NJ Home March 2021

SPRING 2021

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SPRING 2021

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CONTENTS

features surprise! | 38

This classic Franklin Lakes home’s unexpected interior deftly blends drama with practicality, the timeless with the new.

a kitchen for all seasons | 48

For a family of seven in a hurry, the heart of a new-construction home had to be warm, bright, enduring, multifunctional—and kosher.

high art | 54

three in the kitchen | 62

A trio of talented design professionals put their heads together to update a classic Rutherford colonial’s busiest room.

designer’s showplace | 66

The Saddle River colonial didn’t need to be gutted. But it did need furniture from two Louis, cubist paintings by the ownerdesigner—and a vision.

When New Jersey-based empty nesters decided to redo their 21st-floor Manhattan “getaway,” they knew it would require an artist’s touch.

SPRING 2021

california down the shore A designer builds her dream beach house, bringing a West Coast boutique feel to Long Beach Island.

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ON THE COVER: Interior designer Robyn Stevens turns her Saddle River home into a work of art.

Photo by SGM Photography.

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contents

38 86

departments memo | 10

top choices | 92

In this issue of NJ Home, you’ll see how balancing preservation with change can yield beautiful results.

A freestanding fountain adds both a spirit of adventure and a serene calmness to your outdoor space.

the guide | 13

finishing touch | 104

What’s up, what’s new and what to do.

real estate | 20

54 66

Why not protect your private pool— and enjoy your backyard views—with elegant glass fencing?

Couldn’t we all use a little (or a lot of) relaxation? These on-the-market homes boast unique master bathrooms with features that rival those of a lavish spa.

material world | 26 As they do in fashion, the neutral swirls in tortoiseshell give these home pieces distinctive character.

hot stuff | 28 Don’t be fooled by their humble structure. These trays are great for corralling and showcasing your stuff.

(They’re great for serving too.)

fine art | 30

26

These one-of-a-kind watercolors will make a splash in your gallery.

vintage finds | 32

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Intricate designs reminiscent of furniture’s finest eras transform these pieces into instant showstoppers.

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memo

Editor in Chief RITA GUARNA

the audacity of restraint

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What is it about your home that you still love?

That’s a timely question after a solid year when many of our homes have done multiple duty as sanctuaries, offices, schoolrooms, movie theaters and gyms. If a feature of your abode still pleases you after all this confinement, you’re probably home free.

There’s a lesson there for home design, I think.

True, the whole idea of design is to think anew.

A fresh concept or a whole new look can turn a staid old house into a sudden revelation. But sometimes the wisest decision—even the boldest one—can be what not to change. A discerning eye for which architectural and design features to preserve and build on, rather than discard, can be the key to a home that will pass the never-gettired-of-it test. Take a leaf from former President Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope. Call it the audacity of restraint.

You could say Robyn Stevens was on pretty safe ground when she decided that the classic brick colonial in Saddle River on page 66 did not require a gut-it-and-start-over approach. After

all, the architectural details were sound, and the client was herself. But when you think about it, isn’t that the toughest-to-please client of all?

“We kept it in a classical style; it has a lot of symmetry, the proportions are great,” says Stevens of the house. “It just needed to be brought back to life.” Fortunately she could rely not only on her designer’s confidence for what to preserve and what to change, but also her skills as an oil painter and a knowledgeable antiques collector to imbue the home with the “luxurious but uncluttered” vibe she was looking for.

Elizabeth Akguc took a more radical approach in redesigning the Franklin Lakes home you’ll see on page 38. Surprise, in fact, was the order of the day for this award-winning interior. But even there, part of the appeal lies in continuity as well as change; from the outside the house doesn’t telegraph the drama it will present when one opens the door. It’s part of that balancing act of old and new, of the arresting and the reassuring, on which good design depends. “My goal,” says Akguc, “was to stand out but still fit in.”

Speaking of balancing acts, perhaps nowhere in the home is the yin and yang of beauty and practicality as tricky as in the kitchen. This issue presents two great kitchens—one in Springfield (page 48), and one in Rutherford (page 62)—that meet that demanding double test. “I was looking for modern and beautiful, but it had to be functional,” says one homeowner. (She’s no stranger to dual challenges, as both a teacher and the mother of five.)

