Natalie King’s approach to redesigning the living room in a circa 1880 Back Bay brownstone: Honor the history and craftsmanship, then introduce elements that reflect the home’s next chapter. While her clients still adored the French antiques they had collected over the years, they looked to King for a more understated elegance. King, founder of Natalie King Interior Design, began by restoring the original fireplace mantel boasting floral carvings and a glazed ceramic floral tile surround. Rather than replicating the teal color of the tiles — likely made by J. & J.G. Low Art Tile Works in Chelsea — with pops around the room, King used softer shades of blue. “The clients were traveling during the design,” King says. “These blues were inspired by the Venetian canals.”
1 King reupholstered the clients’ Louis XVI-style armchairs in blue wool reminiscent of men’s suiting for heft, then paired them with a clean-lined pedestal table by Julian Chichester with a black stained oak top.
2 Trefler’s restored the clients’ French neoclassical style chests, painting them Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue. Sculptural alabaster lamps offset the chests’ inherently fussy gilded details.
3 King designed molding for the tall, blank walls. “Without the molding, the eye didn’t connect to the beautiful ceiling trim,” she says. The neutral wall color accentuates the natural light from the bay window and showcases the fireplace.
4 Contemporary art injects color and energy. King chose Sheryl Daane Chestnut’s Orchids from Jules Place for over the fireplace. “The abstract floral feel has so much depth and movement,” she says. Three-dimensional, kinetic pieces by Jose Margulis offset the weight of the heavy wood door.
5 The low-slung furniture in the seating area conjures a modern Parisian vibe that counters the antiques while the fabrics speak to the clients’ interest in heritage European textiles.
6 Trefler’s also restored the client’s marble-topped antique buffet. “Calacatta Viola marble is very of the moment, although this piece is from 1800s France,” King says. The color and form of the lamp ties to the bronze drinks table from Artefact in the South End. “The client was delighted by the simplicity of the table which she would never have chosen herself,” she shares.
Marni Elyse Katz is a contributing editor to the Globe Magazine. Follow her on Instagram @StyleCarrot. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.