When a young couple saw this 3,000-square-foot home on a hillside in the Mission Canyon area of Santa Barbara, California, it had almost everything they wanted. It offered year-round sunshine in a peaceful rural setting, spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, abundant space for them and their two wirehaired pointing Griffon dogs, and a perfect indoor-outdoor feel. The only problem? The interiors didn’t match the couple’s style. 

“It was a nice house before the renovation, but it lacked functionality and warmth in many of the spaces,” says the wife. Indeed, the two-level home, built in 2011, had great flow and a spacious, airy feeling. In addition to open-concept space, the property had floor-to-ceiling windows and doors that fully opened. What the couple needed was a designer to overhaul the interiors. 

Enter Corinne Mathern, a California-based interior designer known for creating serene, elegant environments inspired by the natural world. “We feel so lucky to have been introduced to her by our architect, and from the start, we had a very natural rapport,” says the wife. “After discussing the design direction we hoped to go in, Corinne used the term ‘organic modernism’ as the aesthetic. We felt like, ‘Yes, you get us!’ and that’s what drove the project.”

Mathern used various raw materials to soften the architecture’s sleek lines and add a welcoming feel throughout the house. On the ground floor, white oak warms the ceilings of the great room, a free-flowing space composed of the kitchen, bar, and dining and living room areas. The wood also accents many of the furnishings, including the chairs and dining area table topped with obsidian quartzite. White oak stools tuck under the quartzite island in the kitchen area, which has two-toned walnut cabinetry. Walnut also graces the cupboards of the nearby bar, appointed with a sea pearl quartzite countertop and charcoal plaster backsplash.

“I’m not afraid of mixing woods and bringing in a lot of natural elements,” says Mathern, who used creamy, natural plaster to surround the living area fireplace set with a chunky stone hearth chiseled from an 800-pound block of Indian Buff limestone. “The natural plaster and stone hearth give the space a calm, earthy feeling, and we brought those same natural elements into the downstairs guest bath.” The bathroom sink was chiseled from the same Indian Buff limestone as the hearth and has a white oak apron. An oak mirror hangs above the sink area, tying the two elements together.

A huge priority for the couple was remodeling the primary bedroom and bath, a fully detached space above the garage about twenty yards from the main house. “The wife really wanted the space to feel like an elegant hotel, where they could lay their heads and feel calm,” says Mathern. “The couple has traveled extensively, and a big source of inspiration for the home and their bedroom was the Aman Kyoto in Japan.”

White oak flooring and a custom white oak wall behind the couple’s bed give the room an earthy warmth. A wheat-colored area rug softens and grounds the room, while natural linen drapery offers privacy. Other than two oak bedside tables, the room is soothingly minimalist.

White oak millwork also adds an organic glow to the primary bath, separated from the bedroom with pocket doors. Next to a large window that ushers in views of nature and copious light sits a luxurious soaking tub. Large-format floor tiles in a warm gray anchor the space.

An expansive deck off the suite lets the couple savor morning coffee or twilight drinks al fresco. In a nod to the concept of staying in a hotel, Mathern furnished the guest suite next to the couple’s quarters with a full bar, refrigerator, and coffee maker. 

To enhance the home’s natural flow, Mathern used the same floor tiles in the primary bath as the ground floor’s surface. The tiles even extend outside to a covered patio area and around the lap pool, creating a seamless link between the inside and out. Shrubs, flowering plants, and grasses add color and soften the architecture’s clean edges. A chunky stone firepit in a gravel “garden” offers a secluded place to contemplate the views and hang out with friends. 

Given the couple’s love of entertaining, Mathern created a media room on the ground floor to the left of the entry. The husband, who retired from the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 after an eleven-year career, now has a place for movie nights and game days. A ten-foot pocket door gives the space a cave-like feel, further enhanced by forest-green walls and a pine-colored linen sofa. “Green was really the only color we worked with, except for some blues,” says the designer. Most of the home’s colors come from natural materials, like wood, stone, clay, and plaster. 

“It’s so wonderful to finally feel the home’s full realization with comfortable spaces that fully function,” says the wife. “To be able to cook in our kitchen with our doors wide open to the views of the Pacific Ocean is such a privilege that we don’t take for granted. We are particularly pleased with the primary bedroom suite, which feels just as luxurious as a hotel, but homey, cozy, and completely ours, in a way that a hotel never can.”

For more information visit corinnemathern.com

An out-of-date, 1950s Laguna Beach home has been recast from a less-than-stylish, imposing structure into a graceful, Cape Cod–like residence.

It took a dedicated team of architects, interior designers, and landscape architects to make that happen for their Arizona-based clients, a family of five in search of a summertime retreat.

Architect Chris Light, principal in the Newport Beach firm that bears his name, led the charge. “They were looking to purchase this property on the ocean, and I toured it with them and their real estate agent,” he says. “We talked a lot about its potential.”

