The Art of Belonging

Lakefront family oasis, Lake Winnipesaukee, Wolfeboro (Photo by ROB KAROSISI)

Kacey Graham (Photo by JOHN W. HESSION)

Home design is a family affair for Kacey Graham, owner and designer of Bedford-based Boehm Graham Interior Design. Her emotionally rich process is to help clients feel their best in the spaces they share with loved ones. Designing a space to be thoroughly welcoming is as creatively invigorating to her as assiduously mapping out its proportions and scale. Graham also had an excellent teacher: her mother, the designer Michaele Boehm, who founded their company with a deep connection to family and legacy — their logo is even their Welch family crest.

Graham sat down with us to talk about the best of living by the water, achieving a sense of balance and the lessons she learned from her family that she applies to client homes across the state.

We know you work on all types of houses in a variety of locations, but let’s focus on houses on the water. I hear you spend a lot of time at Lake Winnipesaukee?

I grew up going to Lake Winnipesaukee and to the ocean, as well. In New Hampshire, there is something for everyone. The Lakes Region alone feels like multiple worlds in one place: Lake Winnipesaukee is always high action, filled with tiki boats, wake boats, tubing and nonstop summer fun, while Squam Lake and Newfound Lake are quieter and more intimate.

Oceanfront getaway, Moody Beach, Wells, Maine (PHOTO BY ROB KAROSIS)

And the Seacoast brings an entirely different kind of magic — sitting outside with a lobster roll, watching the tide come in, listening to the waves, and diving into the freezing Atlantic until your body goes numb and the cold water literally takes your breath away. North Hampton and Rye have always been favorites of mine, because they perfectly capture the rugged beauty and nostalgia that make New Hampshire feel both exciting and peaceful all at once.

How does designing a house on the water differ from designing something inland?

My No. 1 perspective has always been the intentionality of design and making it for the person, but there is an offshoot to it — making it for that client and their surroundings. When it’s at the lake, our clients are thinking of how they will enjoy themselves with their family and friends. There’s a whole gamut of what the lake has to offer. There is time for quiet and sitting by the water, having a cup of coffee in the morning and listening to the loons. At night, there’s a fire pit and roasting marshmallows or having a glass of wine at sunset.

What lights you up in a client’s vision?

Hearing them describe an event. They have in their mind something that’s meaningful. When they describe it, I get really jazzed, because I think, “I totally get this.” It’s how their home makes them feel. We can run with those stories and make it even more grand.

A fashionista’s Hermès-inspired high-rise, Lovejoy Wharf, Boston (PHOTO BY MORGAN KARANASIOS)

Do you have a design superpower?

From a functional standpoint, I have a superpower for spatial understanding. I can very quickly capture how the house can function better, the traffic flow can be cleaner or the space more welcoming.

As far as the personal element, I try to make it fun for the clients. We’re looking for people that love life or want to love their life even more, and we want to help with that. There are things about work that are stressful in every industry, but I want to laugh every day, and I want my clients to have fun, too. I’m so blessed to do what I do. Some friends of ours can’t wait to retire, and I think, “Do I have to retire?” It’s such a fun profession. Our clients are awesome. They’re so appreciative, generous and kind, and they make our job the best.

What are some of the more important lessons professionally and maybe also in life that your mother taught you?

I could not be more blessed to have her as my superstar mom. She’s kind, patient, doesn’t take things too seriously, and she’s a fabulous designer. My mom and I have always shared that gut feeling that the scale, proportion and balance need to be appropriate in order to get the design laid out correctly.

Sumptuous, green dining room, Bedford (PHOTO BY MORGAN KARANASIOS)

The business has evolved since my mom was involved, but I’m grateful for her insight and also grateful to now have a talented team to support our client projects. No project is possible without my team and our amazing trade partners, who turn design dreams into reality.

Other big philosophies in my designs are color blocking and intentionality. I’m not picking something just so the room can look beautiful — because it will — but I’m picking something that’s going
to look beautiful based on how it relates to the room, the architecture and the room that’s adjoining it. I always say you should not need a passport to go from room to room.

You’re a New Hampshire native. After moving around a bit, you made your home here. What do you love about living and working in the state?

I love the Granite State. I’m a big champion for the 603. I love “Live Free or Die.” The friendships that you make here will stand the test of time. I tell my kids, ‘You get out of it what you put into it.’ If you want a friendship to last your lifetime, you have to warrant it. That kind of loyalty is prevalent in this state.

Also, living in Southern New Hampshire, we’re an hour from Boston, the Lakes Region, the Seacoast and the mountains. It’s really special to be able to do those things and also have access to some cute, quaint cities with local artists — it’s pretty great.