If you’re reading this post, you’ve landed on our redesigned web site, which we’re so excited about. Herringbone & Brass has been around since 2019, and since then we have grown and evolved to specialize in high-end home renovations and interior decoration. We also collaborate with select developers on special projects and enjoy working in commercial interiors where the goal is to make a business space feel more approachable and residential.

Looking back to the early years of HB, I am so proud of what we have created in the last seven years. As we launch this new web site, I’d like to reflect on the values that led to the creation of the firm, which continue to drive the principles of what we do for our clients today.

In 1999, I decided to add a roof deck to our Santa Monica home. I’d never managed a major home project on my own, but I took on the challenge and was thrilled with the result. One by one, I started taking on more building and remodeling projects: a full renovation of a colonial in Brookline, a gut remodel of a historic brownstone in Back Bay, a modern new beach home built on the South Shore, two more renovations in Brookline—until I’d remodeled or built ten properties.

I realized how much I enjoyed the process. I loved imagining what a space could become and watching that vision come to life after months of hard work, and I liked managing the process from start to finish. After working alongside builders, landscapers, and interior designers, I came to understand the factors that make a project successful, and how much of that comes down to thoughtful design. But I also learned something: the major pain points of a project from a client’s perspective often have little to do with the designer’s or contractor’s talent, and instead hinge on good client communication, transparency and being skilled at project management.

When a client dreams of their new home, the vision is often beautiful, but the path to it is often overwhelming. I wanted to take everything I’d learned about project management, timelines, and design and put it to work with my own firm. I wanted a company grounded in real building and remodeling experience; one that could help homeowners feel confident, informed, and genuinely excited about transforming where they live. That’s how Herringbone & Brass was born.

Our Team

Fast-forward seven years, and we’re a group of five women who truly love what we do. Our exceptionally talented interior designers, Virginia and Elizabeth, care deeply about each of our clients. They can walk into a room and immediately see both what’s special about it and what it could become, and can translate that instinct into spaces that feel considered, livable, and beautiful. Their range is part of what lets us take on such a wide variety of homes and clients, and clients consistently tell us how much they enjoy working with our team.

A Procurement Team That Sweats the Details

Great design lives or dies in the execution, and that’s where our procurement team comes in. They handle the entire ordering process end to end, meticulously checking every order detail, placing and managing every order, tracking each item from purchase through delivery and handling claims if items arrived damaged.

It’s the part of a project most clients never see, and it’s also where so many design projects stall. By owning procurement and tracking in-house, we keep timelines on schedule, catch issues before they become problems, and spare our clients the stress of chasing down vendors and shipments. The result is a smoother process and a finished space that arrives the way it was envisioned. Dozens of hours go into these behind-the-scenes tasks to ensure that, on install day, our clients can have a “wow moment” when we reveal their beautiful items in their home.

We’re Design Chameleons

Some design firms are almost dogmatic about their aesthetic, nudging clients toward whatever will look good in the firm’s portfolio, even when it isn’t true to how the client actually wants to live. We take the opposite approach.

We think of ourselves as design chameleons. Our job isn’t to impose a signature look; it’s to figure out your taste, often before you’ve fully articulated it yourself. We ask questions, we listen, and we pay close attention to how you use your space and what makes you feel at home. Then we bring our expertise to bear in service of your vision. Our main goal is always to preserve your style and build on that foundation so your home feels like you.

Where We Work

Over the years, we have been blessed to see our firm grow. Most of our clients come to us via word-of-mouth and referrals, and we never take that trust for granted. We now have dozens of projects across the greater Boston area, Miami, and Maine. We specialize in full home remodels and help our clients select every detail of the inside of their home: flooring, tile, countertops, plumbing fixtures, molding. We have designed dozens of kitchens in all sizes and styles. We love designing built-ins that add beauty and functionality to a space. Of course, we take care of all the furnishings as well: every piece of furniture, every window treatment, rug, lamp and, for some clients, all their accessories, linens and bedding.

Why “Herringbone & Brass?”

Many firms build their names around the name of their founder. But to me, this work has never been about any one of us. Our work is about the client, what they want and how we can best serve them. So I wanted a name focused on the design itself. Hence I picked two of my favorite and most timeless patterns and finishes in interior design: herringbone and brass.

As a pattern often used on flooring and tile, herringbone has movement but is symmetrical, creating visual interest without too much distraction. It has a subtle elegance that I find absolutely beautiful. Brass is a finish that I adore, but that must be used judiciously. Too much of it can overwhelm, but balanced with all other finishes in a space it adds a sense of quiet luxury.

Our firm’s goal is to be like these two finishes: understated and elegant, exuding luxury in a quiet, comfortable way.

Why We Care About This Work

We believe our clients should be able to live well in spaces that reflect who they are. To us, doing this work well means it must be:

• Bespoke. Every home has a unique story, and we shape each space—starting with the pieces and details already there—to bring out its best features.
• Collaborative. We design beautiful spaces for, and with, our clients, always building around individual timelines, budgets, and goals.
• Magazine-worthy. We bring in only the best colors, fabrics, and finishes—everything needed to give a home that “Wow!” feeling, and yet feel totally livable, and not like they’re living in a museum.

We do this work because we love creating gorgeous spaces for our clients. We want to give them the same sense of excitement and relief in their home that I felt on my first, my second, and my tenth project.

If you’re looking to feel more confident and inspired about your home, contact us about a free consultation.