Light was familiar with the complex Laguna Beach zoning restrictions imposed by both the city and the California Coastal Commission. “I explained what they could and couldn’t do, and they talked about what they wanted to do and see,” he says. “It seemed like a good match, and I started working on floor plans and elevations.”

The original, 4,000-square-foot house boasted good bones and a traditional form, all on a 5,500-square-foot lot. The architect took it down to footprint and walls, then rebuilt atop its rock-solid foundation. “The lower part is bedrock, which is unusual to find these days,” says landscape architect Mike Dilley at MDZA Landscape Architecture in Laguna Beach. “It sits on rock and not on sand.”

The three-level home rises from beach to courtyard and then to upper levels. “You park and enter the courtyard, and then you’re into the main floor of the house on the ground level,” he says. “Then you’re just a few steps down to the beach, and that’s the most engaging part—the interface with the water.”

Dilley’s been practicing landscape architecture on high-end residential homes for more than 30 years now. He specializes in exteriors, infrastructure, lighting, planting, and designs for fireplaces, barbecues, and outdoor dining areas. But he’s also got an eye for a lasting material palette. “We used bluestones for paving, and the planters were made in Detroit with galvanized ironwork,” he says. “It’s very classic, and much more of a timeless house because of that.”

Timeless is the keyword for this project, from both architect Light and interior designers from Laguna Beach-based Fullen Enany Design. Founded 20 years ago, that firm works mostly on custom homes in Dana Point, Corona del Mar, and Newport Beach. For this project they tapped into the talents of a trio of interior designers, including founder and owner Michael Fullen, owner and interior designer Omar Enany, and interior designer Kelsey Bigelow.

The three were tasked with creating a conservative home on the often uber-modern California coast, and establishing the tone of the new house with harmonious intent. “They gave us architectural plans, and we had a couple of interviews,” Enany says. “They said they wanted a more traditional interior because it’s traditional on the exterior.”

It may be a three-story affair, but atop the home’s roof deck sits an office and bath. Below is the second floor with master, laundry, and three bedrooms, and the ground level offers kitchen, dining area, family room, and patio.

Aligning it all to the human scale was a paramount goal—especially on the lower level. Rooms are comfortably sized, with openly proportioned seating. “We maximized the space—there are different seating groups to accommodate everybody,” Bigelow says. 

The color palette is fairly neutral, with beige and off-white tones, white oak floors, and white marble. “It’s clean and minimalistic,” she says. 

Interestingly, their clients chose not to fill their walls with works of art. “They thought the ocean was enough,” Fullen says.

Light’s major architectural challenge was to open up the narrow spaces inside so that the family’s living experience didn’t feel tunnel-like. “The biggest thing I do is scale spaces together so there’s not a giant living area and small bedrooms,” he says. “I try to proportion it so overall it’s a big house, but the rooms all feel related to each other.”

He opened up walls and reconfigured the interiors with a two-story stairwell and the entry on one side. “We pulled the walls down so it feels like you’re circulating into a great room,” he says. “We opened up the kitchen, dining room, and living room instead of leaving them all separate, like they were.”

By adopting the Cape Cod style outside, Light broke up the middle portion of the entire compound with a different slope of roof, also articulated for a more human scale. “It looks now like it’s been there forever—and has been nicely taken care of all that time,” he says. “We didn’t make it look like it flew down from space and landed there, or even like it’s a redo or a remodel.” 

Instead, it looks timeless on its oceanfront site. And that, Light says, is the goal of all his architecture. 

Learn more about the project team

Architect: C. J. Light Associates
Interior design: Fullen Enany Design
Landscape architecture: MDZA

When buying real estate, the golden rule is, “location, location, location.” Thus, when a couple in their late 40s with three kids found this 7,500-square-foot home on Daniel Island, one of the most coveted areas to live in Charleston, they snapped it up. No matter that the home’s classic architecture and outmoded interiors didn’t suit their taste. They knew the three-story space could feel contemporary with the help of the right designer.

“What started as, ‘Oh, we want you to put up some window treatments and finish a kitchen backsplash,’ quickly snowballed into redoing the whole house,” says Moe Draz, founder of Architrave Interior Design in Charleston. “The house was very traditional and dated, with high ceilings, heavy moldings, and walnut floors. The couple wanted a look that was fresh, luxe and rich, but also felt warm.”  

Draz’s suggestion? Redo the house in a Hollywood Regency style, which emerged in California in the 1930s during Hollywood’s Golden Age of cinema (1920s–1950s). Inspired by the sumptuous interiors designed for film sets, the style incorporates shiny and polished materials like mirrors, lacquer, and lucite. Fabrics are lush and often in saturated jewel tones. The use of Chinoiserie is also widespread. This style, Draz felt, would complement the home’s architectural details and add a shot of glamour. 

