Transitional Ranch

Medford, MA

Transitional ranch interior renovation Medford MA| split level | interior design Greater Boston | Italian interior designer Boston | New England best designer

Kitchen to dining view, navy island, industrial cabinet, teal accent wall, Medford MA New England

Stair hall detail, round mirror, teal wall, skylight, Greater Boston New England

Rocky hillside garden view, granite outcroppings, New England landscape, Medford MA

Kitchen renovation, navy island, marble countertop, glass pendants, cathedral ceiling, Erica Fossati Design Greater Boston

Dining area detail, teal accent wall, round mirror, smoked glass pendant, Greater Boston, Erica Fossati Design

The property presented two problems that were also two opportunities. The lot rose sharply from street to rear, and the existing ranch plan followed convention: living areas on the first floor, bedrooms above. The result was a house that turned its back on its own landscape and buried the rooms that needed light in the flattest, darkest part of the site.

The solution was to invert the program entirely. Bedrooms moved to the first floor, living areas to the second. The upper level opens directly onto a new sunroom addition with access to the rocky hillside garden, a New England landscape of granite outcroppings, ferns, and seasonal color that had previously been invisible from the main living spaces. The ceilings, originally low throughout, were cathedraled wherever the structure allowed. Skylights were introduced throughout to bring natural light into a house whose exterior the client preferred to leave largely unchanged. Mechanical equipment was relocated to a screened outdoor platform, returning that floor area to the plan. The kitchen was moved from an undersized corner to a larger zone with better orientation and connection to the dining area.

Open plan living area, quad skylights, industrial cabinet, cathedral ceiling, Medford MA Greater Boston

Office detail, antique family heirloom chest, decorative vases, teal wall, Medford MA Greater Boston

The client is a committed traveler with an eclectic collection of objects gathered across the years. The initial brief leaned heavily toward a monochromatic gray palette, which risked a sterile, flat aesthetic. I pushed for a more curated selection of elevated tones to provide necessary depth and visual interest, preventing the space from feeling static. The design introduced a deep teal as the primary accent, carried consistently from the dining wall through the kitchen island and into the primary bath, grounding the open plan without overwhelming it. The existing cotto tile floors on the lower level were retained, their warmth and patina providing continuity that new materials alone could not have offered.

All construction documents including architectural, electrical, plumbing, and 3D models were produced in-house.

The project was managed from initial concept through construction completion, in close collaboration with Harper Elm.

The design of the main open space and the office were built around two family heirlooms: a large antique console and a carved wooden chest, both of which the client brought to the project as non-negotiables. Rather than working around them, the design started from them.