hiok by elloco2019

FEB RUARY/MARCH 2022

Ideas, Advice + Inspiration FOR PROJECTS BIG AND SMALL

AN ABANDONED CHURCH P. 5 8 A FORMER TEXTILE MILL P. 9 2 AN 18TH -CENTURY COTTAGE P. 74 AN D SO M UCH MORE!

GUESS WHICH HGTV STAR TOOK THIS ATLANTA LOFT TO THE NEXT LEVEL... P. 1 0

I riI $* I=i * rY* ö¨ ]I¡Ç

Acclaimed for its exquisite design and revolutionary cooking precision, the Monogram Professional Range is redefining luxury appliances one detail at a time. Elevate Everything.

MONOGR AM .COM

24 14

OPEN HOUSE

Five experts on managing expectation versus reality when it comes to renovating.

IN THIS ISSUE THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FLOORING

How to choose between hardwood, carpet, and a million other options.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

BRILLIANT NO-RENO UPGR ADES

Proof that the greatest workout motivator is a cool home gym steps from your bed.

Big windows and three cabinet colors give this Virginia kitchen a glow.

43 ON A

Quick fixes that will make your rooms feel totally refreshed.

Dreamy spaces, unexpected design ideas, and vetted pro tips.

Our man-abouttown shares his picks for timeless bathroom styles.

INCREDIBLE BATHROOMS

SWEAT IT OUT

THE R EN OVAT I O N ISSUE 2 02 2

THE RUFINO REPORT

108

THE GOOD PL ACE

IN THIS ISSUE

THROUGH THE YEARS

A ROSY OUTLOOK

LIGHT SHOW

HIGHER CALLING

100

A circa 1900s church was transformed into a cozy first home for a newly married couple.

Inside a Connecticut garden-inspired escape that was designed for a landscape architect with ideas of her own.

For a father of three, one designer turned a dark loft into a bright, art-filled space for the whole family.

With its spiral staircase and mezzanine, this former textile mill won the heart of an HGTV star designer.

This contemporary New York State home with tons of unique furnishings was once totally stuck in the 90s.

DIVINE INTERVENTION

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

AU REVOIR

FRANCESCO LAGNESE.

A 300-year-old stone house is now a light-filled weekend escape.

INSPO INDEX Looking to get design ideas for a specific space? You’ll find hundreds in this issue.

L I V I N G RO O M S

p. 60

K I TC H EN S

p. 66

p. 79

p. 84

p. 62

p. 69

p. 77

p. 97

See more living rooms on pp. 68, 74, 78, and 95. p. 92

p. 100

B ED RO O M S

See more bedrooms on pp. 61, 90, 98, and 106. p. 73

p. 82

See more kitchens on pp. 65, 88, and 96. p. 103

p. 107

B AT H RO O M S

See more bathrooms on pp. 48, 51, 64, and 99. p. 63

p. 78

p. 106

e Cover esi ner

Alison Victoria Chicago and Atlanta @thealisonvictoria

As the star of HGTV’s Windy City Rehab and a seasoned interior designer, Alison Victoria is a fan and client favorite. Known for her warm spirit and fun, savvy approach to problem-solving, she’s particularly gifted at sourcing old pieces and bringing them back to their original glory in a new home.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

O N T H E C OV ER :

Photographer Robert Peterson Interior Designer Alison Victoria On the cover: Art, Mark Sargent via The Design Bar. Sconces, Circa Lighting. Table, CB2. Chairs, vintage. Sofa, vintage, in Fishman’s Fabrics. Side tables, HomeGoods. Coffee table, RH.

VICTORIA: ANTHONY TAHLIER.

p. 53

SKARA BRAE™

A LEGEND IN EVERY DESIGN CAMBRIAUSA.COM

Editorial Director JOANNA SALTZ Executive Editor AMANDA SIMS CLIFFORD Creative Director MARC DAVILA Director of Content Operations LINDSEY RAMSEY Director of Editorial Special Projects CARISHA SWANSON Senior Style Director ROBERT RUFINO Digital Director HADLEY KELLER Director of Brand Strategy and Audience Development ALYSSA FIORENTINO

E D I TO R I A L Senior Editors HADLEY MENDELSOHN, KRISTIN TABLANG Senior Editor of Content Strategy NATHALIE KIRBY Associate Editor MARY ELIZABETH ANDRIOTIS Associate Market Editor, E-Commerce MEDGINA SAINT-ELIEN Editorial Assistant KELLY ALLEN Contributing Editors DANIELLE HARLING, ELZY KOLB, JILL MALTER, SIOBHÁN MCGOWAN, MONICA MERCURI, CARLY OLSON, KATHRYN O’SHEA-EVANS, OLIVER YOO

CHANGE YOUR SPACE without tearing down walls! (More ideas on p.35.) Royal Horticultural Society Songbirds decoupage paper, $16 peryard. anniesloan.com.

C R E AT I V E & V I D E O Art Director JEE LEE Senior Post-Production Supervisor PHILIP SWIFT Video Editor IAN MUNSELL

H EARST VISUAL G ROU P Chief Visual Content Director, Hearst Magazines ALIX CAMPBELL Executive Visual Director CHRISTINA WEBER Deputy Visual Directors ALLISON CHIN, DON KINSELLA PUB L IS HED BY H E A RST President & Chief Executive Officer STEVEN R. SWARTZ Chairman WILLIAM R. HEARST III Executive Vice Chairman FRANK A. BENNACK, JR. Chief Operating Officer MARK E. ALDAM Secretary CATHERINE A. BOSTRON Publishing Consultants GILBERT C. MAURER, MARK F. MILLER H E ARST M AGA ZIN E ME DIA, INC. President and Treasurer DEBI CHIRICHELLA Chief Content Officer KATE LEWIS Chief Business Officer KRISTEN M. O’HARA CUSTOMER SERVICE Call: 800-444-6873. Email: HBUcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com. Visit: service.housebeautiful.com. Write: Customer Service Dept., House Beautiful, PO Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593. REPRINTS For 500 or more, call PARS INT’L: 212-221-9595. Published at 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019; 212-903-5000. www.housebeautiful.com. PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Senior Vice President, Group Publishing Director JENNIFER LEVENE BRUNO Vice Presidents, Sales DAVID HAMILTON, WILLIAM C. PITTEL Vice President, Marketing & Sales Strategy JULIA FRY Executive Director, Partnerships & Business Development HILLARY KOOTA KREVLIN Executive Director, Sales & Marketing Strategy ANGELA OKENICA Executive Director, National Digital Sales TARA WEEDFALD Group Marketing Directors MATTHEW HARE, ESTHER DEMING Group Finance Director CHRISTOPHER J. TOSTI Director, Advertising Services MERRILL DIAMOND

SA LES Executive Sales Director, Home & Building Products CHRIS AGOSTINELLI Executive Sales Director, Home Appliances, Finance & Travel TAYLOR RAE BERISH Executive Sales Director, Luxury, Jewelry & Watch CARL KIESEL Executive Sales Directors, Midwest KAREN LOVELAND, DONNA SCHULTZ Executive Sales Director, Home Furnishings JON WALKER Sales Director, Retail, Beauty, Wine & Spirits KRISTIN CASSIDY Sales Assistants CONNOR BAKER, BIANCA BONETTI, YVONNE VILLAREAL

M A RK E TI N G Creative Director GLENN MARYANSKY Associate Marketing Director JENNIFER LAVOIE Senior Marketing Managers MARY KATE MURRAY, JESSICA PLATZ Associate Marketing Manager KATIE FRITZ Marketing Coordinator LIZZIE ROSWIG U.S. B R A N CH O FF I CES Southeast: WHITNEY OTTO, JACKIE ORWIG TEALL Blaze, Otto & Associates, 704-651-1204; Southwest: VIRGINIA DAVIS, Wisdom Media, 214-526-3800; West Coast: CYNTHIA MCKNIGHT, CM Media Sales, 310-291-2730; KURT DEMARS, DeMars Media, 415-990-1999 INT E RN ATI ON A L O F FI C ES Italy: ROBERT SCHOENMAKER, 011-39-02-6269-4441 United Kingdom: CHLOE DONOVAN, 011-44-77-1254-5188 HE A RST D IR ECT ME D I A Vice President, Group Executive Director CHRISTINE HALL C ON SU ME R MA R KE TI N G Executive Director JOCELYN FORMAN Associate Director, Research LENORE MONTAPERTO ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Production Manager DAVID BRICKEY

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL© Volume 164, Number 1 (ISSN 0018-6422) is published bi-monthly by Hearst, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019 USA. Steven R. Swartz, President & Chief Executive Officer; William R. Hearst III, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman; Mark E. Aldam, Chief Operating Officer. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc.: Debi Chirichella, President and Treasurer; Kate Lewis, Chief Content Officer; Kristen M. O’Hara, Chief Business Officer; Catherine A. Bostron, Secretary. © 2022 by Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All rights reserved. House Beautiful is a registered trademark of Hearst Communications, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional entry post offices. Canada Post International Publications mail product (Canadian distribution) sales agreement No. 40012499. Editorial and Advertising Offices: 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3797. Subscription prices: United States and possessions: $24 for one year. Canada and all other countries: $40 for one year. Subscription Services: House Beautiful will, upon receipt of a complete subscription order, undertake fulfillment of that order so as to provide the first copy for delivery by the Postal Service or alternate carrier within 4–6 weeks. For customer service, changes of address, and subscription orders, log on to housebeautiful.com/service or write to Customer Service Department, House Beautiful, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593. From time to time, we make our subscriber list available to companies who sell goods and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not receive such offers via postal mail, please send your current mailing label or exact copy to Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593. You can also visit preferences.hearstmags.com to manage your preferences and opt out of receiving marketing offers by e-mail. House Beautiful is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or art. None will be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Canada BN NBR 10231 0943 RT. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to House Beautiful, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593. Printed in the USA.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Putting cleaner water within reach. That’s

The ezH2O LivTM Built-in Filtered Water Dispenser water, instantly. Elkay.com/ezH2O-liv

OPEN HOUSE EXPECTATIONS vs. REALITY

The true breadth of a renovation can be hard to grasp. Editorial Director Joanna Saltz spoke with five experts about how they balance what clients think is possible with what’s actually likely to go down.