Draz chose a neutral gray paint for most of the walls to create an elegant backdrop for the ground-floor interiors. He used the same gray for the moldings to de-emphasize their weight and look. Since the owners love blue, he chose a warm, not icy, blue paint to accent the doors and windows in the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The color draws the eye outside and adds definition to each space. The same blue adorns the kitchen’s stove hood, lower cabinets, and refrigerator cabinet, offset with creamy gray-veined countertops, white upper cabinets, and white paint on the base of one of two islands. 

“We then went in and used different wallpapers to enrich and update the home,” says Draz, who selected a pale, patterned gray silk wallpaper for the dining room walls and a charcoal and gold patterned paper for the downstairs powder room. A purplish-charcoal grass cloth with a simple gold pattern enhances the butler’s pantry, while a subtle geometric patterned paper on the library ceiling adds verve. Pink wallpaper lends a feminine touch to a child’s bedroom on the second level, while French blue wool-satin wallpaper adds softness to the couple’s primary bedroom—lightened with white linens, curtains, and furniture. 

The couple’s favorite color also shows up in the dining room. “I had originally proposed adding pops of color like chartreuse green, but the couple felt too shy to do that,” says the designer. “So, instead, I chose turquoise-blue velvet for the dining chairs and a brassy gold fabric for the curtains, which work really nicely together.” A blue sofa in the library and two blue side chairs in the living room add continuity. High-performance fabrics with durable textures and weaves make the furniture dog- and child-friendly. 

One element of the house the couple desperately wished to change was the dark walnut floors. “They wanted white oak or French oak floors that were more of a taupe color,” says Draz. “But it was going to be too much of a hassle to rip out and replace the floors, so we put in pale-colored rugs, basically the size of each room, to lift and lighten them.” All rugs are stain-repellent. 

To further play up the home’s Hollywood Regency look, Draz brought in several signature elements, including a golden sunburst mirror that hangs in the dining room’s antique-mirrored alcove. A silvery chandelier floats over the dining table set with two Chinoiserie patterned vases, while two clear lucite lamps add a chunky brightness to an adjacent credenza. Unpolished brass in the living room, kitchen, butler’s pantry, powder room, and second-floor primary bedroom adds warmth and patina. Other luxe touches in the couple’s bedroom include two faux stingray bedside tables, a lucite and brass side table, and an antique mirrored cube to hold books and florals. Two mirrored cabinets flank the library mantel, topped with a brass-framed antique mirror. A nearby lucite foosball table adds a glossy pop and splash of fun to an otherwise serious room. 

Regarding the third level, a flexible space holding exercise equipment and children’s craft and games, Draz simply had it painted and organized. 

No surprise, the couple was thrilled with the home’s new look, so different from the casual coastal retreats in the area. Instead of white walls, lots of shiplap, and natural jute rugs, the home abounds with bold, saturated colors, warm metals, and swish decor. “They wanted to push the envelope and get something very different,” says Draz. “And that is what I was delighted to deliver.” 

For more information, visit architraveid.com

It’s not often that a client pushes a designer to go bolder and brighter. “My client was serious when she said they wanted colorful, fun, and inviting,” designer Barbara Vail says. “She sent me back to make the scheme more vibrant.” Vail’s empty nester clients headed south from Boston, purchasing a 1,870-square-foot contemporary condo located near the Design District in Miami.

Before concentrating on the color palette, Vail tweaked shell. “It’s a corner unit on a high floor with floor-to-ceiling glass and unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean,” the designer says. Vail didn’t want to detract from the stunning vista with unnecessary finishes, but the tan marble floor had to go. “The contractor suggested installing vinyl flooring right over the tile,” she says. “The whitewashed oak plank look warmed everything up.”

Entry is into a long, narrow hall, which Vail covered with a cobalt geometric patterned wallpaper. “We thought about where we could incorporate pattern that wouldn’t interfere with the airy feel,” she says. The wallpaper, from New Hat, a women-owned design studio in Nashville, just one example of elements sourced from small vendors. “We wanted pieces with stories behind their brands,” she says.

Vail also incorporated works from the couple’s existing art collection. She layered Rolling Stones tongue print atop the papered wall. “It’s a $75 poster (including the frame!) that we found at an antique shop on our way home from Canyon Ranch,” the owner laughs, adding that she and her husband have seen the band perform over 30 times.

At the end of the entry hall, a newly arched opening frames the view and the light-filled room expands; two walls of glass hug the open concept living space. Here, Vail applied a Mondrian-esque approach, choosing fun furnishings in colors that pop. “We started with saturated primary hues—bold blues, yellows, and reds—and went from there” she says.

A velvety, lemon yellow sectional holds the room beside Jonathan Adler’s Ether Cloud settee in white bouclé with tapered brass legs. A glass and chrome Mies van der Rohe style coffee table from a vintage shop in Los Angeles sits between them. Secondary pieces in candy colors add dimension, while the hand-knotted silk and wool rug in abstracted stripes ties it all together. “The rug is important because it has every color in it,” Vail points out. A brass palm leaf pendant adds a finishing Florida touch.

