Innovation In Design Award

connecticut cottages & gardens july/august 2016
COTTAGESGARDENS.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2016
cottagesgardens.com
INNOVATION
IN DESIGN AWARDS 2016
Winner
Gathering Space A pair
of sofas wearing white linen
face off across a glass
table in the family room.
The Provence swivel lounge
chairs and the hand-braided
jute area rug are from RH.
See Resources.
CALLA
MCNAMARA
INTERIORS
INTERIOR
DESIGN
IT’S A SEAMLESS MARRIAGE
BETWEEN OLD AND NEW IN A
RENOVATED 19TH-CENTURY
COLONIAL WITH A 21ST-CENTURY
ADDITION | BY MINDY PANTIEL
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFF MCNAMARA
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CALLA MCNAMARA WAS FACED WITH THE SOMEWHAT DAUNTING TASK of stitching
together the remnants of a 19-century Colonial with a contemporary renovation and addition. By the time
she arrived on the scene, Cugno Architecture had already carefully relocated the structure to the back of the
property and added two wings to accommodate a new kitchen and family room. “In order to maintain the
home’s charm, the original beams and fireplaces were kept, but other than that everything was taken down
to the studs,” she says about the spec project.
Starting in the existing living and dining rooms, McNamara introduced wall paneling more in keeping
with the formal nature of the rooms. Next, in the new family room, a fireplace fashioned from local stone
meant to harken back to another time and the refined ceiling beams, a 21st-century interpretation of the
reclaimed variety seen elsewhere, establish continuity.
In the kitchen, the face frame cabinetry has an antique look, while the custom metal stove hood, which
runs the length of the room, is an unexpected surprise. “Because the ceiling is lower, there are no upper cabinets, so the stove hood dresses things up and serves as a centerpiece,” she says.
Claiming her biggest challenge was creating a sense of flow and making sure the spaces had adequate
light, McNamara used light paint colors to achieve both. Soft grays dominate with a slightly darker, moodier
tone in the dining room. “The original beams, neutral colors and transitional details help create a seamless
flow between old and new,” she says.
Kitchen Magic (above left) Pendant
lights from Rejuvenation hang above
the kitchen island. Backless bar stools
are from RH. Clean Living (above right)
Bryant sconces from Circa Lighting
flank a clean-lined fireplace in the
living room. Old World (opposite page)
The fireplace and the crossbeam in
the opening are original to the home’s
dining room. The designer added two
reclaimed beams to complete the entry
opening. The chairs and table are from
RH, and the chandelier is from Circa
Lighting. See Resources.
To see more, visit cottagesgardens.com/2016ctcgidas
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ctc&g cottagesgardens.com july/august 2016
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFF MCNAMARA
Innovator 2
INTERIOR DESIGN
LAST DETAIL
INTERIOR
DESIGN
HONORING THE HANDCRAFTED, THIS DESIGN
POPS WITH COLOR AND PLAYS WITH SCALE
CAREY KARLAN PRIDES HERSELF on designing spaces that reflect
the personalities of the inhabitants. “So when my clients said they wanted
something casual, rugged and overscaled, they meant it, and I responded,”
says Karlan, who imbued the traditional Fairfield County home for a family
of five with a decidedly un-Connecticut look. “They love Colorado and the
West, and they wanted a more handcrafted feel.”
After tricking out the entry with a console table supported by faux animal
horns and a stenciled cowhide rug guaranteed to dispel any notion of New
England (“There are no Chippendale mirrors here,” she says), Karlan outfitted the dining room with a decidedly masculine hand. The heavy muscular
dining table set on a custom Moroccan rug plays out against a backdrop of
striped wall coverings trimmed with studs and a covering on the ceiling laced
with specks of mica. Meanwhile, the black walnut mobile-style chandelier suspended from a hand-forged iron hook plays to the artisan theme.
According to Karlan, the color scheme divides into two camps. “They like
blue, so I added cream to the mix in the living and dining rooms,” says the
designer, pointing to the neutral dining room chairs topped with a strip of
blue leather and the two-toned stripes on the luscious mohair living room
rug. “The darker grays in the family room respond to the colors in the stone
fireplace, and I added pops of orange to keep things lively.”
To see more, visit cottagesgardens.com/2016ctcgidas
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL JOHNSON
First Impressions (this page) Bernhardt chairs
and a console table join a Made Goods mirror in
the foyer, all from Wakefield Design Center. Color
Punch In the family room (opposite page, top),
Lee Industries swivel chairs and ottomans both
sport Romo fabrics; plaid throw is from the Linen
Shop. Phillip Jeffries wallpaper lines the dining
room (opposite page, bottom) walls, while Vanguard
Furniture chairs surround a Woodland Furniture
table. Wool rug is from J.D. Staron. See Resources.
Innovator 3
INTERIOR DESIGN
MORGAN
HARRISON
HOME
SENSUOUS SHAPES AND DURABLE FINISHES
REIMAGINE “FAMILY FRIENDLY”
“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CURVES,” says Michelle Morgan Harrison
regarding the home she helped design for a young Fairfield County family.
“From the foyer to the kitchen, there are layers of arches that called for a
sense of softness in the overall design.” According to Harrison, the genesis
of the theme began with the geometry of the window transoms, which
echoes in everything from the sensuous shape of the dining room chairs to
the spiraling three-story staircase. About the latter, she says, “The striped
banding of the carpet runner hugs the curves to create a dramatic yet
subtle design that, thanks to Stair Master, is also kid proof.”
Complementing the swoops and swirls is a delicate palette dominated
by layers of greige that responds to the homeowner’s desire for elegance and
sophistication tempered by hushed tones. “To that we added a mix of metals—gold and silver—and introduced artwork and accessories for pops of
color,” Harrison explains.
Throughout the house, child-friendly fabrics like the Endurance velvet
on the family room sofa prevail. But there’s a slight shift in the living room,
where the lavender gray mohair benches, champagne gray sofa and silk
drapes signal it as a place where the adults might come to play. About the
end result, Harrison says, “It’s a fresh and elegant house where all members
of the family can feel at home.”
To see more, visit cottagesgardens.com/2016ctcgidas
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JANE BEILES
Formal Affair (opposite page) A Dennis & Leen chandelier lights a Century Furniture
table in the formal dining room. The tufted chairs by Lillian August for Hickory White
are upholstered in a Kravet velvet. Adults Only (top) In the living room, matching
Hickory Chair sofas covered in velvet from Cowtan & Tout rest on a warm gray J.D.
Staron area rug. The benches and coffee table are both from Chaddock Home.
Opening Statement (above) A custom octagonal dark walnut table sets the tone in
the foyer under a Visual Comfort polished nickel chandelier. See Resources.
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