Fun House
Traditional elegance with a wink (and pink!): sunlit spaces, vibrant accents and a seriously playful palette
INTERVIEW WITH Hilary Matt, Hilary Matt Interiors
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Rikki Snyder
STYLING BY Frances Bailey
Geometric Holly Hunt mirrors create an artful entry into the dining room.
WHO LIVES HERE?
The clients are empty nesters with two adult sons, who were moving from their home in Chappaqua. Usually, when the kids are out of the house, people downsize, but this couple wanted to do the opposite.
HOW DID THAT DECISION SHAPE YOUR DESIGN DIRECTION?
They had free rein to really make it into their own for themselves versus with a lot of families that I designed for, it’s very centered around the kids. There’s no playroom, and they were able to have a lot of adult entertaining spaces, which I think was nice. Of course, the kids still have rooms there, but it really did feel like more of an adult home.
We started the project by going to their old house and saw a bunch of their furniture that the wife wanted to keep. So, we had a mix of old and new things, but as the project continued, it morphed into us using almost all new things. We’re always willing to work with clients if they have existing pieces that they love and want to bring with them. But here, we only ended up keeping a few things. She wanted this house to feel special and different from her old house.
WHAT DREW THEM TO THIS HOUSE ORIGINALLY?
I think they loved the traditional classic feel of this Connecticut home. They were interested in the house prior and didn’t get it. It came back on the market again, and then they end up purchasing it.
Porter Teleo’s Floral Graffiti creates a bold backdrop in the powder room, paired with a Blue Green Works pendant and custom Calacatta Viola integrated sink.
TELL US ABOUT THE DESIGN PLAN. WHAT DID THEY WANT?
This client—with a husband and two sons—is the only female in the family. One thing that she really asked for at the beginning was the closet. She said she wanted it to be all pink and feel like her space. That was a non-negotiable, which I loved. She’s also very into the color and fun patterns and mixing all of that in, so that was fun, too.
We kept the whole outside of the house and just repainted. It feels very traditional when you pull up, and then when you open the door, you get all these fun modern pops, which I think is a cool juxtaposition. In the kitchen, we replaced all the doors with modern white metal and glass doors, which is cool to see from the back.
THERE ARE A LOT OF FUN LIGHTING CHOICES IN HERE. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THEM? DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE?
I think lighting is such a fun way to change a space. No one touches it, so even if it’s expensive, you don’t have to worry about someone sitting on it or spilling on it. It’s sort of like a piece of art.
The Giopato & Coombes fixture in her bathroom is really cool and special. There’s a dome-type ceiling in there, and it’s a huge space, so we really wanted to do something interesting.
The light over the dining room table is Lindsey Adelman. It’s one of the first things you see when you open the door, which is nice.
We used a Blue Green Works in her powder room. I think that’s such a fun piece, and the way we hung it like a pendant is sort of unexpected. Don’t make me choose a favorite!
WE LOVE ALL THE PLAYFUL ART IN THIS HOME. DID YOU SOURCE THOSE PIECES?
Some of them were theirs, some of them we sourced. Sometimes she showed us what she liked, and we helped her execute, but most of it came from her.
Dining chairs covered in Schumacher velvet surround a burled bleached wood table by Rob Fiorella. Lindsey Adelman’s Cherry Bomb chandelier includes 18k gold fringe and delivers some drama to the space.
TELL US ABOUT THE KITCHEN.
They aren’t huge entertainers, beyond the normal holiday gatherings. She really wanted to be able to use her kitchen and not worry about it getting destroyed. So, we used Naika quartzite on all the countertops, which is extremely durable, and it looks beautiful.
She wanted everything to be really accessible. We built a shelf above her stove, for her to keep olive oil and stuff like that, making everything easy to grab while she’s cooking.
There’s a full butler’s pantry but it’s hidden, and then the large island, where they eat a lot.
A view from the kitchen reveals abstract wallpaper by Porter Teleo.
The breakfast room includes a cobalt blue table, RH chairs and playful art by Erin Rothstein.
A hidden cabinet door leads to a butler’s pantry.
Naika beige quartzite from BAS Stone wraps the large kitchen island.
Matt selected braided taupe leather by Studioart for the stool backs, while a sculptural fixture by Larose Guyon evokes fine jewelry above.
WITH SO MANY LAYERS (WALLPAPERS, MOLDINGS, TEXTURES, LACQUER, NATURAL STONE), HOW DID YOU MAINTAIN COHESION ACROSS SUCH A LARGE FOOTPRINT?
In this case, it was the colors. The blue is something that we’ve carried through almost all the rooms in the house, on the first floor at least. I think that’s important when you’re doing a lot of color in a house: that there’s a common thread of a color that carries through all the rooms.
A Fantastico Arni marble fireplace creates a striking focal point in the living room.
The tufted curved sofa surrounds coffee tables by Kooij, which are created with recycled plastic and a custom palette of pigments.
TELL US ABOUT THIS FAMILY ROOM.
That is another room you sort of see right when you walk in the door. The sofa is floating in the room, so we wanted to make sure the sofa was interesting from all sides. We wanted something that was comfortable but also felt a little more elevated. The coffee tables are super cool, from this company called Kooij. They’re plastic and made from recycled toys and plastics that are melted down to be the mold of the table. We picked the colors, so that was really fun.
The primary bedroom layers refined materials and soft texture, from the Monte Bianco marble fireplace and Elitis wallcovering to a vertical-channeled bed in ALT for Living fabric and Lee Broom pendants. Underfoot, a Fayette Studio wool-silk rug anchors the space, while a bench covered in Rosemary Hallgarten teddy fabric and a Pierre Augustin Rose chair complete the composition
Inspired by French bateau tubs of the 1880s, including early designs by Rogeat, this Penhaglion version is reinterpreted with a more generous, modern scale.
A Giopato & Coombes chandelier drifts overhead, bubble-like in form.
Bookmatched Nebula marble wraps the primary shower.
BEYOND THE REQUEST FOR LOTS OF PINK, WHAT WAS HER DIRECTIVE FOR THIS CLOSET?
There were two bathrooms in the primary when they bought the house. They converted one to make her closet, and then the husband got the original closet space.
She wanted it to feel mature and elevated, not pink like a nursery. The stone we found for the countertops is Cristallo pink quartzite. It’s not in your face, but more just touches of pink, which I think helped to complement everything and made it feel a little more grown-up. With the built-ins, I wanted it to feel really pretty and special, so we added in the arches and fluting. She wanted to be able to display some of her items, but most of it is put away so it doesn’t look so messy. We also built in benches at the windows so she can hang out in there.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
Honestly, this client was so easy, nice and sweet; open to cool ideas. She was really a dream client. They don’t come so often, and I have no complaints about the job.
Among the flashes of pink, Vivienne Westwood’s Thistle design for The Rug Company and an acrylic table by Saerom Yoon.
Window seating was added to make her closet a destination for her to spend time in.
Cristallo pink quartzite tops the custom fluted cabinetry in the closet.
RESOURCES:
Interior Design:
Hilary Matt Interiors, New York;
hilarymatt.com
Architect:
Teo Siguenza, Bedford, 914-234-6289;
teosiguenza.com
General Contractor:
Richard Morgante, Gilead Construction; 914-273-6948