As life returns to a “new normal” that will perhaps never be exactly like the old, we’ll continue to showcase home design that is exciting—but also that reflects, in key elements, the genius of restraint. Because frankly, celebrating the homes of New Jersey is a job that, like the finest homes themselves, never really gets old.

Creative Director STEPHEN M. VITARBO Senior associate editor DARIUS AMOS

Lifestyle editor HALEY LONGMAN Contributing editors MARISA SANDORA CARR, LESLIE GARISTO PFAFF, DONNA ROLANDO, NAYDA RONDON Contributing Photographers PATRICIA BURKE, SERGIO GUERRA, RAQUEL LANGWORTHY, SGM PHOTOGRAPHY, MIKE VAN TASSELL, CHRIS VEITH PUBLISHING STAFF Publisher THOMAS FLANNERY advertising account executives KAREN AZZARELLO, JODI BRUKER, CHRISTIE COLVILLE, BRIDGET JULIANO, MARY LIMA, PEARL LISS, MARY MASCIALE, MAURA HUNTER TEMPLETON

MARKETING, DIGITAL & OPERATIONS director of marketing & digital media NIGEL EDELSHAIN Advertising Services director JACQUELYNN FISCHER

circulation manager KATHY WENZLER graphic designer, ad services VIOLETA MULAJ production Art associate CHRIS FERRANTE Accounting KASIE CARLETON, STEVEN RESNICK communications manager CATHERINE ROSARIO executive assistant PENNY GLASS BOAG PUBLISHED BY Chairman CARROLL V. DOWDEN President & CEO MARK DOWDEN Senior Vice Presidents SHAE MARCUS, CARL OLSEN Vice Presidents NIGEL EDELSHAIN, THOMAS FLANNERY, RITA GUARNA, STEVEN RESNICK, DIANE VOJCANIN NJ HOME magazine is published by Wainscot Media, 1 Maynard Drive, Park Ridge, NJ 07656. Copyright © 2021 by Wainscot Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

Editorial Contributions: Write to Editor, NJ HOME, 1 Maynard Drive, Park Ridge, NJ 07656; telephone 201.782.5730; email rita.guarna@wainscotmedia.com.

The magazine is not responsible for the return or loss of unsolicited submissions.

Subscription Services: To inquire about a subscription, to change an address or to purchase a back issue or a reprint of an article, please write to NJ HOME, Circulation Department, 1 Maynard Drive, Park Ridge,

Rita Guarna Editor in Chief editor@wainscotmedia.com

NJ 07656; telephone 201.573.5541; email kathy.wenzler@wainscotmedia.com.

Advertising Inquiries: Contact Thomas Flannery at 201.571.2252 or thomas.flannery@wainscotmedia.com.

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the guide

WHAT’S UP, WHAT’S NEW AND WHAT TO DO.

100% ITALIAN

“Unusual Italian design” is how design studio LATOxLATO describes its home accessories collection, founded by Virginia Valentini and Francesco Breganze de Capnist. Each item is inspired by the art and architecture of the boot-shaped country. Its newest collection is Meridiane, which means “sundials” in Italian, referring to a stylistic element that defines many Italian palaces and villas. Made of glazed white ceramic, the pieces in the collection are exemplified by shadows that transform a simple object into something special, and each is detailed with 24K gold, platinum and copper. LATOxLATO items are available online at latoxlato.com,1stdibs.com and artemest.com or in New York City at 10 Corso Como on Fulton Street, 212.265.9500.

STAR POWER

Who can blame us for looking to the cosmos for comfort and a bit of fun?

A number of companies are debuting celestial charmers. For example, Fornasetti’s gold-accented Astronomici bowl, pictured, features a planetarium-like pattern. Then there’s Kathy Kuo’s decorative bowl, which boasts a gold-spike design that’s reminiscent of the blazing sun. And Moleria Locchi’s crystal glasses are etched with symbols of each zodiac sign and adorned with small gold stars. Finally, a celestial, black-and-white accent pillow by Global Views welcomes your head for a lunar landing.

