City Style in a New Vermont Home
A builder and an interior designer help a homeowner create her dream retreat
After spending more than 100 nights a year in hotels for work for the better part of 12 years, Megan Flood was ready for a change. Living a fast-paced city lifestyle in Boston no longer provided the respite she needed when she wasn’t traveling, and a miserable battle with melanoma was the final push that made her realize she needed to move out of the city.
In 2017, she took a new job as a financial advisor in South Burlington, Vermont, and closed on a lot overlooking Lake Champlain, where she created her dream house.
In 2017, she took a new job as a financial advisor in South Burlington, Vermont, and closed on a lot overlooking Lake Champlain, where she created her dream house.
“While back in Vermont for a close friend’s wedding in July 2017, I felt a pull to return to my home state of Vermont and a quieter, simpler, healthier lifestyle,” Flood says. She found an agrihood, or agricultural neighborhood, in the general area she wanted to live and fell in love with the open acres of land, on-property farm stands and CSA, and extensive walking trails. Though Flood still travels occasionally for pleasure, she has come to love the relaxed pace of country living when she’s home in scenic Vermont.
Flood worked with Gray to completely change the layout of the kitchen and to expand the footprint of the main level.
“I really enjoy having friends over for wine and cheese or a dinner party, so the open floor plan was an absolute must,” Flood says. “Knowing that everyone always gathers around the kitchen, I made the island 9 by 5 feet so there was plenty of room for guests to relax and still leave me enough room to comfortably cook, do dishes and access the refrigerator without bumping into anyone.” She also increased the width of the walkway around the island to 45 inches.
The stainless steel appliances are all KitchenAid, and Flood had a creamy quartz countertop installed — Snowy Ibiza by Silestone.
“I really enjoy having friends over for wine and cheese or a dinner party, so the open floor plan was an absolute must,” Flood says. “Knowing that everyone always gathers around the kitchen, I made the island 9 by 5 feet so there was plenty of room for guests to relax and still leave me enough room to comfortably cook, do dishes and access the refrigerator without bumping into anyone.” She also increased the width of the walkway around the island to 45 inches.
The stainless steel appliances are all KitchenAid, and Flood had a creamy quartz countertop installed — Snowy Ibiza by Silestone.
“I used Houzz extensively throughout the design process,” Flood says. “I created a separate ideabook for each room and was constantly adding pictures for inspiration. Many of the notable design elements in the house are based off of photos I found online and tried to replicate. Thankfully the internet makes that easier than ever!”
Flood’s goal was to create a space that was peaceful and serene. “I like light, bright, monochromatic palettes with vibrant pops of color to add interest,” she says. “I enjoy having a neutral palette so that I can highlight relics from my travels and other accents.” Flood spends the majority of her time in the open living and dining space.
Browse backsplash tile on Houzz
Flood’s goal was to create a space that was peaceful and serene. “I like light, bright, monochromatic palettes with vibrant pops of color to add interest,” she says. “I enjoy having a neutral palette so that I can highlight relics from my travels and other accents.” Flood spends the majority of her time in the open living and dining space.
Browse backsplash tile on Houzz
Since this was Flood’s first time building a home, she found a few elements to be significantly more expensive than she’d expected, such as the wine refrigerator. She tried to invest her resources in the structural components that could be done only during the build, such as higher ceilings and extra windows, as well as design elements that would have a big impact. The mother-of-pearl backsplash in the kitchen was a splurge, but it’s one of her favorite details in the house.
Wall paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore
Flood says she thoroughly enjoyed working with her builder, Collin Frisbie. He was accommodating, flexible and open to new ideas. “What is unique about Sterling’s building process is that every single detail of the house, down to the paint color, has to be selected before they break ground,” she says. “With the time line we had established, that gave me less than six weeks to make all the selections for the house.”
While this entails a lot of design decisions, the system allows the builder to stay on schedule, and Frisbie completed her house in 140 days, three days ahead of schedule.
While this entails a lot of design decisions, the system allows the builder to stay on schedule, and Frisbie completed her house in 140 days, three days ahead of schedule.
