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About This Design
Interior Design: Paul Miller
There are some places that just resonate with peace, inviting us to breathe slower and drink in the restorative wonder of nature. This is how my clients' contemporary home in Northern Virginia makes me and countless others feel. My design took inspiration from the woods, meadows, and gently ambling river just outside the door.
My contribution to this renovation included a study of the layout, as well as selections of new fabrics, furnishings and lighting, but it is my concept for the mantel that most profoundly altered the spaces.
The new mantel compliments the warm wood of the vaulted ceiling while refining the architectural identity of the entire home. The new look includes large format, Art Deco-inspired tile in shades of green, gold and ivory, as well as board and batten upper cladding and a stained wood mantel shelf with corbels and apron. As this design carries around all four sides, it influences choices in both dining and living rooms.
In the dining area, I understood that the striking, antique chandelier would provide contrast with the linearity of the board and batten and graphic tiles. Styling choices such as the collection of vases with feathers in them and the figural sculpture made by an artist in the family provide softer forms that further offset the hearth. The rich finish on the ceiling is reflected in the tones of the custom, ash wood dining table. Dark maple chairs provide contrast against the new rug, a casual woven, wool stripe in mixed shades of green and ivory.
In the living area, the pattern of the rich, blue carpet evokes the texture of purling water. New fabric on my client’s cherry-framed sofa and chairs weaves together shades of gold, brown, blue and green that are also present in the ombre stripe of a new custom chair beside the hearth. The homeowner’s vintage swivel chair gets a fresh interpretation with a carved velvet and boucle textile in ivory and golden copper. New accent tables were selected for their clean, organic forms and enduring, natural materials.
Printed velvet hearth pillows make it easy for my clients to offer additional seating when hosting larger events. The fabric motif perfectly reinforces the natural setting of the house, while offering a supple and luxurious tactile experience.
I wanted to highlight the airiness of the space with lighting choices like the celery green, reeded glass lamp that captures and refracts the abundant sunlight. The gallery wall that I installed is made up of original pieces from a variety of family members. Curating this collection enabled me to put elements together that each support one another.
A fiddly detail that had to be addressed was how to control the harsh sunlight that entered the living room through the upper transoms on the river side of the house. I recommended smart glass for a ‘no treatment’ appearance and light control at the tap of a button.
This design completely refreshes and elevates these spaces and offers my clients a sense of having new rooms in a home they have been lovingly perfecting for years.
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FAQs About This Design
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The advantages of a freestanding hearth include providing heat to more than one space at once and offering visual continuity within an open concept floor plan.
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As an interior designer whose career spans three decades, I can say with authority that nature-inspired motifs never go out of style. Not everyone appreciates floral fabrics, for instance, but most clients enjoy patterns that include botanical elements like leaves. Consider the terrain where your house is situated for color inspiration, but do not feel locked into cliches. For instance, unless you absolutely love blue and sand tones, you do not have to decorate with them just because your home is on a beach. Ultimately, very simple choices can help your home reflect nature, such as a stack of stones collected from your property or twigs gathered in a vase.
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Depending on the variables of your space, smart glass technology might very well be an ideal choice. While it does require professional installation by someone familiar with the technology, it can provide lighting and privacy control in spaces where traditional window treatments such as shades or drapery are not a good fit.
Photos: Matthew Lofton
