color Theory

Written by Bridget Williams | Photography by Eric Williams

Building a new home can often be a daunting proposal, fraught with seemingly endless options and potential pitfalls. Fortunately, for a young family facing such an undertaking, a serendipitous meeting at the home of a friend aligned them with Heath O’Leary and Julie Ensor, the builder and interior designer that would help them realize their vision for a gracious family home.

Ensor is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, whose interior design experience includes time spent working under Anthony P. Browne, a British-born interior designer, at Ralph Lauren and Bittners, and in the family luxury homebuilding business before establishing Blue J Design. She welcomed the luxury of working with architect Dan Fultz and being involved in the project from the get-go.

“So many people wait to bring in an interior designer when in reality their input is vital from the start. You have to get the bones right before considering the interior design,” she said.

The homeowners are enamored with Georgian styling and the exterior of the home certainly embodies stately characteristics inherent in homes of this genre. “We branded it a gracious home, and all of the decisions were based on what that word conjures – politeness, welcoming and accommodating,” said Ensor.

A buying trip to the Merchandise Mart in Chicago procured what Ensor calls the “magic fabric” – an Osborne and Little printed linen used in the breakfast room – that served as the jumping off point for the entire interior color palette.

Printed linen from Osborne and Little used for the drapery and wingchair upholstery helped determine the interior color palette.

In the entry, a bold damask print wallcovering and circular staircase draw the eye upward. A center hall table unexpectantly topped with a lovely lamp rather than a floral arrangement was selected by Ensor to give the space a more “homey” appeal.

In the entry, a bold damask print wallcovering and circular staircase draw the eye upward. A center hall table unexpectantly topped with a lovely lamp rather than a floral arrangement was selected by interior designer Julie Ensor to give the space a more “homey” appeal.

Looking around from room to room, one is quick to note the unabashed use of a rainbow of subdued color on the walls, upholstery, drapery, and even the ceilings, the latter being a favored technique of designer Anthony Browne that Ensor adopted as her own.

Ensor pointed out that, “In some instances, a person may not necessarily notice that the ceiling in the dining room is apricot-colored, but it really flatters skin tones and makes everyone glow.”

Throughout the main living areas, Ensor took great pains to make them appear as though the furnishings had been collected over time rather than decorated in short order. For instance, the reproduction Oushak rug in the living room is faded and soft, mimicking years of gentle use. The seemingly disparate mixture of prints selected for the drapery and upholstery initially caused the wife a great deal of trepidation until the final installation made her a cheerleader of Ensor’s vision. “She kept assuring me that she wouldn’t lead us astray,” said the wife.

One of Ensor’s design philosophies is that, “If you try to make everything be a star, then nothing shines,” so she carefully selects a focal point for each room. The living room was designed to emphasize an angelic portrait of the couple’s children hanging above the fireplace. A television is carefully hidden behind a mirror above an antique chest so as not to compete for attention.

Throughout the main living areas, Ensor took great pains to make them appear as though the furnishings had been collected over time rather than decorated in short order. For instance, a reproduction Oushak rug in the living room is faded and soft, mimicking years of gentle use.

Centrally positioned to service the dining, hearth and living rooms, a well-equipped bar area features hand-painted cabinetry by Artistic Kitchens, Cambria countertops and Moroccan star wallpaper on the walls and ceiling.

A pair of wide doorways linking the living room and kitchen/hearth room allows each to flow seamlessly into one another. The wife selected the hearth room’s focal point: a striking basketweave tile by Unique Tile on the firebox.

Furniture-style, cream-colored cabinetry in the spacious kitchen, also crafted by Artistic Kitchens, artfully conceals utilitarian appliances. A large center island boasts a blue-green finish with a butcher-block top. Sitting at the bar, one can see the rainbow of colors used on the walls and ceilings in the various rooms and appreciate the masterful use of patterns and textures that unite each area.

Furniture-style, cream-colored cabinetry in the spacious kitchen, crafted by Artistic Kitchens, artfully conceals utilitarian appliances. A large center island boasts a blue-green finish with a butcher-block top

Wood floors transition to stone in the adjacent breakfast room, where an oversized, but delicately constructed, iron chandelier with silver-leaf finish hangs from the vaulted ceiling above a hand-hewn circular table. The walls have a very subtle painted stripe finish in blue and cream.

A service hall leading to the garage contains what Ensor calls a “lipstick station,” a designated area near the door to the garage where the lady of the house can put down her bag and look in the mirror to check her lipstick. The service hall features built-ins to keep the children’s shoes, bags and coats orderly; the wife’s cheery home office; and a sunny laundry room with windows overlooking the front lawn.

The lower level pays homage to the homeowners' love of sport, with an extensive collection of memorabilia on the walls in the billiard room. A unique climate-controlled wine cellar is exquisite enough with its cork floors and brick ceiling, but the homeowners are quick to cite a painting by the husband’s mother as the pièce de résistance.

A particular point of pride for the husband is a sophisticated, state-of-the-art total home management system installed by Visual Concepts that can do everything from control the lighting to provide multiple camera views of the children at play in the yard, from anywhere in the world. Out-of-sight enhancements include a geothermal system and spray foam insulation.

Comfortable lounge chairs from Brown Jordan provide repose in the grass surrounding the rectangular pool with limestone coping.

Outside, covered terraces span the rear of the main level and are designed to function as separate “rooms,” all outfitted with furniture from Brown Jordan. There is a private retreat accessed from the master suite, a grillmeister domain, and a living room-like seating arrangement in front of a fireplace that features a television concealed behind a pair of shutters. Comfortable lounge chairs provide repose in the grass surrounding the rectangular pool with limestone coping. A portion of the terrace divides the lawn and keeps the pool area separate from the children’s playscape.

“The way this stylish young family lives really shines through in every room, both inside and out, which makes their home a haven,” said Ensor.