Betsy Wentz: I only move

forward with clients I develop trust with at the beginning. It’s important to be up front about the business you do and what they’re looking for to avoid heartbreak.

Luis: It’s becoming more

important to not give in to the pressure of saying you’ll make it work. You can’t get furniture or services for free. Damian: In the world of Zoom, you also have to overcommunicate to elicit deﬁnitive responses from people in order to move forward. You can’t get good eye contact or read body language virtually. Jo: Human connectivity is the piece of it that’s always challenging. Nicole: I almost lost a client

because we relied on texts and

WANT TO TALK? E-MAIL ME AT EDITOR@HOUSEBEAUTIFUL.COM.

Jo Saltz: Your job is to

sell a perfect vision. So how honest do you feel you’re allowed to be with your clients at the start of a new project? Nicole White: I’m blunt.

Many clients, especially those who come to us through Instagram, don’t realize the full scope of a project. We make contingency budgets mandatory for unexpected issues, like opening a wall to ﬁnd rotted pipes that would take $20,000 to ﬁx. Luis Medina: Some clients

may you expect to do a project for way less because their aunt or grandma did it for way less. Then they go to someone

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

who is willing to lie, and they end up disappointed. To avoid miscommunication, we document everything. Samantha Josaphat-Medina:

We have potential clients ﬁll out a questionnaire. It tells us if their project aligns with their budget and schedule. On our initial call, we go over what’s possible. If only Instagram showed people how much one image costs! Jo: For so long, TV has

perpetuated this myth in the world. But Instagram is a big driver now. How has that affected your job? Damian Samora: We have to

sell reality. When you have

Samantha Josaphat-Medina and Luis Medina @studio397 Studio 397 Architecture refaced the cabinets and added a full wall of open shelving to modernize this NYC kitchen.

SALTZ: ALLIE HOLLOWAY; HAIR AND MAKEUP: NINA SORIANO; STYLIST: STEPHANIE TRICOLA/HONEY ARTISTS. JOSAPHAT AND MEDINA ILLUSTRATION: AGATA NOWICKA; STUDIO 397 ARCHITECTURE PROJECT: SAMANTHA JOSAPHAT.

a potential client, it’s a relationship. You’re going to date for a while, you’re going to be married for years, and you’re going to have some tough conversations. But if you keep the communication open, you’ll know everyone’s done their best, even if the bills are higher than expected.

Joanna Saltz @josaltz

Kirsch®. By Design. Interior design. Technology design. Product design. At Kirsch®, everything begins and ends with design. Our team of experts have created a top-quality collection of window coverings and smart shade options for you to explore — all from the comfort of your own home. Visit kirsch.com to learn more about Kirsch and our complimentary in-home design service. © 2022 Kirsch Custom Window Coverings

OPEN HOUSE Nicole White @nicolewhitedesignsinteriors White joined two units to craft this epic Miami home.

emails too much. The tone of the messages got lost. To get back a real connection, we arranged weekly phone calls. It was a great lesson that we can’t lose that connection. Damian: Communication

becomes even harder when people don’t necessarily know what they want.

Jo: Why is there such a dif-

ference between what clients think is going to happen and the actual truth? Samantha: Clients spend

time looking at design and researching on their own before they come to the profes-

sional. If they don’t know what to research, they consume only what they can digest. Then they ﬁnd out the process has more layers. Luis: They can come with their

Betsy: If people haven’t reno-

own spreadsheet, but it doesn’t account for who was installing that refrigerator or who was paying for delivery. There are all these little hidden costs.

vated in a long time, they also compare their experience to back when it was cheaper. Nicole: On HGTV, no true cost

breakdown is shown. Viewers see a client’s budget and a ﬁnished room. We have to push back and convince clients to respect our expertise. Damian: Our world is teaching people to overconsume data, to overconsume content, and it’s exhausting. When you start consuming so many things in succession, they lose their value. It’s only

Damian Samora @fergusonshamamian A totally revised floor plan by Samora, partner at Ferguson & Shamamian Architects, gave this NYC apartment much better flow.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

when someone starts asking questions that you build a a relationship of trust. All of a sudden, they already know how much something costs because they understand the quality that went into it. Betsy Wentz @studiobgirl A small guest room turned walk-in closet designed by Wentz features a glamorous reflective ceiling and chandelier.

WHITE ILLUSTRATION: AGATA NOWICKA; WHITE PROJECT: KRIS TAMBURELLO. WENTZ ILLUSTRATION: AGATA NOWICKA; WENTZ PROJECT: NICK SARGENT. SAMORA ILLUSTRATION: AGATA NOWICKA; FERGUSON & SHAMAMIAN ARCHITECTS PROJECT: LISA ROMEREIN/OTTO.

Betsy: It’s about educating. Either you do what you can with the budget you have or decide now’s not the time and save up.

True to food

™

Fresh food has earned a home that will care for it in the best ways possible. That’s why we’ve put so much innovation and engineering into providing you with the largest capacity integrated column refrigerators and freezers on the market. Long live freshness.

Largest Capacity For more information, visit SignatureKitchenSuite.com

Integrated Column Refrigerators & Freezers

Copyright 2022© Signature Kitchen Suite, 111 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632. All rights reserved. “Signature Kitchen Suite” and the Signature Kitchen Suite logo are trademarks of Signature Kitchen Suite.

I have a junk drawer. Yes

That I’m afraid to open. Yes

If you said yes to both:

Welcome to The Organization

THE R E N O VAT I O N ISSUE

WELCOME

F E B R U A R Y/ MARCH 2022

PICTURE FRAME MOLDING, CLASSY ARTWORK, AND A FEW COATS OF FARROW & BALL HAGUE BLUE MAKE THIS GYM BY SUNNY CIRCLE STUDIO FEEL LIKE A COZY LIVING ROOM.

Sweat It Out W H AT I F T H E O N LY T H I N G K E E P I N G YO U F R O M A N

invigorating workout were proximity? Skip the drive (or snowy sidewalk trudge) to the yoga studio, and you might actually squeeze in a class. A home gym tailored to your athletic preferences and personal aesthetic, not to mention just steps from bed, is an exceptional motivator. Stock it with dumbbells and a soft mat, or invest in virtual lessons with a trainer. In pandemic times, designers have “seen an onslaught of great at-home equipment and programming options,” designer Brad Krefman points out. Why go any place else for a workout? —Kelly Allen PHOTOGR APH BY ERIN WHEELER

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Gear Nook Kelly Finley, founder of Joy Street Design, designed this large shelf for stashing yoga mats, towels, and resistance bands. Colorful FLOR tiles are easy on the knees. Illuminated by the sunlight pouring through 12-footwide glass doors, a renovated barn by General Assembly connects the warm interior to the natural landscape.

Transformed Bedroom “The plaid wallpaper on the coffered ceiling adds whimsy” without cluttering this clean, open space, says designer Brad Krefman. Ample natural light and a view of the backyard make this room an ideal gym setting.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PROJECT: JOE FLETCHER; JOY STREET DESIGN PROJECT: SEN CREATIVE; BK INTERI

Open Studio

CELERIE KEMBLE FOR ARTERIORS

THE FINE BALANCE BETWEEN ART & INTERIORS | ARTERIORSHOME.COM

Fitness Salon An ornate mirror, Art Deco sconces, and pendants hung by chain links give this gym by Ken Fulk a glamorous yet gritty look.

Lower-Level Gym Mirrors installed floor to ceiling across two walls make this room by Lauren Buxbaum Gordon of Nate Berkus Associates seem double the size—and brighter.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

KEN FULK PROJECT: DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN/TRUNK ARCHIVE; PURSLEY DIXON FORD INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT: ANNIE SCHLECTHER; LAUREN BUXBAUM GORDON AND NATE BERKUS ASSOCIATES PROJECT: SPACECRAFTING PHOTOGRAPHY.

Converted Closet At less than 100 square feet, this bedroom walk-in by Pursley Dixon Architecture now holds an elliptical machine, barre, and yoga area. Chilewich flooring adds easy-to-clean padding.

Girls night. Good drinks. Get cozy.

For details on the limited warranty, see sunbrella.com/warranty. Sunbrella® is a registered trademark and Give Life Texture™ is a trademark of Glen Raven, Inc.

EXPLORE NOW

Comfortable | Long-Lasting | Easy-to-Clean

KITCHEN OF THE MONTH

P ER I M E T ER P EN DA N T S Over-island placement would have drawn attention to the off-center range.

S TA I N ED WO O D To connect the painted and light wood cabinetry, a charcoal stain darkens the oak island.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

White paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore. Cabinetry: Unique Kitchens and Baths, in custom paint (green), stain (charcoal), and limed wax (wood). Hardware: Rejuvenation. Pendants: Olde Brick Lighting. Range: Lacanche. Countertop: Calacatta quartzite. Stools: Four Hands. Wine cooler: Sub-Zero.

PL ANK C EI L I N G Extending this down two walls helped “avoid a vast bank of drywall and add visual interest,” says Giese.

