Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
Issue link: https://wellesleywestonmagazine.epubxp.com/i/78488
books "beautiful contemporary design" When Casey shared the book with the American Society of Media Pho - tographers (ASMP), he received his own candid response—a recommen- dation to submit it to their Best of 2012. He is proud to announce that the book was selected as one of the winners this past July. Bringing His Work Home The Casey family has been renovat- term project that actually happened. It's beautifully published. It was quite a feat." An accomplishment that began as a friend helping a friend. When O'Connor accepted the job with This Old House, Casey offered to help create a branding strategy for what he knew would become celebrity status for his long-time college friend. Casey didn't realize that the next chapter in this friendship would be a book col- laboration. "I had just started my photography business," he remembers. "Kevin finally had perspective on what he wanted the book to be…to show- case the finished homes." To make this idea come alive, the book needed to coordinate the work of dozens of experts in several fields over the course of years. "I needed more than just a photographer and 250 photographs," says O'Connor. "I needed a partner who could help me bring the idea to life, create the product, and market it successfully. Mike has a rare combina- tion of skills that made all that possible. He was part of the entire process, from the pitch to publication. He was a collaborator, not just the photographer. When it came to the photography, he nailed it." "The creative process is hard and suffers from a lack of candor," he continues. "Mike and I were completely candid with each other, as I suspect most people are with those who they've known and shared so much with since they were 18 years old." 170 ing their own home since moving there in 2011. And in this case, Casey is happy to quite literally bring his work home. "Lisa and I have had the luxury of having ten great homes to refer to. We've even borrowed ideas from the book to use in our own home," he says. A Cambridge home in chapter ten gave them the idea to open up the back of their Colonial home to a more contemporary feel, with six-foot-tall window walls for a better view of a backyard reservation. This house also proves to be his favorite in the book. "I was never a big fan of contemporary-style homes because I found them boxy and cold. The Cambridge home changed all that," says Casey, applauding the homeowner's thoughtful design process that involved seven different full-scale 3-D models. "The flow of the space, the materials used throughout the home, the generous use of glass on the back. I loved the light that came through, and really got an appreciation of what beautiful contemporary design was all about. This place was just so well done." One other thing has changed for the better—the relationship between two college buddies. "I'd say this [book] took our friendship to a new level," says Casey. Proof that although a foundation is strong, sometimes it takes a new undertaking to make it remarkable. The Best Homes from This Old House is available at WELLESLEY BOOKS. WellesleyWeston Magazine | fall 2012 MICHAEL CASEY