OBJECTS OF OUR AFFECTION

NJHome

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Opening an indoor art gallery in New York City during a pandemic? That takes guts—and creativity. Fortunately, former curator and art consultant Damon Crain has both. His out-of-the-box new exhibit Culture Object is a Midtown Manhattan masterpiece that does away with the traditional framed-photos-hung-on-white-walls gallery concept. Instead, Culture Object features pieces with “intention, possibility or evocation of physical function” from more than 60 artists arranged “salon style.”

Vases and mirrors and chandeliers and furniture are strewn across a 1,400-square-foot space that’s bursting with color and texture.

Culture Object is currently open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m., or any time by appointment. 344 W. 38th St., New York City, 212.380.6987.

the guide

APRIL HOME SALES

Though the pandemic continues one year after it started, New Jersey real estate has become one of the hottest commodities in the industry as city dwellers seek larger properties and suburban solace. If you’re debating whether to enter the housing market this spring, consider the following stats from last April, just before the housing boom began.

5,412

The number of single-family homes that closed in April 2020, down 16.8 percent from the previous year.

5,260

New listings of single-family homes in April 2020, down 63.4 percent from the year before.

$355,000

Median sales price of single-family homes in April 2020, an 12.7 percent increase over 2019.

$437,224

Average sales price of single-family homes in April 2020, up 10.9 percent from the previous year.

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Average days properties had been on the market in April 2020, down 10.3 percent from the previous year.

Source: New Jersey Realtors

MUST-READS

If you’ve been neglecting your garden while it hibernated all winter, you’ll get all the tips and inspo you need in The Garden Source: Inspiration Design Ideas for Gardens and Landscapes (Rizzoli, $45) by Andrea Jones, one of the world’s best-known garden photographers. The new edition is improved and expanded, featuring hundreds of Jones’ stunning images of both residential and commercial gardens across the globe. The photos are organized by categories and trends such as “Containerism” and “Tropical Chic,” and each page is lush with ideas that are easy enough for even the newbie home gardener to make his or her own.

Love that picturesque little cottage in The Holiday? There’s more where that came from. Jeremy Musson’s new Romantics and Classics: Style in the English Country House (Rizzoli, $60) gives an inside look at homes in the English countryside, which blend contemporary style with historic charm. Each of the 20 manors featured in the book has a personality all its own and a unique story behind it, and each is equal parts chic and inviting.

Meanwhile, take a personal tour of some of the most luxe residential homes across this country in Glamorous Living (Harry N. Abrams, $37), the follow-up to Dallas-based interior designer Jan Showers’ Glamorous Rooms.

The photos were taken inside 20 estates, townhouses, condos and apartments in some of the United States’ most idyllic towns, each stylistically traditional but with the kind of wow-worthy—and glam—design elements and features for which Showers has become known.

LOCK IT UP

It’s customary to perform a three-point check—keys, wallet, phone—before leaving the house, but lock companies are quickly changing that routine. Keyless door locks are a safe and convenient way to secure a home, and with smart technology, they’re putting an end to that all-too-common concern, “Did I forget to lock the front door?” Using them

CAN-DO KONDO

Never have we needed The Container Store x KonMari collection as much as now, when many of us are using our extra time at home to declutter and get organized. Worldfamous organizing expert, author and Netflix star extraordinaire Marie Kondo has debuted her first-ever collaboration with the retail giant: a line of sustainable and versatile organization products made of bamboo, ceramic and rattan, rather than not-so-great-for-the-environment plastic. The line features hangers and hampers, shoe racks and storage bins for every room in the home, all inspired by Kondo’s Japanese culture. 2021 is high time to get tidy!

is as easy as punching in an ATM pin number: Just use a numeric keypad to unlock the door. The lock automatically engages when the door is closed, though homeowners can easily turn off that feature or set a timer to secure the entry at a specific time. Most keyless systems use electricity with either a battery or a physical locking mechanism as backup, because a reliable front door is the key to home security.

