Winter 2025 Issue
Best of Boston Home 2025
Drumroll, please! Here are the best of the best—the most discerning architects, builders, designers, craftspeople, and retailers around Greater Boston and beyond.
Feature
A West Roxbury Interior Designer’s Toughest Client? Herself.
In her own home, designer Rachel Reider infuses vibrancy and comfort along with key finds she’s encountered on the job.
Inside a Concord Colonial: Modern European Elegance Meets Historic Architecture
Designer Sarah Scales brings Barcelona-inspired minimalism to a 10,000-square-foot Massachusetts estate.
A Wellesley Cape Cod Transforms From Traditional to Trendy
Classic fades to contemporary when a much-loved Massachusetts home is reimagined for empty nesters.
Department
The Italian Villa Grandeur of Boston’s Best New Restaurant
The décor of La Padrona, located in Raffles Boston, is as enticing as the fine-dining destination’s exquisite cuisine.
How a Painter and a Mathematician Revolutionized Carpet Design
JD Staron’s mix of modern aesthetics and artisanal craftsmanship makes for some ultra-distinctive carpets.
Milicent Armstrong’s Artisan Journey from Turkey to Marblehead
Artemis Design Co. marries Turkish textiles with American style.
At Newport’s Gardiner House, HBO’s “Gilded Age” History Meets Modern Hospitality
Inspired by Newport’s Gilded Age and named for an American painter, the 21-room boutique hotel beckons with distinction.
A Boston Townhouse Transforms from Dark Tradition to Modern Marvel
In the South End, a dreary, 1,900-square-foot home becomes awash in light and modernity.
Fashion + Style
Threatening Divorce at BSO’s Opening Night Gala
Our intrepid society columnist reports from Boston’s swankiest affairs, including the New England Fall Flower Show and Taste of the Food Bank.
Other
Three Art and Design Books for Your Winter 2025 Reading List
Inside Dolce & Gabbana’s handmade collections, the beauty of design with Mark D. Sikes, and Alexander Girard’s impressive oeuvre.
Home Design
A Look Inside Gretta Luxe’s Chic New Wellesley Location
At her Central Street boutique, stylist Gretta Monahan creates warmth and intimacy while bringing in a little vintage glamour, too.
Inside a Wellesley Craftsman: How Designer Amanda Reid Blended Family Function with Elegant Style
A 1910 home is redecorated to suit a family of five beautifully.
Designer Kelley Elizabeth’s Bold Vision Transforms a Bedroom Space
A cavernous space is transformed into one couple’s dreamy primary suite with black, white, and blue tones.
A Boston Brownstone Goes From Three Rentals to One Fabulous Home
In the Back Bay, a broken-up brownstone becomes whole again.
Inside a Raffles Boston Residence with a Secret Batman-Inspired Room
A retired homeowner abandons his brownstone for a 28th-floor unit in a luxury high-rise hotel, tailored by his longtime designer Paula Daher.
Arts + Entertainment
Winter Arts Events in Boston: Hugh Hayden and Tony Sarg
Where to go and what to see for your winter arts fix.