Bold & Beautiful in Riverside, Connecticut

In the serene dining room, the custom Dunes and Duchess table is perfectly proportioned for the space. An easy-care Bowood Tweed from Perennials covers the chairs from Eleish Van Breems Home. The drum chandelier is from Visual Comfort.

The family’s goldendoodle, Pepe, runs through the entryway, past the console table from Interlude Home and the Arteriors Olympia mirror.

The family room, which features a sofa from Eleish Van Breems Home and deep chairs by Thom Filicia, is furnished with comfort top of mind.

The casual dining area is open to the kitchen with its minimalist cabinetry designed and installed by builder Mike Radman. Chairs from Four Hands surround the Gus* table. LEFT: Blue notes in the living room include a Precedent sofa and a painting by artist Fernando Varela. The nesting tables are from Pottery Barn.

Blue notes in the living room include a Precedent sofa and a painting by artist Fernando Varela. The nesting tables are from Pottery Barn.

Designer William Lyon calls this the basement “chill zone.” Radman installed the cladding on the TV wall. The clients’ own oversized ottoman was reupholstered in a Kravet fabric.

In the office, the Phillip Jeffries Dojo Weave wallcovering in navy plait complements artwork from Arhaus. A striped Annie Selke rug pulls it all together.

Radman designed and installed the built-in desk and open shelving in the kids’ study.

Sometimes it takes a minute for things to click. Take one couple, for instance, who spent several months house hunting after selling their Cos Cob residence only to realize their new home was right there the whole time. “We had actually walked by this home several times during our long Covid walks,” remembers the homeowner. “We never imagined it was a spec home.” They fell in love with the Riverside new build because of its modern farmhouse aesthetic and distinctive millwork.

William Lyon had designed the couple’s previous, more transitional home, and they enjoyed working with the Stamford-based designer so much that they called on him again. This time, though, they wanted clean lines and something starkly different. “We always appreciated how William challenged us to step out of our comfort zone and take risks,” says the homeowner, who also credits builder Mike Radman of RA Building Management with creating a home designed for easy family living.

Lyon, for his part, was all-in. “We embraced the sleek design elements of the well-constructed, light-filled home,” he says. “We paired the clients’ original artwork from Latin America with bold colors, wallpaper, mixed metals, and texture—yet kept the space simple and livable.”

The project included designing a new dining room and completing the family room, living room, and entry. Lyon reworked the primary bedroom, refreshed the powder room, designed kids’ rooms, created a “chill zone” in the basement, and installed new window treatments everywhere. He relied on performance fabrics to make things easy on his clients, who have two children and a dog. “It was very important to me to make sure they didn’t have to tiptoe around and could actually relax and enjoy their home,” he says.

And details count for everything. “The simple design meant I had to be very particular with what I added to the space,” says the designer. The dining room chair legs and the Dunes and Duchess table, for instance, match the floors exactly. Inspired by the homeowners’ love of color, Lyon also spent time perfecting the finish on the walls in that room. “The paneling was beautiful in white, but when the client hinted at adding green, my mind raced straight to floor-to-ceiling, high-gloss walls in Lush by Benjamin Moore,” says Lyon.

Not surprisingly, that cozy-yet-elegant dining room is a favorite space. “The walls have a unique glow in the evening, which we enjoy sharing with family and friends,” says the homeowner. “We love how it all turned out.”

Project Team
Interior design: William Lyon Designs
Builder: RA Building Management