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SPECIAL DELIVERY the guide

Sure, you can track online purchases from the warehouse to your front door, but what happens if no one is home to retrieve the delivery? Your package may sit for hours outdoors, where it’s exposed to the elements as well as porch pirates. The folks at Yale (a company, not the school) have developed the Smart Delivery Box, a durable and spacious container that can secure most package sizes. It’s WiFi-compatible and easily syncs to Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, so you can lock and unlock the box with a simple voice command, while the Yale app allows owners to control the box from anywhere. Opt for a cooler bag if you receive perishables and food delivery.

HEAR THAT PAINT

Want to use more than just sight when you walk into a room? Valspar gets it. To complement its 2021 Colors of the Year, the paint brand under the Sherwin-Williams umbrella has released a playlist called “The Sound of Color,” comprising a dozen tranquil songs that help create a multi-sensory paint experience. Much as a perfectly painted wall might, “The Sound of Color” helps us achieve calm and mindfulness, two luxuries we’re searching for now more than ever.

If you could use a mental boost or a few minutes of peaceful meditation, press “play” on this playlist: All 12 songs are available at youtube.com/user/valsparpaint.

GARDENING GETS PERSONAL

The quarantine prompted many of us to become plant parents, whether we invested in mini succulents or started outdoor gardens. Engineers at Rise Gardens have combined those ideas, launching the Personal Rise Garden for homeowners who want to grow a small amount of herbs and veggies in a small space. Think of it as a Keurig machine that grows plants: The indoor planter grows greens from a seeded pod using a self-watering system and programmable LED lights that mimic the sun. It measures just 18 inches by 11 inches (perfect for a kitchen counter or desktop) and comes with eight seeded pods. If you’re one who pays more attention to your phone than to plants, be sure to download the Rise app—it will tell you when the system needs more water as well as the overall health of the plants. Check it out at risegardens.com.

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SMARTEN UP YOUR HOME

These days we can live amid wonders—how did we ever manage back when homes were dumb?

There’s the Sobro Smart Coffee Table, which will basically replace all the gadgets you have in your living room. It contains two USB charging ports, four outlets, Bluetooth speakers, LED lights, a built-in refrigerator drawer and a touch-screen glass top that connects with your TV. Your bathroom and kitchen can be smart-equipped too, with items from Kohler’s newest collections, from the Innate Intelligent Toilet—which includes a heated seat, auto open and close, intuitive remote and personal bidet functionality—or the Touchless Residential Bathroom Faucet, which turns on and off automatically to decrease the spread of germs and bacteria. The future is now and it’s awesome, folks.

INSIDE OUT

Working from home, baking sourdough and banana bread, enjoying nature. Thanks to the global lockdown, we learned a lot over the past year, including creative ways to entertain guests outdoors. As the pandemic continues and warmer weather approaches, we’re back to thinking about easy enhancements to make our yards year-round entertainment centers.

Here are five upgrades to consider: • Sunken fire pits. You beat last year’s scramble to buy a fire bowl, but it’s time to elevate your fire feature to something more elegant. With a flame beneath the ground’s surface, you and your guests can gather closer to the warmth, and with thoughtful design, you can add bench seating around the flames.

• Stamped concrete. Tired of repairing the warped wood on your patio? Replacing it with stamped concrete will cut down on maintenance time and costs, and the relatively inexpensive option looks just as upscale as pricey cobblestone and brick—and is just as durable.

• Home office sheds. Has your work-at-home cottage industry outgrown the kitchen table or couch? You may want to try working in an outdoor environment. A home office shed in the backyard can put you poolside or in the middle of your outdoor oasis—and it’s a serious upgrade to an old cabana used to store yard tools.

• Motorized patio shades. Installing these or vinyl screens on your patio can help block a spring shower, the summer sun, an autumn breeze or the winter chill. Talk about an allweather solution!

• Lighting. It may seem obvious to illuminate your backyard, but having the appropriate fixtures can really set an inviting mood, no matter what time of year, according to the National Association of Realtors. In lieu of powerful floodlights, invest in a string of globe lights, hurricane lanterns or torches to create an intimate environment around the fire pit and pool.

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real estate

a master’s suite

Couldn’t we all use a little (or a lot of) relaxation? These on-the-market homes spanning the Garden State boast unique master bathrooms with features that rival those of a lavish spa.

