The Empire Strikes Back - A 19th-century gem in Cambridge, Massachusetts, gets a tour-de-force restoration thanks to Frances Merrill of Reath Design.

Is it possible to simultaneously go back in time and leap forward? This was the challenge a couple set for themselves upon purchasing a salmon-pink 1869 house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, not far from Longfellow House, the National Historic Site that served as George Washington's headquarters during the revolution. We loved all the beautiful old details of this house, the homeowner says.

- By Catherine Hong - Photographs by Laurie Juliet

Is it possible to simultaneously go back in time and leap forward? This was the challenge a couple set for themselves upon purchasing a salmon-pink 1869 house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, not far from Longfellow House, the National Historic Site that served as George Washington's headquarters during the revolution. We loved all the beautiful old details of this house, the homeowner says.

With its distinctive mansard roof, high ceilings, original fireplaces, and old-world plasterwork, the Second Empire-style home had a feeling of graciousness and permanence-something the couple, who were then expecting their second child, were craving. We had moved a dozen times in 10 years, he says. We were ready for our forever' home. But at the same time, they didn't want to live in a place that felt like an antique. We love design that pushes the boundaries, he adds. We wanted a place that we were excited to come home to every day.