DESIGN SNAPSHOT

A Seat at the Table

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SOMETIMES A PICTURE IS WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS – and for local interior designers such as Nicole Peters of Modern Beach House Interiors, that’s especially true. From original inspirations to placing the fi nal touches, the process of bringing a room to life doesn’t necessarily take a straight line…and the end result is often much more than the sum of its parts.

COMPILED BY AMELIA BOLDAJI

PHOTO COURTESY OF RYAN & RACHEL MOSER 1 ACCENT WALL

The idea behind this newly constructed second home was to create a modern/coastal vibe with carefully placed splashes of color, but Nicole initially envisioned painting this dining room wall a solid white. After consulting with the owners and Neal Contracting, however, the decision was made to go with a cypress accent wall – and the end result wound up informing everything else in the room. “One of the reasons I love this project, is that it was a true collaboration,” Nicole says. “I had to switch gears and rethink the aesthetics – which pushed me out of my comfort zone – but then it all just came together.” 2 CERAMIC BELLS

“I found these ceramic bells in New York way before we started working on the house,” Nicole says. “So I know it sounds crazy, but I kind of worked backwards from there.”

With the cypress wall as a backdrop, these two stylish bells provide a subtle textural contrast – while also invoking the coast by hanging from thick, rugged rope that’s reminiscent of fi shermen’s buoys. 3 CERAMIC VASES

While Nicole regularly focuses on local artisans when she’s working on a design project, she’s also happy to admit that she gets a lot of inspiration from the Big Apple. These domed ceramic vases were another NYC fi nd made by artist Michele Quan – but the accompanying greenery is still 100% Outer Banks. “I foraged it myself,” Nicole says with a laugh.

4 PENDANT LIGHT

The owners wanted something artsy, yet simple, when it came to overhead lighting, which led Nicole to select this open-weave pendant. Inspired by paper lanterns, this pendant both complements the ceramic bells hanging in the background and adds a fresh and airy touch. 5 TABLE & FLOOR

As is often the case, the physical shape of the room had an impact on the overall vision of this space. Working with an open fl oorplan that included the living room, kitchen and this area (which was initially more of a hallway), the owners asked Nicole to incorporate a defi ned space they could set aside for family dinners. With those constraints in mind, Matt Steed of Woods Road Furniture constructed a custom-made oak dining room table that was longer – and narrower – than most readily available pieces. In keeping with this theme, the fl ooring – laid by Brendan Strum of Wise Flooring – utilized Malibu oak, which gives the space a wholly unifi ed feel.