The Good Place Big windows, a new layout, and three different cabinet colors give this kitchen a heavenly glow. By Shoko Wanger

T A L L S TA R T E D W I T H

the stove. Alison Giese’s Arlington, Virginia, clients selected their kitchen’s centerpiece—a Lacanche range in a deep, dusky gray—before hiring the designer to oversee a top-to-bottom overhaul of the ’90s-era space. “Their take was, ‘We know this is going to be an investment. We want to do things right the first time,’ ”

Giese recalls. “They were willing to do high-end appliances to get the kitchen they wanted.” Giese went on to curate a sumptuous material palette to match the handcrafted French range: brass hardware, bespoke oak cabinetry, stone countertops. But before any of this could be actualized, the floor plan needed fixing. “The working area was all crammed into one side of the space, and they really didn’t know what to do with the other half,” Giese explains. So she came up with three distinct zones to place along the room’s perimeter, doubling the functionality without compromising flow. Custom cabinetry in three tones, designed by Tanya SmithP h o t o g r a p h s b y S TA C Y Z A R I N G O L D B E R G

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

KITCHEN OF THE MONTH

ARCHES SPICE UP SHAKER CABINETRY.

Fridge: Sub-Zero. Stools: Four Hands.

Shiﬂett of Unique Kitchens and Baths, anchors each section. A cooking area, complete with a maple-wood island stained charcoal brown, takes center stage along the back wall. To its left, dishware shelves and a paneled refrigerator are hidden behind olive-green cabinetry embellished with arches that echo the curved range hood. And where there was formerly dead space, the designers installed what they call a “morning bar,” which houses the husband’s requested smoothie station, as well as a coffeemaker and wine fridge (for mimosas, natch) in handsome white oak. For practicality’s sake, pocket doors on the cabinets disappear when open so everyday items are easily accessible, and slide closed when company comes to call. Giese says her clients “still send messages that say, ‘We’re living our best life in this space!’ ”

MORNING BAR A wine fridge, coffee station, and smoothie prep zone are combined to streamline prework rituals.

Hardware: Rejuvenation. Rug: Unique Kitchens and Baths. Sink: Kohler. Faucet: Brizo. Art: Chelsea Fly. 26

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

I N S TA N T O P EN S H ELV ES Pocket doors reveal a coffee bar and dishware display but can be closed to hide clutter.

THE

GUIDE TO FLOORING

Everything you need to know to hit the ground running. By Kristin Tablang

OTTO.

DESIGN BY STUDIO SHAMSHIRI

Photograph by STEPHEN KENT JOHNSON

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

U LT I M AT E F L O O R I N G G U I D E

Looks are only part of the puzzle.

HARDWOOD Solid hardwood ﬂooring consists of planks made from single slabs of timber, which means every set is unique. “Mother Nature makes hardwood,” says Jennifer Meska, director of merchandising at LL Flooring. “That means that if you have a hardwood floor, you have a floor that no one else in the world has.”

Beloved for this reason, hardwoods are a popular, albeit relatively pricey, pick. If scratching is a concern, look for a wood species with a high Janka rating. DESIGN BY GINNY MACDONALD DESIGN

Choose Your Shine Every hardwood floor needs a protective coat.

CARPET Perfect for rooms where you want extra warmth and comfort underfoot, wall-to-wall carpeting can be ultrasophisticated. Choose a ﬁber for your lifestyle: “On the higher end, nothing beats the luxury and cleanability of wool,” says Stark New

England regional manager, Robert E. Bagshaw, Jr. “On the other end, solution-dyed synthetic yarns are resistant to fading in sun-drenched rooms.”

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

MATTE

SATIN

GLOSSY

The lowest-luster option, this contemporary pick conceals blemishes while emphasizing the details in the wood grain.

By far the most common, a satin finish lends a moderate shine and velvety look.

While great for highlighting certain spaces or beautiful hardwoods, its high sheen makes dirt, smudges, and scratches more obvious (read: It’s high maintenance).

DESIGN BY AMANDA GEORGE INTERIOR DESIGN

GOOD TO KNOW!

If you need a custom rug, have a piece of carpeting cut down to size (and add a border!).

GINNY MACDONALD: SARA TRAMP. AMANDA GEORGE: MIRANDA ESTES. RAJI RM: JOSHUA MCHUGH. THE FOX GROUP: LINDSAY SALAZAR.

Which Material Is Right for You?

FAUX WOOD Why would one choose a ﬂooring material that mimics the look of wood over the real thing? For starters, it can be less expensive, lower maintenance, and more sustainable than felled timber. (Save the forests! And your wallet.) Choose the one that suits your budget.

LAMINATE

LUXURY VINYL

ENGINEERED HARDWOOD

Composed of multiple layers (including a wood core), it’s both tough and easy to clean, making it ideal for homes with pets and children.

Extremely hardy and costeffective, “it can be installed directly over most existing floors,” says Meghan Chio, the senior flooring merchant at Home Depot.

The most convincing of the bunch. Comprising perpendicular sheets of plywood topped with a wood veneer, it’s resistant to warping.

Installing It Yourself? Here are two popular methods.

Click It DESIGN BY RAJI RM & ASSOCIATES

Avoid dealing with messy adhesives by using interlocking planks that can be cut to the right fit.

WHEN TO GO FAUX

Stick It

“If you want your floor to look exactly the same as the day you put it in,” says Meska, “laminate or vinyl might be a better option than hardwood.”

Suitable for lowerbudget projects and rentals, peel-andstick vinyl couldn’t be easier to DIY.

DESIGN BY THE FOX GROUP

TILE Available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, tile is naturally waterproof and scratchproof. (Not to mention time-tested: It has been used as ﬂooring for centuries.) “It’s durable and requires minimal maintenance,”

says Luke Crownover, digital asset manager at The Tile Shop, who says to factor in installation costs when shopping for tile: “On average, they run $15 to $30 per square foot.”

CORK

STONE

A renewable material, cork offers warmth, cushioning, and added noise reduction, plus natural climate control, helping to keep a room warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Whether you opt for a premium slab like marble or a cheaper alternative such as limestone, stone flooring always stays cool and is guaranteed to be long-lasting.

DESIGN BY S.R.GAMBREL

DESIGN BY GEGE PENDER DESIGN U LT I M AT E F L O O R I N G G U I D E

Try Something Different These less conventional options make a huge design impact.

DESIGN BY MCALPINE

BRICK

CONCRETE

It might not be plush to the touch, but this rustic material is sturdy, eye-catching, and inexpensive. Top it with a glossy finish (or a good rug) for a softer look.

Resistant to fire, stains, water, and odors, this industrial material is also great at home. It can help cut energy bills by keeping rooms warm while using less heat.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

S.R. GAMBREL: ERIC PIASECKI/OTTO. GEGE PENDER DESIGN AND MCALPINE: ROGER DAVIES/OTTO. DOMINIQUE DELANEY: LAURA SUMRAK.

DESIGN BY DOMINIQUE DELANEY

WHERE LUXURY DEFIES EXPECTATIONS

! "# $ %&%%'

VISIT US NOW | OPEN TO THE PUBLIC | ADBUILDING.COM

Introducing

Our brand-new membership program is a design lover’s best friend. Becoming a member means unlocking the best of HB: expert room-decorating advice, designer shopping tips, inspiration from our 125-year archive, and much more. What are you waiting for?

A year-long print subscription to the best design magazine

A weekly shopping newsletter featuring secret sources, sale alerts, and more

50¢

Just-for-you deals from our favorite brands

A-maze-ing

wallpaperdirect.com Make your home your own Josephine Munsey / Albany Minerals / Etten / Graham and Brown / Morris

21 Brilliant Little

NO-RENO No need to wait a year to get on a contractor’s schedule. These light-lift enhancements will make your home feel totally new—right now! By Carisha Swanson

CUT OUT THE SHAPES TO CREATE A CUSTOM SCENE!

Decoupage Everything Royal Horticultural Society Winged Wildlife decoupage paper, $16 per pack. anniesloan.com

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

N O - R E N O R E N O VAT I O N S

Add Backplates to Your Hardware Industrial Modern hardware pull and knob with Modern backplates, $6–$20 per piece. emtek.com

Upgrade the Grates Accentuate Moroccan and Square Squared HVAC grilles with affixed air-vent louvers, $80. modmetaldesigns.com

ARRANGE THEM IN ANY SHAPE!

Antique Any Wall Interno Lime Wash, $16–$415 (from one pint to five gallons). shp company.com

Install an Inspiration Board Felt tiles available in eight shapes and more than 30 colors, 12" x 12" square and 10" x 12" hexagon, $8 per tile. feltright.com

Stick On a Pattern Bali Leaves Premium Peel and Stick wallpaper, $50 per roll. yorkwallcoverings.com

Make Coffee or Cappuccino Replace Your Boob Lights Flush mounts (clockwise from left): Ellis, Lydia, and Lizzie, $164–$210. mitzi.com

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Miele CM6360 Milk Perfection Countertop Coffee System, $2,499. mieleusa.com

N O - R E N O R E N O VAT I O N S

Create a Gallery Wall The Floor to Ceiling Grid, $1,099. framebridge.com

Play Around With Carpet Tiles Antique Minx round rug, $110 per 39" round rug made of four arc tiles (available in seven colors). flor.com

Tidy Up the Garage ProGarage medium cabinets, from $355. closetmaid.com

Tell the Fan to Turn On Replace Every Showerhead Statement Oval multifunction showerhead with deep massage, full coverage, and cloud spray, $261. kohler.com

Cync Ceiling Fan Smart Switch with voice and app control, $50. bestbuy.com

Keep Towels Toasty Toss Your Toilet Paper Washlet C5 with dual-action sprayer, dryer, heated seat, and air deodorizer, from $780. totousa.com

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Tuzio Thames wallmounted plug-in towel warmer, $1,719. only towelwarmers.com

SMART & STYLISH Odeon Fandelight with WIFI maximlighting.com

N O - R E N O R E N O VAT I O N S

Put Your Wine on Display Design Custom Shelves Specify wood type, color, length (12"–90"), depth (6"–12"), and thickness (1.75"–5") and hang with easy-to-install hidden brackets. ultrashelf.com

