Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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center-hall colonial located near Harvard Square. "There was no f low to the house," she says, "but I saw the potential, where ceilings could be raised, where rooms could be opened up." T he couple bought it. T hus com menced a t wo -yea r renova - t ion t hat was completed in t he fa ll of 2013. "The house hadn't been touched in 45 yea rs," Seelig says. "Now nothing about it is the same other than t he façade." To execute her vision, she called in Stephen Hart of Hart Associates Architects and the builder The Holland Companies. Hart helped tailor t he colo- nial not just to Seelig's current family, but to how t he fa mily would live 10 yea rs hence. "We must have gone through a dozen ways to organize that first f loor," Hart recalls. In a ll t hose iterat ions was a space at t he back door for keys, cell phones, coats, and backpacks. "If you look at the quantity of space given over to the mudroom, it's hefty," he says. Installing an elevator for an aging parent and removing a quirky octago- nal addition from the backyard dictated the f low and composition of the rest of the first f loor. "We tried to make the rooms multifunctional," says interior designer Carolina Tress-Balsbaugh, who along with partner Manuel de Santaren coor- dinated w it h Ha r t a nd Seelig on t he project. A combination living room/ home office off the front entry is sheathed in white oak paneling and built- ins for a unified appearance. The paneling's clean details nod to the home's history but also look con- tempora r y. T he of f ice ca n be closed of f; pocket doors feature hand-blown mirrored glass panes. On the living room side, the closed doors ref lect a pair of Christian Liaigre sofas. "I enjoy that sexy, cur ved ebonized wood," says Seelig, who opted for comf y but st a in-resist a nt chenille upholster y, accented with Fortuny pillows. An antique English secretary and a Murano chandelier from the Seeligs' previous homes were mixed with an airy glass cof- fee table. "There's not an excess of furniture in the room," says Tress-Balsbaugh. "Ever ything is sim- ple, easy to the eye." In the home office, built-in cabinets were designed w it h t he exact dept h to hold photo a lbums, k ids' memory boxes, and the printer. "With Maggie, it's what's pract ica l, what w ill work, what w ill clea n well," says Tress-Balsbaugh. The same white oak is repeated on built-ins in the nearby family room, which is outfitted with a large A. Rudin custom sec- tional and an overscale, easy-wipe leather ottoman. At the back of the house is the family's only din- ing area, tucked into a narrow addition overlooking the patio. "We had to be extremely thoughtful about how we use the space," says Seelig. De Santaren designed the custom walnut table to exactly fit the room, even angling in the table's sides for diners' comfort. Calligaris chairs are low-profile and can be pushed completely under the table when not in use. A row of A lison Berger for Holly Hunt pen- dants adorns the ceiling. Walnut is also used in the kitchen, along with put t y- colored pa inted cabinet s. Seelig chose a golden-veined Ver mont ma rble isla nd top. T he per imeter counter tops a nd backspla sh a re of f- white Caeserstone. The snuggle spot is the custom sofa nestled up against an upholstered wall, where the boys gather to read. For the Seeligs, their house offers modern-day functionalit y in a vibrant historic neighborhood. "It's ver y much f ig ur ing how to work w it h some traditional ideas," says Seelig, "then tweak them so you know something new and exciting is hap- pening here." BC It takes a VIllage… …to renovate a historic home. Here are Seelig's trusted partners. When consulting with a client for a home purchase, Seelig often enlists an architect, designer, and builder so they can all discuss what's possible. Here are the seasoned pros she trusts to reimagine a historic home. THE ARCHITECT: Stephen Hart of Hart Associates Architects is Seelig's go-to because "he has a respect for history but an ability to understand how families live." 50 Church St., Belmont; 617-489-0030; hartarch.com THE DESIGNERS: Seelig has worked with Manuel de Santaren and Carolina Tress-Balsbaugh for more than 10 years because they don't sell a signature look. "They work with the owners to come up with an aesthetic." Manuel de Santaren, Inc., One Design Center Place, Ste. 644, 617-330-6998; manueldesantaren.com THE BUILDER: John and Joseph Holland of The Holland Companies can handle complicated jobs like completely reconfguring interiors (not to mention getting an elevator past the historic commission), and they source fne craftsmen from around New England to do specialized parts of a project. 519 Albany St., Ste. 200, 617-556-2900; thehollandcompanies.com "THE HouSE HAdN'T BEEN TouCHEd iN 45 yEArS. NoW NoTHiNg ABouT iT iS THE SAME oTHEr THAN THE fAçAdE." —maggie gold seelig from left: A soft custom sofa complements the clean lines of the marble-topped kitchen island. The dining room fits in a narrow addition on the back of the house. Seelig's experience as a broker helped her see the potential in her newly purchased home. 124 bostoncommon-magazine.com haute property