Coming from apartment living, the homeowners and their two teenage children liked smaller-scale spaces where they could all hang out together. “We wanted a house that felt cozy and intimate,” says the client. “We didn’t want a home where you have to shout to let everyone know it’s dinnertime.” Designers Joanna Jones and Liz Slutzky of Torus Interiors gave them the best of both worlds in this 1926 Colonial.
Since the family wanted to move in very quickly after purchasing the house, the designers had a two-phase approach, making some immediate changes to its shell, and then taking their time with furnishings and finishing touches. Though the historic patina and smaller scale of the rooms were a plus, combined with low ceilings and dark floors, it gave the spaces a heavy feeling. Decoratively, “it was really fussy,” says Jones. “Our client was definitely more pared back and streamlined.” Torus improved the feel and the flow by peeling all the decorative elements back to create a cleaner, brighter, more modern canvas for their design. They lightened up the floors throughout and removed heavy window treatments and low light fixtures that visually brought the ceilings down even more.
In the entry, sconces from 1stDibs flank a Bower Studios mirror from the Future Perfect above a CB2 console and a vintage Platner stool.
Artwork by Tegan Brozyna Roberts through Heather Gaudio Fine Art pops against dining room walls in Farrow & Ball’s De Nimes #299. Vintage chairs featuring a Romo fabric surround a custom dining table. The chandelier is through 1stDibs.
In the living room, custom swivel chairs in a Holland & Sherry wool chenille flank the fireplace, which is crafted of Bardiglio marble from Everest Marble. The Charlotte Perriand coffee tables are through Cassina, and the rug is from Palace Oriental Rugs of Wilton. A large-scale painting by artist Kelsey Overstreet picks up the blues in the design.
At the island, Torus swapped out lower-hanging pendants for a Blueprint Lighting chandelier.
The primary bedroom features a king bed from Lawson-Fenning upholstered in Rogers & Goffigon wool bouclé. The sitting room holds a pair of custom swivel chairs, a Gubi wall mirror through the Danish Design Store.
To improve the connection between the main living spaces, the designers opened up a wall between the family and living rooms. Each area has its own purpose, but now both benefit from the other’s sunlit windows. The living room has a slightly more tailored look, with an eye-catching fireplace as the focal point. Two swivel chairs sit in front of the gorgeous graphic marble surround and antique mirror, providing a comfortable spot for the homeowners to relax at the end of the day. A custom sofa in a Holland & Sherry fabric stretches down the long room and then wraps around at a gentle 45-degree angle. On the opposite end of the space, a new reading nook has hidden storage underneath.
The adjacent, many-windowed family room is a plush lounge area with a TV and second custom sectional topped with a collection of pillows. A custom coffee table and ottoman were created with game nights in mind. In both spaces, “the family really wants people to feel warm and comfortable,” says Jones.
In the kitchen, the cabinets and island got a fresh coat of paint, while two low pendant lights were replaced with a single larger fixture from Blueprint Lighting. The connected breakfast room has higher ceilings and lots of natural light, plus a custom table and banquette surrounded by woven chairs from Crate & Barrel that add to the home’s relaxed feel.
Though most of the house is decorated in lighter blues and grays, Torus did encourage the homeowners to go bolder in a few key spaces. For the dining room off the front entry, “We wanted to make it its own moody, sexy destination,” says Slutzky. They leaned into the low ceilings and smaller scale by wrapping the whole room in a rich blue-green from Farrow & Ball. In the first-floor powder room, a dramatic graphic paper from Eskayel is now one of the homeowner’s favorite design choices. Though the couple needed a little encouragement to go for it, those design risks “are the parts of the project I get the most joy out of,” says the wife.
Torus simplified the primary bedroom suite, swapping a set of French doors for a solid pair that close off the bedroom from the sitting area, complete with fireplace. A sleek coffee station was created with a bar cart, so the homeowners’ morning java is only moments away from waking up. The home feels finished but relaxed, energizing but calm. With a design that balances the warmth of historic bones and cozy scale with the freshness of a modern aesthetic, this family is living large–but still close together.
