The Lovely Work of Carter & Company

Yesterday's journey into the world of Paris Ceramics led me down the path of discovery of Carter & Company, a revered Boston-based interior design firm. Their offices are located on Newbury Street in Back Bay (one of the prettiest neighborhoods EVER) so it's no surprise that their work is timeless, sophisticated, and luxe. 

Based on their impressive portfolio, Carter & Company is capable of executing a wide variety of styles...in their oeuvre you'll find everything from a sleek modern kitchen to a traditional dining room in a historic home. Their design prowess coupled with this versatility is likely what has landed project showcases in major magazines like InStyle, New England Home, and Traditional Home. 

From their portfolio, these are some of my favorite spaces...

Simple white kitchen with all of the right details (inset cabinets, beveled-edge subway tile, great flooring, etc.) that make it standout from the rest. I'll never get that divine Spanish marble checkerboard floor out of my head!

Photo via Carter & Company

This office is chic and fun. I love the Quadrille Henriot Floral curtains and the crisp white lacquered desk.

Photo via Carter & Company

Classic dining room with just the right amount of drama. The contemporary mirror keeps the look from getting too stately.

Photo via Carter & Company

Perfect little marble-clad bathroom...

Photo via Carter & Company

Another great white kitchen...I'm curious about the island surface. Is it stone, wood, or concrete? If it's stone, maybe it's my fav, Lagos Azul limestone. Oh and those double refrigerators must be nice!

Photo via Carter & Company

If this doesn't say "New England" to you, then I don't know what will! So charming...

Photo via Carter & Company

This is a glimpse of the Boston Dreamhouse library that Carter and Company designed. Everything going on here is gorgeous but I'm particularly smitten with the desk and the inlaid flooring (near the curtains).

Photo via Carter & Company

Finally, here is an example from the set of historic properties they've worked on. Once again, they've infused a few key elements to keep the room from feeling stale. And aren't those dining chairs gorgeous? Besides the pretty gold-trimmed frame, the blue upholstery is just perfect.

Photo via Carter & Company

Do you have a favorite room from the above? They are all amazing but I probably love the kitchens best mainly because it would be a dream to have a replica of one of them in my house!

The Beautiful Stone, Tile, & Wood of Paris Ceramics

I was flipping through Luxe Magazine and stopped in my tracks when I saw the following Paris Ceramics ad...

Photo courtesy of Carter & Company

The Spanish marble checkerboard floor is what first drew me in. They are exquisite aren't they? I love a bold black and white checkerboard floor, but I'm really digging the use of the honed gray tiles since they are more subtle. The slight diversion from the classic is perfection. After obsessing over the image, I left the mag and went to the Paris Ceramics site where I found some gorgeous portfolio images...

I'm pretty sure this is from the same home as the one in the ad. I'm loving the mix of the tile floors with vividly colored accents like the red rug and the yellow window treatments...

Photo via Paris Ceramics

I am DYING over these floors. Apparently they are hand-hammered German silver briquette metal tiles. According to their site, the metal tile system is proprietary to Paris Ceramics and it's available in Copper and Brass, in addition to the German silver. A variety of patterns, shapes, and sizes are available. I want to see them in person but unfortunately, Paris Ceramics doesn't have a showroom presence in Dallas!

Photo via Paris Ceramics

 This fabulous pool is surrounded by tiles made of Santa Rufina, an alternative to antique terracotta that PC has developed. Using a mix of three different clays, these tiles are created by hand and must go through a long, laborious process to achieve their gorgeous color and patina. Besides the awesome Santa Rufina, the pool area also boasts French limestone copings (from PC) and a sublime wood pool deck. Oh and random aside, does anyone else find the thatched hut cabana to be a bit out of context??

Photo via Paris Ceramics

Those are my favorite three projects shown in their portfolio but there are lots of other great ones to see so take a look if you love stone and tile. If you fall into that category and find yourself on the PC site, click around in the Paris Ceramics Innovation section because there is some great information. 

Finally, if you're in the market for wood flooring, don't miss their wood surfaces section. They carry ITLAS products and they have some amazing woods like French white oak and a gorgeous dark Larice. 

Don't they have amazing things? I'm guessing that the price point is nothing short of premium but after seeing it in action and reading about how they produce the materials, I can understand why!