Mar 11, 2013

A North Shore House with a California Accent

By Tate Gunnerson

(page 1 of 3)

Photography: Eric Hausman; Styling: Barri Leiner Grant

Gauzy drapes filter sunlight in the living room, where the soapstone fireplace is an elegant focal point. See more photos in the gallery below.

“We wanted an everyday house that felt like a vacation home,” says interior decorator Andrea Goldman, recalling what she and her husband, David, a real-estate developer, told architect Bill Massey of Massey Hoffman Architects when they first met to discuss the project in 2005. “The house in the movie Something’s Gotta Give came up repeatedly” as design inspiration, Massey says. But the 5,000-square-foot Glencoe house, completed two years later, ended up surpassing the dreaminess of the oceanfront property Diane Keaton’s character occupied on the big screen (and not just because that house’s interiors were created on a studio lot).

The Goldmans had been living in a city condo with their two young children (twins, now eight years old) and a third on the way when they decided to build their ideal family home on the North Shore. “My clients liked the character of a vintage space but they wanted the functionality of a modern house,” Massey says. So he created a contemporary open floor plan with elements of formality, such as a separate dining room and a “grown-up” living room, and classic architectural touches such as crown moldings and cove-and-beam ceilings.

Easy access to the outdoors was also critical to achieving the desired beach-house vibe. French doors in the family room and adjoining dining room open to a large bluestone patio overlooking the backyard; another set of doors, in the living room, face out on a wide front porch. “When the weather allows, we open all of them,” Andrea Goldman explains. “We secretly wish that we lived in California.”

For the interior design, Goldman went with a neutral color palette. “From the finishes to the fabric and furnishings, it’s all very tone-on-tone,” she says. “I let color and texture come from organic materials such as grass cloth, sisal, and salvaged wood. To me, natural elements are beautiful and calming.”

From the street, the Nantucket-style house looks as if it might have been there for generations. It even won a historic preservation award for new construction from the Village of Glencoe. As far as Goldman is concerned, however, the best prize is that her home offers a perpetual staycation.

NEXT: Bring it Home »

Posted March 11, 2013, | Back to all posts