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Name: Clytie & Claudia
Location: Belmont, MA
Size: 900 square feet
Years lived in: 4.5 years; owned

Working for years in real estate, I've been in plenty of spaces that were filled with tons of stuff and no soul. Clytie & Claudia's home is the opposite, and as Clytie walked me through and shared a brief history and story behind many of the pieces in their place, I longed to stay and hear everything.

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One strong arc throughout Clytie's life and home is sailing. Originally from Annapolis, Clytie was named after a boat (proof is on a plaque in the butler's pantry), her father built ships (check out the blueprint in the office), and her grandfather ran a hardware store that catered to the shipping industry. Without being too Cape Cod nautical, Clytie's mementos blend seamlessly into her space.

Before teaming up with Andy to start Ampersand Vintage Modern, Clytie studied geology, and there are many rocks, geodes, and even some chart art that nod to that background. She credits her dad for her interest in antiques. She acquired her first piece with him at the age of 10, and that wardrobe has a place of pride in the living room. Clytie's great eye and talent at finding the gems in others' trash (check out how many of the pieces are from the side of the road!) really enforce the company's aesthetic.

Claudia doesn't let Clytie have all of the fun, though. One of my favorite items in their home is the dresser in the office that Claudia found and stripped to its current state. With tons of character and charm, it's perfectly imperfect, just like their space.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Vintage Modern

Inspiration: Growing up I was exposed to bright colors and outside-the-box thinking when it came to décor. My father was very utilitarian; my mother an artist. I feel their aesthetic comes through with all the storied pieces in my home. My look today definitely draws on inspiration from my friends and design blogs everywhere.

Favorite Element: The butler's pantry connecting the dining room and kitchen and the light airiness of my home.

Biggest Challenge: At any moment the inventory from my business, Ampersand Vintage Modern, can EXPLODE and take up my entire house! With that said, storage is my biggest challenge. I've started addressing that with some DIY projects. The scale of my living room and minimal congruent wall space has posed a challenge which doesn't leave me with many options.

What Friends Say: They love how sparse but approachable the space and design are. They love the relatively open floor plan, large bright windows, and how inviting the home feels.

Biggest Embarrassment: My bastard child — my office. It's been painted three times, emptied, refilled, and become a storage space for inventory. I have yet to be able to actually establish the room since the day I moved in. All in all, it is a very slow work in progress.

Proudest DIY: This house has an old refrigerator alcove that was nothing but wasted space. Since storage space is such a hot commodity, I built a floor-to-ceiling closet to help alleviate my storage issues. But, my hands down favorite project was building the bar in my butler's pantry. The space was once a hideously tiled counter built over a trash compactor. I envisioned a bar there, so I began dismantling the area. My fiancé and I went to our local tile store and found the most gorgeous Mediterranean blue tiles to replace the old ones. Now, the space houses a functional wine and glass rack with a brightly tiled countertop that really makes a statement in the room.

Biggest Indulgence: My Kai Kristiansen dresser in my bedroom. I was enamored by the lines, the handles and the amount of space it offered. Secondly, the picture framing and good quality house paint and painter. Wall treatments can make a big difference.

Best Advice: Step out of your comfort zone. This has been my New Year's Resolution for going on 4 years now. I continue to be pleasantly surprised with the results. I also listen to my gut and source what I love.

Dream Sources: side from Denmark, Brooklyn Vintage, The Queen West Antique Centre in Toronto, Scout in Chicago, Phil'z 20th Century Design in Montreal, Reside and Machine Age here in Boston.

Resources of Note:

PAINT & COLORS

    • Benjamin Moore: Chelsea Grey (dining room, hall, butler's pantry)
    • Benjamin Moore: Woodlawn blue (kitchen, living room, front entry)
    • Benjamin Moore: Brittany blue (bedroom)
    • Benjamin Moore: Snow White (Molding and Wainscoting)
    • Benjamin Moore: Chalkboard (office)
    • Evermooore: Ruffled Feathers (bathroom)
    • Behr: Caterpillar (dining room chairs)
    • Behr: Jamaica Bay (office)

ENTRY

    • Maryland Flag Prints: from our friends at The Old Try
    • Arthur Umanoff Wooden Slat barstool: Armory Antiques - Newport, RI
    • Mid Century Sofa Table: Brimfield Antique Show - Brimfield, MA
    • Vintage Glass Jars: Grandfather, from Sadler's Hardware, Annapolis, MD
    • Duck Hunting Decoy: Grandfather
    • Mirror: used to be the bathroom mirror when I bought the house.

LIVING ROOM

    • Couch: Boston Interiors, Oslo in Grey
    • Coffee Table: West Elm, Rustic Wooden Coffee Table
    • Orange Mid-Century Club Chair: Ampersand Vintage Modern
    • Antique Fishing Line Winder Folk Art: Ampersand Vintage Modern
    • Sailing Lithographs: family friend, Mark Whitcombe
    • Orange and Metal Arm Chair: Viko Baumritter

DINING ROOM

    • Draw-Leaf Dining Room Table: J.L. Moller, Washington, DC thrift store
    • Dining Room Chairs: Thonet, Craig's List
    • Skull Hairdo's print: Renee Hoffman
    • Yellow Cabinet: found on the street in Somerville, MA
    • Slat Bench: West Elm
    • Globe: Any one recognize it?
    • Danish Teak Corner Cabinet: Wedding present for my girl, Ampersand Vintage Modern

KITCHEN

    • color provided by vintage Pyrex, vintage Dansk, and jars of fun.
    • Pan rack: IKEA
    • Jar tops sprayed with chalk paint so I know what it is and when I bought what's inside.
    • Le Creuset Kettle

BEDROOM


BATHROOM

    • Keep Your Teeth Clean WPA Poster: Print Collection
    • Antique Bottle Collection: Cambridge Antique Market

BASTARD CHILD (OFFICE)

    • Vintage America's Cup Winner Intrepid Blue Print: father
    • Danish Teak Settee: Domino Mobler
    • Teak Desk: going out of business warehouse sale on the Cape
    • Dresser: found on the side of the road in New Haven, CT
    • Red Industrial Lamp: IKEA
    • Larger industrial GE Fan: Ampersand Vintage Modern
    • Wood clock: West Elm

BUTLER'S PANTRY

    • Dishes: Pyrex, Cambridge Antiques
    • Yellow Dansk Serving Dish/Fruit bowl: ebay
    • Owls trivets: ebay
    • Catherineholm baking pan: ebay

Thanks, Clytie & Claudia!

Images: Tara Bellucci

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