West End Process :: Envelope

For Huntley & Co., the first and foremost concern in design development is the “envelope”.  TH can’t talk about it enough!  Getting the envelope right – spacial relationships, interior architecture, materials and finishes – means a thoughtful, comfortable home that needs less stuff to look good. 

|  CONFIGURING THE SPACE  |

Reconfiguring an interior is a process – it requires a lot of drawings and plenty of site meetings.  It’s important to be as technical and thorough as possible while understanding there will likely be a few surprises and adjustments along the way.  

Top photo:  One of the pages in the H&Co. drawing set.  Bottom L to R:  Meeting with the contractor; a study of the circulation in a tight area; drywall in progress.

|  MILLWORK  |

Millwork is one of the most impactful aspects of an interior.  When it’s done well, it can make the house.  When it’s done cheaply, it’s like bad teeth – it doesn’t matter how pretty the face is.  With this project, our main focus was to reconcile the incongruous architectural details throughout the home and create a more finessed envelope.  This included doors, crown, paneling and custom mantels as shown below.  

The mantels were designed to complement adjacent millwork for a quieter, more elegant presentation.

|  MATERIALS  |

Material selection – wood, stone, tile, metal finishes – sets the tone for the home’s atmosphere and lays the groundwork for decorative elements.  When selecting a material, we keep everything else in mind.  In a bathroom for instance:  Are the windows facing north?  What type of glass do the vintage sconces have?  How white is the tub?  These details are part of the “conversation” and influence what marble slab I approve and tile colors I select.

Top L to R:  Slab for a fireplace surround; master bath materials, final wood selection for the library.

Bottom:  The tile layout for the master bath was a hands-on (and ugh, thighs and knees) process that took several hours.  Click photo for a video of the legendary H&Co. attention to detail.

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We hope you’ll join us next week when we’ll share more about the process of specifying furnishings and softgoods!  Or take another look at our Concept: West End post to see how this project began. 

xo Huntley & Co.