Premier Wine Rack (shown in Smokey Taupe and right in Pietra Nera ), from $130 per unit. getstact.com

Plug In a Wall Sconce Clockwise: Celeste in Cloud Blue, $995. lostine.com. Brody Black and Brass wall lamp by 360 Lighting, $100. lampsplus.com. Up Down by In Common With (available in five color combinations), $450. lightology.com

Go Handle Free Smart Faucet with Motion Control (for activation and temperature), from $675. moen.com

Ditch Basic Switches Custom 4G Electricity, with dimmers and on/off toggles, $309. busterandpunch.com

Delete Your Junk Drawer Custom acrylic organizers (available with fabric liners). organize mydrawer.com

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

PRESENTED BY

HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT MATTRESS You spend one-third of your life in bed, why not fZd^ bm phg]^k_ne8 MAKE IT PERSONAL

Scale the size to your space and match the Ûkfg^ll mh rhnk le^^i style. Map out your bedroom to determine pa^ma^k Z dbg` hk Z queen would be the best Ûm' B_ rhn le^^i pbma Z partner (or pets!), it may be worth sizing up. Find the right feel—Firm, Plush, hk NemkZ Ienla [Zl^] hg your usual sleep position. THINK LONG TERM

A high-quality mattress should last up to 10 years, so invest in comfort, durability, and support. Research how bm l fZ]^ ma^ fZm^kbZel used for the interior and the exterior can have a major impact on comfort and durability over time. TRUST THE LEGACY

L^^d hnm Z [kZg] pbma Z ikho^g mkZ\d k^\hk]' Stearns & Foster mattresses are crafted by hand, not massproduced. So much care is put into them that each mattress is hand-signed by the Master Craftsman who built it. ELEVATE YOUR COMFORT

A Legacy of Design in Every Stitch At Stearns & Foster, we believe that exceptional design lives in the details. This is why we aZo^ li^gm fhk^ maZg *0. r^Zkl \hffbmm^] mh k^Ûgbg` ma^ ]^mZbel maZm fZd^ Stearns & Foster distinct. From velvet trim to hand-tufted top layers, our mattresses are meticulously crafted to ehhd Zl `hh] Zl ma^r _^^e' Nl^ hnk mbil mh a^ei rhn \ahhl^ ma^ i^k_^\m fZmmk^ll mh \hfie^m^ rhnk bedroom sanctuary. LEARN MORE AT STEARNSANDFOSTER.COM

P^ k^ li^g]bg` fhk^ time in our bedrooms than ever before—from phkdbg` mh k^Z]bg` mh bingeing the latest series. Adding an adjustable base to your mattress can optimize comfort, fZdbg` rhnk [^] Z eb_^ hub by day and a sleep sanctuary by night.

Create Your Paradise Designing your home shouldn’t stop at the door. Bring the comforts of the indoors out with Frontgate’s one-of-a-kind furniture and decor – and discover a fresh destination to live, work and play.

Shop our new collection at frontgate.com/outdoor

B L I M N G A Gon a Renovation Already stressful, home improvement projects now come with a host of new headaches, from longer wait times to higher costs. What do you need to know before you roll the dice? By Kaitlin Petersen

Illustrations by LEWIS OSBORNE

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Do You FEEL LUCKY? Renovating right now is an exciting—and sometimes risky—game of chance.

WILL YOU GET INSANELY DELAYED?

At this point, having patience throughout the renovation process is simply table stakes. Construction projects of all shapes and sizes are taking longer these days—15 to 30 percent longer than in 2016, says Arizona contractor Brad Leavitt, president and founder of A Finer Touch Construction in Scottsdale. And while the bogged-down supply chain gets plenty of the blame, there are delays at every step.

Take permits: Leavitt has found that what was once an eight-week process can now take 16 (or even 30) weeks as local municipalities struggle to keep up with a surge in demand. All the while, the project

just sits, a frustrating scenario for the design team and the homeowner. Other delays—like a project that’s at a standstill until that back-ordered tile arrives—are even harder to predict, but just as common.

Prices for single-family renovations are up 26.1 percent on average, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The increased costs of labor and raw materials, coupled with a shortage of housing stock and overall demand, are driving numbers higher.

MIGHT YOU BLOW THE BUDGET?

But there’s some good news too: While interest rates are starting to creep back up, they’re still historically low—and a smart renovation can add enough value to your home to justify the expense.

“What we’re seeing in the mortgage industry is that a lot of people are saying, ‘I’ve got all this equity in my home, and my house value is the highest it’s ever been—maybe I can tap into that to do the things I’ve been dying to do,’ ” says Jess Kennedy, cofounder and COO of direct-to-consumer mortgage lender Beeline. “Coupling [low interest rates] with high home values, it feels like cheap money.”

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

COULD THERE BE A LABOR SHORTAGE?

Designers, architects, and builders across the country say their phones have been ringing off the hook. With their services in such high demand, many are booking projects with start dates months in advance. And once you’ve secured your team and a start date, their tradespeople will be asking them to wait too. “One of the issues we’re dealing with now is a shortage of workers. Our vendors and tradespeople are struggling to keep good employees,” says Minnesota designer Amy Leferink, owner of Interior Impressions. On one recent project, the drywall tapers walked off the job and the plumber got sick—just two of the many challenges that pushed the timeline three months longer than expected. “Even in the best situations, we’re still challenged by availability,” she says. “People are so overloaded

and busy that they can’t keep up.”

The current building boom may be a pandemic-inspired craze, but many of the life changes people are designing around are here to stay. “I don’t think that there will ever be a regret about adding functionality and ﬂexibility to your home,” says Leferink. “Even

WILL YOU REGRET EVERYTHING?

if everyone’s back to work and back to school, we have been forever changed in the way we use more of our homes.” What you might regret most is not

Does the House Always Win? Everyone wants to know if they’ll get a return on their renovation investment. While it depends on how much you spent buying your home and where you’re putting that reno money, one of the biggest indicators is how long you plan to live there. If this is not your forever home, ask your designer about surfaces and appliances that are good for resale. “We can say, ‘Everyone wants quartz countertops right now, not granite,’ and encourage them to lean in that direction to help with salability,” says Leferink. And if you are in your forever home, be selfish: True customization— think a laundry machine between your workout room and shower so dirty clothes never pile up—can be life-changing. If that’s not a return on investment, what is?

going for it: Some economists project that housing and building prices will continue to trend upward for the next three to four years, which means you’ll save more by starting now unless you’re willing to wait a long, long time. “It’s not great right now, but it’s still manageable,” says Leferink. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better, so I don’t think it’s worth waiting if it’s something you want to do in the next ﬁve years.”

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

The WINNING HAND Here’s how to play your cards so you come out on top.

Some costs will be out o f your control. “Yo u n e e d wo o d in your house , so you ca n’t necessarily say , ‘I ’ll wait un til the market coo ls off’ for th a t,” says Pittsburgh designer C olleen Simonds, w ho recomm ends choosing le ss-expens ive materials for lightly trafficked spa ces, like gu e st bathrooms o r e ve n a k id ’s bedroom. T here are ple nty of elegant mid dle-of-theroad lighting and hardware o ptions that don’t s acrifice qu ality.

L IN L TA

PHASE S

an af ter gical ” l a e v a ma big re Th e “ io n c an b e n g i n g ri lat hey i n st a l n c e . B u t b e as t nds m e i o r h e the ex p ousa s into ve you th ng e c e i a p si can s ehou a r e a v i w r nd ar of ping a cycle in ship ver the life rd to the o o mcosts . Just one w ute, reme o t r c th i s ot proje o u g o c e m i g ht n y f I : e wis spa g is at the l ever y thin idn’t h t r e i b nt rd i g ht u signe ed look r . (Your de half-finish d e le instal u to see th o y n t o !) wa n a reas r o f e hous

E WI S E SAV LY

H I RE

PR Ask OS pro spe and c d t ada esigne ive con pted rs h trac o de la t t ys. S o pand w they ors ’ reor ve emi ome c g clie anized have n s the ts are o that s h item ardes electin t s plum first— to-ge g t and bing fix especia ture uph lly the s, ap olst e lu p Jud xury o ry. “ We liance f tim y Pic u se d s , e Rale k igh, ett of D ,” says d to hav e “ [N o N e e w] w orth C sign L signer i into nes arol e’re in t in hav he earl rolling f a. e pr y ph u rnis odu a ct to ses so hings t inst all a hat we t the end .”

and if all else fails...

Let the Chips Fall a renovation in today’s climate? Make peace with what is out of your control, and be proactive about the rest. “We can protect the client from incidental

delays and higher costs 85 percent of the time, but 15 percent of the time we can’t,” says Leavitt.