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1 RIVER EDGE DR., COLTS NECK $2,199,999, 4 bed, 5 bath, 5,420 sq. ft.

Wall-to-wall black-and-white ceramic tile in this spalike Monmouth County bathroom is as luxurious as it is eye-catching— and it’s the first of two master bedroom on-suites located on the home’s upper level. The lucky new owners can unwind here every day with a soak in a 6-foot whirlpool tub, a walk-in shower (large enough for two) and plenty of storage in his-and-hers double sinks. And for when you have to leave this enclave, you’ll have 2.77 acres of property and a 5,420-square-foot home with countless custom details to call your own as well.

CONTACT: JANICE RIZZO, ROBERT DEFALCO REALTY, COLTS NECK, 732.845.3200

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CO N TAC T U S TO DAY FO R A FR E E CO N S U LTATI O N & E S TI M AT E

real estate 1840 BLACK RIVER RD., FAR HILLS $2,750,000, 5 bed, 8 bath, 6,600 sq. ft.

This jaw-dropping listing has 11 acres of property and a separate pool house, but the master suite is the true showstopper. It features a free-standing tub made of teak with a copper fill faucet, radiant floor heating and a heated towel bar. The walk-in shower, with its large window overlooking the lush landscape plus two more oversized windows behind the tub, brings the outdoors in for the ultimate in relaxation.

CONTACT: MARY LICATA, TURPIN REALTORS, FAR HILLS, 908.234.9100

39 GERALDINE RD., ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS $3,150,000, 6 bed, 7 bath, apprx. 8,500 sq. ft.

Opulent is the most appropriate adjective for this new construction, brick and precast home that features modern touches, extensive millwork and high-end finishes. The soaking tub in the bright and airy master bath is the perfect chill zone, or take a seat in the open shower with his-and-hers faucets (with his-and-hers marble vanities to match). Recessed ceilings are found in the bathroom and throughout the home, as are clean white walls and neutral design accents begging for the new owners to make it their own.

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CONTACT: JENNIFER YANG-WU AND STEPHANIE KIM, COLDWELL BANKER, ALPINE/CLOSTER, 201.767.0550

263 MOUNT LAUREL RD., MOUNT LAUREL $5,000,000, 5 bed, 10 bath, 14,020 sq. ft.

For discerning buyers who want it all, look no further than this majestic home in Burlington County—old-world charm on the outside with modern fixings within. Quarantine would be fine if you’re stuck in this master suite, especially this bathroom-for-two featuring a duo of extra-large vanities, Arabescato Carrara marble, a walk-in shower with three rain water showerheads, a separate water closet and a freestanding soaking tub. Steps away is the closet and dressing room combo worthy of an A-lister’s wardrobe.

CONTACT: SHARON BRICE, KELLER WILLIAMS, MOORESTOWN, 609.949.3929

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HEALTH & LIFE

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HAPPY AT HOME

THE HOME ISSUE

VIBRANT HUES IN VERONA DON’T DO THAT TIPS FOR GREAT DECORATING DRESSING (YOUR ROOMS) FOR SUCCESS

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VOLUME 19 ISSUE 5 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

FLORHAM PARK PRO shares design ideas

Interior Decisions, Inc. Inspired and personalized interiors

By Karla Trincanello

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material world

Illuminate your space with the Nonni tortoise/black/antique brass table lamp from Currey & Company, the perfect finishing touch for a mantel, nightstand or bookshelf. Available at Capitol Lighting, multiple locations.

Cast a stylish light in your room with Kalco Lighting’s Somerset 6 chandelier. Available at Capitol Lighting, multiple locations.

Highlight your favorite family photo—or movie still, in this case—in the stylish Lily Tortoise frame by Ralph Lauren.

Available at Nordstrom, multiple locations.

black and brown

Organize your reads in a piece that shows off your taste. The English tortoiseshell bamboo magazine rack circa 1900 features three compartments for reading material, plus a hand-painted side insert.

Available at erinlaneestate.com.

The circular pen shell cocktail table, a vintage piece from mainstream brand Bernhardt, is the perfect place to set down your glass between sips. Available at chairish.com.

