Viewing Pleasure(7)

While simplicity and subtlety are important to the aesthetic Charles Spada has developed over 30 years, he is no fan of cold, sterile environments. “I want warmth and comfort along with my peace and quiet,” he says. As far as he’s concerned, Zen-like surroundings are for Buddhist monks, not for people who want to be nurtured—visually and emotionally—by their homes.

Along with his clients, area decorators and collectors frequent “Antiques on 5,” Charles’s shop at the Boston Design Center. “I sell antiques, engravings, botanicals, and lighting fixtures from my trips to Europe, and furniture of my own design,” he says. “Every item I would personally choose to have in my own home.”