The palette carries into the corner, where Verner Panton chairs in blue, white, and powder pink surround an iconic Jonathan Adler dining table, its polished chrome base echoing the entry wallpaper pattern. A coral-colored bar cart with clear acrylic wheels displays the owners’ vintage Gucci cocktail shaker below an Andy Warhol Perrier lithograph that the couple scored on eBay.

The white and stainless steel kitchen stretches quietly along the back wall accompanied by a new center island with a barely there cooktop and an unobtrusive white hood “Redoing the kitchen was the best decision we made,” Vail says, “There was a terrible curved hood over a bi-level island.”

Vail pulled the yellow from the living space into the primary bedroom, which is slotted behind the kitchen. Here, a pair of arc sconces from Israeli Etsy vendor Rufat Lights plays off whimsical mountain wallpaper behind the bed. By contrast, the primary bath, with its walk-in marble shower, oak vanity, and earthy concrete Kelly Wearstler floor tiles, is a spa-like oasis. On the ceiling, a mod blue acrylic light from Urban Electric Company nods to the ocean and the funky forms found elsewhere in the home.

Creating a glass-enclosed alcove with a daybed off the living space where the couple’s son can stay when he visits allowed the wife to claim the second bedroom as a dressing room. “It’s meant to resemble a boutique,” says Vail, who lined the walls with a gold scribble wallpaper by Pittsburgh-based studio Savannah Hayes. A center island with drawers punctuated with acrylic knobs is set with design books and the owners’ treasured goods.

Vail continued the fashion-forward vibe in the en suite bath with stacked yellow glass subway tile that mimics the color of the wife’s neon yellow Prada coat. “We wanted to bring some of the yellow to that side of the house,” Vail says.

In the guest bath, cobalt blue Fireclay wall tile references the wallpaper in the entry. The geometric chain-link pattern is also reminiscent of Hermes’ interlocking H pattern, a wink to the owner’s love of the Parisian label. “I thought about fashion throughout the process,” Vail says. “We wanted everything, even the three baths, to speak to the concept.”

Learn more about the project team

Interior design: Barbara Vail Design
Contractor: Le Prestige

A panoramic view of the Gulf of Mexico – and a marriage proposal in Santorini – inspired architect/interior designer Adina Hall when she kicked off the makeover of a 1980s Clearwater Beach condo.

It’s on the 14^th floor of a 20-story tower, a corner unit with a balcony that faces south and west. Her clients, Chicago-based Matt and Korrie Sprenzel, got engaged on that Greek island in the Aegean Sea and married in 2020. So Hall placed photos of Santorini – bright white, deep blue, and great big – on the walls of their beachfront getaway.

“Some of the images were taken during their engagement,” Hall says. “It’s a nod to something meaningful to them personally.”

On a more atmospheric level are sunsets seen from the balcony every evening. The skies are never the same, and sundown provides a backdrop for family get-togethers. “At six o’clock, everybody gathers outside for a glass of wine – and every night it’s different,” she says. “Then the blinds come down.”

Pops of blue are everywhere inside – on walls, on throw pillows, on an L-shaped living room sofa and on a lounge chair that faces it. “The site, with the views of the Gulf of Mexico drove that,” Matt Sprenzel says. “She was also working with the window frames and doors that are a kind of aqua blue finish – she brought that palette inside.”

Floors of the condo are porcelain tile in a color that reflects sand on the beach below. In the living area, their planks are laid on an angle to guide people toward that corner view, In the kitchen, they’re aligned with counters and island to steer feet toward a door to the balcony.

Sprenzel spent many of his younger days in a similar corner condo on the building’s sixth floor, one his father bought as a family vacation spot. When this one became available in 2019, Sprenzel bought it sight-unseen – because he knew all about its views.

The interior, though, was another story. “The space was extremely dated, with popcorn ceilings and floral valances, and pink and green kitchen granite,” Hall says. “It was a mishmash of styles in one place – an eyesore.”

The Sprenzels totally gutted it, then asked Hall for a clean, modern, and minimalist design. “We wanted openness, to be able to see the Gulf of Mexico from the kitchen,” Matt says. “That cost us in terms of storage space in overhead cabinets, but it’s open to the landscape from the living room, dining area, and kitchen.”

Hall brought in massive teak roots for coffee and side tables in the living room – and a hall table at the entry. Above that is a painting by San Diego artist Irina Negulescu called “Water Gypsy.” Its focus is on a woman suspended underwater in a deep blue sea.

Since the 2,000-square-foot condo is a family getaway, Hall was careful to accommodate the needs of the Sprenzels’ seven kids and five grandchildren. “If the kids want to play, there’s room,” says Korrie Sprenzel. “There are bunk beds for four girls, and still walking space so they don’t feel crowded.”

The most surprising aspect of the design is that Hall did it all remotely from Chicago, while she monitored images sent by her clients. When it was completed, she came down for an extended visit. There, she had the opportunity to experience her own design principles, on site.

“The first time she went down with her family, she said: ‘This place is beautiful,’” says Matt Sprenzel.