AS THEY DO IN FASHION, THE NEUTRAL SWIRLS IN TORTOISESHELL GIVE THESE HOME PIECES DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER.

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This faux tortoiseshell coffee table was part of the personal collection of the late Broadway producer Terry Allen Kramer, who owned an enviable group of modern, Impressionist and fine art. Available at christies.com.

We’ll take your black folding chairs and raise you these vintage tiki tortoise shell bamboo cane rattan folding chairs, a stylish seating solution for extra dinner guests. Set of six. Available at rubylane.com.

TOWN & COUNTRY KITCHEN AND BATH

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RED BANK, NJ | 732.345.1441 | TCKBDESIGNS.COM Design by appointment | Visit website for Mercantile Shop hours

hot stuff

Take your kitchen counter on the go with a stylish quartz tray with handles such as this piece created by Cambria. Available at New York Stone & Tile, Jersey City.

This hammered copper tray is a wonderful way to display perfumes, beauty products or other little knick-knacks atop a dresser. Available at etsy.com.

You'll be barking up the right tree by displaying the gold coral 15-inch square lacquer art serving tray by rockflowerpaper on your table. It has hidden slot handles on either side for added convenience. Available at Mulberry Market, Colts Neck, 732.683.0202.

be trayed

When you're not loading up the La Jolla oval rattan tray with dishware or small items, it works just as beautifully as a fruit basket centerpiece.

Available at kouboo.com.

Wood and mother of pearl shells from Cambodia combine to create this handcrafted LaDorada Mother of Pearl tray. Available at Neiman Marcus, multiple locations.

DON’T BE FOOLED BY THEIR HUMBLE STRUCTURE. THESE WORK HORSES ARE GREAT FOR CORRALLING AND SHOWCASING YOUR STUFF. (THEY’RE GREAT FOR SERVING TOO.)

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Simplistic yet oh-so-stylish, the modern round wooden trays by LA-based artist Nickey Kehoe are made of white oak, a strong and economical wood choice.

Available at nickeykehoe.com.

The Lynn & Liana Lucite tray—which comes in multiple color combos and with gold or silver handles—makes for a beautiful surprise underneath a charcuterie spread or breakfast in bed. Available at lynnliana.com.

fine art

There are multiple mysteries to uncover in “Portrait”

by Polish artist Otto Axer. It’s unknown whose figure he painted here, or in exactly which year he painted it.

Available at 1stdibs .com.

Wake up to the “1960s Morning Painting” by Fred Mitchell, a painter who belonged to the New York School Abstract Expressionist artists and whose work was known around the world. Available at chairish.com.

deep waters THESE ONE-OF-A-KIND WATERCOLORS WILL MAKE A SPLASH IN YOUR GALLERY.

None of us are traveling to Italy anytime soon, but perhaps this 2018 architectural work from McLean Jenkins called “Scuola,” ­of a school in Venice, will hold you over. Available at chairish.com.

One day 2020 will go down in the history books, as should this watercolor created during that infamous year by Reuben Negron called “Nymph #4.” Available at chairish.com.

Mixed media including watercolors, acrylics and ink combine in “Take Me With,” which artist Kim Knoll describes as the experience of being on a boat under the summer sun. Available at chairish.com.

Italian sculptor and painter Agenore Fabbri shows the powerful nature of black and white in “Composition 2,” from 1952. Available at 1stdibs.com.

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Perfectly cabinet-sized is the “Abstract in Rose and Saffron” by Texan-turnedNew-Yorker artist Donald Sanders in complementary shades of saffron, lilac, rose, terracotta, indigo and forest green. Available at chairish.com.

This Winston Churchill original circa the 1960s titled “Landscape With Ruins” is matted, sealed with a stamp of a Parisian art gallery and signed by the late prime minister himself. Available at chairish.com.

vintage finds

The detailed lines in the glasswork of this Art Deco shade chandelier by Markel shine whether the lights are on or off. Available at vintagehardware.com.

The ceramic swirl pattern lamp in brown, black and green is literally mid-century modern, reconfigured for the 21st century with a three-way lightbulb.

Available at 1stdibs.com.

