caption: The stairway now sheds light rather than blocking it.
caption: The modern kitchen counter is part art, part function.
caption: Wood is carried through the entranceway


In a funny twist of fate, her newly renovated home on Beacon Hill was already home to MIT professor Esther Duflo who lived there in a ground-floor apartment as a student, ten years earlier
"I loved the Hill and the house, but when I got a job, I moved to Cambridge to get more space," said the Paris native.
But when it came time to buy, and a search in Cambridge proved fruitless, she set her sights back on Beacon Hill. As luck would have it, Duflo found the same home she had lived in a decade before and reunited with the neighborhood that reminded her of her French roots.
"I grew up in Paris, and my sense of what constitutes a place to live involves walking or taking transportation everywhere, and hearing the sound of the city from my apartment," said Duflo.
"On Brimmer Street, I can hear children going to school and the sound of the church bells on Sundays. There are two shops to buy bread and salad every day. At the same time, Beacon Hill is still very American, in that it embodies a kind of traditional "Bostonian spirit" which I have grown to love.
The space consisted of two separate apartments on the third and fourth floors and the biggest challenge, Duflo said, was how to unite the two into one, while opening the dark apartments up to as much light as possible. Also, Duflo said she wanted to create a place where "people could come and go and feel free to stay for a while."
To help her, she turned to friends and an up and coming husband and wife architect team Pankaj Vir Gupta and Christine Mueller of vir.mueller architects, currently based out of Austin, Texas.
"[Vir.mueller] is a very young firm, but they have extensive experience working in very high end firms in Boston and elsewhere.they combine a deep esthetical sense with a practical notion of what it takes to get the job done," said Duflo.
Today, the space is the essence of modern chic and function and represents a shift away from the traditional Beacon Hill décor that incorporates a more classic look.
With a clean, contemporary feel and approach, the young architects together with Duflo created a home worthy of the funkiest lofts in New York's Soho district. ull of sleek lines and bold materials, the two-floor home is warm and welcoming with an openness and airiness that resonates.
Initially, the decision to buy the apartments dismayed her architects.
"When we first saw it we were really depressed," said Vir Gupta. "There was hardly any natural light, it was really dark and gloomy," he said of the two-floor space, adding, "we actually kind of first discouraged her."
In addition they were on a firm budget. Unlike some deeper pockets able to spare no expense, their second challenge was to work on Duflo's budget of $260,000 for a complete facelift that would unite the third and fourth floors into a single residence.
In the original two apartments, each floor consisted of a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living room and storage closets. A dark stairwell with only a small, dim skylight connected the two floors.
With the redesign the third floor became the entry lobby, kitchen-dining room, living room, guest bath and office. The fourth floor was transformed into three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a lounge.
To infuse the desired light into the space, they stripped down the dark central stairwell, turning it into a source of illumination for the home.
Vir Gupta said they needed something "really warm and rich" in order to "use the skylight in a powerful way to illuminate the interior."
A solid mahogany frame that encased a steel and bronze screen provided the answer. By removing the walls and enclosing the stairs in the mesh-like screen, Vir Gupta said the stairwell became that "unifying element for the whole apartment.
"By day the bronze projects out the light that is falling from the sky light, at night it glows with these recessed floor lights in the base," he said.
In addition, an aluminum shade of auto body paint on the actual stairs added another dimension of brightness. "[It] really enhances the light deflection falling off of the skylight," said Gupta.
Vir Gupta also incorporated oversized mahogany sliding doors to separate the kitchen-dining room from the living room and used mahogany for the coat and storage closets in the lobby, thus unifying the third floor's wood elements and creating a "mahogany wrap."
Another critical aspect of the 2,100-square-foot home was the kitchen, a focal point for its owner where form and function were key ingredients.
"It was really combining her need with something that would be [effective]," said Vir Gupta, who designed the kitchen as a kind of theater space that would also take advantage of the view of a secret garden below.
"I also needed a large and sunny kitchen, since I love to cook with and for my friends," said Duflo.
In lieu of a standard wood island, they opted for something more dramatic for the open area, a structural steel plate island with a stove and cook top bolted to the floor with a series of cantilevers supporting a granite surface for a counter that combined weighed over 1,000 pounds.