And she was right.

Image Credits: Christina Strong Photography.

Creativity is a wellspring that frequently bubbles up where it is least expected. When Hillary Stamm was working in production at Sony Pictures—and wrote a how-to book about her experience there—little did she imagine the skills she honed in movie production would translate to residential interior design.

As it turned out, it was a natural fit. “At Sony, I was surrounded by beautiful places and beautiful people. I took that love of creative set design and aesthetics and applied it to my design,” says Stamm, the principal of HMS Interiors in Manhattan Beach, California. Working with homeowners along the West Coast, Stamm and her crew specialize in beach houses that use space wisely and pack a dreamy mix of high-end coastal design laced with a light beach vibe.

Stamm’s recent project in Hermosa Beach, perched over the Pacific Ocean, projects a breezy, stylish ease. “We wanted to build it as a beach house but with more of a modern sense, fresh-forward and different,” she says. The three-story house was a collaboration with the builder RJ Smith Construction in Manhattan Beach and architect David Watson, also in Manhattan Beach. 

The home’s kitchen and five bathrooms are especially polished departures from more traditional beach houses. Thanks to intriguing lighting, a variety of materials, custom cabinetry, and Stamm’s bold use of tiles, each of the rooms is a spectacular design statement but still highly functional.

“We set out to make the kitchen the anchor of the house,” Stamm says. The room’s eye-catching visage begins with an elegant mix of shapes and colors in bold black and gray hues. A slab of Calacatta marble—its creamy base offset by sweeping veins of gray and brown—tops the island. Throughout the space are black-framed custom windows and black cabinetry, custom built by VSI in Los Angeles and covered with Farrow & Ball paint. Strategic lighting beams from artisanal pendant fixtures from L’Aviva Home in New York City, casting a glow off the marble at twilight. The stovetop hood, over the Thermador range, is covered in eco-friendly Portola Roman Clay paint.

Another eye-catcher in the open kitchen space is the abundant use of Moroccan four-by-four black tile, installed by Westside Tile & Stone in Beverly Hills. The Moroccan tile establishes a presence through the home, an important design statement. As Stamm says, “We took chances with the tile.” 

A bar is located on the third floor, just off a great room. The arresting feature here is the panoramic view, ranging from Palos Verdes to Malibu, a quintessential Southern California ocean-rimmed skyline. It is a perfect gathering spot; the deck is set up with a firepit and grill and a window for passing drinks from kitchen to outdoor guests.

Stamm’s ambitious take on tiling converts what is sometimes a ho-hum feature to a standalone design feature in each of the home’s five bathrooms, providing a luxurious, artful touch. 

The primary bathroom, off the second-floor bedroom, is decadent but understated. A beautiful gray-toned fiberglass tub from Victoria & Albert rests under a black-framed window. Nearby is a full steam shower with cream-white tiles and, again, custom cabinetry.

A secondary bedroom, on the second floor, shows another arresting use of Moroccan tile. The green-blue shades and uneven texture “make it pop,” Stamm says.

A first-floor powder room offers a different mood, with soft-gray, custom-cut horizontal tiles, and a delicate circular mirror with scalloped edging from Serena & Lily. Walls shimmer quietly with a coating of Portola paint in Bardot, another of the company’s Roman Clay blends. 

Each of the bathrooms has its own personality. “Each is its own departure, has its own flavor,” Stamm says. As is the house itself: “It has soul to it the minute you walk in, which is what every good house should have.” 

For more information, visit hmsinteriordesign.com

This South Carolina barrier island home is perfectly positioned. “It looks out over the marsh,” designer Cortney Bishop says of the site’s Lowcountry perspective. “That’s the view everyone wants in this part of the world.” 

Bishop collaborated with Cumulus Architecture + Design to create what she calls the “next forever home” for the clients, empty nesters from the Midwest who relocated to Kiawah Island. The architecture, with its elegant country house crossed with fairy tale cottage feel, nods to the work of C.F.A. Voysey, an English architect and designer influential in the Arts and Crafts movement of the late nineteenth century. 

In designing the interiors, Bishop followed suit. Maker-made pieces, period-appropriate patterns, organic materials, and earthy colors correspond to the handmade sensibilities of that era. The muted palette feels at ease with the landscape, melding with the woods, marsh, and tidal river. “We took a craft- and nature-inspired approach in which the natural surroundings informed every choice,” she says. 

Past the swooped roof of the covered porch, a door with a Moorish arch leads into the foyer and open concept living space. A mammoth fireplace with simple, Old World charm anchors one side of the space. Its plaster form has heft, but doesn’t impinge upon the room, while its limestone hearth weaves it into the arrangement. “Instead of typical bookcases, we created a massive hearth that you can sit on and enjoy,” Bishop explains. 

