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Blend
Howa couple with modern
tastes fell in love with a
traditional house.
..and made it
work within a budget.
by LISE FUNDERBURG
photographs MICHAEL PARTENIO
produced by STACY KUNSTEL
T
h e c le a n lin e s an d
g ra p h ic p rin ts o f
c o n te m p o ra ry d e sig n
h a d a firm h o ld o n th e ir
h e a rts , b u t w h e n R a c h e l
R e id e r a n d J a m ie H a rp e r o u tg re w
th e ir B o s to n -a re a a p a rtm e n t in th e US,
th e y w e re s u rp ris e d to find th e m se lv e s
h e a d -o v e r-h e e ls fo r a c lassic 1910
V ic to ria n h o u se .
T u rn s o u t, th e re w a s g o o d n ew s:
m a n y a rc h ite c tu ra l fe a tu re s w e re
in ta c t. A nd b a d n ew s: so w e re th e
h o m e ’s o rig in a l e le c tric a l sy stem ,
p lu m b in g , a n d in su la tio n . U p d a tin g
th e a n tiq u a te d sy ste m s to o k m o s t o f
th e c o u p le ’s b u d g e t, a n d so w h e n it
c a m e to th e d ec o r, in g e n u ity , n o t d e e p
p o c k e ts, sa v ed th e day.
C o lo u r w a s key. R a c h e l, an in te rio r
d e sig n er, p ic k e d w a ll c o lo u rs to a c c e n t
h e r fu rn is h in g s, fro m th e d in in g ro o m ’s
a u b e rg in e b a n q u e tte to th e m a s te r
b e d ro o m ’s d e e p b ro w n ru g a n d ta b les.
To p la y -o ff th e h o u s e ’s in te rio r w h ite
trim , s h e c h o s e d a rk w o o d fo r sh e lv in g ,
fu rn itu re legs, a n d c a b in e ts.
R a c h e l’s se c o n d m o d e rn iz in g s e c re t
w a s fab ric. F ro m a n im a l p rin ts to
a c c e n t p illo w s, sh e d id n ’t o v e rlo o k a
c h a n c e to tie h e r ric h je w e l-to n e c o lo u r
s c h e m e to m o re m o d e rn sh a p e s a n d
te x tu re s . M o st o f th e f u rn itu re c a m e
fro m th e a p a rtm e n t; a fe w p ie c e s w e re
re u p h o ls te re d w ith an ey e to w a rd
m e ld in g sty les. “I n th e liv in g ro o m ,”
R a ch e l ex p la in s, “th a t s n a p p y z e b ra
fab ric p la y s a g a in st th e c h a ir’s
tra d itio n a l sp in d le s.”
C lassic s tru c tu re b le n d e d w ith fre sh
p e rs p e c tiv e —fo r th is y o u n g fam ily, it’s
th e p e rfe c t m a tc h .
Rachel Reider and Jamie
Harperwiththeirdaughter,
Aubrey,above.
Shimmeringbluesilkdupion
draperiesfromthecouple’s
former home were cut to fit
new windows. Stainless-steel
grommets were replaced with
an aged brass that matches the
home’s hardware,
facing page.
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS JANUARY 2011
83
