About This Design

Interior Design: Paul Miller

Wise men say only fools rush in, so as with all of our projects, we approached this refresh thoughtfully, using a light touch to transform two truly used spaces without displacing cherished family heirlooms or the homeowner’s playful sense of style. This is an historic home with beautiful bones that does not take itself too seriously.

Lived in and loved for years by the same family, many of the home’s mysteries have been solved. The best arrangement for a sofa in the sun room was figured out long before we arrived. The same could be said for the most suitable scale of table and chairs in the equally sun-dappled kitchen eating area.

Here our design was as interpretive as ever, but it was less a complete overhaul and more like that old game Operation: we took out, replaced, and reworked only what was essential to ensure beauty, comfort, and fresh energy for years to come, always mindful that the house’s well-established personality was not lost.

In the kitchen eating area, reupholstered lounge chairs, a new rug, and fresh paint create a vibrant atmosphere right at home with a loved and careworn antique table and handsome set of Windsor chairs. The graphic pattern and abundant colors of the rug speak to our client’s love of folk art and history, bringing to mind lovingly pieced quilts that place an array of colors together in one vibrant, energizing universe.

Warm, tweedy performance fabric in shades of blue and aqua give a pair of vintage lounge chairs a sporty, relaxed appearance while ensuring that kitchen spills are not a worry. We had our workroom alter the skirt on these chairs slightly, removing a few extra pleats that pinned their style to a more formal era. The beauty of working with local artisans is that small adjustments with big impacts are as easy as a sketch and a conversation.

A creative project space for visiting grandchildren; home office; television viewing area; and relaxing place to put up weary feet at the end of the day, the sunroom in this home is the hub of daily life and a fierce workhorse. Our goal was to provide new upholstery and a rework of existing pieces, as well as a new rug and lighting, and a refresh on paint colors.

This room had been traditionally dressed with fabrics in shades of ruddy duck blue. With notes of green in the adjacent living room, we shifted the color ever so slightly on new and reupholstered pieces alike, opting for hues of sea glass that offer a more intuitive flow. Here the textiles and new rug produce a milder backdrop that allows the eye to travel outward to the garden and to come to rest on shelves packed with books, photos, and other treasures picked up along the way.

New lamps on beautifully patinaed existing tables were chosen for their vintage flair. The incised leaf pattern and sandy color bring to mind a stylish, 1950s Miami chic that feels right at home in a room where Elvis memorabilia and gardening books speak to some of our client’s many passions.

This project is a perfect study in finding the balance between a total overhaul and a light-handed refresh. The result is rooms we can’t help falling in love with.

About This Design

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