Harlequinn fabric adds sophisticated style to this carved upholstered Jacobean armchair

by Sherrill Furniture #1110, reminiscent of the French Provincial style. Available at 1stdibs.com.

pattern play INTRICATE DESIGNS REMINISCENT OF FURNITURE’S FINEST ERAS TRANSFORM THESE PIECES INTO INSTANT SHOWSTOPPERS.

Thanks to its intricate parquetry, this mid-19th-century commode is a showstopper, whether it’s placed in a foyer for daily use or in a great room as part of the décor. Available at 1stdibs.com.

Attention to detail is unsurpassed in this wow-inducing piece, the antique Victorian walnut and marquetry circular table. Available at 1stdibs.com.

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This 20th-century settee, restored in zebra hide and finished with brass nailheads, is equally striking in an entryway, a sitting room or a master dressing suite. Available at 1stdibs.com.

Formerly a tablecloth from 18thcentury France, this silk, velvet and olive green applique textile gets a new life as a decorative bolster pillow. Available at 1stdibs.com.

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spring 2021

“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”

—Lily Tomlin

surprise!

This classic Franklin Lakes home’s unexpected interior deftly blends drama with practicality, the timeless with the new.

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Text by Leslie Garisto Pfaff Design by Elizabeth Akguc Photography by Sergio Guerra

The kitchen is an eye-catching blend of colors, textures and lighting fixtures, the latter including a series of black sconces, three lantern-style pendants over the island and a “Sputnik”-style chandelier from Nuevo Living above the table.

The custom cabinets are painted black, offset by the warm woods of the refrigerator surround, island, custom range hood and kitchen table, as well as the white oak flooring and the walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s Silver Satin. Above the quartz countertops that flank the Wolf range are a pair of spacious pantries.

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In a neighborhood of gracious, traditional homes, the house with the white exterior— grand as it is—doesn’t stand out or beg for attention. Step inside, though, and it’s an entirely different story. Dramatic sightlines lead from the foyer all the way to the leafy backyard, and from the mudroom, through a spacious open-concept kitchen and great room, to a grand fireplace that extends upward into a two-story pitched ceiling. “I wanted it to be a pleasant surprise when you walk in, with a more contemporary feel on the interior,” says designer Elizabeth Akguc of the Agape Design Group. “My goal was to stand out but still fit in.”

In fact, the house—built on spec in Franklin Lakes by Akguc’s husband, Peter, of Benchmark Builders­­—is filled with surprises, not the least of which is the extraordinary kitchen, which won a 2020 Gold Design Excellence Award from the New Jersey chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. If you’re looking for another all-white kitchen, you won’t find it here. The sleek black cabinets are offset by touches of warm wood that appear in a cabinet that hides the Sub-Zero refrigerator, a large rectangular

This page: Designer Elizabeth Akguc in her award-winning kitchen, next to an unusual table-height oak island that can accommodate six traditional-size chairs. The quartz work surface is raised for easy food prep.

Opposite page: In spite of the dark cabinetry, the kitchen is light-suffused thanks to a bank of windows, a series of sconces and three lantern-style pendants. Two large pantries float atop the quartz counters that flank the six-burner Wolf range.

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This page: Just off the kitchen, the breakfast nook and great room spaces are differentiated by the coffering of the ceilings above them. In the nook, sliding doors lead onto the backyard. Opposite page: The two-story great room dazzles with a floor-to-ceiling fireplace and white oak beams fronted by clerestory windows. The ivory rug from Safavieh and a pair of custom Chesterfield-style sofas add a timeless note.

range hood and a set of open shelves flanking the hood, as well as a table in the adjoining breakfast nook.

“The first impression you get from the kitchen,” says Akguc, “is that it’s pretty masculine—tailored, with clean lines. Because the house’s exterior is so bright and full-white, I wanted to give the kitchen contrast and warmth, which is why I brought in natural elements like wood.” The spacious island—it can seat up to six—is a revelation in itself. Its oak dining surface is actually table height, accommodating up to six standard-height chairs below it; it also incorporates a sink and surrounding quartz work space, raised above the dining area for convenient food prep. “What I find with islands and stools,” says Akguc, “is that you don’t spend that much time on them—they’re very uncomfortable.” Her aim was to create a hub where family and friends would want to linger.

