The living area is illuminated by a sculptural Hubbardton Forge light fixture, as well as a pop of color from Malcolm Preston’s oil painting “Figures on the Beach #2,” provided by A R E A gallery.
The Alloy Penthouse is a testament to new beginnings. Designed by Boston-based firm Dane Austin (daneaustindesign.com), the home features a sumptuous palette of muted colors interspersed with neutrals. The modern hues and furniture are a welcome change for the Ioffredos, who lived in a renovated Melrose Victorian for 23 years before moving here. With three adult children living away from home, this couple ventured toward the city to embrace a chic, urban lifestyle.
Because Cathy and Alan Ioffredo travel every month, functionality was a key part of the design. Award-winning designer Dane Austin applied his signature design process, “The Rise & Thrive Experience,” to ensure the home was a haven for the weary globe-trotters. The project team’s efforts centered on keeping things low-maintenance yet stylish: “The furniture is low-slung and loungey. Floating built-in furniture was appealing to keep the floors clean, offering more visual floor space while minimizing cleaning efforts by eliminating the feet and legs for furniture, as seen in the custom wall-mounted entry console, entertainment center and floating bookshelves, and bespoke beds and nightstands,” Austin says. After long periods of jet-setting, the home provides spaces dedicated to comfort and relaxation.
Geometric shapes and Italian bespoke furniture add artistry into the living room, and Molly Kaderka’s painting “Last of Their Kind: Critically Endangered Birds” draws attention to the cool hues of the cityscape.
The relaxing ambiance is amplified by the home’s geometry. Sculptural symmetry and shapes characterize the space. In the living area, a sheer curtain from Zoffany by The Martin Group featuring interlocking peridot green and gray triangles diffuses sunlight. The use of triangles set against the urban skyline establishes a harmony between the home’s interior and exterior. A light fixture from Hubbardton Forge dangles from the ceiling in modernist glory; the metal bends ribbonlike in a fashion that wouldn’t seem out of place at the Museum of Fine Arts. Additionally, hexagonal mirrors and blown-glass lights contribute even more artistic flair to the home.
Raw-cut leather bar stools from Poltrona Frau’s Montera collection bring polished style into the kitchen
Although the Alloy Penthouse departs drastically from the owners’ previous residence, it still maintains a sense of nostalgia. Their Italian heritage is referenced through reclining chairs, bar stools, dining chairs, entry consoles and other pieces that were crafted in Italy. These furnishings allude to the lush history of Italy. “With the exception of a few cherished antique lamps and the Arts and Crafts club chair in the office, most everything is bespoke,” Austin says. The environment is tailored perfectly to fit the needs of its inhabitants.
The clients requested a monochromatic palette, but standout pieces ensure that the space is anything but colorless. In the living room, “the peridot green and gray rug complements the drapes, which in turn pull the colors of the trees and the cityscape beyond,” Austin says. In the master bedroom, a custom bed from Chilmark steals the show. The white floating bed is paired with floating nightstands containing blue interior drawers. Undermount lighting creates an ethereal effect that highlights the bed’s structure. Moreover, artwork provided by A R E A gallery introduces color and whimsy into the penthouse. “Decoy Duck” by Michael MacMahon reflects its powder blue hues and imaginative landscape into a geometric mirror. The rest of the paintings feature similar pastel tones that stimulate the viewer’s senses.
The Alloy Penthouse’s final look was achieved in a mere seven months through the ingenuity of Dane Austin Design. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom modernist home combines statement furniture and art to create an environment that draws from the family’s past while looking toward their future. “The couple was so good about doing their homework. If they were curious about a product or a finish, they would go to the stone yard or a showroom on their own time and report back to us with their thoughts,” Austin says, “but they would allow us to guide the final design concept and coordination in a way that was respectful and appreciative.”
Photography by: Sean Litchfield Photography
