Bright and Bold in Fairfield County

The parlor is a festive mix of dynamite wallpaper (with a theme that reminds the wife of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are) and cool furnishings. To give the Seventh & 7th Designs cabinet even more character, Amy Aidinis Hirsch added solid brass Lisa Jarvis hardware.

As a quirky foil to the modern Lucite base, the parlor’s see-through chair wears a lady-like floral velvet by Romo.

With the help of builder Renato Gasparian Associates, the house was reborn with an enlarged dining room as a bonus. Brass detailing ups the table’s personality. The sparkly chandelier is a Tony Duquette design.

Southwest-inspired hues, like the family room’s Ikat fabric, are a nod to Santa Fe, “a place the owners love for its energy,” Hirsch says. New shelves make way for a growing collection of pottery, while the wood-topped coffee table affords space for any number of activities.

For the entry, Hirsch designed an indigo velvet settee to nestle under the newly revamped staircase.

A pair of Chisholm lanterns from The Urban Electric Co. in a custom red color that plays off the Lacanche range illuminate the updated kitchen.

The sumptuous master suite brings together a wealth of textures—the wood mantel, an alpaca throw, linen curtains, and the wool flannel-clad armchair that cozies up to the fire. In true Hirsch mix-it-up style, there’s also an eye-catching walnut Jonathan Adler Claude étagère with a midcentury vibe. “We wanted this to be a sophisticated and quiet place,” the designer says.

When a young couple packed up their daughter and left London for the States, they had certain requisites in mind for their big move to Boston. Topping their must-have list was a quintessential New England-style house on which they could impart their own spirited stamp. As it turned out, however, the Fairfield County home they purchased couldn’t have been more off the mark. Large rooms—more European than Yankee—yielded few cozy corners, and a dated ambience seeped through the place like a fog.

Fortunately, the wife, who has a talent for design, looked beyond the drawbacks and imagined the possibilities. With help from interior designer Amy Aidinis Hirsch, who happens to be a friend, she forged ahead. First, they blitzed the kitchen, the master suite followed, then came the dining room and so on till every corner had been tweaked. “She was the driving force,” Hirsch says. “She was fearless and ready to take chances.”

Indeed, visitors are in for surprises. A series of deft moves gave the exterior a correct Yankee flair (it originally felt like a French chateau), but the interior transformation is what stops them in their tracks. Bold colors and patterns that might have clashed in less capable hands instead make enviable unions that conjure warmth.

And far more than just places to park a drink or to sit, the furnishings ooze personality. Case in point: the swanky living room where a charming Hermès wallpaper sets off a custom sofa as vibrant as a sunset. A Mitchell Gold chair with a Lucite base appears to float on the faux hide rug, and rather than a staid cupboard to hold books and games, there’s a modern lacquered cabinet. “It’s lined with walnut,” Hirsch points out. “Everything in this house—everything the family touches or engages with—has been elevated.”

Just look at the kitchen, a collaboration that included the expert help of New Canaan’s True North Cabinets. Twin islands, unending storage, and a commanding Lacanche range further the wife’s passion for baking. The range, in a delicious shade of burgundy red, is “the jewelry of the space,” says Hirsch.

“I always pay attention to how people live,” Hirsch says, as if that weren’t obvious in every corner of the house. Consider how the family room next to the kitchen contains ample seating so guests can converse with the cook while meals come together. The dining room table is another example. A perfect size for the family, and it expands for entertaining.

And then there are the unexpected elements—like pinches of flavor-enhancing salt—that make the house memorable. The master suite is as gracious as it gets, but a brass Jean De Merry chandelier adds a spark of whimsy. Its spiky silhouette is the ideal visual foil to the quiet palette and tailored hearth-side seating area.

The house may not have started out as the classic New England-style home the couple originally envisioned, but they ended up with something better than they ever could have imagined: a colorful house as joyful as those who call it home.

Project Team
Interior Design: Amy Aidinis Hirsch
Builder: Renato Gasparian Associates

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