A Westport Home Designed for New York Transplants

The homeowners didn’t want to wait until their young children were grown to have a beautiful house, so designer Denise Davies selected chic furnishings in durable materials. A Phillip Jeffries metallic cork wallcovering and a photograph by Allyson Monson lend sparkle and color to the living room.

In the kitchen, pendant lights from Selamat Designs hang above a custom table, rug, and chairs, the latter of which are covered in a colorful Knoll fabric.

The entry features a Cassoni light fixture and a vintage Milo Baughman bench.

Adjacent to the kitchen is the family room, where a custom sectional wrapped in a Holly Hunt upholstery and topped with Eskayel pillows offers plenty of comfy seating.

Article chairs surround a custom table in the dining room; the artwork by Hektad is from Westport’s Appleton Art Design.

In the jewel-box-like butler’s pantry, a Phillip Jeffries wallcovering complements millwork painted in Farrow & Ball Hague Blue.

A Barn Light Electric sconce and Benjamin Moore’s Spring Azalea add a whimsical touch to the girls’ bath. In the adjoining bedroom, Caitlin McGauley wallpaper enlivens the ceiling, while artwork by CLoD ties everything together.

Davies added some personality to the existing mudroom with seat-cushion and window-shade fabrics by KLS Textiles.

In the primary bedroom, an oversized Cuff Studio pendant and artwork by Cecilia Björk make a statement above a bed custom designed by Davies and upholstered in Designers Guild fabric.

In an effort to avoid culture shock, when a young family decides to relocate from New York City to the suburbs, it’s critical that the transition be as smooth as possible—and creating a comfortable, family-friendly home is a key piece of the puzzle. But after the family in question purchased a new 7,400-square-foot, six-bedroom spec house in Westport, they soon realized they would need some outside help in order to make the brand-new property feel like home. Enter interior designer Denise Davies of Fairfield County−based D2 Interieurs.

The couple—who had been drawn to Westport because of its similar feel to the beachside town outside Boston where they both grew up—found Davies through an online search. “This property had the space we wanted, but it needed some tweaking in order to make it look less like a spec house,” explains the wife. “Denise has such a unique aesthetic, and we wanted to work with someone who would deliver a final product that we never could have conceptualized on our own.”

Davies set out to add character and warmth through changes that included bringing in wood elements (paneling on the ceiling in the kitchen and adjoining family room, beams to break up the hallway upstairs, a barn door in the entry, and wood shelving in the kitchen), restaining the existing espresso-colored oak flooring in a lighter shade, swapping out all lighting, and using paint and wallpaper to punch up each room. “This family is young and fun and needed a cohesive design that felt cool, modern, and a little bit rock ’n’ roll,” explains Davies.

The wife’s favorite space, for example, is a previously gray bar area where Davies turned up the volume using an abstract wallpaper, some navy paint, a reflective blue pendant light, and unexpected contemporary artwork. “That space makes me happy every time I see it,” notes the wife, whose love of blue inspired many of the designer’s furnishing suggestions.

“I do things a little differently than some other designers,” explains Davies. “I give one presentation where I put forward several focused choices for the entire house, all at once. It’s a collaborative process, but I’m driving the bus. And these clients were totally in—they trusted me, and they really went for it. Not everyone would agree to paint the kids’ bathroom vanity fuschia and wallpaper the ceilings in the children’s bedrooms. The result is a home that’s casual and family-friendly, yet edgy and funky with pops of color.”

The majority of the furnishings are custom, but Davies did sneak in a few vintage items, including a Milo Baughman bench in the entry. Last came the artwork, a bold mix of contemporary pieces that help round out the playful theme that Davies was striving for. “We didn’t want to wait until the kids were older to have a nice house,” explains the wife. “Everything in the house is quite durable, but the aesthetic is exactly what we were envisioning.” 

Project Team
Interior design: Denise Davies, D2 Interieurs
Builder: SIR Development