“It’s like I’m fighting with nature to be seen,” claims Jolie Korek while designing the interior of an authentic midcentury house in White Plains. “The surroundings are spectacular.” The property, which sits on nearly an acre, was already beautifully landscaped and with views available from the home’s many windows.
The 3,000-square-foot home didn’t need much work, and Korek readily embraced its original floor plans. “It was more about brightening it up and making it feel more natural,” she says. The finishes “were very midcentury, that yellow color” and the designer changed it to a palette of browns, working with Fabricio Fabri, a finisher she knew and admired. It made the home look more elegant and natural; the goal was to put the homeowners and guests at ease. Korek is pragmatic as a designer and wants her designs to be timeless.
She didn’t want an all-white interior, and brought in wallpapers of different colors and faux finishes. Korek prefers more textural surfaces—her style is modern organic. “I don’t have bright colors, but make them more textural; you want to touch everything,” explains Korek. “That’s what I always say about my houses. You don’t want colors jumping out at you. We achieved that and respected the midcentury style.”
The designer and homeowner met on the beach in East Hampton, and in her words, became fast and furious friends. “She said she and her husband bought the house knowing that I was going to be the designer, because they trusted me,” says Korek, who has offices in Manhattan and East Hampton. Korek had already done another home for them, and knew what style her clients wanted. The homeowners’ lifestyle was modern naturalism and they wanted a zen-like, comforting interior.
A Wolf five-burner range top sits on an ABC Stone countertop, with cabinetry from Majestic Kitchen; the range hood is from Miele.
A guest bedroom has a bed and nightstand from Lazzoni. The Jamienne lamp is from Arteriors.
The dining table with chairs in a Romo fabric are from Holly Hunt. The Triad 9 lighting is from Apparatus and the rug is from Odegard.
An A. Rudin sofa wears a Mari Shingle fabric from Romo, while Holly Hunt’s Capri chairs, Dennis Miller Balmoral armchairs and the Bright Group’s Elena bench provide additional seating in the living room. Odegard’s Star Light II rug anchors the room while an Apparatus Highwire Tandem light hangs overhead.
A peaceful view of the stream that runs through the property.
Harlow Small pendant lights hang over the island, with Ventura stools from Homenature. The Dornbracht faucet is from Elegance in Hardware.
The bed in the primary bedroom has a Kevin O’Brien cover and throw from ABC Home. A Floors Beautiful rug adds comfort underfoot. Richard Lindner’s Washington Holiday from an American Portrait Volume II: Not Songs of Loyalty Alone adorns the wall.
Korek’s clients usually have a lot of input, because, of course, the house is for them, not for her. But she uses the rule of thumb that it doesn’t matter what she wants, and it doesn’t matter what the homeowners want, it’s matters what they both want. She never tries to influence anyone into accepting anything if they don’t feel comfortable. “There are so many choices out there,” says Korek. “And obviously when someone comes to me, they already like my design style. I’ve been established for many years. But we have to agree on every decision.”
The one-story home had a skylight in the living room, but Korek had that enlarged so that the sofa, chairs and the bench are bathed in natural light. She also resurfaced the fireplace, which is open to the dining room on the other side. She fully renovated the kitchen, where she wanted fewer upper cabinets and added full pantries, making them appear as they were originally built into the space. The primary and guest bedrooms have peaceful views of the outdoors that promote a restful slumber.
Korek was very happy with the homeowners’ art collection, which blends beautifully with all her interior design choices for the home. But she maintains that nature was the co-designer on this project. “The stream running through the property, when viewed from indoors, takes your breath away!”
