Nichols Design Group

Today our tent got a little smaller as we said Shalom to our dear, gentle friend Sue. She and her husband Al were Dewey’s very first clients in Boston. Over the years we would become an extension of family, our lives would become entwined cousins and friends. Countless times we’d be invited for dinner, or Seder, getting thrown into the mix of family and friends. Meals at Sue’s house were a living example of the loaves and fishes parable. There was ALWAYS room at the table and there was ALWAYS enough food for anyone and everyone. With each new arrival, the conversations would get louder while Sue looked on with a gentle expression of deep satisfaction. She did not need to be heard, her role was convene those she loved, feed them and let the magic happen. Heaven help the one who brought a dish or offered to clear the table. She would have none of it. Sue was in charge. Over the years her family and friends became entwined in our lives, and today are among our favorite people. After Al died we would meet her at restaurants or pick her up for a date. True to form, we could never ever pick up the check. We love you dearest Sue. You will be missed. Shalom

“Award Winning”. We are delighted to announce we were recognized last week by with a award for excellence in commercial design. Our project for Holtzman Medical Group at 1180 Beacon St in Brookline was a full gut renovation in a storied prewar building. Leaning in to Dewey’s background in store design and David’s experience with luxury brands, we were able to bring Dr. Holtzman’s vision of a modern medical suite that elevated the patient experience and positioned his brand as a top tier care provider. Incorporating branded touch points in commercial work is too often overlooked by business owners and runs deeper than sticking a logo on the wall. Bringing Nichols Design Group on early, many months before the site was finalized, we got to know the client, his team and their process. The most successful parts of design work are often unseen. A good floor plan is a silent concierge guiding visitors thoughtfully through the space. Soundproofed walls and doors, acoustic ceiling tiles overhead and quality carpet under foot make patients feel safe, their privacy respected. Ample storage keeps work surfaces free of clutter and gives a sense of professional discipline and order.

Developing schemes for a client’s 20x24 dining room in her Sherborn home which reflects her understated taste and passion for horses. We want the dining room to reveal her feminine glamorous side, a colorful, sparkling jewel box. An unexpected Faberge egg amidst the tailored tweeds and camel hair. Glazed walls, silk curtains, an antique rug, golden ceiling, an enormous abstract painting in sherbet colors. Friends sitting around her parents beloved dining room table set with their Limoges china.

Building owners, no matter their political affiliation, blue, red or purple, would be outraged if a short term tenant at will, paying no rent tore their building down without permission. A hellscape of court orders and lawsuits would be unleashed. Survivors of even a small renovation project within an historic preservation zone know making changes to a protected building requires clearing many hurdles, and jumping through many tight hoops. Approval for trivial changes can be a logic defying, time consuming process we would all prefer to avoid or ignore. As architects and designers, we know there is a time honored and proven process to develop a coherent design for any building. Programming alone for a 90,000 square foot space would take many months with input from all stakeholders, followed by site surveys, multiple feasibility reviews and impact studies. We’d present the client (the owners) various schematic designs, absorb their feedback before a design can be developed or a bid set of construction documents created. So to witness the demolition of The White House, The People’s House - the most revered and symbolically important buildings in the world, at the whim of its current tenant is shocking and repugnant; and yet emblematic of his distruction of everything else we hold dear.

A quick meeting with our friend Cynthia First in Acton. For a rug addict her showroom is a like a candy store. We fell in love with this custom designed wool Jajim beauty hanging in the entryway.

I’m in love with this Gabe rug we found at - it was perfect for the space. Thank you Cynthia First ❤️👍