A home style refresh in Medford, finished just in time for the pandemic lockdown

After 22 years in their home, they finally made a bedroom, home office, and bathroom their own.

An original oil painting by Irish artist Therese O’Keeffe, purchased online at Saatchi Art, hangs above the homeowner’s bed. “I always do custom beds so the mattress sits on a platform instead of below the sideboards, and that’s hard to find,” says designer Annie Hall. “This design makes it much easier to change the sheets.” She chose the zigzag table by Eric Pfeiffer for Corral because of its architectural shape and small scale.michael j lee

Before Linda and Roy Pollock started working with designer Annie Hall, they weren’t sure how to describe their decorating style. “Cottage? Contemporary? I’m not sure we really had a style,” Linda admits. Hall, who completely redesigned the first floor of the family’s 110-year-old Medford home a few years ago, says they were a quick study. Last year, Hall carried the look — which she describes as highly comfortable with a modern edge — up to the second floor.

Hall worked her magic throughout the upstairs, but focused on the couple’s drab bedroom, Roy’s cluttered home office, and the tired family bathroom. The emphasis on green came from an image of a painting that Linda showed her husband and Hall. “It was folk art, with a chicken, and they were like, ‘What?’” Linda recalls with a laugh. “But for me, it was all about the colors.”

With a fresh, modern green palette in mind, Hall discovered that iconic Louis Poulsen PH 5 pendants are available in just that hue. “The wall is tight for a king-sized bed, so I found narrow side tables and punctuated them with hanging pendants,” the designer says. From there, she added pale green wool drapes, a dark green velvet bench, and an atmospheric landscape painting (albeit without a chicken in sight). “It’s nice to have art over the bed given its prominence,” Hall says.

Across from the bed, Hall widened the opening to Roy’s office and swapped out the louvered bifold doors for French doors with black frames. “Linda was leery of the black initially, but ultimately trusted it would be an interesting contrast,” Hall says. She visually tied the doors to black curtain rods and a sculptural black lamp that sits atop the walnut dresser she designed.

Roy, a scientist who has worked from home throughout the pandemic, had a number of requirements for his desk, including hidden compartments for computer equipment and a pullout keyboard. He also wanted comfortable recliners for reading. Linda, who deemed his bulky black leather one “awful,” is thrilled with their new mid-century modern Milo Baughman recliners and loves spending time in the sunny room. “When the blinds are open you feel like you’re in the trees,” she says.

Hall pulled green into the bath, too, with a fun, textured vinyl wallcovering by Elitis and vertical stacks of 3-inch-by-12-inch gray/green tiles from Fireclay Tile. Removing an oppressive soffit over the sink made the space feel airier and the new two-tone vanity provided Linda, Roy, and each of their two daughters with a drawer of their own. “I wanted to make this little space really special for them,” Hall says.

Now, the entire house is stylish and efficient. “We’ve lived here 22 years,” Linda says. “It was time.”

RESOURCES:

Interior designer: Annie Hall Interiors, anniehallinteriors.com

Builder: Timberwolf Construction, timberwolfcon.com

Furniture and cabinetmaker: Mcintosh & Company, mcintosh.company

MORE PHOTOS:

The bedroom before the renovation.From Annie Hall Interiors

Artful Edge Framing in Allston framed the mirror in walnut to match the custom walnut dresser that Hall designed. Recliners from Design Within Reach flank a custom walnut side table. The new doors leading to the sitting room have black frames for visual interest.michael j lee

Hall had walnut planks cut for black metal brackets to create shelves above the custom, wall-mounted desk. Timberwolf Construction fabricated the contemporary radiator cover.michael j lee

The office area before the project was completed.From Annie Hall Interiors

In the family bath, Hall made use of wall height gained from removing a soffit by hanging an extra tall mirror and a pair of floating orb pendants with orange cords.michael j lee