Kathleen Walsh Gives a Traditional Home a Colorful Update
April 1, 2021
A Greenwich interior designer dreams up an energetic mix of color and pattern fit for a young family.
Text by Alyssa Bird    Photography by John Bessler
![CTWIN21_KathleenWalshInteriors_Living Room Throughout the residence, architect Judy Larson employed traditional details such as dentil moldings and transom windows. At the request of the clients, who have young children, designer Kathleen Walsh added warmth to the architecture through her bold use of color. A striking chandelier from McLain Wiesand illuminates the living room, which is painted Benjamin Moore Caldwell Green.](https://i0.wp.com/nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CTWIN21_KathleenWalshInteriors_Living-Room.jpg?w=384&h=300&ssl=1)
Itâs not often that a client with an insatiable appetite for color comes around, so when one did, Manhattan-based interior designer Kathleen Walsh didnât hold back. The client, a couple with three children, had recently purchased a 10,000-square-foot, five-bedroom residence in Greenwich that was calling out for an infusion of spirit to match that of the young family.
Conceived nearly twenty years ago by New Canaan architect Judy Larson, the house recalls an early 1800s New England Greek Revival. âI drew inspiration from historic homes in Litchfield County, Nantucket, and Vermont,â says Larson.
âIt looks modest from the front, but itâs quite deep. It almost looks as though itâs an old property that has been added onto over the years.âThe structure itself was still in pristine condition and only required a few cosmetic updates, including a kitchen refresh (painting the cherry cabinets and replacing countertops, hardware, sink fittings, and lighting), and a new main bath. âThe clients loved the traditional paneling and moldings that were already in place,â says Walsh, who has decorated a handful of properties designed by Larson. âThey also appreciated that itâs not an open floor plan. Thereâs an intimacy that four walls can provide, especially with a house of this scale.â
And the meandering floor plan is perfectly suited to the couple, who, pre-pandemic, regularly hosted charity events and large family gatherings. âThey would entertain sixty people without thinking twice,â explains Walsh. âThis is where Judyâs design works wonderfully for them. The archways signal where the more formal entertaining areas are, and the rooms open up to one another beautifully. So often you walk into a traditional home and the proportions just donât feel right, but thatâs never the case with Judyâs houses.â
As with all of Walshâs projects, it kicked off with what she calls a âdiscovery day,â which entails âobserving what styles the clients are naturally attracted to, and then pushing their boundaries,â she says. âThis couple gravitated toward transitional with a touch of traditional. They wanted a formal house, but without the trappings of their parentsâ generation, such as rooms that are off limits and never used.â
With that in mind, Walsh gave the family some âyoung momentsâ through color and pattern. âIt was really fun working with them because I couldnât seem to give them enough color,â says the designer. âPeople might walk in and think itâs bold, but your eye adjusts to it very quickly.â
Tempered jewel tones are used strategically on the main floor, with each room sporting a splash of color from the adjacent room. âItâs a way to prepare peopleâs eyes for whatâs to come without them even realizing it,â says Walsh. Perhaps the most dramatic spin of the color wheel took place in the library, where Walsh painted the existing cherry paneling a vibrant high-gloss blue.
Upstairs, the shades become much more soothing. âItâs a softer version of the downstairs palette,â explains the designer. All new lighting throughout and elegant furnishings upholstered in durable, family-friendly fabrics complete the look. âKathleenâs warm and welcoming style always brings our architecture to life,â says Larson. âIt makes me so happy that this house has stood the test of time.â
Interior design: Kathleen Walsh, Kathleen Walsh Interiors
Architecture: Judy Larson, Judith Larson Associates
Builder: Bill Gardiner, Gardiner & Larson Homes
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