The result, what Vir Gupta calls a "giant diving board," floats above the floor and acts as part artwork, part kitchen counter. Though it appears to defy gravity, Vir Gupta said the structural engineer, Matt Johnson, who created the island assured him "I am designing it so that two opera singers can stand at the end of this island and it won't deflect even a quarter of an inch."
While the budget was always a consideration, Vir Gupta said that very fact "resulted in several design decisions that worked out very well."
One such result was the option to go with simply sanding down the floors and refinishing them. They also stripped the existing doors on the fourth floor to the bedrooms and baths and added a clear coat of polish to bring them back to life.
"We tried not to cover up material and just let them reveal their natural quality and color," said Gupta.
In addition, they used IKEA closets in the bedrooms to save on the costs of custom closets, and in general decided to refrain from giving the bedrooms, not a focal point of the apartment, the same level of detailed attention.
Duflo said she is thrilled with the end result.
"It is because of [vir.mueller] that such a beautiful standard of execution could be achieved," she said, adding, "I love it."

The Beacon Hill Times has been publishing this home decorating and renovation issue for nine years because our readers are interested in maintaining and decorating their homes. And, coincidentally, our neighborhood has the advantage for homeowners of having lots of shops that supply goods for the home.
But in all the years we've been publishing this special issue, we forgot to let readers know one thing: our own secrets.
The secrets are not about linens; you already know Linens on the Hill. It isn't about hardware. That's obvious. The staff of this newspaper, with a combined history of almost 150 years living here, has had a long time to discover where to get the best deals, the most original items and the everyday necessities that make life easier or more pleasant in less obvious places. Here is a short list.
Floor lamps. Everyone needs these things but too often their shades are too big for our small houses or they are just too ugly. The solution is at Danish Country Antiques. So what if these lamps are not Danish, nor are they antique. This shop carries the Chapman pharmacy lamp in antique brass or nickel for the low price of $207. These lamps blend into the background. Their height is adjustable. A dimmer governs the bulb. They compliment both antiques and contemporary styles. One of our editors has bought six of them.
Candles. DeLuca's has the best everyday candles, made by the Cape Cod Candle Company. They're fat enough to fit into silver candle holders without tipping. They come in various sizes and colors. Buy them by the box so you always have them on hand.
Furniture. We know why people go to Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. Their furniture is well made and stylish. But it is hard to understand why they buy everything at one of those stores when there are one-of-a-kind pieces right on Charles Street that are better made, have greater distinction and blend so nicely with the big retailers' upholstered pieces. One of our staff members, for example, found a Hoosier cabinet at Upstairs Downstairs that made her kitchen sparkle. Another staff member found a black and gold Italian secretary at Regency Antiques. It was scaled down in size so that it fit her scaled-down-in-size foyer. No national retailer could have provided it, but a Charles Street antiques dealer could. And it was cheaper than any piece of that type that a national retailer would provide.
Regency also makes lamp shades, a household item that otherwise requires a boring drive into the hinterlands.
Pears soap. Chain drug stores are fine, but their merchandise is so boringly predictable. But if you go into Gary Drug by the Charles Street door, turn left, and crouch down facing the outside window, you'll see a collection of special soaps.
There are other tricks too: Rugg Road and Mario Ratzki offer classes and lectures. (They usually advertise them well in advance so you can sign up.) Zoots cleaners accepts clothing donations for charitable organizations.
Let us know what your favorites are for unexpected products or services that solve everyday problems in maintaining your household. When we get enough, we'll publish them so that everyone can enjoy them.

Daisy and her owner William Cooke of the Back Bay will now have plenty more hours to play off leash on the Boston Common. According to City Councilor Michael P. Ross, the off-leash hours have been extended to 6 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. daily. The additional hours were added so that more dogs and their owners could take advantage of the playtime.

To May Wen, a 25-year-old native New Orleanian who relocated to Beacon Hill just over a week ago, hurricanes and evacuations had been part of life on the Gulf Coast. During the eye of lower grade storms, Wen remembers darting to Blockbuster Video with friends to ease the boredom of waiting. During "countless" others-such as George, Andrew and Ivan-she evacuated only to return to safety again. So when the evacuation call for Hurricane Katrina came down, Wen just grabbed an overnight bag, two pair of flip flops and her cat Shadow and joined the typical slow crawl of traffic toward Houston.