The furniture is neutral, tactile, and welcoming. Bishop grounds the seating area with a rust-colored antique Mahal rug and a terracotta-colored marble-topped coffee table by Hudson River Valley artisan Michael Robbins. Then, she layers in upholstered pieces in nubby neutrals. “The house is sophisticated and refined, but we like to bring approachability to the table,” Bishop says. “Furnishings have to be comfortable.” 

Natural wood accents infuse warmth and help delineate spaces. The wood-lined ceiling in the living room brings down the scale, making it feel cozy. Meanwhile, the wood ceiling beams in the kitchen both differentiate it from and connect it to the living area. “We create flow and definition with these finishes,” Bishop says.

Other aspects of the kitchen speak to those in nearby spaces. The plaster range hood, for example, is an upside-down rendition of the fireplace. The curved counter stools from Baltimore-based workshop Crump & Kwash recall the living room coffee table in shape and spirit; and the backsplash tiles from Heath Ceramics could be cousins to the dual-glazed, terracotta tiles from Tabarka Studio in the powder room. A maker’s hand comes through at every turn.

On the kitchen island, Bishop introduces Farrow & Ball “De Nimes” blue stain, an integral hue in the home’s overall palette. The subdued shade aligns with the earth tones and lends a touch of whimsy. The designer uses the color on the ceiling of the dining room, too, where it demarcates the eating area and connects the space to the landscape by hinting at the Kiawah River. As for furnishings, Bishop juxtaposes an artisan-made table with a substantial, primitive pedestal against vintage chairs with curvy cutouts. The rug is rust and denim blue with a bold, geometric design that the designer notes was a risk that paid off.

Bishop employed a storybook approach in the bedrooms, where she reveled in Arts and Crafts era wallpaper. The suite in the front of the house is covered in a circa 1929 design by Voysey that features owls hemmed in by smaller birds on snaking branches. The choice, along with floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass alcove that juts into lush vegetation, facilitates the fusion between indoors and out. Like the main living spaces, the bedroom also highlights Bishop’s appreciation for mixing furniture styles. “Each piece has its own quirky character; nothing really blends,” she says. 

A guest room swathed in a William Morris wallpaper designed in 1876 feels intimate and airy. The forest green ground with swirling vines and sensuous, peach blooms play off the colors in the landscape. Mesh draperies made from Bishop’s own fabric line, Harwood House, frame the tall windows, offering a buffer against the dynamic wallpaper pattern. “I tend to layer pattern on the bed instead of against the wallpaper,” she says. “I designed this fabric to feel a little bohemian and fresh.”

Bishop went spare in the couple’s bedroom, an aerie up in the trees that enjoys incredible sunsets. Simple furniture shapes and vintage wall hangings punctuate plaster walls. “Cumulus captured the light and views in this home beautifully,” Bishop says of the architects. “Designers are meant to accentuate and complement that.”   

Learn more about the project team

Architect: Cumulus Architecture + Design
Contractor: Royal Indigo Construction
Cabinetmaker: Robert Paige Cabinetry
Interior Designer: Cortney Bishop Design
Landscape Architect: Wertimer + Cline
Pool Contractor: Aqua Blue Pools

Having recently completed renovations, the owners of this Southampton, New York, summer home presented Elizabeth Gill with a beautiful, blank canvas to decorate. Taking cues from the contemporary architecture and dazzling water view, Gill created a modern retreat that invites relaxation. The vibe is both sophisticated and comfortable. “It’s an elevated take on a family home,” the designer says. 

The house captivates from the first step into the foyer, which stretches straight back to the beach. Above, the barrel vaulted, double-height wood ceiling adds a church-like aura. “The space is grand, but spiritual,” Gill says. A Belgian, looped wool sisal runner leads the eye past a mature fiddle leaf fig, through tall glass doors, to the water. A bench with a rush seat and a sculptural, black iron console anchor the front of the hall, providing practicality without distraction. 

An expansive, two-story living space with slanted ceilings punctuated by rustic wood beams runs along the back of the house. A double row of oversize, plate-glass windows offers a seamless connection to the outdoors, where a sun-bleached wood deck and rosa rugosa run parallel to the house, just a few steps from the beach. Gill’s monochromatic scheme, like the landscape, is tranquil, textural, and timeless. “The design stems from the property itself,” Gill explains. 

A creamy wool rug defines the seating area. “The larger the rug, the larger the space feels, so we went as big as we could,” Gill says. When selecting furniture, the designer balanced clean, contemporary lines with ease and comfort. She also stuck with neutrals. “We created excitement by varying shape, texture, and scale,” she says.

The centerpiece is a deep sofa upholstered in a tweedy, tone-on-tone neutral stripe. Its mitered side panels offer a touch of traditional luxury that holds the room; it’s juxtaposed with open-backed mod swivel chairs. The other sofa, done in cozy, ivory chenille, sits quietly against an ash console that adds warmth. “I don’t use bright white because it’s too austere,” Gill says. “I prefer warm whites, ivory, creams, and soft grays.”

