When clients asked Dane Austin to renovate key interior spaces of their 2004 Colonial, the Boston-based interior designer saw great potential in a transitional approach. “I love classical design rooted in tradition with a contemporary edge,” explains Austin, who began his career in Washington, D.C., before launching his eponymous firm in 2009 and moving to Boston in 2012. Dane Austin Design provides clients in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and beyond with turnkey, VIP service from its Newbury Street headquarters. Austin and colleague Caitlin McLaughlin refreshed the Colonial’s living, dining, and breakfast rooms without making structural alterations. The firm blended existing furniture with new bespoke pieces and pulled from and rearranged the owners’ art collection to great effect.
“They wanted their rooms to feel loungey and moody, comfortable for everyday but eye-catching enough for holidays and entertaining friends and family,” explains Austin. Hues and textures found throughout the home’s wooded five-acre lot inspired the renovation’s emerging color palette. Soft turquoise lichen lining the rocks and trees. Amber-colored pine needles mingling with rusty fallen leaves. Dark greyish-blue water trickling along a babbling brook crisscrossing the property. Austin took these nature-based cues and infused them into the multilayered design. In general, the directive centered on three key adjectives: eclectic, vibrant, and cozy.
The living room—a favorite family hangout space—boasts a vaulted ceiling, stone fireplace, and view-capturing windows. “They originally had an L-shaped sectional, and everything felt very linear,” recalls Austin. To soften the angular lines, he introduced curvilinear furniture, including a semicircle, tricolor chenille sofa and barrel-back chairs. “We didn’t want the framed TV over the fireplace; I prefer a lower, more comfortable viewing height,” he notes. “And that’s what’s great about the curved sofa and swivel chairs—you can orient yourself toward whichever viewpoint you like.”
Customized specifically for the room’s unique shape is an oversized wool rug boasting an organic pattern that unites all those woodsy colors: amber, turquoise, cream, and beige. Nods to nature continue in the sculptural, egg-shaped coffee table, an homage to the property’s birds and their seasonal nests, as well as rock-patterned accent pillows. The living room’s pièce de résistance is the hand-painted ceiling executed by A+R Venetian Plaster. “It’s a true wow moment,” says Austin of the three-color Venetian plaster application. “An oil-rubbed bronze metallic provides extra depth and richness,” he adds. Four new and ethereal globe light fixtures punctuate the four corners.
“This was my way of celebrating nature in a contemporary way that feels sophisticated,” the designer says of the finished space. Refreshing the dining and breakfast rooms involved partnering existing dining sets with more contemporary design choices. “I really enjoy working with existing pieces, especially if they’re in good shape,” notes Austin. “It’s all about how you utilize them and make them shine.”
In the dining room, Austin created a purposeful high-low moment with a paper lantern fixture over the wooden table. Similarly, the new rug’s colorway is modern, but its Greek key pattern is classic. A contemporary piece by multidisciplinary artist Christopher Peter tops an antique credenza, forming yet another high-contrast vignette. Meanwhile, an exquisite custom wool rug by Landry & Arcari breathes new life into the breakfast room. Not just one but two light pendants balance out the existing table’s length; their swirls echo the living room sofa’s elegant curve.
Overall, the living spaces delight thanks to playful geometry, intriguing textures, and impactful moments. They are a study in contrast and juxtaposition. They are elevated yet welcoming. The clients—both working professionals with two college-age daughters—are thrilled with the transformation. To them, the upgrade turned their home into a haven. Says the wife: “The whole process, from Austin’s design to working with the incredible trades, was smooth and thoughtful. Every detail came together beautifully. It made our home a place we never want to leave.”