House Beautiful September 2020

Kelly Finley Oakland, CA @joystreetdesign Whitney Jones New Orleans @whitneyjdecor Kiyonda Powell Washington, DC @kiyondapowell Beth Diana Smith Irvington, NJ @bethdianasmith Brad Ford Hudson Valley, NY @brad_ford_id Delia Kenza Brooklyn @deliakenza Pulp Design Studios Seattle & Dallas @pulpdesigns Veronica Solomon Katy, TX @casavilora Michel Smith Boyd Atlanta @michelboyd Mackenzie Collier Phoenix & Portland @mackenziecollierinteriors Swati Goorha New Providence, NJ @swatigoorhadesigns KJ Design and Mortar Styling Baltimore @kjdesignandmortarstyling Don Ricardo Massenburg, Jr. Durham, NC @designinkredible Keita Turner New York @keitaturnerdesign Albie Buabeng Seattle @albieknows Gail Davis South Orange, NJ @gaildavisdesigns Kevin Isbell Los Angeles @kevinisbell Candace Mary Griffin Detroit @candacemaryinteriors Erin Shakoor Chicago @shakoor_interiors Urbanism Designs Sunnyvale, CA @urbanismdesigns Natalie Chong Toronto @lovenataliechong Tobi Fairley Little Rock, AR @tobifairley Nile Johnson Philadelphia @nilejohnson MONIOMI Design Miami @moniomidesign Mally Skok Boston @mallyskok Ryland Witt Richmond, VA @rylandwittdesigngroup PHOTOGRAPHERS: RYAN HAYSLIP (SMITH BOYD);. MARIAH TEXIDOR (BUABENG); LAUREN MILLER (CHONG); HEATHER KIRCHHOFER (COLLIER); LISA RUSSMAN (DAVIS); NANCY NOLAN (FAIRLEY); LAUREN EDITH ANDERSEN (FINLEY); KEVIN TACHMAN (FORD); CHRISTEN SIMMONS SNYDER (GOORHA); LESLEY UNRUH (ISBEL); JENNIFER CORBETT (JOHNSON); BRITT SMITH (JONES); JESSICA NESTE (KENZA); VERNON DAVIS (KJ DESIGN…

WANT TO TALK? E-MAIL ME AT EDITOR@HOUSEBEAUTIFUL.COM. Joanna Saltz: Suddenly, and for good reason, everyone is paying attention to the mood your home can put you in. What do you think? Jesse Carrier: With any room, we always begin the conversation with clients on what the mood is in terms of programming, what the function of the space will be. Mara Miller: But we often use imagery to understand moods without talking about it directly. Lauren Rottet: My clients don’t necessarily talk about emotions, but the truth is that’s what they want: They want to be relaxed or for the space to feel open. Thomas O’Brien: My focus is always on having things make sense. I want rooms to feel peaceful and have a sense of calm in them. That comes from being logical, having order. Jo:…

“People don’t always understand that they need multiple kinds of light. It’s about layers and atmosphere, not architectural, invisible light sources.”—Mara Miller and Jesse Carrier Hastings medium floor lamp, $1,089. circalighting.com “On one project I did, the lighting was installed first and the client called and said, ‘If I never get any furniture, I’m fine.’ That’s how important it is.”—Julie Neill Talia large chandelier, $2,169. circalighting.com “You have to have lights at different registers: overhead, on the wall, uplights, book lights. That helps the room feel inhabited by light, not punched with hot spots.”—Alexa Hampton Penelope table lamp, $735. circalighting.com “No matter how exciting the idea is, I like to have a sense of order to all of my designs.”—Thomas O’Brien Argentino large sconce, $1,079. circalighting.com “To me, it’s just as important to illuminate the interior as the…

ONCE RESERVED FOR MCMANSIONS WITH space to burn, media rooms have recently become exceedingly popular—perhaps because people haven’t been able to go out to the movies. (Or maybe they’re sick of watching them while hunched over an iPad.) A home theater needs only three things: good acoustics, proper wiring, and comfortable seats—which means you probably already have the perfect spot. The key to mapping it all out? Rustam Mehta of GRT Architects recommends “getting the projector as early as possible to mock it up. This takes the guesswork out of the right seating-to-wall arrangement and how high you want the projector on the wall.”Fast-forward to learn how the pros create a truly dazzling film-enhancing experience.—Hadley Mendelsohn Think Vertically While tiered rows require the extra step of building platforms, they offer the best…