Bobbi and Joel Neuschatz refer to themselves as “classic empty nesters.” Back in 2002, the couple had packed up their Lunenburg house – no easy task, considering all their oil paintings, antique furniture, and vast array of collectibles, from tin toys and containers to Battersea boxes and an army of silent butlers – and moved to a Victorian town house in Boston, only to find that they were less than enamored of continuing the mundane tasks of home management.

So they decided to start fresh, buying a wide-open loft in an amenity-filled building in the heart of the South End. This go-round, the Neuschatzes sold off most of their possessions through auction houses and collectibles dealers. Then they hired Winchester interior designer Kristin Rivoli to transform their 2,000-square-foot space into a comfortable home.

“Bobbi and Joel wanted to fully embrace the loft aesthetic, which was really foreign to them, having come from an old farmhouse full of antiques,” says Rivoli. “I wanted to give them a comfortable place to relax, as well as some privacy, against a neutral background that shows off their eclectic collections.”

The loft came with neutrals, including polished cement floors, white walls, and a contemporary granite and aluminum kitchen, but the Neuschatzes wanted some color. So the entry was painted a deep violet, in a shiny, high gloss (California Paints Regal Purple). The kitchen went brick red (Ralph Lauren Balmoral Red), and decorative painter Lynda Stephens used a technique that resulted in a weathered, barn-like texture.

The furniture is clean-lined, allowing the couple’s most cherished collectibles to take center stage in the space. Tin toys from the 1920s to the 1950s are parked row after row

on gray shelving in the main living area. And scattered around the loft are 60 or so silent butlers, or vintage smoking stands, a folk-art collectible about which Joel coauthored a book last year.

Even so, the loft remains airy and uncluttered. Opaque glass sliding doors define distinct “rooms” without blocking the light. Sheer draperies veil the wall of windows but don’t obstruct the view of the Prudential and Hancock towers.

Now the Neuschatzes feel as if they’ve finally got it right – “the open space, the flow, the ease of living,” says Joel, a retired physician. Bobbi chimes in: “And the view. I love the skyscrapers.”

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2010/05/23/playing_house/