The Power of Bold Color

Green with Envy
This Southport butler’s pantry is proof that storage can indeed be sexy. (A perfectly placed tray of rocks glasses at the ready doesn’t hurt either.) “The wife loves color, especially green,” says interior designer Meghan De Maria, founder and principal of Moss Design, so the custom cabinets were treated to a coat of Benjamin Moore Deep Jungle in a rich, reflective high gloss. In keeping with the moody aesthetic, De Maria papered the ceiling in Thibaut’s Margate, an alluring pattern with silver and gold tones and a watery feel; an antique mirror strategically placed between the upper cabinets reflects the paper. To complete the pantry, which connects the kitchen to the family room, the designer chose a walnut bar top with a shiny marine finish and opted for smoked-Lucite and brushed-brass hardware from Brooklyn-based Luxholdups. While the origin of the drawer pulls nods to the family’s most recent address, it also speaks to the soul of the space. “It has a Brooklyn-meets-L.A. vibe,” says De Maria, “a combination of two cities the owner loves.”

Project Team
Interior design: Meghan De Maria, Moss Design
Cabinetry: Christopher Rosow, Threebeans Design Build
Photography: Willie Cole

Out of the Blue
Tasked with transforming a Newington dining room into a sitting room, interior designer Katie Geddes had a particular vibe in mind. “I wanted something vintage, eclectic, and different,” she recalls. The young family was on board. First came the bold palette—Farrow & Ball Hague Blue walls, a coral-pink Anthropologie sofa, and a mustard-yellow velvet lamp. Then came the chic antiques: a 200-year-old mahogany side table lends vintage appeal, as does—the star of the show—an heirloom Singer sewing-machine-turned-bar-cart that once belonged to the homeowner’s grandmother. It dates back to the 1800s, notes Geddes, and still works. To round out the room—and counter the colorful palette—the designer chose cognac leather sling chairs from Safavieh. No doubt Geddes was going for a dose of nostalgia—infused with a dash of the dramatic—and she succeeded: “I wanted to create the kind of room that might bring back the word ‘parlor.’ ”

Project Team
Interior design: Katie Geddes, Katie Geddes Interiors
Photography: Tim Lenz