In the elegant dining room, find a grass-cloth-wrapped console table by LivenUp Design.

WHEN DAG DESIGN’S CARA FINEMAN (dagdesignboston.com) took on this early-20th century Newton home, an eye-catching, multihued result was inevitable. She is certainly no stranger to color, but the owners needed some convincing. “Most clients who hire me tend to really like color, so one of the most exciting parts about this particular project was really getting my client to feel comfortable with bolder choices that she might have not otherwise chosen,” says Fineman. After about two years of designing, the result was a 7,500-square-foot space, encompassing six bedrooms and five full and two half-baths. While contemporary touches adorn each room, the builder, Peter Hajjar (northhudsonllc.com), ensured the historical aesthetic of the property remained, leaving behind details like original flooring, molding and banisters. “It definitely feels like an old home,” notes the designer. “The builder did a really nice job of keeping the soul of the home alive.” On top of maintaining the Old World essence and appealing to the client’s transitional style, Fineman was tasked with crafting areas that felt approachable and functional for daily life. “They wanted their kids and family friends to sit in any of the spaces without feeling like it was untouchable,” she explains. Every room embodies this livability while creating an elegant ambiance. When beginning the project, the designer first tackled the living area. Neutrals and blues in the Indian Ikat rug from Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting (landryandarcari.com) served as a jumping-off point for the subdued palette. “The living room feels like the safest room, but she got more daring as the project progressed,” shares Fineman. A rounded, light gray linen sofa from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (mgbwhome.com) sways with the house’s natural curvature beside a linen-wrapped Bungalow 5 (bungalow5.com) coffee table and chenille chairs, styling an inviting yet modern space. Through the living area, a refined dining room awaits. The dark-hued table paired with white, linenlike Restoration Hardware (rh.com) chairs and a Currey (curreyandcompany.com) chandelier offers a contemporary feel, but the space does welcome dots of color. “We wanted to carry these neutrals and blues from the living room into the dining room with the drapes and the pattern in the rug,” explains Fineman. Down a few steps, find a stylish family room. A fireplace and coastal artwork evoke a cozy, New England feel, while pops of blue and purple create an effortless flow into this added-on area. As the last completed space, the client was more willing to take risks, adding a Schumacher (fschumacher.com) animalprint ottoman and vibrant Laura Fayer artwork from Lanoue Gallery (lanouegallery.com). Past an airy and bright kitchen, with a charcoal gray island, the upstairs houses a generous primary bedroom and bath. Although the bathroom features warm whites, light beiges and grays, the bedroom includes light blue drapery panels, green and blue geometric patterned shades and a flatweave rug in blues and browns. After the project’s spring 2020 completion, the end result captured a different vibe than Fineman’s past projects but nonetheless was a stunning success. “I think it feels a little bit more elevated, maybe even more sophisticated, than some of the other, more playful homes I work on.”

The family room features window treatments from Makkas Drapery Workroom (makkasdrapery.com) with Victoria Larson (victorialarson.com) fabric

Paintings and photos throughout the home offer pops of color.

The neutral living room, featuring pops of blue.

Off the family room sits a colorful bar area outfitted with a wine fridge

The breakfast room provides the ideal space for casual dining on O&G Studio (oandgstudio.com) chairs at a Redford House (redfordhouse.com) table.

Peek inside the mudroom’s half-bath to find the playful Abnormals Anonymous (abnormalsanonymous.com) wallpaper Mr. Blow

In the office, the client took a bold leap with Fiddle Leaf Fig wallcovering from Ferrick Mason (ferrickmason.com).

A Visual Comfort (visualcomfort.com) light fixture illuminates the kitchen.

DESIGN DETAILS

TYPE
Single-family home

INTERIOR DESIGNER
DAG Design
dagdesignboston.com

BUILDER
Peter Hajjar
northhudsonllc.com

RESOURCES

LANDRY & ARCARI RUGS AND CARPETING
Oushak rug, mudroom; vintage rug, bar area; Indian Ikat rug, living room
landryandarcari.com

O&G STUDIO
Chairs, breakfast nook; office chair, office nook
oandgstudio.com

RESTORATION HARDWARE
Sofa and ottoman, family room; dining table, dining room
rh.com

SCHUMACHER
Sofa pillows and ottoman, family room; window treatment, kitchen
fschumacher.com

VISUAL COMFORT
Light fixture pendant, kitchen; light fixture, family room; lighting, primary bath
visualcomfort.com

WELLER CARPETS
Felted wool rug, family room; wool rug, dining room
wellercarpets.com