In the dining area, midcentury modern–style tulip chairs surround a rectilinear table with a grayed oak top and a black metal base that refers back to the iron console in the foyer. “The pedestal base lets you fit in more seats, and the chairs are easy-to-clean,” Gill notes. Behind the table, a shagreen bar cabinet teases with a hint of glamour. 

Off to the left in the kitchen, Gill chose another classic midcentury modern silhouette: curvy, molded plywood counter stools. That the walnut veneer differs from the wood tone of the cabinetry is by design. “It’s hard to match a wood finish; it can just look like you missed,” she says. “Here you get walnut on the surface, and a nice contrast of lighter plywood sides.” 

Gill goes a touch more subdued in the den with walls painted Behr Flannel Gray and marine blue accents. Again, she mixes shapes for interest. An upholstered chair with neotenic undertones is playful, as are the hexagonal ottomans, while the sleeper sofa with nailhead trim keeps the room grounded. Although the sofa is plenty plush, the big, round swivel is the seat of choice on family movie nights. “This is where everyone wants to sit,” Gill says.

Gill injected more color in the kids’ room. “The clients don’t love color, but this room needed it,” the designer says. Urbane artwork in rainbow hues enlivens ice blue walls, a shade that repeats in the throw pillows and flecked wool rug. “I wanted to complement the rest of the house, so we did soft, cool colors with brighter pops,” Gill says. 

In the primary bedroom, Gill reverts to the home’s signature creamy palette. The aerie is a bit earthier than the public spaces, however, thanks to the couple’s raw mango wood bed and nightstands. Gill accentuated the organic feel with a tree trunk side table beside a lounge-y, iron-framed chair, and a large, lush snake plant that reinforces the vertical windows that look to the bay.

The room also boasts access to an asymmetrical mezzanine, dubbed the “reflection zone,” that overlooks the water on one side and the foyer and living space on the other. A pair of softly rounded swivel chairs with pleated backs is a favorite spot for morning coffee or a glass of wine. A stylized figure in lotus position sits on a low table. That the dark, angular form draws the eye upon entering the home is, like everything else, absolutely intentional. “It sets the tone that it’s time to unwind and relax,” she says. “You’re not in the city anymore.” 

For more information, visit elizabethgillinteriors.com

A 1958 midcentury modern home in Siesta Key, Florida has been reborn twice in the past eight years.

Today it’s a contemporary coastal home curated with a selection of eco-chic furnishings, lighting, and home décor. But when Claudia Briggs and her husband bought it back in 2014, she thought it was just an “old beach house from the 1950s.” She promptly hired Sarasota architectural designer J. King and general contractor Denny Yoder to take it down and reimagine it.

“It was a complete gut renovation, down to the bare framing,” Yoder says. “They wanted to capitalize on the space that was a carport and make it a living space, and redo the entire interior.”

King and Yoder designed and built an open stairway at the entry, past a pivoting front door. “You come into a landing, and you can go down half a level to the right – and to the left, you go up,” Yoder says. “Downstairs are the kitchen and living area and bath, and upstairs are two bedrooms, a bath, and the master suite.”

The Briggs wanted open-plan social areas to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces, and introduced wide windows that open fully in the sometimes-crowded kitchen. “We like parties, and over the years I realized that everyone loves standing in the kitchen,” Briggs says. “So, the kitchen is this house’s heart – I made sure there was room for counter stools all around so everybody could gather comfortably there.”

They also sought a clean, low-maintenance home that was energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. “I wanted a house free of contamination,” she says. So underfoot is a dark, air-purifying smart floor from Canada’s Lauzon Flooring, rendering the indoor air 85 percent cleaner.

They scouted the globe for products to place inside their new home. They bought made-in-the-USA cabinets, and German Miele appliances – some of the most energy-efficient on the market today. “The showers are also from Germany, and can help reduce your daily water consumption,” she says. “It’s a modern, energy-efficient European home.”

For pool paving, they imported a white quartzite from Brazil to match the Siesta Beach sand that’s 99 percent quartz. “It’s a very special stone that comes from one particular town in Brazil called Sao Tome das Letras,” she says. “So, we went after the materials that we wanted: pool stones, pivoting front door, and the big kitchen windows.”

That first renovation was finished in 2019. By 2020, the Briggs had sold the home to Sarit Marcus. She’s a Tampa-based interior designer, and founder of Minted Space, an online boutique. It specializes in well-crafted and sustainably sourced products from brands that implement fair trade practices and utilize non-toxic materials. Its website describes it as an industry leader in environmental stewardship.

Marcus made this home that’s one block from the ocean – the second for her family of four – a showcase for thoughtful interiors. “I wanted a complete, sustainable design,” she says. “The home is so beautiful, with a minimalistic aesthetic and it could be cold, so I infused it with warmth.”

She made the interiors modern, colorful, and inviting, but streamlined and elegant at the same time. “I played off the clean lines of the house with different textiles and materials that play off each other, in natural materials like rattan,” she says.