"We all thought the storm was gonna pass or go in a different direction," Wen said. "We're so used to evacuating and coming back again. It didn't feel any different."
Weeks later, after yet another evacuation from Houston for Hurricane Rita and nights spent in her car and shelters, she snuck back into her Mid-City neighborhood on back roads-at the bottom part of the bowl, she says-to find her belongings and the home she had rented just one month before in shambles. Black mold spores the size of silver dollars covered the walls in thick clusters, and the hardwood floors were black and buckled. Although she salvaged some DVDs, pieces of dinnerware and a few articles of clothing (after six to seven washings), the city as she knew it was gone, along with her job at the March of Dimes, which had to close its New Orleans headquarters indefinitely.
But thanks to the generosity of Julia Selvig of Hancock Street, who said she wanted to offer more than just a check to an organization, Wen has a fresh start. A CFO at Berkshire Partners, Selvig, 48, offered Wen the second bedroom of her apartment through an evacuee placement service on moveon.org.
"You so often receive pleas for moneys-like we can just fix it by sending in a check," Selvig said. "For some reason with Katrina I thought there was an opportunity to do something more-something more personal. It made me realize how much I have to give."
Selvig is helping Wen find basics like food and winter clothes, but she's also helping her make the contacts she needs to build a new life.
"We all have so many more resources that we don't necessarily think about on a day to day basis," Selvig said. "We have levels of expertise we can offer. It's not enough to send money to an organization. We have to reach out."
Although the word "refugee" has been controversial in the wake of Katrina, Wen is no stranger to the term. She and her parents are of Chinese descent, but Wen was born in a Vietnamese refugee camp. Her parents moved to the United States when she was a month old. After Katrina, when a cousin from Australia visited who had not seen Wen since birth, she told her: "The last time I saw you, you were a refugee and you're still a refugee."
Wen's mother, who lives alone in a New Orleans suburb, speaks little English. Although her home was in better condition than Wen's, they arrived to find a tree crushing the garage and no electricity or water. One hundred degree heat was causing food to rot in the refrigerator, so local officials told Wen to dig a hole big enough "to fit a person in" and bury the waste, she said.
"We felt like we were living back in the 18th century," Wen said. "Cellphones barely ever worked. It was so frustrating. You had no idea what was going on with anybody. You felt trapped. Angry. Frustrated. You didn't want to think that the town you grew up in and loved your whole life was destroyed."
Wen said the comfortable, carefree days of her life before the storm were also gone. "It makes you realize your life before this was a joke. It doesn't exist any more," she said. "It makes you go back to the basics of life. How stuff is just stuff. Oh, I grieved. I cried over my shoes for days. But at the end of the day, you hug your cat and give your mom a kiss on the cheek and call up a friend-or try to call up friends-and move on."
While Wen says New Orleans is "a great American city" that should be rebuilt, she can't bear to see it as it is today. In Boston, Wen hopes to build a new life as Selvig and others do their part to make it happen.
In less than a week, Wen had already been on about 10 jobinterviews. She's meeting new friends, learning the city and hopes she'll make the connections she needs to move on.
"Right now I'm just being very open," she said. "Boston's really welcomed me with open arms."


SIDEBAR
West African students displaced by hurricane study on Beacon Hill
by Suzanne Besser

Twelve West African students who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina are finishing the academic semester on Beacon Hill.
All except one had started their college educations at Suffolk University's Dakar, Senegal, campus, and then transferred to the University of New Orleans to complete their studies. One of the West Africans, Fadel I. Diallo, a senior studying business administration, said most of the Dakar students were attracted to New Orleans by the warm weather and low cost of living. "For me, the fact that there were old Suffolk Dakar friends already attending the University of New Orleans also contributed to my decision to go there for my undergraduate degree," he said. He had been there since the spring of 2004.
