How many times have you stumbled home after a long day,
flicked on the lights, and felt downright uninspired? If only your apartment
were cozier. If only your accessories were more unusual. If only your
entertainment center wasn't a DIY disaster. Then, perhaps, you'd feel like a
grown-up.
It's Michael Ferzoco of Eleven Interiors to the rescue. Yes, clients can drop up to $500,000 for
his transformative powers. But the down-to-earth Boston native is no snob. The
South End-based interior designer uses simple principles applicable to any
taste (or budget). Take, for example, one of his recent magic acts: he
overhauled an ordinary bachelor pad in South Boston's Allele condominium and
turned it into a stunning urban nest, embracing a straightforward approach
palatable for even the cash-conscious.
Step one: know your financial limits. Indeed, this particular
client - a single guy, new to Boston - had a firm budget. "So we played a
high-low game with furnishings, custom pieces, and imported pieces," Ferzoco
says. He suggests mixing and matching custom and vintage items with
store-bought finds. Take heart: not everything you buy has to be a rare import
or a unique design. Drapes, for instance, are a handy way to scrimp. "It's
really easy to go someplace like Restoration Hardware and buy readymade drapes.
Cut off the bottom of the drapes, buy yourself some fabric, bring it to a
seamstress, and have the bottom sewn on. This is a cheap and simple alternative
to custom," he suggests. Ferzoco recommends Zimman's in Lynn, where you'll find
reams of cheap, exotic fabric. (The store also stocks lighting, furniture, and
home accessories.) Other skimp-ables? Shelving and cabinets. "Nobody's going to
notice the difference between a high-end cabinet and an IKEA cabinet," he
laughs. "Go with the lower-end stuff. Spend your money on rugs. Spend your
money on dining-room chairs. Those are things you're really going to use."
For this condo, he chose IKEA shelving but visited his preferred
Boston shops for bigger furniture items. The dining-room table, for example,
was purchased at SEDA. The sofa came from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Dining
chairs were imported from Italy. (Ferzoco spent many years in Europe and tries
to bring an international flair to his designs.)
After evaluating your budget, examine your lifestyle. Do you
entertain a lot? Spend your money on a great kitchen. Consider your home a
sanctuary? Maybe a succulent boudoir is the way to go. Such fact-finding is
integral to Ferzoco's craft. "Every client has their own fantasy of how they
picture themselves living. I interview them. What do they do? Do they have
kids? Pets? Work from home?" Once he's nailed that down, he can customize an
environment. And though he favors a clean, contemporary aesthetic, he always
defers to a client's vision. "The worst compliment I could receive is for
someone to walk into a home and think, ‘Oh, you must have worked with Eleven.'
It needs to be recognized as the client's home."
To achieve that personal touch, Ferzoco urges expression through
lighting and color. The Allele, like many modern buildings, presented a
lighting challenge in terms of wiring. "Boston brownstones are easier. The
city's newer buildings make it hard to cleanly run new electrical wiring," he
laments. Plus, many new condos have recessed lighting, which Ferzoco detests.
("It makes your ceiling look like Swiss cheese!") At the Allele, he used plenty
of floor lights and lamps to overcome the wiring issue. Meanwhile, his Boston
bachelor requested a "cool, masculine look" for the color scheme. So Ferzoco
employed deep jewel tones: teal blue with gray, mustard yellow, burgundy, and
eggplant, mixed with dark wood.
Finally, the ultimate goal is comfort. "So many people think comfort
means overstuffed and big. Don't buy out of scale," he cautions. In other
words, Grandma's mile-long sofa isn't the only route to relaxation. Ferzoco
also warns against avoiding modern furniture. "Many people mistake ‘modern' for
cold. They believe modern pieces just aren't comfortable, and that's not true.
This has changed a lot in the last few years." So don't shy away from smaller,
sleeker finds. Bachelor or not, you can have your Cheetos and beer - and still
recline in style.