The first floor is open, with distinct living spaces like the staircase as a reading area, and underneath it, ottomans where children can play. “I’m always thinking about maximizing the space and creating little corners where people can retreat in a seaside oasis,” she says.

Her color palette is reminiscent of the beach, with emerald greens, blues, white and a hint of burnt orange.  “I wanted to take risks with pops of colors to inject liveliness into the home and steer away from safe neutrals,” she says. “The colors in the foyer with the green chandelier made of recycled wine bottles  reminded me of the Emerald Coast.”

The entire home is rooted in sustainability. “Aesthetically, I was excited to add warmth and coastal chic to the interior design by curating sustainable, ethical products from natural, reclaimed, and recycled materials,” she says.

And why not? After all, she owns an online boutique that’s chock-full of them.

Universal Furniture has introduced Tranquility, its second home furnishings collaboration with Miranda Kerr. Inspired by modern Parisian style, this nearly 40-piece collection features chic and elevated, yet simple, furnishing for the living room, dining room, bedroom and office.

“When designing the Tranquility collection, I had in mind how much time we spend at home these days. Your home should be your sanctuary, a nurturing space of both comfort and inspiration, and I wanted the pieces to reflect that,” said Miranda Kerr. “I’m thrilled with our partnership. Universal has really made my vision come to life by creating furnishings that inspire a certain feeling within the home.”

The collection is defined by soft organic curves and waterfall edges, warm sycamore, Mappa and Madrona burl veneers, hardware in soft gold, white lacquer and textured plaster finishes. Fabrics focus on hushed neutrals of white, taupe and light gray. All upholstery is made domestically and available in special order fabrics.

Not only organic in shape, but also in material, Tranquility introduces a new performance fabric from Crypton Home with a warm, organic feel. This exclusive Crypton Performance Cotton bouclé is woven with 50% to 70% recycled cotton fibers repurposed from the apparel industry, and has all of Crypton’s patented spill repelling, and stain-and-odor resisting properties. It is Greenguard Certified and woven in the USA.

“Both the collaboration and the support we’ve received from Miranda have been outstanding,” said Universal Furniture Vice President of Marketing Neil MacKenzie. “The first collection, Love. Joy. Bliss., has been very well received from customers around the world, and we couldn’t be more pleased with what we’ve accomplished together with the evolution of Miranda Kerr Home in Tranquility.”

New designs include:

Aerial Cocktail Table
This round cocktail table features the richness of burl with a modern kick of acrylic. The D-shaped acrylic legs are topped with a circle enrobed in a Mappa burl veneer. Aerial is the perfect place to display modern objets or oversized books.

Arc Console
A striking console that’s simple yet statement-making. The drama of the high arch compliments the simplicity and chicness of the Mappa burl veneer for this organically inviting piece. Arc looks lovely in any hallway, living room or entryway.

Enlightenment Side Table
Seeking domestic nirvana? You’re halfway there with the Enlightenment Side Table. Flaunting three tiers of organic curves and a white dimpled plaster finish, Enlightenment evokes the calm dreaminess of a pillow or cloud. A truly transcendent piece next to any sofa, armchair or bed. 

Fleur Hall Chest
Feminine chic is in full bloom with this simple stunner. A simple white lacquer chest in a dimpled plaster finish comes to life with palm-sized ceramic rosettes (an extension of Tranquility’s organic inspiration).

Harmony Console
Harmony flaunts the organic “mushroom cloud concept” of the Tranquility collection to perfection. The console features a textured plaster, double mushroom base with a thick Carrara marble table top. A modern statement piece, it pairs well with the curvaceous Serenity sofa.

Mantra Side Board
Say “om” for the Mantra Side Board. This rounded edge silhouette features Mappa burl veneer on the outer panels and waterfall edges, while doors are reeded, white wood. With a push latch and storage drawers lined for flatware, Mantra is a chic yet simple marriage of form and function.

Mode Desk Vanity
Decidedly modern, the versatile Mode Desk Vanity comprises oval and circular elements. Its left side is supported by a circular column (topped with a removable rose-quartz-lined tray) and the right side is supported by a wider circular column which houses four drawers. The desk top has an integrated drawer with enough storage for office supplies, makeup or jewelry.

Poise Etagere
Simple elegance for a sitting area, home office or even a bedroom. The Poise Etagere keeps the look Parisian (minimal and modern) with white painted shelves and Mappa burl supports forming a well-balanced, architectural frame. Use this beauty to display collectibles, botanicals and other décor, or position it as a chic space divider.

Serenity Sofa
Curvaceous sophistication. Serenity gives an ethereal vibe with a rounded silhouette covered in a tactile, nubby base cloth. Perfect for an intimate conversation à deux or solo mediations, think of Serenity as a warm and enveloping hug.

Truffle Round Dining Table
Much like the prized delicacy, the Truffle Round Dining Table marries the organic with the urbane. The A-line base is an extension of Tranquility’s “mushroom cloud” concept and will seat six diners comfortably.