Diallo and others left New Orleans before it was hit by the hurricane. "I had found refuge [along with 15 to 20 other UNO students] at a friend's house who was also a student at Suffolk's Dakar campus and was attending Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge," he said. "We experienced the hurricane while staying a few miles away. At the beginning, everyone was hoping he or she would be able to get back home to New Orleans after the hurricane passed. It became a complete mess when we realized how devastating Katrina had become. Fortunately, with the help of many staff and faculty at Suffolk, we had the opportunity to continue to go to class and have a temporary place to stay while trying to get back on our feet."
The West Africans are now enrolled for the semester at Suffolk's main campus on Beacon Hill. Three are staying in rented apartments, one at the home of a friend and the rest, including Diallo, are staying at the homes of Suffolk's faculty.
Diallo said he has enjoyed Beacon Hill and the opportunities he has had here so much that he intends to stay here for his last semester until he graduates at the end of 2006.

WE WAX AND BUFF WOOD FLOORS. We buy and arrange fresh flowers for your home. Beacon Hill Housecleaners,18 years on Beacon Hill. Call Dan or Marguerite at 617-739-1306.
HOME SERVICES
HANDYMAN. Painting/tiling/wallpapering. Works evenings and weekends. Call Ernie 617-515-3785.
PERSONAL ORGANIZER
TOO MUCH CLUTTER? Home, offices, mail/filing, closets, basements, kitchens, toys, moves, charity deliveries and winter clean outs. Call Katrina 617-723-8877.
GAL FRIDAY. Concierge, administrative and organizational services. Need help with HOLIDAY parties or shopping? Call Suzanne at 617-628-3873.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
COMMUNITY SERVINGS. Volunteer with your family, friends or co-workers and learn the true meaning of the holidays by delivering Thanksgiving meals on Wednesday, November 23 to individuals and families homebound due to critical illnesses. For further information call Jennifer at 617-445-777.
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS. The Arlington Boys and Girls club is coordinating a campaign to support local programs. They are asking people with unwanted cars to donate them for auction with the proceeds going to local clubs. Call 1-800-246-0493.
FAMILY SERVICE OF GREATER BOSTON. Volunteers needed to make the Crafts at the Castle family event a success. This is the premier show for contemporary craft and design in New England and a critical benefit event for local Boston families. Contact cchampagne@fsgb.org
MADD. Are you or is someone you know the victim of a drunk driving accident? We offer many free services including court-accompaniment, referrals for counseling and literature to help. Call 1-800-633-MADD.
HORIZONS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN. Volunteers needed to play with children living in homeless shelters in your neighborhood and throughout Greater Boston. A two hour weekly commitment for 6 months is required. Call 617-287-1900 ext 314 or visit www.horizonsfor homelesschildren.org.
BECOME A BIG SISTER. Create "Little Moments and Big Magic" for a girl between the ages of 7 and 15. Call 617-236-8060 or visit www.bigsister.org to attend weekly orientation session.
PARENTS HELPING PARENTS. Needs volunteers with good interpersonal skills and a commitment to strengthening families to facilitate support groups aimed at assisting individuals who are anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated or feeling isolated in their role as a parent or guardian. A commitment of several hours a week for one year is required. Call 1-800-882-1250 or e-mail www.parentshelpingparents.org.
COMMUNITY SERVINGS. Volunteers needed one Saturday per month to deliver meals to homebound individuals with life threatening illnesses. Shifts are from 9am-12pm. Call Jennifer at 617-445-7777 or e-mail JPOCKOSKI@servings.org.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. Seeks literacy volunteers to tutor adults with limited English writing and reading skills. Two hours a week, compatible with your schedule. One year commitment required, must be 21 years old with a minimum of a GED or high school diploma. Contact Nora 617-859-2446 or VolunteerBPL@yahoo.com.
BOSTON MINSTREL COMPANY. Needs singers, musicians, and songleaders to facilitate sing-along songfests at Boston-Cambridge homeless shelters. Amateurs welcome. Call 617-787-2122 or e-mail Bostonminstrel@aol.com.
MATCH-UP. Interfaith Volunteers needs people to commit to making a weekly visit to an elder in need of companionship. Call 617-482-1510 see www.matchelder.org.
