Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/174813
HAUTE PROPERTY "Single male clients are looking for a more mature, classic style, not the trendy, hip thing." —MICHAEL FERZOCO continued from page 127 "They're looking for a more mature, classic style," he says, "not the trendy, hip thing." When Richards wanted to gut the kitchen, Ferzoco decided it was also time to take down the wall that separated it from the dining area. This way, Richards could get the airy, loftlike space he really wanted. The design was complicated by a gas line that necessitated the existence of a column, so Ferzoco added a mate and designed a credenza to fill out the area. The built-in, which sits flush to the kitchen island, is wrapped in a striated Macassar wood and fronted with caramel leather doors featuring polished-nickel nail heads. Just beyond is the sleek, new kitchen in neutral tones of white, gray, and taupe. Worcesterbased Chilmark Architectural Woodworking designed the cabinetry, faced with grass cloth and finished with multiple coats of lacquer. Although the surface is smooth to the touch, there's a visual texture, almost like wood grain. "Michael wanted something beyond the usual painted wood or flat glass," says Ferzoco. "This is definitely different, very high-end and refined." The backsplash, which extends above the upper wall cabinets, is fronted with cappuccino-colored glass and lit from above and below, illuminating the space beautifully at night. For the dining area, Ferzoco chose a vintage Eero Saarinen black pedestal table with a marble top from Machine Age in South Boston. Ferzoco flirted with the idea of adding a Sputnik chandelier, but Richards demurred. Instead he went with a vintage design from the 1950s by Santa & Cole, feeling that the metal mesh drum shade would provide warmth. Vintage Saarinen chairs were upholstered in a heavy green cotton blend; it's a color that Richards admits he probably would not have gravitated to on his own, but one he loves now. The finishing touch is a sensual still-life by Somerville-based artist Bill Chisholm. A custom rug with a reinterpreted Greek key pattern adds a quick swath of color in the living room. New investment pieces include a Noguchi coffee table, a Twiggy floor lamp by Foscarini, and sofas upholstered in pale gray leather from Sedia in SoWa, a material nod to Richards' bachelor status. Two vintage Art Deco side tables from Machine Age complete the ensemble. Although Richards commissioned completely custom furnishings for the master bedroom, he appreciates the vintage pieces that Ferzoco has brought to the condo. He says, "Michael said we could do clean and contemporary but that we'd incorporate older elements, too. I don't like antiques or tons of wood, but everything he found is perfect." Michael Ferzoco, Eleven Interiors, 535 Albany St., 4th Fl., 617-4231114. eleveninteriors.com BC TOP LEFT: Michael Richards unwinds in his updated South End home. ABOVE: The bedroom boasts all custom furnishings, while the living room (LEFT) integrates vintage and Art Deco pieces. 128 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 127-128_BC_HP_Opener_LateFall13.indd 128 9/16/13 10:53 AM