An Industrial Space With a Soft Edge

The living room. Photo: Joshua McHugh

When Kevin Dumais’s newlywed clients found their magnificent loft on Franklin Street in 2015, it hadn’t been touched since the ’90s — and its style could best be described as a brooding man cave. After living in it for a year, they decided to do a full gut renovation with Portell Architects and hired Dumais to, as he puts it, “lighten and soften the raw envelope and add storage and entertaining space.” Dumais, who has a particular talent for infusing spaces with a past with a lyrical modernity, worked closely with the architects to create, within the open, 2,800-square-foot space, a master bedroom, a guest room, and an office–slash–guest room. In the open living room, shown above, he opted to keep the exposed beams intact and painted the original brick walls white. The Kagan curved sofa is from Holly Hunt, and the circular coffee table is by Lawson-Fenning. The area rug is from The Rug Company. A new wide-plank oak floor helps lighten up the space.

Dumais created much-needed storage space in the entry foyer by adding some custom-designed closets. He also installed a pendant light by Workstead and a Moroccan-tile floor by Ann Sacks. Photo: Joshua McHugh

“We completely reconfigured the kitchen layout,” Dumais says, “and installed a large central island to divide the space.” The stools are from Restoration Hardware and the marble backsplash is by Calacatta Manhattan Marble. The blue lacquer finish on the cabinetry is by Farrow & Ball. Photo: Joshua McHugh

The dining area has a table from Restoration Hardware and a custom-designed sideboard with drawers and shelving. The dining chairs are custom from Luther Quintana Upholstery. Photo: Joshua McHugh

“We designed and installed a wall of steel and glass doors to allow the light to filter into the master bedroom from the southern exposure across the apartment,” Dumais says. Through the wall into the bedroom, you can see a freestanding room divider, which provides storage for media components. Photo: Joshua McHugh

Dumais used suede wallcovering on the inset panels of the millwork doors, and the headboard of the bed (from Restoration Hardware) is draped with a gold-tone fabric that complements the room’s gray and brown tones. The elegant side table–lamp is from Orange Furniture. Photo: Joshua McHugh

The master bath’s double vanity is from Restoration Hardware. The walls have been painted two tones to add depth and height. “This project, along with others we’ve worked on in recent years, allowed us to get fully involved in the interior renovation — to act as the client’s representative and to really provide a space that is customized, unique, and personal to the homeowners as well as to us, the designers,” says Dumais. Photo: Joshua McHugh