This Federal-style brownstone mixes historical features with layers of bold colors (including a lime green kitchen) |

Designer Nina Farmer didn’t grow up in an old house. Her unique approach to house design, defined by richly layered interiors punctuated with antiques, evolved as she moved through periods in her life. 

‘My parents built our first home from scratch. It was in the countryside in Connecticut and there was nothing remotely historic about it,’ she recalls. ‘But then I went to school in New Orleans, which felt very rich and patinaed, and I realized how much places that showed their age appealed to me. My parents met in London, so along with Venice and Paris, it has been a strong influence on my style.’ 

green kitchen

Cabinetry, Plain English. Custom island, Nina Farmer. Pendants, The Urban Electric Co. Cotto Cube tiles, Porcelain Superstore, are similar. Island in P10520, Fine Paints of Europe. Larder in Bancha, Farrow & Ball.

(Image credit: JARED KUZIA)

The Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston that interior designer Nina Farmer has made her home, along with her husband and two daughters, is steeped in history. ‘We’ve been here for 15 years. I love the cobbled streets and old gas lamps. There’s a very charming British feel to the area,’ she says. 

The housing stock, made up of Federal-style and Victorian brick terrace houses dating from the 1850s, is protected, making them some of the best-preserved historic homes in the US. 

green contemporary kitchen in boston home with grey marble and shelves

Cabinetry, Plain English. Custom island, Nina Farmer. Cotto Cube tiles, Porcelain Superstore, are similar. Island in P10520, Fine Paints of Europe. Larder in Bancha, Farrow & Ball.

(Image credit: JARED KUZIA)

Nina’s remarkable appetite for designing for older properties is the subject of her new book, Timeless by Design, published by Rizzoli. Her love of all things British can especially be seen in the interior design of her friends’ Federal-style brownstone home, also located in Beacon Hill and featured here.

dining room with sofa and artwork and pendant celing light and rug in elegant boston house

Wallpaper, Soane Britain. Globe pendant light, Jamb. Vintage chairs, Cleo Baldon.

(Image credit: JARED KUZIA)

‘There’s something about a certain British way of living that somehow manages to feel formal, friendly and familiar all at the same time. There’s an exciting boldness to the way interiors are being designed in the UK. Colours are deeper and richer and more patterns are used. Contrasting textures are highlighted and designers show a willingness to layer in the most sophisticated way. There’s also a healthy dose of playfulness and whimsy that ensure any floral prints and chintzes feel more fresh than frumpy,’ Nina enthuses. 

Corner of living area in elegant boston house with velvet green sofa and book shelves

Cabinetry and sofa, custom pieces. Wall light, Jamb. Bar area in Bancha by Farrow & Ball.

(Image credit: JARED KUZIA)

‘The clients are a married professional couple with two school-age children and, being regular visitors to London, they shared my affinity with England,’ Nina elaborates.  

‘The tall, narrow building had already been renovated in the 1990s but was white and sterile. It was lacking personality and missing characterful mouldings. Whilst the exterior couldn’t be touched, we completely rethought the floor plan, moving the kitchen from the first to the ground floor and created a parlor and adjoining office where it was formerly located. We all play cards regularly so this was expressly designed for that purpose and entertaining in general with an intimate, cozy and welcoming tone,’ she explains. 

corner of boston home filled with antiques

Adeline console table, Maison Flâneur. Walls in (above wainscot) Skimming Stone by Farrow & Ball. Artwork by Hugo Guinness. Source a mid-century ceramic lamp at Pamono.

(Image credit: JARED KUZIA)

‘My friends are great lovers of antique and vintage pieces and were keen to use bold colors, especially picking up on my fondness for decorating with green. It extends throughout the house, at its brightest in the kitchen and getting moodier from there, shifting toward moss and olive in other spaces, such as the board-and-batten-clad dining room and the living room and parlor, where a variety of greens are set off against paler neutrals and deeper cognac hues,’ Nina explains. 

bootroom with red bench and patterned rug

Custom cabinetry in Wheatberry by Benjamin Moore & Co.

(Image credit: JARED KUZIA)

Designing for such Anglophile clients meant Nina mostly sourced from British brands as well as taking trips to the UK for antique hunting. Paint colors are from Farrow & Ball, the kitchen cabinetry was supplied by Plain English and light fittings came from Jamb. There are also wallcoverings from Soane Britain and fabrics from Robert Kime.

‘I chose works by British artist Tom Hammick for the living and dining room as his style transcends both place and time, which felt appropriate for this house.’ Evoking the interior of an English ancestral manor house, this home transports both through time and over the ocean. 

contemporary bedroom with classic feel with armchairs and rugs and ottoman in historic boston home

Madison Wall Harvest wallcovering; curtains in Pamina, both Rose Tarlow. Coving in 18360, Fine Paints of Europe. rug, Steven King Decorative Carpets. Artwork, Get The Gusto.

(Image credit: JARED KUZIA)

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