Through an interior designer, of course.
What do you do when you’re a guy’s guy but want women to
feel welcome in your bachelor pad? If you’re Mark Riggs, Senior VP at Endeca
Technologies, you hire interior designer Kristin Gaughan of Urban Living Studio
to redesign your South End condo. Riggs, who travels often (sometimes on his
Harley), was looking to create a sanctuary, a peaceful place that could double
as dude-friendly home base and romantic hideaway. Because he dates a lot, he
wanted to make sure that women wouldn’t feel threatened by an overly masculine
environment. Riggs tells us, “I made a first pass at it myself, but ultimately
it wasn’t what I was trying to accomplish. I really wanted a woman’s sense of
design to be apparent.” Just when he realized he was in over his head, Riggs
met Gaughan, and they immediately hit it off. The result of their
collaboration? A comfortable space with a light and airy feel that appeals to
the ladies, along with more than enough gadgetry to satisfy any man.
Riggs’s entire condo is wired for sound through a Bang &
Olufsen system. There’s WiFi and Bluetooth, an iPod docking station, satellite
radio, DVD and Blu-ray, and a receiver that can store 1000 discs in its memory.
And it’s all tucked neatly away in a discreet cabinet. He’s got a Wii, too.
(This is a bachelor pad, after all.) The 62-inch television hangs above the gas
fireplace, which Gaughan transformed from boring brick to sexy and sleek. The
screen tilts up and down, back and forth, so it’s visible from anywhere in the
room.
When it comes to furniture, Riggs prefers rounded lines. The
Robin Bruce chenille sofa swoops around gracefully in front of the fireplace,
accented by the curving lines of the Platner coffee and side tables. The thick,
loopy wool rug by Merida is an edgy (yet squishy) juxtaposition to the tables’
nickel and glass materials. The black leather Eames lounge chair is a
traditionally masculine touch; it’s Riggs’s favorite place to sit with his
computer. And when it’s time to entertain, everything’s at the touch of his
fingertips. Gaughan points out, “With the push of three buttons, Mark can close
the shades, turn on the music, and light the fireplace.” Channeling Austin
Powers much? (Sorry, we couldn’t resist the comparison — we’re actually
insanely jealous.)
As a single guy, Riggs eats out often (among his faves are Clio
and B&G Oysters), but he wanted to start cooking and entertaining more, so
he asked Gaughan to design and outfit a chef’s kitchen. She covered the room’s
exposed brick with a crisp and clean backsplash of bisque subway tile, swapped
clunky upper cabinets for simple stainless-steel shelves (though she salvaged
the bottom cabinets to cut costs), and added a Wolf range with bright red knobs
and a stainless-steel hood. She even took care of the gourmet accoutrements,
like the red espresso maker and Shun knives. Another Gaughan addition is the
island, topped with honed granite to match the new fireplace surround.
When we wonder about his culinary feats, Riggs pulls open the
drawer of the stainless Sub-Zero refrigerator. It’s chock full of vacuum-packed
king salmon and yellow eye (a rare white fish), all caught on the Alaskan
fishing trips he takes with his brother twice a year. (We can’t help but wonder
if now he’s bragging a bit, but this man of many talents is the real deal.) In nice
weather, it gets grilled outside on the deck, an easy feat since Riggs had an
automatic gas feed hooked up. We imagine enjoying the fabulous view (the
Hancock and the Pru stand right before our eyes), with a glass of wine (Riggs
has 250 bottles on hand) and a light meal. Turns out, that’s just his routine.
Riggs says, “I love sitting out on my deck in evening. After work, you can find
me here lounging with a glass of scotch, smoking a cigar.” Spoken like a true
bachelor.
Marni Elyse Katz blogs about design at www.stylecarrot.com
