Traditional Home Spring 2020

from the editor

Spring is a time to pause and focus on nature’s subtleties: tender crocuses, budding branches, temperate breezes that coax us into deep inhales and cathartic exhales. The season of verdant rebirth is just as compelling within the home, where the transformative powers of a thoughtful remodel spark a similar awe and the power of decorating can be equally cathartic. As you leaf through these pages and learn from each home’s story, pause to appreciate the subtle moments in addition to the grand strokes. Measure for measure, they’re equally compelling and speak to the owners’ sensibilities, the locale, the history, and the talent of the designers. You’ll discover upholstery and walls covered in sumptuous suede, window sheers that rustle with a whisper, paint colors as veiled as nearby ocean mist, and finishes…

movers & makers

Graham & Brown Love wallpapers by venerable British brand Graham & Brown? Now you can expertly match your wall paint to your paper, thanks to the company’s new collection of interior paints. Offered in 380 colors and multiple finishes, these paints are matched to Graham & Brown’s best-selling wallpapers and will have you saying hello to fabulous, fresh new walls. grahambrown.com Marika Meyer Welcome Marika Meyer to the “makers” side of the table. The Washington, D.C.-based interior designer’s passion for art-infused fabrics has given birth to a customizable textile line that provides designers with the freedom to tailor color and texture to each room they create. marikameyertextiles.com SERENA DUGAN Now back to her roots as an artist and painter, Serena Dugan is proving that square one looks pretty good. The Sausalito, California, visionary pivoted her…

back story

Life tells us to move forward and never look back. But chairs—well, they say something different. Construction hierarchy focuses on a comfortable seat first with the back of the chair playing a secondary—dare we say, supporting—role. From a style perspective, however, it’s the back that charms with a bit of surprise. Whether it’s a sturdy tufted chair with dramatic curves that stars in a central furniture arrangement or a diminutive barrel-shape beauty that pulls up and joins the mix when guests arrive, a chair with a head-turning back makes a room more interesting. We assembled some of our statement-making favorites. These chairs take a back seat to absolutely nothing. “CHAIRS TELL A STORY. THE BACK—ESPECIALLY OF DINING CHAIRS—ADDS DETAILING THAT CAN MAKE A SPACE.”—designer Robert Passal“IF ACCESSORIES ARE THE JEWELRY IN…

spring arrival

Pink and blue. The colors are a regular reminder of beginnings, youth, and growth. So when interior designer Amanda Reynal was planning a neighborhood luncheon with her client, Marie, Amanda decided to borrow the combination to celebrate a different new arrival—spring. “These two colors are so embedded in our minds and for such a special reason,” Amanda says. “But that doesn’t mean they can only be used for baby celebrations. Pink and blue create a beautiful palette that has so many purposes.” For this neighborhood luncheon, the color scheme was born from two dinnerware patterns: fine bone china that depicts tendrils of blue ivy and vintage pink ceramic bowls formed to look like cabbage leaves. As a base for the colorful dishware, Amanda opted against a refined solid-color tablecloth that would have made…

hail, navy

The classic kitchen is evolving, designer Matthew Quinn says, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. Modern traits have emerged, but elegant bones remain at the forefront—and that’s why the shift feels natural, welcome. The best of what we’ve always loved is still here, gorgeous as ever. That’s clear in this kitchen that Quinn designed for Cindy and Charlie Stamp in McLean, Virginia. “The homeowners have very traditional taste,” Quinn says. “They wanted well-defined rooms that create backdrops for their art and antiques.” Bucking the open-plan trend, Quinn worked with builder Bob Guaglianone of Novella Homes to set in place plank walls with gracefully arched molding-capped doorways that delineate the kitchen from the adjoining living room and sunroom. A coffered ceiling nods to classic architecture but with a twist—Quinn made the coffers shallow…

view master

Perched high above Central Park, this Upper West Side apartment moves the heart and uplifts the soul with its bird’s-eye views, transporting its empty-nester owners. Yet their Southern hearts yearned for the pied-à-terre to take them somewhere more: home. “The couple live in a house and wanted a sense of a house when they’re in the city,” designer Alexa Hampton says. “So we infused the apartment, which originally had very modern interiors, with that sensibility.” Hampton was introduced to the project through Joel Barkley of Ike Kligerman Barkley, who had begun architecturally reimagining the triplex, bringing in a sweeping central staircase, grand moldings, and stuc pierre artisan plasterwork. “The homeowners are fans of patina, age, and use of different materials. That drove the project,” Hampton says. “Inspiration came from the beautiful materials and…