Start on the right foot by not rushing through the predesign phase. Leferink recommends eight weeks of planning time prior to the start of construction. “A lot of remodelers we work with are moving to a plan where they order all of the materials in advance and do not start the project until they have everything. That way, they can keep to a pretty normal schedule [once construction begins], so there aren’t as many delays.” Make no mistake: Some issues will arise during construction. But a builder with long-standing relationships can draw on them when the going gets tough. “The ideal situation is a builder with loyal crews and regular tradespeople who are going to give them some priority,” she says. “If I were remodeling my home right now, I would want to know what their track record is for completing a project on time, and what their vendor relationships are like.” With your vision locked and a dream team in place, you can rest easy.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

N E O F TH E B EST TI PS FO R M A KI N G IT TH RO U G H

BE D

EC Tak IS e th I pro e e tho cess s ntire s u g u e g h t f u e r i o u s e l e ct i o s env s you l, but ly and n d b yo ironm r cho on’t s e u i m a r m i n e nt , c e s . I n e c o n d c t pro e set d can han this g like ject f back be th ing , Dis waitin or mo dela e ulti y n pin eylan g two nths ing a : go h d “ o I urs t’s bat u t o an d h t cut room f line hen s at t t Zik base ,” says o go t epas . dd o th C o “ Do esi gne nnec e n’t ti r do it! ” G e o r gia

THE ONLY ONE WITH OUR

SHAPEWEAR FABRIC FOR

COMFORT & PROTECTION, GUARANTEED

LEADING VALUE BRAND

†

Stay up to 100% leak-free in our softest, smoothest underwear. Get a sample at Depend.com

THE ONLY THING STRONGER THAN US, IS YOU.™ †

®/™

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

BATHROOMS Dramatic showers, elegant tubs, clever materials, and decorating tricks: These designer spaces just might inspire an upgrade of your own. By Hadley Mendelsohn

Luxury on a Dime A classic black slipper tub anchors this spacious primary bathroom in the Louisiana home of designer Krystal Matthews. Glossy Carrara marble tiles create a regal backdrop at a fraction of the cost of a room-spanning stone slab—a great trade-off if you want to use a single material for both the floors and walls. Another budget find? That mantel was salvaged from a nearby home renovation! Chandelier: vintage. Tiles: The Home Depot. Side table: Uttermost. Tub and fittings: Build with Ferguson. Photograph by JESSIE PREZA

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Reading Room With fully stocked built-in shelves and tub-side perches for a glass of wine or cup of tea, this otherworldly bathroom by Corey Damen Jenkins is also a library. Amid the Art Deco–inspired tilework, Greek Revival columns and arches, and bold artwork animating the bathtub alcove, every stylistic flourish hits the mark. Floor tiles: Walker Zanger. Tub: DXV. Wallpaper: Cole & Son. Green paint: Medieval Times, Benjamin Moore.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

COREY DAMEN JENKINS: COURTESY OF DXV. ANDREW BROWN: HECTOR M. SANCHEZ.

Tiny Palace “I wanted it to feel like a jewel box,” says designer Andrew Brown of this bathroom that’s accessed through a jib door. He coupled richly veined Calacatta Arabescato marble with a warm mural wallpaper; the unlacquered brass showerhead will darken over time. Marble: Triton Stone, fabricated by Will Casey/ Cottage Supply Company. Wallpaper: Procession, Iksel for Schumacher. Plumbing and fixtures: Waterworks.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Leafy Oasis

SARAH SOLIS: SHADE DEGGES.

A tilting window in this 1930s bathroom updated by Sarah Solis lets in the breeze and draws the eye, so the designer added a copper tub right beneath it. Twin pedestal sinks play further into the symmetry, while greenery soaks up the sun. (All bathrooms benefit from plants—they’re natural mood boosters!) Tub: Signature Hardware. Sink: Waterworks. Mirror: custom. Tile: Tabarka Studio.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Let the Walls Do the Talking

LIZ CAAN: ERIC ROTH. DOMINIQUE DELANEY: LAURA SUMRAK. ENEIA WHITE: NICK GLIMENAKIS. CECILIA CASAGRANDE: SEAN LITCHFIELD. CLARA JUNG: CLARA JUNG. KATIE RIDDER: ERIC PIASECKI.

Punch up your space without calling a plumber.

Just Wallpaper It

Try Tonal Tiles

Use Two Materials

A wavy Antoinette Poisson print adds whimsy to this tailored powder room by Liz Caan. (No shower means no need to worry about humidity affecting the glue.)

In this poolhouse bathroom by Dominique DeLaney, variegated blue tiles from Harkey Tile & Stone make a bold—but dimensional—statement. If you love the look, source handmade.

With vertical subway tiles up to the black chair rail and blush paint above, this buoyant space by Eneia White feels, according to the designer, “fresh, light, and not too heavy.”

Channel a Happy Place

Apply Patterns Strategically

Get Glossy

Cecilia Casagrande, the designer of this bathroom, was inspired by her honeymoon to Cambodia when she chose the tropical Christian Lacroix wallpaper and black-and-white marble.

To enhance the repeating print on this Schumacher wallpaper, Clara Jung of Banner Day Interiors positioned the pattern so a branch snakes up the corner seam.

A custom curved vanity with moldings and a merlot lacquered door (Arroyo Red, Benjamin Moore) reflect the movement of the blue wallpaper in this Katie Ridder powder room.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

ORGAN I C N E UTRAL S

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

u ino epor Your bathroom is your personal getaway—and HB’s man-about-town, Robert Rufino, knows how to give it a first-class update.

1. Indonesian Ikat fabric in Neutral, fabricut.com 2. “Perfect for toothbrushes or flowers.” Large resin rock cup in Dark Horn, dino saurdesigns.com 3. Cedar Stump, jennikayne.com 4. Marigold wallpaper in Bullrush, morrisandco. sandersondesigngroup.com 5. “It has a handmade jewelry-like quality.” Oasis Passage hardware, rockymountainhardware .com 6. Madeket outdoor basket in Light Dune, serenaandlily. com 7. “Such a clean yet intricate pattern.” Metro Montage wallcovering in Antique Beige, phillipjeffries.com 8. Florence Medallion Print bath towel by Peri Home, homegoods.com 9. “It' s like walking on sand.” Cornelia rug by Loloi in Seafoam Green, loloirugs.com

photographer Angela Hau / prop stylist Lili Abir Regen

9 HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

M I DWE STE RN M O D “Take a cue from Frank Lloyd Wright with intricate geometric patterns, earthy colors, and unexpected silhouettes.” 2

10 6

1. Stone mosaic tile in Polished Dolomite, newravenna.com 2 & 4. “A smart way to embellish vents.” Satin Bronze perforated grilles in Crystal and Chevron, archgrille.com 3. Ming small mirror, mgbwhome.com 5. Robert Louis Tiffany-style Alfred Mission table lamp, lampsplus.com 6. Horn soap dish, for similar, visit cb2.com. 7. Coffee Beans wallpaper in Sienna, tempaper.com 8. “The earth tones are timeless.” Traza rug, stark.com 9. Skylight tile in brown, motawi.com 10. Frank Lloyd Wright Bath Collection in polished nickel and wood, brizo.com 11. “The perfect pop of orange.” Intelligent Design towel, bedbathandbeyond.com 12. Horn and Bone toothbrush holder and soap dispenser, williams-sonoma.com 13. “The pattern echoes stained glass.” Round Frank Lloyd Wright Inspired art side table, society6.com 56

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

“It’s all the energy and glamour of the 1920s—with a little more shimmer and shine.”

D I SCO D ECO

10 11

9 8

1. “The hand-rubbed antique brass finish adds character.” Cadence small sconce, circalighting.com 2. Prescott round mirror, arteriorshome.com 3. “Fill it with flowers or use as an oversize waste bin.” Cloud Vessel Tall, tomdixon.net 4. Stellamar Nero Carrara polished marble tile, tilebar.com 5. Meyla rug in Graphite and Charcoal, bensoleimani. com 6. Whirlpools Tibetan Knot rug, perennialsfabrics.com 7. “I love the iridescence— like a sequined flapper dress!” Dappled waste bin, bunnywilliamshome.com 8. “It reminds me of stepping into Radio City Music Hall.” Lotus wallcovering, farrow-ball. com 9. Lyndon vanity stool, frontgate.com 10. Adelaide tissue box, canister, and tray by Pigeon and Poodle, irwinribera.com 11. Ermanno geometric tile, annsacks.com

PRIMARY BEDROOM

ENTRY WAY

“I wanted it to feel like a formal dressing room that’s clean and functional,” designer Natalie Chong says of this sitting area in a century-old church. Paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore. Dresser: IKEA with Richelieu pulls. Ottoman: custom, Nest Design Studio, in Thread Count fabric. Chair: custom, Nest Design Studio. Shades: custom, Hunter Douglas. Rug: vintage.

A custom sideboard allows the entryway to double as a mudroom. Paint: Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore. Mirror: RH. Art: Minted, in On the Wall Framing. Table: custom, Son of a Woodcutter. Pillow: custom, Susan Connor New York. Lamp: vintage.

DIVI N E INTERVENTION

In a former church in Toronto, one designer spent four years perfecting her first home.

interior designer Nest Design Studio / writer Kelly Allen / photographer Lauren Miller HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

LIVING ROOM “People come in, sit down, have a drink, and enjoy the space,” says Chong. “There are 20-foot ceilings, it’s truly spectacular!” Console: Mkt. Sofa: custom, Nest Design Studio. Pillows: Susan Connor New York. Lamp: RH. Art: Linelle Lemoine. Rug: Crate & Barrel. Ottoman: custom, Nest Design Studio and Fullerton Metal Fabrication, in Threadcount fabric.

A CONSOLE STACKED WITH WOOD STANDS IN FOR A REAL FIREPLACE.

O O N E WA N T S TO H E A R I T, B U T

building a true dream home takes time. In 2017, designer Natalie Chong moved with her husband into their ﬁrst place together: a four-story townhouse loft space in a former 1900s church in Toronto’s West End. She launched into an overhaul of the space—and didn’t stop the entire time they lived there. “We made better decisions over four years than we would have had we done it all at once,” the owner of Nest Design Studio explains. One of 17 units in the converted building, theirs featured jaw-dropping original arches and intricate millwork. But the rest of the ﬁnishes were “builder basic,” says Chong. “Before, nothing was paying tribute to the crazy 20-foot vaulted ceiling in the living room or the amazing wood beams,” recalls the designer, who focused on emphasizing these aspects and giving the home a functional, more personal upgrade. To maximize storage, Chong added closets (which the home lacked) in the stairwell and installed cabinetry in the kitchen. Putting a bar in the kitchen was also a must. STAIRWELL “I wanted a full gallery wall like those gracing the halls of Ralph Lauren,” says Chong. Paint: Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore. Baskets: Etsy. Art: custom, Linelle Lemoine (black); Block Shop Textiles (geometric).

