DIANE DUROCHER DIANE DUROCHER INTERIORS

Diane Durocher, the founder of Diane Durocher Interiors, has been designing exquisite residential interiors for more than 25 years. She is known for her keen eye for color, outstanding spaceplanning skills and talent in designing customized pieces to bring her client’s vision to life.

The renovation of a 14,000-square-foot home in Franklin Lakes, NJ, reflects Diane’s infinite skills as a designer. In this project, she helped reimagine the interiors of this gracious residence, staying faithful to its traditional architecture while modernizing it to meet the owners’ specific needs. “The house has a beautiful two-story entryway and a spectacular great room,” Diane says. “It’s a very formal home, and the clients wished to keep it that way. But they also wanted it to be inviting and comfortable.”

Diane enjoys talking about the home’s unusual octagon-shaped kitchen and adjoining breakfast room, in which she incorporated a variety of different materials, textures and colors to create a visually interesting space that is both functional and beautiful.

Starting with the room’s color and texture scheme, Diane describes the palette as neutral, but accented in green, one of the clients’ favorite colors. In contrast, the hardwood floor is stained to a dark walnut. “The striped silk window treatment panels influenced the palette of the room,” she explains. “They accentuate the height of the ceiling while calling attention to the architectural tray ceiling that we painted with a soft glaze finish to complement the wall color.” At the same time, the creamy white wood cabinetry around the perimeter was designed to contrast with the natural walnut inte- grated refrigerator/freezer, island and beverage station. Green-painted cabinets flank the kitchen’s entrance, showcasing the clients’ collection of cookbooks and accessories.

Diane took advantage of the architectural millwork to add interest and texture to the overall design. The eye-catching trim on the refrigerator is mirrored by the seeded glass cabinet doors on the beverage station, while the elegant coffered ceiling adds dimension to the room. But, despite the intricate and eye-catching details that went into the design of the kitchen, it’s the 60-inch stainless-steel range that is the focal point of this thoughtfully designed, one-of-a-kind kitchen. You instantly notice its custom copper hood with stainless-steel trim and arabesque marble mosaic feature as you approach the impressive space.

Other outstanding design details include Taj Mahal quartzite countertops on the island. The kitchen window is adorned with a woven floral window treatment in a fall-inspired palette, which is repeated on the back of the upholstered breakfast room chairs. The green faux leather vinyl that Diane selected is attractive, sustainable and easy to clean. The grand acanthus leaf iron chandelier is proportionately balanced by the 84inch round walnut table that comfortably seats eight in the adjoining breakfast room.

Diane describes the project as a Christmas miracle, saying, “We started the project right before the onset of the COVID pandemic. The biggest challenge was getting all the work done before the holidays, but we managed to pull it off.”

Resource: