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When a California couple tapped Dan Fink to oversee the interior of their home-to-be, a sprawling new build by architect David Buergler, the New York–based designer leapt at the opportunity to take on a beautiful blank slate. It turned out to be an aesthetic puzzle as well: For one, it was a stately Georgian-style house in the middle of casual California. For another, while the homeowners gravitated toward light colors and storied antiques, they also needed a space suited to their life with several young kids.
To create intimacy within the large living room, Fink designed a second seating area on the wall opposite the fireplace with a deep Jonas sofa, antique Swedish armchairs from Gallery BAC, and a 1940s gilded-iron cocktail table. The hand-painted Blanc de Chine scenic wallpaper from Gracie and floral Persian-style rug from Doris Leslie Blau were customized.
Laura ResenFink’s approach: “Careful calibration at every step,” he says. “We wanted it to really feel like a classic family home, while still having a youthful, contemporary sensibility.” Indeed, each room in the house reflects his masterful choreography, from the interplay of soft hues to the gentle push-pull between traditional and modern silhouettes.
Together, Fink and Buergler came up with a layout that seamlessly transitions from formal spaces for entertaining in the front of the house to more casual ones in the back that foster family togetherness. “We really considered the flow of the family’s days,” says Fink. “So the house is a bit more open than it would be in a very traditional design, culminating in this big kitchen that spills out to the family room.”
Fink gave the dining room an easy formality with a gracefully curved table by Keith Fritz from John Rosselli and whitewashed Rose Tarlow chairs surrounded by walls painted a high-gloss ethereal blue (Full Moon by Benjamin Moore) and inset with panels of a matching silk from Holland & Sherry. For a “big, whimsical gesture,” Fink hung a floral chandelier by In Common With. Its shape is echoed by an Anasthasia Millot lantern in the adjacent foyer.
Laura Resen“We began with this core color story for the house. The fun of it was asking ourselves, ‘How can we recombine these shades in different measure in different rooms across the project?’”
Dan Fink
An extra-large Caldia marble island anchors the open kitchen; cabinets are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Horizon, a pale gray shade with what Fink calls “a whisper of celadon”; pendants by Urban Electric; stools, Anthony Lawrence-Belfair.
Laura ResenThat fluidity extends to the outdoors as well. Generously sized windows invite in the light and garden views. A large sliding door connects the family room to the patio, lawn, and pool beyond. And, most dramatically, a glass conservatory tucked in off the kitchen gives the family a sun-soaked spot to eat breakfast each day. “We painted it a pale, pale blue so they would feel enveloped in lightness,” says Fink.
Fink subtly evoked an English garden feel in the conservatory, pairing a Biedermeier-style table from RT Facts with Soane rattan chairs with Peter Fasano cushions.
Laura ResenThe entire house cultivates that same sense of calm, with rooms bathed in similar shades of blue—the client’s favorite color—as well as ivory, mist, and celadon. “We began with this core color story for the house,” says Fink. “The fun of it was asking ourselves, ‘How can we recombine these shades in different measure in different rooms across the project?’”
The family room leans more casual, with a slipcovered RH sectional big enough for everyone to pile on during movie nights; artwork by Young-Il Ahn; coffee table, Century; plaster pendant light by Stephen Antonson through Liz O’Brien.
Laura ResenThe palette found its most formal expression in the living room (see the traditional upholstered pieces and a silk Persian-style rug) and dining room (where wall panels are wrapped in icy silk). In the family room, Fink put a more casual spin on the theme, with a sectional slipcovered in ivory linen and a durable wool rug. Even the pool house interior continues the thread, albeit in a more bohemian iteration—think ticking stripes and laid-back prints.
In the primary bedroom, Fink went all-in on ivory—from the silk walls to the Coraggio linen curtains—to create a cocoonlike effect. Custom mirror, Ziello; plaster ceiling fixture, Liz O’Brien Editions.
Laura Resen
The primary bathroom exudes quiet glamour with its alabaster-hued vanity and white marble that spans almost to the ceiling; sconces by Ralph Lauren for Visual Comfort lend an Art Deco-esque gleam.
Laura Resen
Soaking tub and fittings in the primary bath by Waterworks. Woven wool and silk Roman shades by Coraggio.
Laura ResenFrom room to room, there’s an effortless juxtaposition of classical pieces with a few choice modern elements: A sculptural white chair pulled up to a mahogany Louis XVI desk, for example, or an abstract painting hanging above a marble mantel. “Mixing styles and pieces from different eras isn’t revolutionary, but I tried to take a gentler, more subtle approach,” says Fink. “With each space, it was like a tasting, always adding and pulling back.”
The patio was outfitted with seating by RH and Bonacina; coffee table, Iatesta Studio; lantern, Vaughan.
Laura ResenFink applied that thoughtfulness to every last detail, often customizing pieces to get the balance right. At one point in the design process, he and the clients were drawn to a hand-painted botanical wallpaper from Gracie that was just a touch too intricate for the living room. “The beauty of Gracie papers is that you can modulate them to suit the space,” explains the designer, who had the pattern simplified and colored in a chalky ivory and light gray. The result, a delicate rendition of the wallpaper’s original linework, encapsulates his vision for the whole project—at once classic, pared-down and thoroughly dreamlike.
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Fink took a lighter, in-the-garden approach in the pool house, lining the ceiling in a laminated fabric from Zak + Fox and covering floors with wet-feet-friendly tile from Mosaic House; chest, Chelsea Textiles; pendant, Urban Electric; curtain fabric, Bennison; paint, Brittany Blue by Benjamin Moore.
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A central kitchen anchors the pool house.
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On the pool terrace, outdoor seating is from Munder Skiles and RH. Scalloped umbrellas, Design Within Reach.
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The new, Georgian-inspired house was designed by architect David Buergler.
Laura Resen
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 20 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
