By Christina Wallace, Metro Boston Senior Reporter | July 29, 2005
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It's one of the most coveted locations in Boston - Marlborough Street.
But 28-year-old financial advisor Martha Payne is well aware of her good fortune, having scooped up this prime real estate in Back Bay.
At first glance, the exquisitely decorated 1,000-square-foot condo looks like it was modeled after a spread in Architectural Digest. But Payne, who grew up in Greenwich, Conn. in a traditional New England home, is quick to reveal that much of the renovation and décor was done economically with the help of family hand-me-downs, a keen eye for antiques and help from a handy ex-boyfriend.
'All about bargain'
"I'm all about a bargain. If I have Payless shoes on, I tell everyone," said Payne, who set out to add unique and flirty touches to the classic décor. "It looks more ridiculous than it is. I had a bachelorette party here last week and it was crazy."
When Payne purchased the apartment in 2003, her boyfriend at the time offered to get down and dirty, and help her renovate the long-neglected space. She knew the floor plan was perfect for her love for entertaining. There was a large living room and sitting area with a beautiful fireplace, original rosette moldings and mammoth picture windows.
Her mother passed along her old furniture, and Payne reupholstered many of the pieces in pink and green to create a whimsical, yet polished, look.
"Preppy is in right now, but I didn't want people to think I was doing pink and green because everyone's all about Izod," Payne said.
'Tied to my family'
Her main objective was to create a place that reminded her of her family but reflected her fun attitude.
She has several framed prints her late father hung in his office, a picture of the family crest and a drawing of her childhood home in Greenwich displayed in a sitting area in the foyer. The carved pig on a table in her living room used to sit on her kitchen table growing up.
"I'm very tied to my family and I wanted it to represent that relationship," Payne said.
But her self-described "craziness" can also be detected throughout the airy unit.
She has a hot pink stuffed poodle displayed in her pristine white bathroom, monkeys painted on the sheers covering her bedroom windows and a mahogany bar in the foyer with multi-colored martini glasses and Hawaiian-style carved glasses.
"It all kinda fits my personality. I'm traditional, but crazy too," Payne said.
Christina Wallace
