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“We laugh at HGTV because you could play a drinking game with ‘open concept’ – and we probably would design an open concept house. This house is not, but it flows so well. The spaces are defined so nicely.” “It’s a Schumacher fabric. The designer is Kelly Wearstler, who is one of my favorite interior designers. You’d typically not use that fabric for curtains, because it would be better for upholstery,” said Kara, gesturing to the rounded wall. “But what I wanted to create in here – it would have been difficult to do a curved rod – I just wanted to create some stationary panels that add warmth and softness and help with the noise.” Above a square dining table fashioned from dark reclaimed wood, hangs an ornate pendant chandelier, which Kara explains is original to the house. “There’s kind of a cool story with that. When I purchased the house, that was not there. And about three or four years later, I got a letter from a previous owner. She had lived here in the seventies and had loved that chandelier so much that when they moved, she took it. But she said she always loved this house and felt like it needed to come back. So she sent it back. It was really interesting, because I was in the midst of redoing the kitchen and I had these two little sconces, and I was amazed at how well they went. It was like it was meant to be,” she recounted, pointing to the smaller, coordinating light fixtures. Continuing our clockwise tour of the main level, we enter the kitchen. The large space with a quartz-topped center island has been renovated completely since Kara moved in, although she took pains to ensure it still made sense with the home’s historic vibe. The abundant cabinets are finished in an esoteric greenish-blue-grey, separated from the countertops by a marble backsplash. Above the sink is open shelving, which she says is very convenient, particularly for the couple’s four children. The 1940’s French industrial light fixtures above the island bring a bit of masculinity to the space, balancing out the more ornamental lighting elements
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