When Wendy and Brett Prager mentioned that they’d bought the historic house a few blocks away from their old home in Short Hills, most of their friends had the same response: Why? Built in the 1880s, the Colonial Revival-style home was desperately in need of another revival. But Wendy, a lawyer who’d majored in history as an undergrad, relished the challenge of restoring the house’s historic luster as she embarked on a renovation that would respect the home’s architectural roots while ushering it gently into the 21st century. “I wanted to keep the integrity of the period in the moldings and the floors, and yet, in the color and the décor, have it be transitional, easing toward modern,” says Wendy, who envisioned an eclectic design in which her grandmother’s sewing machine looked happily at home next to a Lucite table. With the help of designer Karen B. Wolf, along with architect John James and builder Michael Mroz, Wendy achieved a perfect melding of past and present. But that wasn’t the only thing the renovation needed to accomplish. The Pragers wanted a house that felt soft, fresh and refined, though “soft” hardly describes their day-to-day lifestyle. There were their three teenage daughters and an army of their friends, the guests who came into the house dripping pool water, and two rambunctious rescue Labs whose energy rivaled that of the teens. Wolf admits that uniting the family’s style and lifestyle was a daunting task. But a walk through the home proves that it was achieved successfully. The palette throughout blends pale grays and blues with white, lending the house an airiness that’s enhanced by large
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This page: The traditional millwork in the foyer is set off by a modern satellite fixture from Elk Lighting and a Lucite console table, as well as a mirrored chest designed to dazzle. Opposite page: For the great room, the designer created a built-in cabinet, topped with open shelving, to flank the fireplace, whose surround she also designed. The large abstract painting in varying shades of gray was created specifically for the space by South Orange artist Jocelyn Fine.
11/2/18 9:28 AM