After a young family purchased a newly renovated Craftsman-style home in Washington, D.C., they quickly realized they needed a more functional first floor to accommodate their newborn baby, dog, and visiting relatives. and friends. The owners enlisted the help of interior designer Eneia White, based in Queens, New York, to help define the open-plan main level, including the kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedroom. ‘hall.
“It was fun building areas for this project,” says White. “They needed furniture and finishes to help create definition. Open plan spaces can be somewhat difficult for new owners, as we have to weave selections from each space in a cohesive way, with the illusion that it has been collected and created over time.
While the house gets a healthy dose of natural light, the existing decor lacked definition. White landed on an unexpected black-on-black color palette that created what she calls a “softer, more approachable” side to the shade.
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“We tend to rely on more uplifting colors to make spaces feel vibrant, so we took the risk of going dark,” she says. “But I love the boldness of this tone-on-tone wedding.” Thanks to an abundance of interesting textures, original shapes and the comfortable scale of the furniture, the house always feels warm and welcoming.
“We took the risk of sinking, but I like daring.”
A custom sectional from Kravet was made with fun in mind: plenty of seating, deep cushions for lounging, and performance fabric. It “ate the budget” and had a 30-week deadline, White reports, but “the wait was worth it. It will be a staple in their home for years to come.
The owners requested a longer kitchen island for accommodation, and instead of having a new island made, White purchased a cabinet style to mimic the existing frame of the island. It was added to one end before the new counters were modeled.
White kept additional kitchen renovations to a minimum by painting the cabinets – Sherwin Williams Caviar – and replacing the backsplash with high-gloss tile from Nasco. “The lightly textured, reflective backsplash tile reflects the light, and the brass pendants above the island add a touch of tradition,” says White. “Playing with a typically heavy color was a really fun challenge.”
Kitchen
Black Sherwin Williams Caviar cabinetry and Nasco Stone + Tile black backsplash create dimension. Cream mid-century counter stools from Rove Concepts add contrast, and brass pendant lights from Shades of Light reflect natural light to keep the look from wandering too dark.
Dining room
White painted the brick fireplace in Sherwin Williams Extra White, then created a tuxedo effect with a black dining table and black dining chairs, both from Nuevo Living. Black and white graphic art is by Leftbank. The walls and ceiling of the plateau are painted in Sherwin Williams Modern Gray.
Living room
The Space Star is an extra deep custom sectional from Kravet in a neutral performance fabric perfect for a young family. The media credenza is from Universal Furniture and the coffee table is from Ballard Designs.
Hall
Textured pieces draw the eye in the entryway, such as a console table from Hooker Furniture, a table lamp from Circa and a mirror from Ballard Designs.
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