is all the very best money can buy – each fixture, each faucet making a subtle, sophisticated statement.

The upstairs bath is a Zen paradise. The focal point of the room is a beautiful soaking tub with sleek, modern lines that contrasts remarkably with the slate floor. All the baths have undergone a full transition with recessed lights and touches that indicate this was no “once over” renovation.

Upstairs bath with sleek soaking tub

There is a landing at the top of the stairs with three bedrooms off of it and the bath I just described.  The largest of the upstairs rooms is currently used as the master. Anna & Edward outfitted this room with a fantastic closet, of course. The second bedroom is quite large as well and the third upstairs room is a perfect room for a child or a nursery.

There is multi-zoned heating and air conditioning throughout the home and all sorts of electrical and plumbing upgrades.

If you’re not familiar with the Parkside Neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, the name kind of says it all. To the North is a beautiful park bordering Williams Street and Dungarven Road. There are vegetable plots there and the neighborhood folks sometimes use it for pot lucks and such. Just a block away at the corner of Rossmore Road and Stedman Street you’ll find a brand new tot lot completely outfitted with state-of-the-art play structures and a bouncy soft ground material. Two blocks to the east is Franklin Park which is home to America’s oldest zoo and golf course and some fantastic trails. I often ride my bike there. Recently a friend showed my some great foraging opportunities just minutes from the entrance and my daughter loves to go geocaching and letterboxing there as well. I hope you can make it by our open house on Sunday. Of course call if you have any questions. 617-828-7956 or www.TheBostonHomeTeam.com for a virtual tour.

1. It’s incredibly efficient. The highest energy bill of the year is less than $100, and most are a fraction of that. It is heated by compact Rinnai heaters on each floor.

2. The location is perfect. Situated right in the middle of Jamaica Plain’s Brewery District – walking distance to Mikes Fitness, Bella Luna, Ula Cafe and both Green Street and Stoney Brook stations. It’s also a few blocks from Franklin Park and Centre Street with all it’s shops and restaurants.

3. This is a one-of-kind property. There is nothing like it. Designed from the humble beginnings of a shoe factory – now one of three market rate units in an artist live/work community. From the historic architecture and smokestack to the old boardwalk that runs the length of the building allowing the community to chat and engage each other.

4. Really good space. The plan is incredibly flexible – use it how you see fit, but currently the entire first floor is set up as a wicked studio space.

Check it out at www.65brookside.com. I’m happy to show it to you anytime. Just call me at 617-828-7956.

I’ve been following another Modernist in Salt Lake City at Grassrootsmodern.com. Creede Fitch has written a lot of posts about his search for, acquisition of, design and implementation of a tiny little house in the Sugarhouse area. There’s also some posts on Creede’s favorite design, clearly hand-plucked from the web. Enjoy.

clipped from grassrootsmodern.com Our house, making the modern home affordable clipped from grassrootsmodern.com About Grassroots Modern was started to help those who are looking for a modern contemporary style at an affordable price. We hope to be able to connect passionate designers with the masses and become a catalyst for change in the modern contemporary world. Authors Creede Fitch Creede is a frugal design junkie. He loves miminamist and mid-century influences and often finds himself with a hammer and drill in hand in order to achieve the style he wants without breaking the bank.  In 2005 he started Grassrootsmodern in order to share his ideas and inspirations on affordable design. Creede lives in Utah with his lovely wife, son, and golden doodle ainsley. Chances are he is currently working on his house.

Open House Sunday 23rd, 12p-2p

Large upstairs bedroom

A perfect mélange of Modernist sensibility and New England Colonial. From the outside this home is an unassuming Colonial set well back from the street. This home has an incredibly flexible plan. Good design allows for a three bedrooms and three full baths with kitchen and dining rooms, living room and family room. However, some may trade the family room for an opulent master suite with direct access to a private brick patio.

Wide open plan and glorious kitchen

Just off the entry foyer you are greeted by an inviting and highly functional kitchen and dining area. No expense has been spared. Recessed lights run the length of the room all set on dimmers for mood. Beautiful glass mosaic tiles accentuate the honed granite counter. The entire kitchen was designed and installed in 2004 including Dacor range, oven and microwave, Amana Fridge, Bosch dishwasher and Kohler sink and professional grade faucetry. The custom finished cabinets are one of a kind and add a friendly playfulness to the room.

A short flight of stairs up from the kitchen lead to a loft-like living area where your family can gather around the gorgeous fireplace with glass tiled surround. A short flight downstairs from the kitchen leads to a modern family room with bamboo flooring and sunshine pouring in from the glass doors leading out to the private brick patio. There is a full bath with exquisite marble and glass tiling, heated towel rack and an enormous glass enclosed shower. There is also a small laundry room with Bosch washer and dryer.

Designer bath - zen perfection

The upstairs bedrooms look out over the landscaped grounds and patio areas. There are three bedrooms upstairs and two more full baths in the original part of the home. Both bold, sophisticated baths are finished in stunning slate, marble and glass tile, Samuel Heath, Villeroy & Boch, Duravit and Hoesch.

There is 2 car parking off street, a new garden shed and a full basement for all storage needs. Located advantageously steps from two different T stations, Doyles & The Midway Café, The Emerald Necklace Park System and one of JP’s newest tot lots.