Perfect Package

Warm colors and a host of space-saving ideas make a small Boston home inviting

Written by Bernadette Baczynski • Styled by Lindsay Buchleitner
Photographed by Eric Roth

For Saverio Mancina and Ray Ehscheid, budget decorating isn’t about inexpensive furnishings. Instead, it’s about having a plan, shopping carefully, and making smart purchases. "With a small space, this approach is even more important," says Saverio. "There’s no room for mistakes."

When their jobs brought them to Boston (both are professionals in the furnishings and design fields), the pair had a chance to put their beliefs into practice. Their former New Hampshire home was three times the size of their new 525-square-foot flat, which occupies the second floor of an 1860s brownstone. In 2001, they moved in with their Westie, Tosca, and, over the next two years, formulated and carried out a complete makeover. Since the compact flat’s two primary rooms open to one another, starting with a comprehensive plan was essential. As a first step, Ray, who specializes in commercial design, turned his talented eye toward the color scheme. The two men decided on a warm terra-cotta for the living room walls and a complementary shade of fawn for the bedroom, bringing in a light accent color for ceilings and a mid-tone color for trim. "The palette became the master that we worked from," says Saverio. "When we shopped, especially for furniture, we took the colors with us."

And shop they did, searching for new furnishings to complement their dining set and demilune cabinet, the only big pieces they kept from their house. "When you start looking, shop the entire spectrum, high to low," advises Saverio. "If you train your eye to understand the difference between a $12,000 sofa and one for $1,000, you can zero in on details you like when you buy in your price range." The couple took their time combining high-end purchases with budget buys by waiting for clearance sales in stores and showrooms, checking out floor samples, and visiting seconds’ rooms and big-box stores.

To further stretch their design dollars, Ray tackled some of the work himself. After finding the expensive drapery fabrics they wanted, they waited for them to go on sale. "My mother taught me how to sew, and I made the draperies myself," says Ray. "It took longer, but we got just what we wanted and saved a lot." Ray made the headboard, too, using an idea he and Saverio had seen in a trendy hotel. He stretched an enlarged print that had been screened on canvas over a 5-foot-square piece of batting-covered plywood, then framed it with molding. "We don’t have much wall space," says Ray, "so this was a way to bring a favorite piece of art into the room, in a functional way."

Ray and Saverio also carefully thought through their kitchen remodel, combining standard cabinets with compact appliances and a few expensive touches. "We spent a bit more for the marble floor tiles, because we only needed 20," says Ray. "We also had a cabinetmaker add trim to our cabinets—having them professionally fitted makes them look custom."

After several years of living in their petite apartment, Saverio and Ray are glad they took the time to do it right. "If you’ve planned carefully—and if you’re with the right person," says Saverio, "small rooms don’t seem small. They feel welcoming and cozy."

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