A Coastal Inspired Family-Friendly Home with Natural Textures and Soothing Palette
I’m so thrilled to share my latest project reveal of the Summit Project! This project is filled with lots of coastal touches, natural textures and a laid-back cool West Coast meets East Coast vibe that I love so much. This project was a dream to work on with amazing clients and believe it or not, was a Full-Service Project done almost entirely virtually due to the pandemic. But the end result is anything but basic and is was such a dream to help create a home for this young family to grow.
Let’s dig in…
Inspiration for any project comes from many different places. It can come from perusing Pinterest to find the right color palette, furniture style, or mood. Or it can come from nature, your wardrobe, or travel. In the case of this client their travels, time spent living on the West Coast, and their artwork heavily influenced the design of their home and how they wanted it to feel.
After spending time in California, this young family loved the relaxed and casual feel of SoCal and wanted to bring a piece of that to their Summit, NJ new build home. We used lots of warm textures, mixed materials, a color palette of soft blues, grays, and blush. Starting with comfortable clean furnishings, we layered in added texture with linen, rattan, and leather and topped it with organic prints and great lighting.
The Entry
The homeowners own a large signed Gray Malin print that was a jumping-off point for the design of the home. The print became a focal point in the entry and a big inspiration for the entire home. It brings in the fresh blue, and relaxing feel of the ocean right when you walk into the home. This original artwork and their love of the ocean was the jumping point to create a home that felt lived in, airy, and warm. A space that begs you to stay a bit longer and enjoy time together.
To give the home an elevated and cool feel, fresh new lighting was added throughout to give style and warmth and was a great upgrade from the builder basic that was there. The entry is large and open and a perfect spot to welcome guests with a couple of landing spaces for keys and coats and a bench for the kids to put on shoes.
The Office
Not only was their time in Southern California a big inspiration for their design style, but the homeowners also wanted to infuse some inspiration from their favorite hotel, the Surf Club in Miami. Now working full-time at home and hours on zoom, the home office became a perfect spot where a little piece of the Surf Club would feel like a welcome respite. This office space is right off the entry and open to the rest of the home, so it still ties into the rest of the home, but with thoughtful pieces of their favorite getaway brought into everyday.
Another big foundational piece for this space was the wine and lemons print that the client owned. The overall color scheme pulled from the print and was infused throughout the room with the peach in the rug and accessories paired with the cool blue of the credenza to create that little spot that felt a bit more like a getaway. This room was so fun to design and became one of my favorite rooms in the home.
Inspiration from the Surf Club
The Living Room
Because the home was a new build, the challenge was to bring character and style into the space. First, a large built-in was added to a bare wall in the living room to create a focal point in the space and create a spot for storage and showcasing the family’s treasures. This built-in changed the entire feel of the space and and it really brought so much character to the home.
Casual and comfortable furnishings were used throughout to work with their growing young family, we used performance textiles and easy-care materials as much as possible. The goal for the living room was to design something comfortable for everyday living as well as a great conversational space for entertaining friends and family.
The sectional has a tailored feel and is perfect for entertaining guests, and when paired with the oversized ottoman the space is also geared toward everyday living. With the addition of the open-armed chair that isn’t too bulky for the corner, and the space becomes a perfect conversation area. Leather woven stools at the kitchen island add more of that relaxed cool vibe to the space. And the layered rugs anchor the space and add even more soft color and texture.
The Dining Room
In the dining room, I wanted to create a bit of drama with a moodier and cosy feel. Something that felt like a nice change from the light airy-ness of the rest of the home. The addition of a textural blue-gray grasscloth wallpaper gives a shot of color and I think it’s just what the space needed. I love the dark grasscloth paper above the wainscotting and looks so good paired with the textural charcoal cabinet that doubles as a bar. The blue in the rug ties everything together, and grounds the space. Flax linen roman shades are layered with a subtle white patterned drapery that keep it feeling fresh and casual to tie in with the remainder of the house, all while being cozy and cool.
The table has cool rounded edges and the subtly striped head chairs mix it up when paired with the textured mid-century-inspired woven seated chairs. Cool modern brass sconces and a simple chandelier add that final touch to the space and echos the curves of the table.
The final result is an elevated but casual home, that feels like a perfect way to bring a bit of the West Coast out east.
The biggest Thank You to my awesome clients who trusted me to bring their new home to life! Thank you to The Haven List for featuring the Summit Project on their blog! And Thank you to Rebecca McAlpin Photography for the amazing photos and styling by Gabrielle Langdon who helped me style allll those shelves :)