Kerri Anastas
Previously recognized as one of Boston's "Women to Watch In Business", Kerri has been an active participant in the Design Industry since 1993. The Boston market has taught her a lot about overcoming the many decorating challenges that an older city can present. Bringing a place back to life inspires Kerri's work.
A graduate of Framingham State University, Kerri focused her studies in Fashion and Textiles with a BS in Merchandising. Before joining Babel's, Kerri led teams for Domain Home Fashions, Custom Design by Fabric Place, Frette and Restoration Hardware.
Kerri Anastas,
Interior Designer
Based in Mansfield
Advice for Homeowners
I love creating spaces through contemporary influences, while retaining historic character. My passion is hunting for the perfect inspiration piece and adding a flare of modern style to it.
There are no rules or standards to finding the right look in your home. It should reflect your personal style, and the way to achieve that is through using what you love. The goal is to make you happy and comfortable. A home should be a retreat, and if decorated right it will always be a place that you can't wait to come home to.
For the home pictured above, Kerri recommended Hunter Douglas white shutters for a streamlined window treatment that blends beautifully with the décor and providing privacy from a busy street nearby.
Featured Home – Mansfield, MA
Renovations in this colonial-style home led the homeowners to consider new window treatments. With guidance from Kerri Anastas, the perfect solution was found that enhances the living spaces. There is a very busy street nearby, so shutters add a lot of privacy while keeping the home light and airy.
Small windows in the kitchen have café-style covering only the bottom portions of the windows. The homeowners enjoy the natural light with easy privacy adjustment when desired.
Shutters are a good investment for their longevity, flexibility, and easy care. However, they are extremely technical, and precision is everything, so expert guidance for product selection, measuring, and installation is necessary to get the top quality results you want.
Transitional Style in Norwood Center, MA
I enjoy rejuvenating older homes and help my clients make the transition painlessly. The theme here is to not be afraid to update rooms by combining traditional, authentic traits and architecture with sparkle and contemporary accents. Fabrics, textiles, and textures are very powerful and can change everything.
For this home in Norwood Center the most obvious change is the use of Roman shades in the living room and dining room. This stylish window treatment provides versatility for natural lighting and privacy with an updated style that looks like it always belonged there. The selection of fabric color and pattern can either set the mood for the room or complement other elements in a supporting role.
In the living room, the client's major changes for the renovation were changing the wall color and purchasing new furniture. The homeowner's style is vibrant and she's not afraid to take some fun risks, which gave me freedom to enhance the rooms. We added modern flares with patterns plus mixing and matching, combining trendy patterns and color. The furniture fabrics and rug guided the color and pattern choices for the window treatments.
For the dining room, the goal was to highlight elegance, not focus on the pattern of the fabric. Streamlining transitional and eclectic styles created a clean minimalist look. The client's vibrant personality is reflected in the choice of lighting fixture that adds bling and sparkle. We chose a color palette of creams and beiges, purposely not adding dramatic color. In this room we used wide folds for the Roman shades to add some volume instead of the flatter style used in the living room. For the window seat a deep stria texture was used, bringing in all the client's timeless colors while featuring the contemporary design of the gorgeous rug.
Charming 1920's Home in Quincy, MA
The goal for this charming 1920’s colonial style home in Quincy, MA was to refresh the living spaces without making major changes. The result modernizes and adds subtle elegance while retaining all the charm.
In the living room, the warm neutral colors of the feature rug guided the selection of colors for fabrics and paint — creating a comfortable and inviting space.
In the past, heavy draperies were common in living rooms, in part to provide insulation during cold New England winters. Better insulated contemporary windows allow streamlined choices for the window treatments, which put the home's beautiful millwork details on display. Sophisticated roman shades offer the ability to maintain the beautiful natural light, with flexibility for light control and privacy options. Details on the window treatments add interest and dimension.
While modern layouts are all about open concept living, the purposely separate rooms in a colonial style home are still preferred by many people. Because the living room and dining room are distinctly separate in this home, a different color palette in the dining room offers a refreshing change while still keeping with the overall aesthetic of the home.
The gorgeous traditional wood paneling and coffered ceiling in the dining room set the mood for the importance of enjoying each other's company while sharing a meal. In stark contrast to rushed meals between activities, we're reminded that emotional connections are made and nurtured at such times.
The heavy wood structures in the room are balanced by adding color and contrast. The rich blue painted walls contrast with the dark woods. The creamy white painted furniture brightens the room and provides interesting details with stylish designs that are timeless.
The sparkle of glassware, along with glass and candles in the contemporary chandelier, is continued in the gold and white ceiling paper, enhancing interest with texture and shimmer in a fun and stylish way.
Home Staging for Professional Photo Shoot in Wrentham, MA
Kitchen Views has professional photography taken of some beautiful homes designed by the team. These are used everywhere from the designer's portfolio on the website, to print ads in regional magazines, and across social media. As a team member of the National Lumber Family of Companies, I was invited to stage this home in Wrentham for the photo shoot of a project with the kitchen, built-ins, bathroom vanities and laundry room designed by Mary Jane Robillard.
Although not designed by us, the mud room was built with materials purchased from National Lumber, so we included it in the photo shoot. Take note of the interior doors and other structural elements with materials provided by National Lumber. We provide everything in building materials, plus related services including interior design. It's exciting to be part of a team that has so much to offer to homeowners when they are building or renovating their homes. Our team can provide all the finishing touches for your home. As you've likely heard in National Lumber's radio ads, "Wait 'til you see us!"
Screenshots of NECN News Video
Junior League Show House
The Junior League of Boston arranged the transformation of the 19th Century Nathaniel Allen House, in West Newton, Massachusetts for their annual Show House in 2016. The restoration of the Grand Foyer was designed and installed by Babel's team under the leadership of Kerri Anastas. Click here to see the video of the NECN interview online that opens with Kerri showing the foyer to the interviewer.
Details Close-up - Show House
From the shimmering chandelier overhead, to the decorative designs on the walls, Kerri brought a "Wow!" factor to the Grand Foyer, and set the tone for the entire house. She's proud to have brought back the personality and time period of the home.
The historic house was once a stop on the Underground Railroad and now will be used by the Newton Cultural Alliance.
More About Kerri Anastas
Sources of design inspiration: Color, fashion, architecture, and antiques with historical purpose.
Favorite style: Industrial Vintage/Rustic
Favorite restaurant: The Old Mill, Westminster, MA
Favorite hobbies and interests: Gardening, cooking, running, reading, athletic coaching, networking, motivational speaking ... doing anything and everything with my girls!
Industry recognition: Recipient of over 20 client service awards and Leadership Excellence recognition, Kerri has also been actively involved through the years with many organizations, including:
Back Bay Association
Newbury Street League
Junior League of Boston
Mentors in Design
American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA)