Houzz Tour: A Masterly Miniature on Boston’s Beacon Hill
A painting spurs the palette for a period-faithful renovation of a studio in a converted 1850 governor’s house
Black wallpaper in a 400-square-foot studio apartment is a daring move for some, but for homeowners Deb and Skip Windemiller, it seemed as natural an inclusion as the plush custom furnishings and ornately framed paintings that adorn the maximalist interior. Their apartment, in a building constructed in 1850 to house a governor’s family, was one of the first condo conversions on Boston’s Beacon Hill. The home’s diminutive size allowed the Windemillers to dream big and invest in the space, especially on the restoration of historic details, resulting in their own work of art.
Presiding over the sumptuous living room in gilded frames are a self-portrait by Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, above the fireplace, and William Redmore Bigg’s Family Portrait, circa 1755-1828, above the club chair. “It all started with the beautiful green dress in [Bigg’s painting]. Then we found our living room light with those shades of green, the bathroom light with the green, and then carried into the kitchen with the green walls and onyx green backsplash.” Skip says.
Challenges abounded at every turn, starting with outdated plumbing and electrical. Many architectural features required extensive restoration.
Specifically, the antique wainscoting throughout the apartment was damaged, and needed to be specially matched and cut by preservation specialists. The detailing under the radiator was similarly beaten up. By a stroke of good luck, the owners managed to locate the same radiator model in California, which allowed their restoration to remain as faithful as possible to the home’s original features.
Specifically, the antique wainscoting throughout the apartment was damaged, and needed to be specially matched and cut by preservation specialists. The detailing under the radiator was similarly beaten up. By a stroke of good luck, the owners managed to locate the same radiator model in California, which allowed their restoration to remain as faithful as possible to the home’s original features.
Since the unit is the only one in the building without a separate bedroom, a Murphy bed was built as an elegant space-saving measure and functional necessity.
Here’s the bedroom nook with the Murphy bed tucked away.
The Windemillers already owned the antique dining table and chairs — the only furnishings not purchased specifically for this apartment.
For the rest of the decor, the couple shopped locally. The wallpaper and mahogany Venetian blinds are from paint and decorating retailer Wicked Awesome, and the furniture, draperies and pillows were custom-made by Exeter Handkerchief Company. “They have every kind of fabric and furniture to custom build. You could spend days just looking at all the trims and styles,” Skip says.
For the rest of the decor, the couple shopped locally. The wallpaper and mahogany Venetian blinds are from paint and decorating retailer Wicked Awesome, and the furniture, draperies and pillows were custom-made by Exeter Handkerchief Company. “They have every kind of fabric and furniture to custom build. You could spend days just looking at all the trims and styles,” Skip says.
Although stressful at the time, the kitchen’s extensive plumbing work could take first prize for quirkiest home renovation job: The new plumbing for the drain had to be tied into a seemly inaccessible vent pipe lodged deep in the middle of the building.
After some serious head-scratching, the plumbing company found an employee “who weighed all of 80 pounds” to climb into the ceiling and spend four hours connecting everything. “That was one bill I did not mind paying,” Skip says with a chuckle.
After some serious head-scratching, the plumbing company found an employee “who weighed all of 80 pounds” to climb into the ceiling and spend four hours connecting everything. “That was one bill I did not mind paying,” Skip says with a chuckle.
The kitchen is deceptively spacious and contains everything the couple needs, including a dishwasher, a Miele oven with built-in meat thermometer, enough dishes and glassware for 16, and “all the necessary cookware to have a nice dinner party,” Skip says, thanks to Euro-style cabinets that are deeper than usual.
Each functional area is delineated by different flooring, with the refinished quartersawn oak floors in the living area a jewel in the condo’s crown. After some difficulty locating the exact stain, they selected a chestnut finish and treated the wood to bring out the darker tones.
Each functional area is delineated by different flooring, with the refinished quartersawn oak floors in the living area a jewel in the condo’s crown. After some difficulty locating the exact stain, they selected a chestnut finish and treated the wood to bring out the darker tones.
The couple made few demands on the space and let the design emerge through its limitations. Although the architects worked with the local historical commission to restore the unit as authentically as possible, they knew that the kitchen and bathroom would have to be suitably modern to accommodate a 21st-century lifestyle.
Selecting the beautiful green onyx mosaic tiles for the kitchen backsplash from Eno’s Design Center was the easy part.
The bathroom tile was a bit trickier.…
Selecting the beautiful green onyx mosaic tiles for the kitchen backsplash from Eno’s Design Center was the easy part.
The bathroom tile was a bit trickier.…
… See the alternating diagonal and straight tile arrangement in the shower stall? Like everything else in the condo conversion, the successful installation of this intricate pattern was a minor victory when a friend stepped in after the original tile contractor backed out. When it turned out that more tile was needed than originally expected, Murphy’s law made sure that this particular marble tile was discontinued; it had to be remolded and specially refired by the company.
The bathroom was so small that the savvy homeowners and their architects vaulted the ceiling to give it more height. “We lined the ceiling with a brushed raw silk and then accentuated it with this light fixture,” Skip says.
The stained glass fixture was part of a collection that the Windemillers sell at their inn. The green color fit in perfectly with the green elsewhere in the apartment, so they snapped this one up for themselves.
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The bathroom was so small that the savvy homeowners and their architects vaulted the ceiling to give it more height. “We lined the ceiling with a brushed raw silk and then accentuated it with this light fixture,” Skip says.
The stained glass fixture was part of a collection that the Windemillers sell at their inn. The green color fit in perfectly with the green elsewhere in the apartment, so they snapped this one up for themselves.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Deb and Skip Windemiller, owners of D.W.’s Oceanside Inn, on the New Hampshire coast
Location: Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designer: TMS Architects
When the condo came on the market, the Windemillers knew they had to act fast. They favored Boston’s “beautiful little village” of Beacon Hill for its “neighborhood atmosphere,” and its proximity to shopping, dining and the theater, Skip says. He and his wife, Deb, spent an afternoon lounging on the front stoop and chatting with their future neighbors before ultimately placing an offer.