A hundred-year-old Victorian house that’s spent twenty years as a bed and breakfast doesn’t turn back into a home overnight. It takes a little bit of time and a lot of love. So when a family in Berkshire County needed help renovating their early 20th century three-story Victorian house, I was ready to help them visualize the possibilities and create their own personal look.
When I saw this Berkshire County home, the house’s history blended with my vision of its future. I first fell in love with the 2nd floor landing, which has double doors that feature a stained glass header. The antique stain glass was stunning, but there was room for some modernization. We used a sheer grey-blue striped fabric over the windows and Light Blue paint from Farrow & Ball for the walls, with fresh white paint on the trim for contrast. The colors on the windows are soft and the fabric sheer enough to let the natural light brighten the space. The home’s Victorian roots inspired the dark mahogany wood of the sideboard and side table. I added a blue oriental rug and a chair by the window to finish up the look and create a cozy corner.
The Master Bedroom is one of the most important rooms for this home. My clients and I imagined a calming space to relax while listening to the Boston Symphony Orchestra Live from Tanglewood on the radio! We started with a tranquil color on the walls (and what’s more tranquil than “Elephant’s Breath”, a soft shade of taupe paint from Farrow & Ball?) We chose large-scale chests for nightstands with a faux paint finish in taupe. The taupe color blends smoothly into the calming blue-green velvet of the armchairs and their silk floral patterned throw pillows. The sheer paisley Kashmir fabric we used for the Roman shades lets the light in while you’re awake, but the black out lining on the panel keeps your room dark during sunny Berkshire mornings.
Bedding is a great place to play with texture. We started with a Victorian inspired custom-made wrought iron bed and finished it in brushed cream. Next we found soft prewashed linen in a sophisticated beige for the duvet and added a grey pleated bed skirt. The bed is topped off with a luxuriously soft and cozy faux fur throw blanket. The throw pillows pull the whole look together. I used a chenille fabric with a circular pattern in green, grey, and blue against the beige linen euro pillows to complete the look.
One of the most important focal points in this master bedroom is the fireplace. The eye travels immediately to the original tile surrounding it. I didn’t want to overpower the space, but I did want to create a comfortable seating area. The dark wood of the antique 19th century French boudoir chairs is a great example of making the old new (which is a perfect theme for this home!) I used the same color palate for the chairs and the ottoman, but I introduced fabrics with different patterns and textures to modernize the look. We added a few more accessories to personalize the area and bring the whole space together.
Sometimes we tend to overlook the bathroom when it comes to interior design. However, adding interesting fabrics, functional window treatment, and even some furniture can make your bathroom visually pleasing and comfortable. For this master bath, we added custom-built double sink cabinetry and Farrow & Ball blue-grey wall paint. The chenille fabric on the custom upholstered bench in the bathroom matches the pillows on the bed, bringing both rooms together. A storage compartment in the bench is perfect for storing bath towels or toiletries. And the French provincial screen in the powder-blue and yellow floral fabric brings a whimsical touch that adds an extra piece of design to the space.
We all want to transform our houses into homes. The design for this house was drawn from its past, designed for its present and inspired by its future.
