Yin & Yang

It was all about mixing his-and-her vibes in this Grosse Pointe Shores home, where Annie Kordas — who owns Annie Kordas Interiors, based in Grosse Pointe Farms — injected the space with rich blues, intriguing patterns, fresh accents, and a tiny nod to nautical.

INTERIOR DESIGN:

ANNIE kORDAS

INTERIORS, GROSSE POINTE FARMS

TEXT:

MEGAN SWOYER

PHOTOGRAPHY:

JEFF GARLAND

Kordas says balancing masculine and feminine appeal was the name of the game for this particular project. “He wanted rich colors and a handsome look, and she wanted light, airy, and fresh,” the designer says of the couple’s goals. They had recently married, and the man had lived in the home before they tied the knot.

Working strictly on interior design (no footprint changes were needed) in the 1938 Cape Codstyle home, Kordas embraced many of the pieces brought in by the husband’s former designer, D.J. Kennedy, a well-known and highly respected designer who passed away in 2016.

“We kept a lot and blended it with new items to create a fresh, updated look. The woman of the house wanted it lighter and brighter, and more transitional than traditional.”

In the dining room, the team agreed upon a Ralph Lauren textural fabric wallpaper. “It’s not grasscloth; it’s more a fabric,” Kordas explains. In a deep-blue hue, it picks up on the color of the lake, just beyond the windows. “Using that wall treatment is a dynamic way to balance the masculine and feminine,” she says. Meanwhile, the space’s chandelier also features a masculine feel, with leather and brass materials. “The side chairs, with their woven texture, are an earthy nod to lake life, while the host and hostess chairs are large and more masculine.” Floral drapes complement the space. Kordas says she’d be remiss if she didn’t try to create a special seating area near the room’s bay window. “That was wasted space; they needed a little seating area because it’s so pretty looking out to Lake St. Clair from there. It’s more feminine, too.” She added gray wingback chairs and a metallic and marble pedestal table.

HIS & HERS

The dining room combines his tastes as well as hers, thanks to the astute eye of designer Annie Kordas.

“We could have gone more formal in this home,” she continues, “but they wanted it to feel relaxed — so instead of, say, a glass China cabinet in the dining room, I went with a woven jute cabinet and kept it on the shorter side.” A collection of chinoiserie and abstract pottery are highlights on the piece.

Kordas used a subtle wallpaper on the ceiling. “This was a way to provide the woman of the home with another touch of what she wanted,” she notes. The wallpaper has a feminine feel, with an ultra-fine woodgrain pattern and a tasteful metallic treatment.

In the living room, new millwork was added to create dimension. Two large chests felt slightly dated, so Kordas brought in huge statement mirrors to place above and behind them. “They bring in color, pop, and boldness,” the designer says. As for what’s underfoot, Kordas likes a rugon-rug effect. “I love the huge flat-weave rug that spans much of the room. It’s got a nice ostrich-leather border that the husband likes. Then we put a more feminine rug that’s hand-knotted with a softer, lake pattern on top.”

For the sunroom update, Kordas introduced new paint colors and reupholstered furnishings. “We purchased new accessories, including Riviera table lamps from Palecek, a Lucite drink table from the John-Richard Collection (keeping the look light), and a more size-appropriate coffee table from Braxton Culler that complemented the room’s round dining table and chairs,” she says.

“We chose to recover the four dining chairs in the same Kravet Taupe Ostrich Leather that borders the custom flatweave rug in the adjacent room,” Kordas adds. “Rattan works well in these types of settings.”

A brass antique sailboat sculpture and an antique fish tray in bright orange (from Judy Frankel Antiques in Troy) add to the mix without being heavy-handed.

Today, the home is a nice marriage of textures and patterns, drawing from his masculinity and her femininity. “Once we were able to convince the husband that the former colors weren’t aging well, the couple compromised — she went darker and he went lighter, for a balanced color scheme of navy, grays, and warm neutral tones.”

LUXE LIVING

Luxurious details define this Northville home, especially in the living room.