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When my firm was contacted by a young family to help them build a family homestead in the town of Essex, Connecticut, I jumped at the chance. Having spent summers in a nearby coastal Connecticut town, I knew the charms of Essex well, and I had a feeling that this project would remind me of my home growing up.
With its wood paneling, rich velvets, and leathers, the formal living room is the most traditional space in the house. A custom fireplace fender adds an English accent, while the outdoor-grade Stark carpet is durable enough to stand up to children. Soane Britain curtains provide a light counterpoint to the darker tones of the walls. Highland House sofa. Currey & Company chandelier.
Kirsten Francis
A tiny powder room off the foyer holds a surprise surprise inside—an Iksel mural wallpaper evocative of the nearby Connecticut River, a nod to the family’s maritime ties. Antique mirror, 1stDibs. Visual Comfort sconces. Restoration Hardware sink; DXV faucet.
Kirsten Francis
Gates designed the mudroom to feel like an English boot room with bench seating and coat hooks tucked within cubbies. Easy-to-maintain faux-slate tile and painted v-groove paneling are both highly durable choices for a busy family of five. Benjamin Moore paint in Saybrook Sage.
Kirsten FrancisWe partnered with a wonderful local architect and got involved from the ground up—literally. One of the best pieces of advice I can give someone who is building a new home is to have as many trained eyes on a project as possible as early on as possible. That means the builder, interior designer, landscape designer—anyone whose expertise you will enlist. Allowing each person who is a part of your process to look at your plans, materials, and choices through their specifically trained eyes can help identify mistakes and may help you rethink how the home should be designed. Given my experience, I know how to work with architects well. Not all take kindly to input from designers, but most I’ve worked with have been open and grateful for our input, and after all, this is YOUR home that you will be living in, and you hired a team of specialists for a reason. Whether it’s identifying where to place decorative light fixtures, where to install floor registers for HVAC to avoid drapes billowing constantly, or the intersections of decorative millwork with built-ins, we all catch things the others have not thought of, and it’s a valuable tool to have when building from scratch.
The homeowners wanted a light and bright kitchen as the heart of their home; the cozy breakfast nook tucked beneath a bay of windows was a special request. Urban Electric pendant light. Honed Carrara marble countertops.
Kirsten Francis
Breakfast nook seating in performance fabrics—including Sister Parish's Burma Performance on the Hollywood at Home chairs—assuage any spill concerns. Striped pillows in Santa Barbara Ikat by Mark D. Sikes for Schumacher; roman shade in Imogen, also by Schumacher.
Kirsten Francis
The butler’s pantry, tucked just off the kitchen, is a hardworking hub for entertaining with additional dishwasher drawers, a microwave, and extra wall oven. It’s also beautiful, thanks to Tabarka Studio tiles, walnut counters, and custom cabinetry painted Farrow & Ball's Parma Gray.
Kirsten FrancisThis home was designed to look old so it would blend in with the surrounding historic Colonial aesthetic, which happens to be my personal favorite style of architecture. The attention to detail here did not stop on the exterior—each piece of molding and woodwork was carefully considered to make sure the overall look appeared truly authentic (but, of course, in a new home with modern systems—hurrah!).
Pierre Frey's classic Toiles de Nantes wallpaper sets a lively backdrop for the dining room, with millwork painted in Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray. The dining chairs pair Schumacher's Rocky Performance Velvet with a Raoul Textiles pattern on back. Visual Comfort chandelier. Curtain fabric, Leah O’Connell.
Kirsten FrancisAs for the client’s design directive, we pulled a lot of inspiration (and actual pieces of art and accents) from a collection of heirlooms that spoke to the family’s strong historical ties to the area and maritime culture. In concert with that, the client wanted to make sure it felt youthful, so mixing in color and pattern with tried-and-true classics like stripes, plaids, and rich leathers was key. Plus, we had to keep the two (now three) little children living there in mind when it came to durability! The husband and wife had some opposing wishes when it came to style—one more traditional and the other more colorful and playful—but we were able to bridge the gap and give them a mix that creates moments in the home they both love. The husband’s office and formal living room are an homage to old-world Ralph Lauren style, while the family room speaks more of the wife’s love of florals and bright colors. The dining room blends those looks to create a cheerful but timeless space that reflects them both.
In the early stages, this space above the garage was allocated as storage, but as framing began and the client’s family grew, they began to envision it instead as a space where toys could be corralled. Cheerful prints and colors—including Peter Dunham's Indian Chintz on the ceiling and beadboard walls in Farrow & Ball's Lulworth Blue—create a playful backdrop.
Kristen Francis
The client had been saving images featuring Quadrille’s iconic Arbre de Matisse paper for years and wanted to use it somewhere in the house, so Gates paired it with Schumacher's Poppy Hand Block Print to create a warm and welcoming guest bedroom. Matouk bedding.
Kirsten Francis
For one daughter, Gates designed a room that felt sweet for a young girl but could grow with her. Blush grasscloth wallcovering, Cowtan & Tout; pillow fabric, Hinson; window treatments in Inchyra’s Dianthus fabric.
Kirsten FrancisWe pulled from every corner of their varied and complex Pinterest boards, and the result was a fantastic combination of vibrant wallpaper, modern art, and bold fabric patterns blended with classic, traditional style and priceless family antiques to make this home feel like a seamless blend of modern playfulness and deeply rooted tradition.
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The sunroom captures beautiful natural light from morning to evening. Designed to be an additional family and entertaining space, it also provides a warm respite from dreary New England winters.
Kirsten Francis -
In the second-floor laundry room, marble diamond-pattern floors, painted cabinetry, a subtle striped paper on walls and ceiling, and a cheery roman shade make a utilitarian space more inviting.
Kirsten Francis -
The guest room offers a lesson in pattern mixing, with its Sister Parish striped wallpaper, small-scale print on curtains, and neutral rug by Erin Gates for Momeni.
Kirsten Francis -
Schumacher’s embroidered Ashoka tape trim takes the curtains to another level.
Kirsten Francis -
Pale pink grasscloth is a warm, enveloping choice for this little girl’s room. The bold gingham check on the headboard from The Beautiful Bed Company provides graphic contrast.
Kirsten Francis