THE GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK. Needs volunteers to inspect and sort donated food at the Food Bank's headquarters at 99 Atkinson Street in Boston. Call Laraine Kohler at 617-427-5200, ext. 5030 or visit www.gbfb.org.
AFC MENTORING. Needs volunteers over 18 experienced with adoption/foster care to mentor adopted children. One year commitment desired. Karlee, 617-695-2441 or karlee@afcmentoring.org.
BLIND AND DYSLEXIC in East Cambridge. Needs volunteers with liberal arts, scientific and/or technical backgrounds to record textbooks. Call Peggy at 617-577-1111, ext 17 for more info. www.rfbd.org/bostonhome.htm.
GENERATIONS INCORPORATED. Needs older adults to volunteer as reading coaches and mentors to children in Dorchester, S. Boston and Roxbury. Training provided. Call 617-423-0408 or see www.generationsinc.org.
WGBH. Needs volunteers to assist with computer projects and office support during weekday business hours, Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm. Call Liz Hagyard at 617-300-5715.
LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF MASSACHUSETTS. Help an adult learn English. Call 617-367-1313 for information.
VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS. The American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program. Work from home or in our Weston office. For further information call 1800-ACS-2345.
SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL. Boston. Opportunities for volunteers. We match volunteers' skills and talents with the needs of the hospital's patients and staff. Training provided. For more information contact volunteer services at 617-573-2740 or jburke11@partners.org.
BOSTON PARTNERS IN EDUCATION. Volunteers needed to tutor 4th grade students in math. Training and placement will be provided. Join this proven program and be a vital part of a student's success story. Contact Barbara Harris at 617-451-6145 x 620, or apply online at www.bostonpartners.org.
WALKBOSTON. Volunteers needed for walks, legislation and newsletter/e-news committees. Also occasional office work including membership mailings. Call 617-367-9255,www.walkboston.org.
MASS SUBSTANCE ABUSE HELPLINE. Volunteers needed for phone service to help people affected by alcoholism and substance abuse. Must have computer experience. Call 617-536-0501 ext. 201 or see www.helpline-online.com.
BEACON HOSPICE .Volunteers needed to provide support and companionship to patients and their families. Call Robin Hansen at 617-242-4872.
THE HORIZONS INITIATIVE. Volunteers needed to play with children living in family homeless and domestic violence shelters. Day and evening hours available. Must commit 2 hours per week for 6 months. Training sessions held monthly. 617-287-1900 or www.horizonsinitiative.org.
COMPUTER TUTORS. Volunteers needed for coaching senior and disabled citizens at the Blackstone Apartments. Daytime and evening hours needed. Call Al at 617-557-9121 or email xAlbert3259@aol.com.
BEACON HOUSE. Housing for elderly, needs volunteers for front reception desk, a few flexible hours per week. Training provided. Please apply in person at 19 Myrtle St. to fill out an application.
ANIMAL SHELTER. Donations needed: dog and cat toys and treats, blankets and towels for the cages, paper towels, clay cat litter, postage stamps, animal nail clippers, dog and cat collars and leashes. 617-522-5055.
DR. SOLOMON CARTER FULLER. Mental Health Center in the South End needs volunteers for several committees. Call C. Curtiss Carter at 617-626-8726.
MAB COMMUNITY SERVICES. Volunteers needed to read or shop with a blind neighbor. 2-3 hours per week, flexible hours. Training provided. Call Donna Bailey 800-852-3029 or see www.mabcommunity.org.
SAMARITANS OF BOSTON. Volunteers needed to provide telephone counseling on our 24 hour listening line.Training provided. 617-536-2460.
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION. Cambridge chapter needs volunteers for its telephone Helpline service to answer caregiver calls. Training provided. Call 617-868-6718.
ADBAR ETHIOPIAN WOMEN'S ALLIANCE.Volunteers needed to help with its newsletter, website, grant writing, special events and fund raising. Near Harvard Square. 617-234-8981.
THE BOSTON HOME. Dorchester seeks volunteers of all kinds in this long term care facility for adults with physical disabilities. Pet visits welcome. Call Sally Gorman 617-825-3905 ext. 299 or gormansally@aol.com.