My Houzz: Retro Vibe for a Boston Condo
Bright, happy colors paired with midcentury modern-inspired furnishings complete this couple’s 850-square-foot cozy home
Faith Towers
9 July 2016
Houzz Contributor. Faith Towers is a designer, writer and crafter with a passion for all things creative. She received her art degree from Skidmore College, and her work has been featured in Forbes and Yahoo. She writes her blog called Design Fixation and also spends her days designing wedding invitations and stationery.
Houzz Contributor. Faith Towers is a designer, writer and crafter with a passion... More
Erin Madore and Josh Wilcox say they practically bought their home on the spot when friends introduced them to a couple who were about to move out of the condominium in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. Wilcox, a software engineer, and Madore, a wellness guide, yoga teacher, personal trainer and Reiki master, appreciate efficiency and simplicity, so they personalized the already-well-designed interior with midcentury modern-inspired style and meaningful mementos.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Erin Madore and Josh Wilcox and their cats, Harry and Sally
Location: Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts
Size: 850 square feet (79 square meters); two bedrooms, one bathroom
Former owners Andrea and Justin Baumann had a keen eye for design, leaving new owners Erin Madore and Josh Wilcox a solid foundation to build on. “We even loved how they had painted the doors black,” Madore says.
The dining room is the heart of the home thanks to its central location within the second-story condo. It’s filled with entertaining essentials like a bar cart and a credenza to store serveware. Making this room feel inviting was a priority, as the couple love to entertain. They participate in a Taco Tuesday group that meets at a different house each week.
Who lives here: Erin Madore and Josh Wilcox and their cats, Harry and Sally
Location: Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts
Size: 850 square feet (79 square meters); two bedrooms, one bathroom
Former owners Andrea and Justin Baumann had a keen eye for design, leaving new owners Erin Madore and Josh Wilcox a solid foundation to build on. “We even loved how they had painted the doors black,” Madore says.
The dining room is the heart of the home thanks to its central location within the second-story condo. It’s filled with entertaining essentials like a bar cart and a credenza to store serveware. Making this room feel inviting was a priority, as the couple love to entertain. They participate in a Taco Tuesday group that meets at a different house each week.
Phil and Lauren Santoro of Blue Lamb Furnishings refurbished the credenza. Wilcox is an avid mixologist and the dining room is filled with cocktail-mixing resources, such as a collection of books on the subject.
The handmade wooden dining table plays a multipurpose role, providing a place to both eat and work. “The soulful dining table brings together our friends and family…. We know this will be a piece that we cherish forever,” Madore says.
Dining table: Emmor Works
Dining table: Emmor Works
The open layout allows the dining and living rooms to merge into one large entertaining space when friends come over.
Keepsakes and mementos displayed in geometric wooden boxes decorate the walls.
A large sectional echoes the angles of the walls, providing a cozy place for the couple to unwind and reconnect with each other after work. Yellow is one of Madore’s favorite colors, and the table lamp was a lucky $10 find at Remarkable Cleanouts in Norwood, Massachusetts.
The TV is wall-mounted, leaving plenty of room to display items on the console below.
Madore wanted to promote a positive attitude throughout the home, so there are inspiring quotes and words on display on nearly every surface.
The couple’s cats, Harry and Sally, pictured here with Madore, love to roam the apartment in search of toys and new places to play. You might even find Harry relaxing on a high pantry shelf behind the rice.
Vintage memorabilia decorate one wall of the living room, above the cats’ toy basket.
The master bedroom is opposite the dining room, down the hall from the living room.
A bright orange accent wall serves as a bold backdrop to the upholstered headboard here.
The dresser has a gray ombre finish and provides yet another surface for souvenirs and other sentimental items.
Bright yellow is the color of choice in the condo’s only bathroom, in the form of a large-scale patterned shower curtain.
A few decorative items dress up the shelves where towels are kept.
Decor is spare so as not to overwhelm the small space.
In the kitchen, the back door, which leads to a deck, is painted in a chalkboard finish, adding a playful touch to the space.
A sliding barn-style door opens to reveal a pantry with food storage and a washer and dryer.
The open kitchen has a surprising amount of storage, perfect for housing all of the couple’s cookware.
The couple love cooking healthy meals at home and tend to focus on simple foods with all-natural ingredients.
Around the corner from the kitchen is the second bedroom, which is used as an office. The midcentury-inspired desk is where Madore often works during the day.
“We knew when we moved that we were going to want to buy a lot of new furniture, as our old place was filled with hand-me-downs that were past their prime,” she says. “So each piece we bought was well considered, and now deeply loved and appreciated.”
“We knew when we moved that we were going to want to buy a lot of new furniture, as our old place was filled with hand-me-downs that were past their prime,” she says. “So each piece we bought was well considered, and now deeply loved and appreciated.”
A comfy chair in the corner provides an ideal spot to read.
A colorful poster featuring European football players reflects Wilcox’s love of the sport. The couple are big fans of Chelsea.
On the deck, plants fill one side while a table and chairs paired with a bench provide an alternative entertaining option on warm nights. Madore often brings her laptop out to the table to work.
Wilcox, left, and Madore are grateful to live in Dorchester. Just three miles from downtown Boston and a mile from Dorchester Bay, the area always offers something new to do nearby. For this fun-loving couple, it’s become the perfect haven in the city.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
Read remodeling guides
Find pros near you
Shop for home products
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What a fun living space! Such a wonderful job maintaining those hardwood floors, too. Beautiful!
love this apt it looks so lived in. Great stuff.