GUEST BEDROOM Glass walls separate it from the rest of the home while letting in natural light in. Pendant: Anthropologie. Headboard: custom, Nest Design Studio. Duvet: RH. Wall art: Etsy, in On the Wall Framing. Rug: vintage.

She selected finishes that would age beautifully: a Carrara marble kitchen backsplash to match the existing counters, plus brass and stainless steel accents that would keep their luster. Chong’s signature mix of neutral, textured furnishings gave the home needed coziness. A fireplace couldn’t be added to the historic structure, so Chong improvised by stacking wood underneath a console table to give the illusion of one in the living room. The primary bedroom was on the fourth floor, right up against the eaves: “Every morning, I’d wonder who the carpenter was who carved out a little notch in the corbel that no one was ever supposed to see because it was so high up.” While as a designer Chong could have wrapped some parts of the process faster than the average person, taking it slow allowed her to budget thoughtfully, and ensured she and her husband made the best choices they could as a couple. “People are in this big rush to get their dream home, but there’s a real sense of pride and accomplishment in taking time and making better decisions,”

says Chong. “It’s a better approach than trying to hurry the process, because it is a process.” HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

A PUSH-TOOPEN OAK PANEL HIDES A VITAMIX.

KITCHEN The original cabinetry stopped short, so Chong custom designed two columns on the left to make it look complete and gain extra storage. Pendant: Circa Lighting. Faucet: Delta. Hardware: Upper Canada Specialty Hardware. Range: Wolfe. Counters: Carrara marble. Rug: vintage.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

EN SUITE BATH On the fourth floor, a tub set into the dormer offers a serene escape. Paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore. Mirrors and sconces: RH. Faucets: Brizo. Vanity: custom. Flooring: Carrara marble tiles. Rug: vintage.

KITCHEN “We got this massive piece of art from a grandaunt who worked in the film industry,” says Chong. “It’s an original vintage poster signed by the director!” Paint: Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore. Stools: West Elm. Blanket: vintage.

POWDER ROOM The dark, dramatic powder room begs guests to take selfies in it. Paint: Onyx, Benjamin Moore. Faucet: Rubinet. Sink: UNIK. Shelf: Shoppe Amber Interiors.

“We lived in a church from the early 1900s. It’s the coolest thing ever. ” 64

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

BAR Campaign-style cabinetry gives the space a vintage feel. The table for four offers a spot for intimate meals and late-night conversations. Table: RH. Chairs: CB2. Sconces: Circa Lighting. Wine fridge: Marvel. Cabinetry: Ritcey Custom Cabinetry. Counter: granite.

u ook

This sweet garden-inspired escape sprouted from an enduring friendship between two design creatives.

interior designer Drake/Anderson / writer Kristin Tablang photographer Brittany Ambridge / producer Robert Rufino

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

LIVING ROOM “It was inspired by the notion of a garden, of a landscape,” New York–based designer Jamie Drake says of this spec house he transformed in Greenwich, Connecticut. Wallcovering: Phillip Jeffries. Sofa: Richard Mishaan for Theodore Alexander. Chairs: Theodore Alexander in Holly Hunt fabric. Rug: Stark. Coffee table: Theodore Alexander.

FAMILY ROOM A pair of coffee tables with legs painted to resemble buffalo horns anchors the extra-large seating area. Sofa: Baker Furniture. Pillow fabrics: Zoffany and Harlequin (striped). Armchairs, coffee tables, and ottoman: Theodore Alexander. Art: Ann Aspinwall. Rug: Edward Fields.

H E N JA N I C E PA R K E R F I R S T

stepped into her new home in Greenwich, Connecticut, she was overwhelmed. The landscape architect is an expert when it comes to refining outdoor spaces, but has no experience tackling interiors—let alone a 6,000-square-foot spec house with five bedrooms and six bathrooms spanning three floors. “It was too big and too bright. There were so many windows,” she explains. “I just didn’t know how to feel at home in it.” Parker reached out to her longtime friend Jamie Drake, cofounder (along with Caleb Anderson) of the Manhattan-based firm Drake/Anderson. He was the only person she trusted to transform the cookie-cutter house into a place she and her husband, Jim, could truly call their own. “I needed someone who had a very good sense of my inner life,” says Parker. Channeling her lifelong love of plants and flowers, Drake and his team chose a fresh palette of organic and vivid hues so that the modern Shingle Style house would feel like a lush garden. “There are a fair amount of green shades, and purples like you might find in an iris or agapanthus,” notes Drake. 68

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

On top of that, the designer blended contemporary and vintage furnishings, relying on pieces by acclaimed midcentury innovators such as Warren Platner, Ward Bennett, and Mario Bellini. A few of his choices had the clients skeptical at first: a rustic stone table with “really rough legs,” Parker recalls, and a flea market lamp with an Old Hollywood vibe. But ultimately, says Drake, the couple trusted his instincts: “They said, ‘Go ahead—we’re going to take the leap of faith that you have the vision.’ ” Thoughtfully chosen art—including a series of 25 black-and-white botanical prints by German photographer Karl Blossfeldt—further the floral theme, which spills into Parker’s favorite space: the library. “They both love books,” Drake says of the homeowners, who asked him to turn the formal living room into a place where they could showcase their extensive collection of new and antique gardening tomes. Custom green-and-gray shelving with gleaming brass picture lights illuminates all the titles, while an eight-foot-long desk is planted squarely in front of the shelves at Parker’s request: “I wanted a big, long table where I could work and just sit and look at all my favorite books.”

KITCHEN The design team selected Mario Bellini’s trademark Cab stools from the 1970s for the existing white kitchen. Paint: Brilliant White, Benjamin Moore. Faucet: Kohler.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

LIBR ARY The artful space, which doubles as an office, boasts a custom two-tone lacquered bookcase by Ivy Square Woodworking. Table: Theodore Alexander. Chair: vintage Ward Bennett, 1stDibs. Rug: Stark.

DINING ROOM Drake designed both the buffet and dining table, with its cool twisted base, exclusively for Theodore Alexander. Chandelier: Circa Lighting. Art: Barbara Takenaga, Shark’s Ink. Chairs: Theodore Alexander in Great Plains fabric.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

PRIMARY BEDROOM The vintage Oushak rug inspired the room’s flavorful color palette of “apricot, peach, and cinnamon,” says Drake, while a Stark carpet underneath makes the Oushak seem larger. Wallpaper: Holly Hunt. Art: William Tillyer. Bench: Theodore Alexander. Table: Worlds Away. 72

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

PRIMARY BEDROOM “They wanted a place in the room where they could have coffee and a light breakfast,” says Drake—so he coupled a Hickory Chair table with reupholstered chairs that once belonged to Parker’s aunt. Bed: Michael Berman for Theodore Alexander. Curtain fabric: Kravet. Art: Alexandra Penney (fireplace); Ernesto García Sánchez, Mindy Solomon (bed).

PATIO “I wanted every plant to look like it was trying to jump out and take over the whole neighborhood,” Parker says with a laugh. Table: West Elm. Armchairs: vintage Russell Woodard (left); RH (right).

THROUGH THE YEARS Two lifelong best friends shake off the city in a house that’s been around for three centuries.

DEN “All I see is nature here, and I never want to hide that,” says Phillip Smith of the decision to eschew drapery in this view of his Rhinebeck, New York, house. Paint: Woodacres, Benjamin Moore. Daybeds: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Pillows: custom, in Italian menswear fabric. Console: 18th-century French. Bench slipcover: Burberry wool. Lamps: Artemide. Rug: Hammertown. Sculpture: Malian Dogon ladder, Amyas Naegele Gallery.

SMITH USED A WHITE WAX PENCIL TO CLOUD THE LOWER WINDOWS FOR PRIVACY.

interior designer Phillip Smith writer Hadley Keller photographer Francesco Lagnese producer Robert Rufino

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

DEN Paint: Copley Gray, Benjamin Moore. Taxidermy: Hyde Park Antiques. Lamps, mirror, and trunks: vintage.

E XTERIOR Smith fell in love with this 1716 stone house as soon as he saw it. Before moving there full-time, he added a new kitchen and living room onto the back of the original structure, shown here.

HILLIP SM ITH

admits he has an obsession with stone homes. So when he began looking for a weekend getaway of his own, the New York City resident centered his search in the Hudson Valley, where woodlands are dotted with centuries-old homes crafted from local stone. He fell in love with a 1716 house in Rhinebeck. With the charming facade, however, came some drawbacks: thick stone walls with minimal openings and low-ceilinged rooms. (“The construction style protected against what were brutal elements in those days,” explains Smith.) After he began spending more than just weekends there, Smith tapped 76

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

architect Robert A. Marrapodi to create a modern addition. “He had the brilliant idea to break through that solid stone wall in two positions so I gained all of that light, because it was terribly dark,” Smith recalls. The project resulted in a new living room and kitchen that offer perks like high ceilings and radiant floor heating while maintaining the historic integrity of the house. An avid collector and natural aesthete, Smith filled the space with antiques from friends or shops nearby: “As I found things, I brought them in and I just accumulated over time,” he says. The collection grew significantly when Smith’s friend of 45 years, House Beautiful Style Director Robert Rufino, gave up his own weekend home and became what he calls “a

permanent houseguest.” Rufino took up part-time residence in the guest room (now “Robert’s room”), his treasured possessions blending with Smith’s. The background to these collections is serene and simple, reflective of the quiet natural beauty that surrounds the home—which is exactly what draws Smith and Rufino to it. “I could stare for hours at those stone walls and watch the light reflect off them,” Smith says.

