Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
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97 the historic architecture. There were just a few mid-cen- tury modern accretions, and they installed dark stone Victorian mantels in some of the rooms in the 1870s. But the original wainscots, moldings, ceiling medallions, windows, and millwork are mostly all still here." He and Lieberman patched the floors with wide old boards they found in the attic, removed radiators in favor of an up-to-date heating and cooling system, and repaired the old plaster walls. They then treated the interior to a minimalist white palette. The beautiful old floor boards wear an eco-friendly treatment and there is matte white paint on the plaster walls, while the molding, chair rails, window frames, and other trim received a high-gloss white finish. The furniture is contemporary and clean-lined, and there are no draper- ies at the tall windows, which still have their paneled interior shutters. The media room inside the front door is the only colorful space, painted a saturated shade of blue-gray. "I like white interiors," Cohen says. "But I like mono- chromatic, dark media rooms or dining rooms." The house still boasts its original front and back A deep adoration for minimalism is evident throughout the house. Peter Cohen , 23 Chestnut St., Salem, 206-412-3334 petercohen.us staircases. A luxurious master bedroom suite that includes a dressing room and a marble bath occupies the front of the second floor. There are additional bedrooms on this floor, and on the third floor, where the homeowners also have home offices. Everywhere, the bright white rooms provide an effective foil for Cohen's art and furnishings collection and for his own pieces of metal sculpture. "I love welding," he says. "It's when I am totally in the moment." He rents workspace in Somerville and ex- hibits in a shared gallery on Boston's Harrison Avenue. While the move to Salem was unplanned, it has turned into an unexpected joy. "We have never known so many neighbors," Cohen marvels. "Living here harkens back to a time when neighbors knew each other." Since moving here, he has become active in the community, serving on the board of The House of the Seven Gables. "This house was such an opportunity," he says. See page 180 for resources