Transforming the “White Box”: Art, Design, and Construction in Luxury High-Rise Living
Left to right: Bobby Ernst Jr., Leslie Fine, Hadley Powell, and moderator Abby Bielagus of Modern Luxury
During this year’s Boston Design Center Spring Market, we had the opportunity to join a panel discussion centered around one of the most interesting challenges in luxury residential design: transforming the modern high-rise “white box.”
Hosted in the Farrow & Ball showroom at the Boston Design Center, the conversation brought together Leslie Fine, president of Leslie Fine Interiors, Bobby Ernst Jr., Director of Custom Client Services at FBN Construction, and Hadley Powell, Founder and Principal, Powell Fine Art Advisory to discuss how interior design, construction, lighting, and fine art work together to turn blank, builder-grade condominium spaces into homes with warmth, personality, and meaning.
As more luxury towers rise across Boston, many homeowners are moving into residences with spectacular views and incredible natural light—but interiors that often feel flat, undefined, and lacking architectural character. While these spaces may look like a designer’s dream, they come with significant constraints: limited ceiling access, immovable HVAC systems, strict building regulations, elevator logistics, and very little existing architectural detail to guide the design.
The challenge is creating a home that feels deeply personal within those limitations.
That transformation happens best when the right team comes together early.
Designing Beyond the View
As interior designer Leslie Fine Interiors often says, these residences may offer stunning windows, but inside, they often have “no character.”
Custom millwork became one of the defining elements of this project—feature walls, integrated lighting pathways, detailed cabinetry, and a dramatic foyer transformation helped create architecture where none existed before.
A simple entryway became a true arrival moment with marble flooring, decorative lighting, and commissioned artwork scaled specifically for the space. Instead of simply walking into the living area, the client now enters a thoughtfully designed foyer that creates a sense of arrival and intention.
Construction as Creative Problem Solving
For KBN Construction, luxury high-rise projects require a very different mindset than traditional residential work.
Every delivery—from raw materials to finished furniture—must fit building schedules, loading docks, freight elevators, and strict noise regulations. There are no easy workarounds.
Success depends on planning early and managing expectations clearly.
By understanding the constraints upfront, the construction team can work closely with the designer and art advisor to protect the overall vision while solving practical challenges behind the scenes—whether that means custom HVAC covers, concealed lighting solutions, or coordinating on-site art viewings during active construction.
Left to right: Bobby Ernst Jr., Leslie Fine, Hadley Powell, and moderator Abby Bielagus of Modern Luxury
When Art Leads the Design
At Powell Fine Art Advisory, art is never the final layer—it helps shape the entire project.
One of the defining moments in this residence centered around a single wall: a tall, narrow vertical space in the main living area that became the highest priority for the client.
The selected work was by Nicole Chesney, represented locally by Gallery NAGA—a mirrored glass and oil painting inspired by sky and sea.
As the light changes throughout the day, the piece transforms with it—shifting from reflective glass to glowing pinks and warm sunset tones. It became more than artwork; it became part of the architecture itself.
Artwork was physically brought into the home before acquisition so the client could experience scale, light, and placement firsthand—a process that often changes everything.
Creating a Home That Reflects the Client
The foyer became its own gallery moment: antique and contemporary maps of Boston, sculpture, glass works, and bold contemporary pieces curated to speak to one another.
The goal was never simply to fill walls. It was to create a home that reflected the client’s interests, history, and perspective.
That is where collecting becomes meaningful.
Photography: Nat Rea
The Best Homes Are Built with Intention
Luxury design is not about adding more—it is about choosing better.
Better light. Better scale. Better collaboration. Better storytelling.
When interior design, construction, and art advisory work together from the beginning, the result is not simply a beautiful residence. It becomes a home that feels complete.
And that is where true luxury lives.
Left to right: Allie Powell, Luisa Castellanos, Hadley Powell and Katie Morse
Photography: Michael Blanchard