“I picked colors that could have been a vein or a shadow in that stone, nothing too jarring.” Here, he says, he is “happy like a pig. This area and this house just give me peace and happiness.” Ruﬁno puts it this way: “This home is a well-lived life. It’s where you go and you hang your hat, where you’re at ease. And how lucky am I to share it with my best friend?”

KITCHEN Many windows give an almost greenhouse effect. “I realized I was sacrificing cupboards, but that light coming in was more important to me than anything,” Smith says. Paint: Mayonnaise (walls) and Rockport Gray (trim), both Benjamin Moore. Island: antique metal cart, Regan & Smith, with added stone top. Range and dishwasher: GE. Sink and faucet: Kohler. Art: vintage, in Conran frames.

RADIANT HEATING IN THE NEW ADDITION IMPARTS NEEDED WARMTH.

LIVING ROOM The home’s original ceiling beams pop on a backdrop of Benjamin Moore Cinder wall paint. Desk: Hyde Park Antiques. Fauteuils: Amy Perkins Antiques. Lamps, sign, and side chair: vintage.

TYPICALLY USED FOR FLOORING, PEBBLES ADD TEXTURE TO THE WALLS.

BATHROOM

DINING ROOM

The pebbled wall is “sort of a contemporary reference to the stone of the house,” Smith says. Framed family photos cover the beadboard beside it. Chair: antique. Striped towel: Ralph Lauren Home.

Thick walls make for deep windowsills perfect for displaying arrangements.

LIVING ROOM “In the morning, I come down to make my coffee, and then I go to every window in this house and look out,” says Smith, “and I’m in heaven.” The original living room functions as both an entry and a gathering space. Sofa: Carlyle. Pillows: Carleton Varney (antlers); a gift from Rufino’s brother (lumbar); custom (red). Lamp: Christopher Spitzmiller. Rug: Bloom. Table and trunk: antique.

SOFT, WARM COLORS PLAY UP THE COZINESS OF THE LOW-CEILINGED ROOM.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

PRIMARY BEDROOM Smith fashioned the hanging piece by stringing crystals from an antique chandelier onto a section of wire fencing he found on the property; the stool was a gift from a friend. Paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore.

DINING ROOM After completing the addition, Smith was in search of a table. “Right at that time, a friend of mine’s mother passed. I adored her, and when my friend went through her things she said, ‘There’s a table here with your name on it.’ I was nearly in tears.” Drawers on the sides hold table linens and cutlery. Paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore. Chairs: Harry Bertoia for Knoll. Pendant: Hudson Valley Lighting. Lamps: Christopher Spitzmiller. Art and servingware: antique.

PAINTED WHITE FLOORS SIGNIFICANTLY BRIGHTEN THE SPACE.

PRIMARY BEDROOM A Les Indiennes throw distinguishes the headboard. Bedding: William-Wayne & Co. (bedspread); Ralph Lauren Home (pillowcases); Michelle Nussbaumer (red pillow); Annie Selke (patterned pillow). Chair: Cassina. Lamp: vintage Giacometti.

ROBERT’S ROOM Personal mementos and ephemera—including a sculpture of Rufino by Doug Meyer and many depictions of Smith and Rufino’s beloved late dog Windsor—cover a set of built-in cabinets. Paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore. Rug: Patterson Flynn.

PATTERNED THROWS, DRAPED OVER UPHOLSTERY, ARE A QUICK, CASUAL UPDATE.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

LIGHT SHOW A wide-open loft is theatrically transformed into a playful escape filled with personal spaces.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

LIVING ROOM For a gentleman with one young daughter and two adult sons, New York designer Rodney Lawrence devised a living room scheme in this Tribeca loft with countless opportunities for catch-ups. Chandelier: Studio Drift. Sofa: custom, J. Quintana, in Mokum fabric with Elizabeth Dow cushions. Rug: vintage, ABC Carpet & Home. Coffee table: Wendell Castle. Armchairs: Joaquim Tenreiro.

interior designer Rodney Lawrence Inc. / writer Amanda Sims Clifford photographer Marili Forastieri / producer Robert Rufino HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

VESTIBULE

“THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE.” G A Z I N G AT T H E C U S T O M S T U D I O D R I F T L I G H T

sculpture that dazzles above the living room of this Tribeca apartment, designer Rodney Lawrence ﬁnds himself rapt. “It’s segments of stained glass made into these cubes that are stacked into different levels. It reminds me of the stained glass version of Superman’s headquarters.” The description is ﬁtting for the whole home. Before Lawrence had his way with it, the 4,000-square-foot loft space in lower Manhattan was a massive void of developeradded Sheetrock walls with a few preserved columns from its industrial days. But his repeat client, a single father of two college-age sons and a younger daughter, “wanted to live a little differently, in not such enclosed spaces.” Lawrence’s mission became “Keep that openness, but at the same time create moments of intimacy.”

To show off the homeowner’s massive art collection, it was decided the walls would stay crisp white—White Dove by Benjamin Moore–with “very clean, minimal” embellishments to the architecture. Clusters of enviable custom 86

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

and midcentury furnishings crop up throughout the loft, inviting guests to get comfortably lost in conversation. Perhaps the most intimate of these is a small vestibule just off the living room, inspired by Japanese tearooms and cloaked in de Gournay panels that conjure Whistler’s Peacock Room with its hand-painted gold birds. “It’s the perfect place,” the designer says, “for two people to have a drink.” Beyond the Fortress of Solitude ﬁxture in the living room, good lighting was critical (the loft’s windows, along one main wall, didn’t send much sun to the bulk of the apartment). And Lawrence didn’t skimp on showstoppers. A curtain of droplet-shaped bulbs creates a glowing cloud above the media room, while LED strips make Lucite shelves in the bedroom look lit from within. Delicate hanging shelves delineate the foyer without blocking a single sunbeam. At every turn, there’s a surprise. “The environment has a real sense of whimsy,” Lawrence explains, “for when the kids come over.”

LIVING ROOM ART, LEFT TO RIGHT: CHALKBOARD PAINTING XVIII, RITA ACKERMAN; SUMMER GRAFFITI, WILLIAM KENTRIDGE; LARGE HEAD COMPOSITION, GEORGE CONDO; WOMAN, CAROL BOVE.

A niche off the living room became “an intimate place of repose,” inspired by the homeowner’s extensive travels in Asia. Wallcoverings: Phillip Jeffries (ceilings); Whistler Peacocks, de Gournay (mural); Scalamandré (lower walls). Tables: Aqua Creations. Rug: ABC Carpet & Home. Seating: custom, J. Quintana, in custom Studio Four fabric.

FOYER Hanging shelves by Zanini de Zanine delicately distinguish the entryway (and can actually hold books and accessories). Curtain fabric: Pollack. Seating: Andrianna Shamaris. Drum table: Peter Sandback.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

KITCHEN Intended to “disappear into the overall minimalist architecture,” says Lawrence, the white space doubles as a gallery. Art: Untitled by Mathilde Grande (left); Kilter, 2013 by Gabriel Vormstein. Pendants: Michael Anastassiades. Countertops: Silestone. Stools: Barbara Barry for McGuire.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

DAUGHTER’S ROOM The flutter of origami butterflies were hand-placed among clusters of plastic Vitra Algue branches. Desk: West Elm. Chair: Eames, Design Within Reach. Rug: ABC Carpet & Home. Bed: Crate & Kids. Bedding: John Derian. Art: Untitled by Gabriel Vormstein. Bench: client’s own.

POWDER ROOM A detailed and dark Eskayel wallcovering was chosen to offset the brightness of the rest of the apartment. Mirror: Bark Frameworks. Sconces: vintage, Jean Perzel. Vanity: Minimal USA. Bin: vintage, Japanese.

PRIMARY BEDROOM Paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore. Wallcovering: Wolf-Gordon. Art: Cecily Brown. Sofa: custom, in Kravet linen.

MEDIA ROOM A Design Haus Liberty installation looks like oversize raindrops but emanates light. Wallcovering: David Bonk. Shelving: custom, Robert Wilson Furniture Design. Sofa: Cassina in Perbacco fabric. Coffee tables: Maria Preciosa, Etel Carmona Designs.

“In a big white box, there are little windows of color.” DINING ROOM From Andrianna Shamaris, Lawrence sourced a live-edge wood tabletop—large enough to comfortably seat 10!—to pair with the dramatic John Lyle base. Art: George Condo. Chairs: vintage, Niels O. Møller.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Higher Calling 92

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Call it an instant spiritual connection—HGTV star Alison Victoria knew this historic loft had to be hers.

GREAT ROOM “It was originally going to be a flip, but I fell in love with it,” designer Alison Victoria says of her Atlanta loft in a converted textile mill. Paint: Pure White, Benjamin Moore. Drapery: Uptown Drapes. Coffee table: RH. Chandelier: Circa Lighting. Sofa: vintage, in Fishman’s Fabrics. Mantel: Architectural Accents. Dining table: CB2. Dining chairs: vintage, Round Top Antiques Fair.

interior designer Alison Victoria / writer Kelly Allen / photographer Robert Peterson

SPIR AL STAIRCASE Victoria spiced up the existing one with an old, solid metal newel post topped with a blown-glass finial rolled in 24-karat gold leaf. Fabrication: Mark Wentz, Americo Fabrication & Design. Flooring: luxury vinyl plank, XRP from Cabinets To Go.

SIT TING AREA “I had never seen a mantel this big,” Victoria says of the antique piece salvaged from Architectural Accents. “It will come with me wherever I go.” Mirror: antique, mid-19th century, The Golden Triangle. Sconces: Arteriors. Side table: HomeGoods.

