A minimalist space that celebrates everyday living

Photos of the home by Kerri Calistri Photography.

As they sat in stalled traffic on I-90 headed into Boston to visit their daughter for a parent’s weekend at school, the Calistri’s had an epiphany; sell the house and move. In 2003, they packed up their New Jersey home and moved just outside Boston.

The Calistri’s first discovered the designs of Thos. Moser during a getaway in Sag Harbor, NY– the host house was owned by the son of a long-time Moser craftsperson. While enjoying breakfast in their host’s kitchen, the Calistri’s noticed a set of handcrafted cherry Crescent High Stools tucked beneath the island. As they were in the initial stages of remodeling their kitchen, they took note of the maker. 

The kitchen of the Calistri’s Massachusets home was dark and dated, and they wanted to create an inviting space where they could comfortably entertain friends and family. Their vision for the new kitchen and breakfast nook was a bright, contemporary, and intentionally inspired space molded around their minimalist aesthetic. For the Calistri’s, furnishing the newly renovated room meant choosing pieces of furniture that were unique, beautiful, and felt as though they had been there all along.  

Recalling the wooden stools from their Sag Harbor stay, Mr. Calistri visited our website and was ready to order a High Stool. However, Mrs. Calistri noticed the Boston showroom was relatively close to their house and suggested they visit to see the stools in person. When they stepped into the showroom, they were greeted by David. With a background in interior design and specializing in hardwood furniture, the Calistri’s put immediate trust in David’s recommendations.  

“The first thing he had us do, was to sit on and touch every piece of furniture that caught our eye,” says Mrs. Calistri. “What we realized in working with David is we could blend different designs to make it entirely our own. Online we loved the look of the High Stool but realized the footprint would be too large for our space. We wanted something with gentle curves and a lighter profile; that’s when we fell in love with the Auburn stool.”  

The kitchen includes a beautiful quartz-topped island and breakfast nook with built-in seating. To accommodate this lower seating area, the Calistri’s chose the Edo Trestle Table as its open and airy base perfectly complements their minimalistic style. Customizing the width and height, they created a perfectly balanced table that matched their unique dining space and pairs perfectly with custom Auburn chairs.  

“We hoped to create a space that wasn’t fussy and had beautiful pieces we wouldn’t be afraid of using. We wanted to incorporate natural elements into the new room’s design, and our minimalistic, wabi-sabi  aesthetic made us very careful about how we decorated,” says Mrs. Calistri. “The walnut pieces celebrate the wisdom of natural simplicity and beauty. The furniture is getting better every week, and they are becoming more a part of the room’s landscape instead of standing out. That’s the beauty of finding classic and simple designs.”

“When the light trickles into the room, it captures a new mood and feeling. I just love that. This space allows us to celebrate living in the moment and to remember that every day is a special occasion.”