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Derry News Lifestyles

Wednesday, August 16, 1989

Updating an older home
Local Decorator shows how it can be done

Christian Boyer started out to prove that an old home can be made new again.

The local decorator purchased the 25-year-old former home of former state senator Benjamin Adams on Floyd Road and transformed it in nine months from a dark California Ranch into a bright airy home with contemporary and art deco styling.

“It had a private and secluded atmosphere with dark cypress wood imported from Florida,” says Boyer.  “It had colonial wallpaper that wasn’t becoming to it.”

One of the first things Boyer did was paint all the woodwork shades of white.  He painted the cypress paneling, the beams and trim.

“Don’t be afraid to paint woodwork,” counsels Boyer.  “I like the use of color and I’m not afraid of using it.  I’m also not afraid of combining texture and prints.”

He wanted the look of a Florida home, so he used mint greens and pinks in the draperies and wallpaper, and a light plumb carpet.

Although he decorated around existing sinks and toilets, he changed most of the light fixtures to reflect the style he was seeking.

The feeling of openness was accomplished with the removal of a wall separating the staircase from the living room and the creative use of light.

Boyer mixed periods and woods and wove them all into a single look.

‘It’s almost like a fine weave that comes together.  Things sort of happen, especially when you’re living in the situation. When it works do it; don’t hesitate, do it.’

“Colors and styles are incorporated,” he says.  “It’s almost like a fine weave that comes together.  Things sort of happen, especially when you’re living in the situation.  When it works do it; don’t hesitate, do it.”

Although he is a professional decorator, not all the items he used in the home are expensive.

“I like to buy good quality things and accent them with things from the flea market,” he says.

A fine glass lamp, original artwork, contemporary sectional and a rattan desk lend style and class to the home.

A large, round cut-glass mirror in the foyer, the pedestal for an end table, and a large one-of-a-kind pottery platter hanging on the wall were all flea market purchases.

The wrought iron fixture over the dining room table also was found in a flea market, painted and accented with contemporary bulbs to give it a modern flair.  A built-in bar is actually a painted second-hand cabinet under a mirrored shelf.

Like any homeowner, he was restricted to working around existing elements of the home.  He chose to accent the peach tiles and tone down the yellow sinks in a bathroom by purchasing wallpaper with peach tones.

“I started with a color and tied it in with the wallpaper and curtain,” he explains.

Dark, colonial, striped wallpaper in the bedroom was replaced with a light basket weave oriental gross cloth.  A white wrought iron bed adds lightness to the room.

“It’s done with a flair of contemporary and accented with a little bit of art deco,” he says of his home.

On the outside, Boyer cut down trees to bring lightness to the home and stained the original dark brown siding a light beige.  The addition of flowers brightens the overall look.

The result is a transformation that makes the house look new and reflects the new owner’s personality.

Boyer is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and he holds a certificate in interior design from the School of Architecture and Design in San Francisco.  He has worked for several years in Manchester, and is now relocating his decorating business to Derry.

If you buy a home in good structural condition, says Boyer, it can be transformed into a personal statement.

“I believe I have increased the value of the home considerably, just by giving it a facelift,” he says.