All photos by Melissa Ostrow |
In food and fashion, presentation is key. So chef Michael Navarrete of the Regal Beagle and his girlfriend, stylist Laura Pritchard, are the perfect pair to decorate this airy East Boston loft. The result is warm and inviting, like his menu of sophisticated comfort food; simple and elegant, like her approach for clients like Refinery29 and Teen Vogue. We stopped in to see how these lovebirds keep their nest.
A. Located in a converted factory, the loft boasts sharp industrial-chic architecture. But Navarrete and Pritchard, who grew up in Vermont and New Hampshire, respectively, prefer "comfy and rustic" to super-modern style. "We love that if you run your hand across it you'll get a splinter," says Pritchard of this Restoration Hardware dining table, which shows character in every crevice of its reclaimed barn-wood top.
B. Navarrete grew up in Killington, Vermont, as part of a large Mexican family, and you can expect more Mexican influences on the Regal Beagle's upcoming spring menu. The home is full of nods to his background, like the molcajete on the kitchen counter, which serves as a perfect spot for stashing house keys.
C. Pritchard's taste in décor mirrors her fashion sense: she likes a high-low mix of pieces in neutral tones with a few bright pops of color. She found this tree-stump side table at an NYC flea market, the birch-branch candleholder on Etsy. (The books are first editions of her favorites: Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby.)
D. Relax, Red Sox Nation. This Yankees shrine reflects Navarrete's relationship with his father, a die-hard fan ever since he emigrated from Mexico in 1960. Navarrete has a baseball signed by Derek Jeter on his bookshelf, but more valuable is the photo here of a Yankees-Sox showdown at Fenway — the last game he saw with his dad.
E. The previous owners left this bookcase, but the couple is responsible for the artful arrangement of classic novels, cookbooks, and fashion photography. Empty space is filled with trinkets and mementos — like a wedding photo of Navarrete's parents — and metal flaps conceal less-attractive items like DVDs.
NAVARRETE'S SECOND HOME:THE REGAL BEAGLE, 308 HARVARD ST, BROOKLINE :: 617.739.5151 OR THEBEAGLEBROOKLINE.COM
_BY SCOTT KEARNAN » @THEWRITESTUFFSK
