This Roxbury Home Embraces “Slow Living”

Spring House Hunt

The house somewhat reflects the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, with compressed and liberated spaces.

In this $2,300,000 Roxbury home designed according to Japanese principles, there is oak everywhere.

Reclaimed oak makes up the floors of the three-story home at 12 Thwing St. in Fort Hill. The walls and ceilings are white oak and even the elements of the stairs resemble Jenga blocks.

“You don’t see a nail hole,” listing agent Julie Bell said. “You don’t see anything. It’s absolutely sweet and breathtaking.

Aamodt/Plumb Architects designed the two-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home with “slow living” in mind, Bell said, as the home somewhat reflects the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, with spaces compressed and released. The house, with a living area of ​​2,606 square feet, opens up as you ascend its three floors.

The exterior of the house, Bell said, “is not over the top.” The seller built the house in 2021, preserving the shape of the house that previously marked the address, Bell said. Still, its wooden carport and facade composed of glossy black bricks stand out, she said.

“It’s really the interior where you’re amazed by the construction, the staircase, the windows and all that,” Bell said.

The master bedroom and a space that could be used as another bedroom or office are on the ground floor, which opens onto a patio.

The architects intentionally designed the house so that the sleeping spaces make up the main floor, Bell said, “and then have these larger spaces above so you can look out.” Balconies on the second and third floors offer views of Boston during the winter months, she said.

Bell said there wasn’t a lot of lint in the home’s bathrooms. The ground floor bathroom, serving both bedrooms, has a single sink. Another full bathroom in the home has an exposed shower and a sloped floor, which Bell said is rare in the United States.

“Most of the space has really been devoted to these big, open rooms, rather than a bathroom… where you don’t spend a lot of time,” Bell said.

To access these large rooms, you climb a wooden staircase lined with a wall of windows.

The kitchen, with an open dining area, anchors the second floor at street level. Bell said the space, with an island that has a breakfast bar that seats four, is comfortable for cooking and gathering. However, you may wish to organize the party on the top floor.

Here, the windows extend from floor to ceiling. Bookshelves flank this large room, Bell said. “No matter what type of day it is, there is always plenty of light. »

The black cylindrical flue of a gas fireplace shoots up to the ceiling. It can probably even be reached and touched from the room’s attic (although this is not advised), accessible via a ladder.

The house, located on a cul-de-sac, still feels like a quiet retreat, Bell said.

“You’re still on this quiet, peaceful street,” Bell said. “There is no through traffic.”