Flood brought her preference for light hues and glamorous metallic accents with her from her days as a city dweller, designing much of her new house with neutral finishes and lighter tones. To break up the monochromatic palette, she incorporated artwork and mementos from her travels. A kudu horn from Africa, two paintings from Paris, candleholders from Hong Kong, a framed menu from the French Laundry in Napa and a glass wave sculpture from Hawaii all add color to the main living space. “I feel that each piece tells a story about who I am and the places I have been, like a tapestry of my life experiences,” Flood says.
It was important to Flood that the main level not feel focused around the television. She splurged on a TV that also displays artwork and loves that it makes the television accessible without being the center of attention. When the TV isn’t in use, an image is displayed to give the impression that the mounted TV is a framed photograph.
Fireplace surround tile: Calcutta gold Italian herringbone, Tile Bar; armchairs: Boston Interiors
Fireplace surround tile: Calcutta gold Italian herringbone, Tile Bar; armchairs: Boston Interiors
A functional yet attractive entryway sits between the main living area and garage. The space, clad in shiplap-style wood, provides a drop zone for the homeowner’s coats, bags and shoes.
Key Entryway Dimensions for Homes Large and Small
Key Entryway Dimensions for Homes Large and Small
Flood used the relatively small footprint of the powder room on the first floor as an opportunity to indulge her love of gold accents, choosing a metallic wallpaper and coordinating fixtures.
The home office receives a lot of bright afternoon sunlight and was an ideal place to opt for a darker paint color. Flood chose Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy, which contrasts nicely against modern white shelves.
The master bedroom has a light yet cozy feel thanks to the many textiles in the space. Framed photos from Flood’s travels adorn the wall above the headboard.
Wall paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore
The homeowner also splurged on some elements of the master bathroom by adding square footage, a large soaking tub, faux grasscloth wallpaper, a chandelier and white marble counters. This space has become her favorite room in the house.
While she was surprised at the cost of certain elements of the house, there were other aspects that she felt were relatively inexpensive considering their impact. A bold wall color is one of her favorite ways to add character at an affordable price. In this guest bedroom with twin beds, she went with a vibrant Kelly green accent wall. Crown molding and solid wood doors are a couple of other items that fit into this category of high-impact design choices for her.
12 Tried-and-True Paint Colors for Your Walls
12 Tried-and-True Paint Colors for Your Walls
This guest bedroom was designed with visitors in mind and features small but meaningful touches that make it comfortable for visiting friends and family. A phone charger and night light sit at the ready for guests. Blackout shades prevent the bright morning light from streaming in through the windows, and a dresser provides storage space and an extra surface on which to set items.
Wall paint: Gray Wisp, Benjamin Moore
10 Essentials for a Gracious Guest Room
Wall paint: Gray Wisp, Benjamin Moore
10 Essentials for a Gracious Guest Room
In addition to the special touches for visitors in the guest rooms, Flood also thought extensively about the layout of the guest bathroom. Instead of having two sinks, she chose to have one large one, which allowed for more counter space. Extra towels, toiletries and a hair dryer are always easily accessible on the shelves.
The exterior features a small porch and clean white siding. “I love the location of my home,” Flood says. “The views of the lake and mountains make it feel like peaceful country living, but because it is part of a larger neighborhood, I still get the social aspect I loved about city living.”
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
See other home tours
Find an interior designer
Shop for home products
Who lives here: Megan Flood
Location: South Burlington, Vermont
Size: 3,276 square feet (304 square meters), including the basement; three bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Flood worked closely with builder Collin Frisbie of Sterling Homes and interior designer Misty Gray of Grayscale Design to create her dream custom home. “The builder had a handful of floor plans to pick from, but I struggled to find any that I liked,” she says. “The majority of the floor plans had the master suite on the main floor, but after living in one-level apartments my entire adult life, I was anxious to have two floors to enjoy. I used one of the floor plans as a starting point, and then worked with Misty to customize it to my needs.” Flood had previously worked with Gray to design her South End condo in Boston.
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