Photo by Spacecrafting
When a family member came to Kimberly Scanlon of Vela Interior Design looking to refresh her home’s guest suite, originally fashioned as a nanny’s quarters with a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette, the interior designer knew just what to do. “She was a wonderful client to design for because she has a very distinct personal style: eclectic, with an intertwining of audacious edge and calm ambiance,” Scanlon explains. “So, the inspiration for the space was to make it feel like it really had her unique sense of style.”
Both the kitchenette and bathroom received a facelift: In the former, a brick wall where an old-fashioned oven once stood was demolished and replaced with a creamy Corian backsplash complete with floating solid-surface shelves and repainted cabinets, while the latter—once dark and dingy—was opened up and transformed into a spa-like space with Fireclay tile and a glass surround.
While the bolder aspects of the client’s personality can be seen in the stylish art prints and dynamic wallcoverings decorating the bathroom and nearby reading alcove, her calmer sense of sophistication is apparent in the bedroom—a favorite space of the team. Before the renovation, it featured a vaulted ceiling, plain walls, and a lack of light sources that made the room feel dark and rather boring. So, when the design team proposed painting the entire space pink (including the ceiling), the homeowner was all for it. “She certainly wasn’t afraid to push boundaries,” Scanlon says, laughing. The shade they settled on, Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball, is a subtle pink that adds a feminine touch to the room without making it feel overly youthful. The elegant color also inspired another focal point of the space: a sitting area comprised of a small table and pair of chairs the homeowner wanted to keep but refresh. “We gave those pieces new life by refinishing them in a powdery pink that acts as a monochromatic accent to the walls,” Scanlon continues.
Chair cushions were reupholstered in fresh new fabric, a custom table skirt with a linen tassel fringe adds another layer of texture, and the table lamp—a vintage piece collected from the client’s travels in Taiwan—was revitalized with a new shade. The perfect finishing touch was the thoughtful uplighting added to beams running throughout the room, which envelops the entire small space in a soft, rosy glow in the evenings.
“This project was one where our style aligned beautifully with our client’s,” Scanlon says. “She granted us the creative liberty to run with our ideas, which allowed us to create a space that captures the essence of her spirit and style.”
