Posted August 16, 2022

European-Inspired Bostonian Condo in Back Bay

This one-bed, one-bath condominium located in the Vendome Building on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston’s historic Back Bay has been completely renovated for the ultimate combination of European elegance and classic Bostonian charm.

160 Commonwealth Ave was originally built in 1872 as a hotel, and now is the home for 110 residential units. Our developer client hired us for procurement services for their unit, which has been completely renovated with Adige’s beautiful imported oak wood flooring, open-shelving and hallway closet installations, a hand-carved graphite marble mantel and bathroom vanity for a luxurious, contemporary living environment.

Client Profile

CLIENT: Kinmos Trust LLC

LOCATION: Boston’s Back Bay

PROJECT LENGTH: 6 Months

YEAR: 2022

SERVICES: Product Procurement

Hand-carved marble mantel and Italian wooden shelves in Back Bay Apartment. — Hand-carved marble mantel and Olivieri Mobili’s Italian shelving units.

Style

160 Commonwealth Avenue combines both classic and contemporary elements. The hand-carved marble mantel, typically seen in more classical environments, has a sleek, clean design that fits the modern, minimalistic style of the space. In addition, the imported open bookshelves on either side provide a spacious feel to the apartment, further maximizing on space.

Back Bay living room with hand-carved marble mantel and oak wood flooring.

Italian closet by Olivieri Mobili. — Italian entry closet and oak wood flooring.

Challenges

Coordinating the planning and installation of the custom open shelving and fireplace located in the living room posed a bit of a logistics challenge for our team. Due to the custom nature of these products and that they were fabricated overseas, the installation with local carpenters and electricians on site took careful coordination. Precise measurements and clear communication is what ultimately proved successful. We’ve noticed some clients say they prefer to work with local vs international factories to avoid difficulties during installation, as they think these problems can be resolved more quickly. However with our local design and procurement team, along with consistent communication, we are able to solve these problems with ease. So there is no reason for our clients to avoid custom projects with international brands—we are equipped to fit our custom made items in any scenario.