When designing for a couple, there's usually quite a bit of compromise involved. But as designer Heather Garrett proves, it doesn't have to mean a compromise on style. This Durham, NC house was purchased by a client with an eye for design and a very minimalist style. However the client was living with his girlfriend, who had a very organic and soft style. To top it off, the house itself is a very traditional structure. "Every job pulls a little piece of me," says Garrett. "The balance in this home pulled out many sides of my look as a designer."
The couple wanted to change the look of the house without any interior renovation. Garrett implemented an open floor plan in the living area, combining dining and living spaces so that no single room was designated for one purpose. By using iconic mid-century pieces and softer accents, Garrett successfully blended the two looks into a place the couple could call home.
The client had just purchased a large amount of mid-century styled furniture, hoping to incorporate it into his traditional home. He loved the furniture he had just purchased, so using all of it was a must. Garrett mixed and edited the look until it evolved into something seamless.
In this corner of the living room, Garrett combined an orange Womb Chair with soft lighting from a Flos floor lamp and Oly Studio chandelier. "Soft light is what makes a modern home livable," says Garrett.
Garrett's vision was to blend the structure of the house with her clients' two very different styles. In the entryway, a modern but classic David Hicks pattern lines the walls, while a glitzy pendant from Arteriors adds warmth to the space.
The black stripe running along the walls is a bit of molding original to the house. Instead of removing it or trying to work around it, Garrett decided to embrace the molding in her design.
"He loves bold, and she loves soft. He wanted strong, chunky shapes. She likes texture and romance," says Garrett. "It wasn't always easy to compromise, but I think that there's strength in this combination."
Garrett kept accessories limited and successfully blended the two styles with a variety of furniture and lighting.
"They wanted it to be a space that had more of a city studio plan than a house," Garrett said. By pulling a dining table into the living room, Garrett combined the two spaces into one large family area. The table and stackable dining chairs are from CB2. A faux hide orange rug adds a splash of bold color for him, while floating feather ornaments from Roost add a delicate and stylish touch for her.
Because of his work in advertising, the client has an amazing collection of artwork and photography, including these bold photographs of Michael Jordan. Garrett made each piece a focal point.
The master bedroom is Garrett's favorite room in the house. "It ended up feeling so romantic," she says. "Before it was boxy and harsh. I knew I needed to get soft fabrics and lighting in there."
In the master bedroom, Garrett used a tiled mirror from West Elm and a mirrored sconce from Oly Studio to counterbalance some of the bolder color choices. "We gave every room in the house a piece of their life," she says.
Garrett kept much of the master bedroom in white and gray to appeal to her client's minimalist style, while accenting with mirrored furniture and leather. "There's a soft look to everything," says Garrett. She combined a crackled leather mirror from Arteriors with a desk from West Elm for a simple but feminine vanity set.
Plush poufs from Lee Industries are scattered around the master bedroom. This cowhide version, a white lounge chair and iron floor lamp create a perfect reading corner.
The client had already purchased a walnut dresser from the same collection as the bed frame, so Garrett dressed it up with another pouf and a nature-inspired white porcelain lamp from Arteriors.
Even the bathroom got a bit of glam. An iron and glass chandelier hangs from the ceiling, while an industrial wire basket serves as a place to store an ever-growing collection of magazines. Simple hexagonal tiles from the original home were kept for a clean look.
Quite different. I'm glad to see mid-century come back into vogue. It reminds me of my grandmother's house, but with a modern, jazzy twist. Good memories, good feelings.
Looks very nice, but aside from the Nelson bench and womb chair, I don't see that many mid-century modern influences. Seems more like "West Elm modern" to me. Then again, I admit I may need to expand my understanding of MCM. That said, I always appreciate your ideabooks, Vanessa.
Wow....everything is so ordinary but spectacular. I mean that black rail in the hallway, hanging bag in bathroom, the light fixtures, the bell jar with rope.....its wonderful. It is so unpredictable....surprises everywhere. I have been looking at this site for about three months now and this has been the only time I have been moved to say WOW.
The bedroom is really on-the-money; the public spaces are attractive, but cold to my eye, but the bedroom has sparkle, pizazz and sophisticated comfort. Lovely.