A L I S O N V I C TO R I A H A D N E V E R

considered herself an apartment kind of girl. But when she laid eyes on the Stacks lofts, a converted 1880s textile mill in Atlanta, the HGTV star immediately knew she had to buy a unit there—even if only to flip it. At the time, Victoria was living in her native Chicago (filming her hit show Windy City Rehab) and visiting Atlanta to guest star in Ty Pennington’s renovation show Ty Breaker. By the time the show wrapped, she’d made an offer on a unit in the Stacks, never really intending to live there. But the further along the project got, the more she found herself falling in love with it. “I started getting really into the project and decided I wanted to keep this home for the rest of my life,” Victoria admits. “I have never loved a place as much as this one.” The two-bedroom, two-bath loft sits on the fourth floor of the landmark complex in Cabbagetown, a neighborhood downtown. Victoria enlisted a local contractor, Alistair Herriot of Hammertime Construction, and her lead designer, Kristy Yarbrough, to help revamp the space, extending the mezzanine level 133 square feet over the ground-floor kitchen to make the primary suite roomier. To give the 26-foot ceiling an infinite feel, it was painted (along with the walls and exposed pipes) Pure White by Benjamin Moore. The loft’s concrete floors had a red-orange stain, so Victoria laid vinyl plank flooring that resembles hard-

FAUX CANDLES FLICKER ON BY REMOTE CONTROL.

wood. But a few original aspects were deemed worth keeping: patinated wood posts and a spiral staircase, which Victoria revived with a newel post from an old Chicago mansion. In the kitchen, new brass upper cabinets and sconces draw attention to the custom range hood by local artisan Mark Wentz. And extra antique ﬁnds, Victoria’s specialty, are everywhere: An 18th-century marble mantel now anchors the main seating

area. (It’s ﬁlled with faux candles that turn on with the press of a remote to set the mood.) Upstairs, to enclose the wardrobe and en suite bath, Victoria put aged French doors on a barn track. Throughout, the designer sourced pieces from Chicago and Atlanta. “I’m kind of in a transition phase right now,” she admits. “What do I want? Where do I want to be? What makes me happy? Chicago will always be home,

but it doesn’t have to be the only one.”

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

DINING AREA A custom banquette by Americo Fabrication & Design is flanked by built-ins constructed by Ari Smejkal of Hammer Design Group. Table: CB2. Sconces: Circa Lighting. Art: Mark Sargent via The Design Bar. Chairs: vintage.

COFFEE STATION “It’s like having your own barista with the push of one button,” says Victoria. Espresso machine: Miele. Refrigerator: BlueStar. Cabinetry: Brakur Custom Cabinetry.

WARDROBE A 360-degree rotating closet system by Closet Works features a hidden full-length mirror and ample storage for shoes. Sourced from The Corbel, the French doors that close off the space are from the 1800s.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

KITCHEN “I wanted a hood unlike anything you’ve ever seen, one that’s artistic and also functions properly,” Victoria says of the custom cover by Mark Wentz of Americo Fabrication & Design. Hood insert: Best. Range: BlueStar. Sconces: Circa Lighting. Cabinetry: Brakur Custom Cabinetry. Counter: Caesarstone.

PRIMARY BEDROOM Gold and olive green give the bedroom an elegant yet calming atmosphere. Paint: Pure White, Benjamin Moore. Headboard: One Kings Lane. Nightstand: CB2. Bedding: SDH. Throw: Jayson Home. Table lamp: Kelly Wearstler.

EN SUITE BATH “I wanted a real accent wall that wasn’t all paint,” Victoria says of the Phillip Jeffries grasscloth wallcovering hand-painted with 24-karat gold. A solid bronze doorframe from an old elevator elegantly frames it. Bathtub: Kohler. Pendant: Circa Lighting. Stool: HomeGoods.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

THE 1927 CAST BRONZE SURROUND ONCE FRAMED AN ELEVATOR.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

AU REVOIR

Once a ’90s French Normandy–style house in New York State, now a contemporary (but family-friendly) home.

interior designer Lucy Harris Studio / architect Alisberg Parker writer Kathryn O’Shea-Evans / photographer Read McKendree

LIVING ROOM “They wanted a variety of interesting materials and textures, and with some drama,” says designer Lucy Harris of her client’s ask for their Westchester, New York, home. Paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore. Sofa: Edra for Minotti. Sconces: Apparatus. Coffee table: Yucca Stuff. Bench: StudioTwentySeven. Pillows: Eskayel. Art: Andrew Zimmerman (back wall, white and black pieces). Sculpture: 19th-century bronze Buddha from Thailand, client’s own.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

101

FOYER Rounded pieces, a rug by Crosby Street Studios and a Matter table, echo the curve of the stairs. Vase: Eric Roinestad, The Future Perfect. Chair: Matthew Day Jackson, The Future Perfect. Art: Fareen Butt.

KITCHEN “We chose Danby marble from Vermont because it had a lot of interesting movement in it and this sort of more intense gray veining,” Harris says. Pendants: Brendan Ravenhill Studio. Stools: Gubi, Design Public Group. Faucet: California Faucets. Cooktop and wall ovens: Thermador.

BREAKFAST ROOM To design this featherlight, nearly 43"-wide pendant for Moooi, Dutch designer Bertjan Pot coiled epoxy-dipped fiberglass around a large balloon—and then popped it. Table: RH. Chairs: Jens Risom for Knoll. Runner: Crosby Street Studios. Art: Untitled #1 (The Parson’s Tale) by Rick Shaefer, Sears-Peyton Gallery.

“I’M NOT INTERESTED IN SEEING SOMETHING I’VE SEEN BEFORE,”

LU CY H A R R I S ’ S

client told her. “I live in a town where a lot of people are designers themselves. A lot of them are my friends, and a lot of them are on Instagram.” A mother of three teens, the owner was talking about a new scheme for the Westchester County, New York, home she and her husband purchased: a sweeping French Normandy–style house built (and stylistically mired) in the early aughts, an era of ballooning Roman shades, wall-to-wall carpet, and beige walls. Harris honored the request. “Our take was, let’s ﬁnd them really interesting pieces from somebody who had a very strong vision,” says the designer, who worked with architecture ﬁrm Alisberg Parker on the remodel. “I don’t do a lot of custom because I feel that there are so many incredible pieces being designed and made.” Take the

living room’s bleached oak–and–Cordova limestone coffee table crafted in Austin, Texas, by Yucca Stuff. Or the graphic wallpaper in the children’s study by SoCal’s Drop It Modern that looks like a game of pick-up-sticks. “It’s fun and playful but sophisticated,” says Harris. “It’s not a baby kind of print.” The home’s traditional crown molding and millwork were updated, using fresh paint and wallcoverings, to match the contemporary mood.

There was just one architectural catch: rooms that often felt too big, so Harris ﬁlled them with voluminous furniture. In the 30' × 21' living room with 10'6" ceilings, a modular serpentine sofa by Edra for Minotti anchors two distinct sitting areas. “I love that couch to death,” says the client. “It’s sort of sleek, and it’s Italian. Every time I sit on it, I treasure it.”

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

103

COMMON ROOM A dedicated space for doing homework. Wallpaper: Bang Dem Sticks, Drop It Modern. Sofa: Crate & Barrel. Rug: Floors Beautiful. Coffee table: Hive. Pendants: FLOS. Desk: custom. Stools: West Elm, in Maharam fabric. Desk lamp: Design Within Reach. Art: Betty Merken.

104

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

105

106

DAUGHTER’S ROOM

OFFICE

A hazy blue paint, Eternity by Benjamin Moore, matches the dark end of the ombré in Aurora in Mist wallpaper by Calico. Chandelier: Moooi. Bed: Ligne Roset. Throw blanket: ALT for Living. Art: Ho Sook Kang.

Ceramic stools by Reinaldo Sanguino for The Future Perfect lend a hand-hewn quality to the whole room. Wallpaper: Florence, Schumacher. Chandelier: West Elm. Desk lamp: Oluce. Art: Makoto Fujimara.

BATHROOM

BILLIARDS ROOM

“It’s serene and calming, a respite from wherever you are in life,” Harris says. Tile: Marble America. Side table: Floris Wubben, The Future Perfect. Art: Mitch Paster. Fixtures: Kohler.

“If you’re a designer in New York, Blatt Billiards is where you get your pool table,” Harris says. “They make the best of the best.” Pendants: Apparatus. Walls: walnut. Art: Windchill Pearl (Red and Green) by Andrew Zimmerman, Sears-Peyton Gallery. Coffee table: custom, Olivr Studio.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

PRIMARY BEDROOM “The brass stools are like jewelry,” the designer says, “like the earrings that you put on to complete your outfit.” Stools: ASH NYC. Chandelier: Allied Maker. Bed: Ralph Lauren Home. Art: Reinaldo Sanguino, The Future Perfect (above bed); Karin Schaefer (above credenza). Credenza: Mod Shop. Wallcovering: Donghia. Carpet: Floors Beautiful.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

107

THE END

Bamboo rod and Ogee finial in antique gold by Celerie Kemble. kravet.com Black Boule rod with brass finial, from $179. cb2.com

Curtain Call

Acero hardware in bronze with glass cylinder finial. theshade store.com

Rods and finials that give your drapes more drama. By Carisha Swanson

Mid-Century rod in white wood and brushed nickel, from $80. westelm.com

BYF3531F Luna finial with burnished brass trim and BYSP377F rod, both in Artichoke, Halo Collection by Byron & Byron. fabricut.com

Trask hardware rod and finial set in aged brass, from $160. rejuvenation.com

108

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Photograph by JEFFREY WESTBROOK

STYLIST: MIAKO KATOH.

Lucite rod and Lattice finial in satin brass, from $237. luxhold ups.com

ƬƞƫƞƧƚƚƧƝƥƢƥƲ ƜƨƦ