Rich saturated hues got a boost in popularity recently with the selection of Mocha Mousse—a warm, chocolatey brown—as Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year. But the allure of a dark and moody palette is nothing new to skilled designers looking to add warmth, interest and character to interiors. When the longtime owners of a Darien property wanted to transform a dilapidated barn into a family-friendly gathering spot, they called on design duo Sarah Major of Sarah P. Major Interior Design and Jesse Held of J.R. Held & Co., who created a chic entertainment space in a sophisticated palette of earth tones.
Originally part of a larger estate, the barn is estimated to date back to the late 18th century. “One wonderful quality of this historic property is that it includes a number of ancillary buildings original to the main house, including the barn,” says Major. “Due to town regulations, the client was challenged with maintaining the barn’s existing footprint and shell but needed to update it significantly. When we arrived, the interior had been stripped down to the studs and the floor was rubble. We wanted to build back a space that felt like it had been there for several hundred years.”
After providing the client with a number of design options, the final choice was the darkest iteration of the bunch with fully clad wood walls and ceiling. “From there, it was about balancing the rustic nature of the materials with the finesse and polish of their contemporary life,” says Major. “Ralph Lauren interiors were a huge inspiration, but I think the space reflects the client’s unique personal tastes and lifestyle as well.”
Inspiration even came from the property itself. Held explains: “The property also has a guest cottage with the original ceiling, which is exposed butt-jointed and face-nailed wood planks. The age and the patina is quite charming. It really sealed the deal on deciding to clad the entire interior of the barn in reclaimed planks.”
In front of the TV, a pair of RH sofas face off across an RH coffee table atop a rug from Safavieh.
A pewter-finish, trophy-shaped lamp from Ethan Allen tops a vintage leather and canvas Ralph Lauren trunk, while a series of Ralph Lauren for Visual Comfort chandeliers and wall sconces illuminate the entire room.
Schumacher large-scale snake-pattern wallcovering enlivens the powder room. The mirror is from Fairfield Antique & Design.
Reclaimed wood lines the walls and ceiling of the main living areas, including the bar where the stools are through Perigold, the wooden barrel bowl is through the Antique and Artisan Gallery, and the large Sloane glass vase is from Ralph Lauren Home.
A Phillip Jeffries fabric wallcovering flows across walls and ceiling in the dining room, where a painting called Sage Forest by Jess Blazejewski anchors one wall, and Urban Electric pendants hang over the table.
The dining room is located in the “lean-to” section of the barn.
The renovated barn—which the couple and their three school-age children mainly use for entertaining and family time—is set up as one wide open space. “This took shape as a living area centered around a large TV for watching sporting events, a large bar/kitchen area, dining space, and room for recreational activities like Ping Pong,” says Major. “Of course, adding a half bath and utility closet was necessary as well.”
Once the decision was made to embrace a dark and moody vibe, “We pulled palettes that would complement the earthy tones of the wood and floors,” says Major. “This included cocoa leathers, charcoal grey wools, accents of navy and Sherwin Williams Mount Etna trim color throughout, as well as more brown oak furnishings. We balanced it with some lighter elements, like the polished nickel and paper shades on the main light fixtures, calacatta crema marble and lighter upholstery in the bar/kitchen area.”
Moroccan limestone flooring runs through the space. “We wanted the floor to look smoothed and worn, and like it had been there for ages,” says Major. “To lean into that worn-in look,” adds Held, “we opted for an old Bourgogne pattern, which is essentially varying widths and lengths. The staggering sizes when laid out don’t allow the eye to perceive repetition or regular pattern, so it really feels like each piece was cut to size.”
Dining room walls and ceiling are wrapped in a menswear-inspired fabric-backed wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries infusing the space with tactile luxury, while Urban Electric pendants in Farrow & Ball’s Studio Green are in keeping with the color scheme. “Since the ceiling is much lower in this area, we wanted something that was for the most part transparent, but would stand up to the heft of a large dining table,” notes Major. “We love the unique shape and refined detailing on these—a bit of a modern spin on a traditional lantern—and the heirloom finish harkens to the copper lanterns on the barn’s exterior.”
Favorite part of the project? “I love how all the textures came together and created this cozy moody space,” says Major. “The only paint to speak of comes in the form of millwork and trim, which itself is on the darker side, so it feels really rich and inviting when you’re in here, even though the volume of the space is quite generous.”
Held says: “Details like the Dutch door at the rear with the classic rim lock, the gas lanterns we added or the vintage-inspired water taps in the bathroom, even the joint placement we played around with in the beams. It’s those little moments that added character to this project that became my favorite to look at and touch when we visit.”
