2007 HC&G IDEA HOUSE TOUR

Located above the garage in its own wing, Robert Stilin's evocative library feels more like a 19th-century cabinet of curiosities than a repository for books (of which there are a smattering, stacked on tables, the floor and small shelves). An antique leather armchair bearing the cracks and scars of heavy use sits near a wooden side table holding metal objects that might be parts from an old turbine engine—or funky industrial candlesticks without the candles. A low table made from thick strips of dark-stained wood in a black metal frame displays a 3-D tic-tac-toe game next to a dark metal starfish. Old anatomical prints of the human skeleton and musculature hang opposite a large black-and-white portrait of Kurt Cobain.

"I love layering spaces with antiques and contemporary furnishings," Stilin says. "It gives a room depth." The depth of the library is enhanced by a backdrop of creams, beiges and browns anchored by a patchwork F.J. Hakimian rug. A custom sofa and chairs by Stilin in brown and cream, respectively, are complemented by natural-colored Roman shades and curtains made from Beacon Hill fabric.

Wherever the eye lands there is another interesting object or artwork, from a delicately colored landscape painting to a massive, intricately woven basket dominating the wall next to the entrance. In one corner, a stack of books rests horizontally on a wooden high stool. "Books and reading add a further dimension to life," Stilin says.