Dan Gordon Landscape Architects
Photo by Neil Landino Dan Gordon understands that our outdoor spaces set the backdrop for the special times in our lives. That’s why Gordon and his close-knit team are methodical and precise in studying the settings they work in long before the design phase begins. The most beautiful aspect of the firm’s work, from city roof decks and historical-inspired parterres to lush, tree shrouded lawns and extensive pool areas, is its timelessness: The landscapes never feel new or contrived, but rather as if they’ve always been there. dangordon.com.
Landry & Arcari
Interior Design by Dane Austin Design. / Photo by Sean Litchfield If you regard rugs as artwork for the floor, Landry & Arcari is the place to acquire them. Flip through stack after pristine stack of new, vintage, and antique Tabriz, Heriz, Serapi, Soumak, Oushak, and more while the knowledgeable sales team patiently educates you on origins and styles. (Or start by clicking through the well-organized website.) If contemporary designs are more your taste, there are ombres, abstract florals, and sharp-edged geometrics, plus a custom rug-design program for bespoke creations. The showrooms also offer a selection of high-quality broadloom carpets that would convince any hardwood-floor lover to consider going wall-to-wall. 333 Stuart Street, Boston, MA 02116, landryandarcari.com.
ZK Painting
Owner Zach Kenney strives for perfection, and it shows. His team is methodical in their preparation of each space, leading to flawlessly painted interior and exterior spaces every time. A big bonus is that Kenney’s company is master certified with Fine Paints of Europe, which means it can do high-gloss painting, a multistep process resulting in a spectacular sheen. This skill is hotly in demand, so get your name on Kenney’s list, pronto. zkpainting.com.
Room & Board
Once you start purchasing Room & Board’s modern, artisan-crafted furniture, you’ll never shop anywhere else again. The brand’s pieces stand the test of time in both style and durability: Think a sculptural coffee table that holds up to bumps and beverage stains, a plush sectional that can host years of movie nights, or a storage-equipped bed frame that you can pass on to the next generation. 375 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, roomandboard.com.
Hacin
When David Hacin opened his firm in the South End in 1993, the neighborhood was full of old warehouses and vacant parking lots. Once developers discovered the neighborhood, they tapped Hacin to design Laconia Lofts — the artists’ building that sparked the area’s transformation to its present incarnation as Boston’s art and design hub. The new spaces Hacin and his team design are sleek and innovative, yet the veteran architect is also a passionate preservationist; in fact, some of the interdisciplinary firm’s most compelling designsare its renovations of existing buildings in which old and new elements exist in cohesion. hacin.com.
Albert Righter & Tittmann Architects
When Yale-trained architects Jacob Albert, Jim Righter, and John Tittmann launched their firm in 1996, the trio were lauded for their expertise in designing traditional New England homes. The firm has since expanded to include other partners who feel strongly that the region’s architecture should also be freshly interpreted. Within the firm’s portfolio, you’ll find a wide breadth of residential styles: a farmhouse that features traits of a Neoclassical European villa; a shingle-style home designed with 12-inch-thick walls to conserve energy; and a coastal property constructed around salvaged barn beams. artarchitects.com.
Casa Design Outdoor
Oftentimes, we spend so much time thinking about our home’s interior design that we forget about the outside. Enter Casa Design Group’s outdoor branch, where founder Zhanna Drogobetsky has extended her finely honed sense for contemporary furnishings to any open-air situation you can imagine. At the SoWa showroom, you’ll find pieces from innovative European brands — Tribù’s minimalist teak loungers, Paola Lenti’s Barbie-pink and tangerine poufs, and Kettal’s decadent deck chairs — that promise to make your backyard feel like a boutique hotel. 460 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02116, casadesigngroup.com.
FBN Construction
Photo by Michael J. Lee Specializing in custom building — from sprawling suburban manses to more-compact city condos — for more than 45 years, this construction company advocates for better buildings and is committed to transparency in its process. The knowledgeable team focuses on customer needs through exceptional communication and collaboration every step of the way. fbnconstruction.com.
Ligne Roset
courtesy photo Always dreamed of owning an Italian villa ora French pied-à-terre? Bringing a little Eurostyling to your stateside home may help scratch that itch. Long a paragon of sleek European design, today Ligne Roset’s Back Bay showroom is filled with ultra modern modular sofas, chic decorative touches like sculptural marble bookends, and dramatic abstractc handeliers from international designers such as Pierre Paulin, Evangelos Vasileiou, and Hiroshi Kawano. 200 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116, ligne-roset.com.
Jewett Farms + Co.
Photo by Sian Richards If the kitchen is the heart of the home, why not have it seamlessly fit your personal style and needs down to every last detail? That’s the ethos of design firm Jewett Farms, whose team has been dreaming up striking kitchens for a quarter century. Though consistently sleek and modern, there’s always something special about a Jewett Farms space that uniquely suits its owners — whether it’s a playful accent wall of lemon-yellow cabinetsor a five-seat island perfect for entertaining. Nothing, it seems, is off-limits. One Design Center Pl., Boston, MA 02210, jewettfarms.com.
McGuire + Co. Kitchen & Bath
Why was this full-service firm worthy of an award this year? All you have to do is look at project “Full Throttle,” in which the team transformed a former shared family bathroom into an elegant parents only escape. A tired white tub became an oasis with deep-green chevron tiles, gold hardware, and a full glass wall. A drab vanity was upgraded with dark wood and a gleaming white countertop. Moody, elegant sconces replaced overhead lighting. If they can do that with the simplest of bathrooms, imagine what they could do to your space. 239 North Ave., Wakefield, MA 01880, mcguirekitchenbath.com.
Cumar
This Everett-based fabricator boasts the largest showroom in New England, stocked with exotic stones, marble, granite,and limestone carefully sourced from all over the world — so if you can’t find what you’re looking for here, you likely won’t find it anywhere. It’s not just about the selection, of course: Cumar’s expertise runs deep, both in the knowledge of its consultants and engineers and the carefully honed skills of the stone artisans in its shop. As for the quality of their work, look no further than an entire bathroom wrapped in floor-to-ceiling marble or massive fireplaces encased in beautiful stone you’ve never seen before. 69 Norman St., Everett, MA 02149, cumar.com.
Kevin Cradock Builders
Courtesy A lifelong resident of Jamaica Plain, Kevin Cradock, who launched his firm 25 years ago, has always been amazed by the antique architecture in his neighborhoodand beyond. Incredibly knowledgeable about historical building techniques, Cradock is a preservationist at heart; he’ll go to great lengths to restore a home’s character, and when it comes to recreating antique architectural details, his team is very resourceful. They’ll help navigate challenging city building guidelines — for historic structures, there are a lot — and craft their own cabinetry, furniture, and millwork out of their shop to ensure authenticity. cradockbuilders.com.