But if the kitchen contains some darker elements, it’s suffused with light, from a trio of large windows on one wall and a wonderfully mixed bag of lighting that includes three geometric open-lantern pendants over the island, a linear “Sputnik”style chandelier above the kitchen table and modern black-and-brass sconces between the windows and above the open shelves.

The kitchen isn’t the home’s only surprise. Bucking the trend of the full open concept, the dining room, just off the foyer, is entirely separate. As cozy and cosseting as it is distinctive, it features black wainscotted walls, balanced by light

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wood floors and a white coffered ceiling. The black-and-white theme continues in an adjacent butler’s pantry. (At the home’s closing, the buyers thanked Akguc for not giving them a white kitchen and for creating a dining room that was anything but boring.)

Even the home’s open-concept spaces—the kitchen, dining nook and great room—maintain a sense of separation, thanks to different patterns of coffering on the ceilings above each area. Nevertheless, there’s a remarkable cohesiveness to the home’s overall design. The flooring is white oak throughout, and black and gold accents pop up everywhere, from the windows with black painted frames and mullions and the black-and-white tile in the butler’s pantry to touches of gold in the powder room wallpaper to an extravagantly gilded dining room chandelier.

But as dramatic as it is, the house is also eminently practical. There’s that table-height island, of course, and the kitchen’s double pantries, a bar in the master bedroom and, brilliantly, two powder rooms on the main floor—one off the mudroom and the other closer to the great room. As the mother of two young children, Akguc knew that family members, not to mention guests, are loath to traipse upstairs to use the bathroom. Each of the two rooms has a very different mood:

This page: The dining room to the left of the foyer derives its drama and its warmth from walls painted in Sherman Williams’ Tricorn Black and a striking modern chandelier from Visual Comfort. Opposite page, top: The designer created the butler’s pantry, with its quartz countertop and geometric backsplash from Artistic Tile, as a transition from the dining room to the kitchen. Opposite page, bottom: One of two main-floor powder rooms, this one has a moody feel thanks to a dark, dramatically veined marble countertop, soft gold wallcovering from Sancar and a large mirror with an Art Deco feel from Renwil.

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One is bright and classic, with navy walls and gold-toned fixtures. The other is more intense, with a black marble floating sink-and-counter and soft gold wallpaper.

Perhaps the house’s most dramatic space is the great room, with its floor-to-ceiling fireplace surround and a pair of white-oak beams that form an inverted V adjacent, on both sides, to a set of clerestory windows. “It is a two-story room,” says the designer, “but because of the pitched roof it feels warmer and more inviting.” That roofline could also make it feel smaller than the typical great room, except that both the fireplace surround and the beams draw the eye upward, and an abundance of windows flood the space with natural light.

Like the rest of the house, the great room feels open and contemporary but also timeless, its modern elements balanced by more traditional details such as the rectangular windows (no glass walls here) and the white marble that frames the fireplace beneath the soaring surround. In fact, “timeless” is the word Akguc uses to sum up her overall design. It could easily be updated over the years with small changes, she notes, “but there’s nothing in it that’s trendy. I designed it to last a lifetime and more.”

This page: In the large master bathroom, a soaker tub is backlit by three uncovered windows. The pale Porcelanosa porcelain floor tile brightens the room as well. Opposite page: In the airy master bedroom, an upholstered bed by Bernhardt adds glamour.

The master closet features custom cabinetry with a light finish. Unlike dark shelving, the designer notes, the pale wood veneer doesn’t show every speck of dust.

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For a family of seven in a hurry, the heart of a new-construction home had to be warm, bright, enduring, multifunctional—and kosher.

a kitchen for all seasons

Timeless and transitional—this new-construction kitchen in Springfield has it covered on both counts with its weatheredlook gray cabinets, quartz countertops and powerful marble accent wall, not to mention caged light fixtures. But designer Victoria Bell knew the home’s hub could not get by on good looks alone. It needed to meet the needs of a family of seven, whether it’s homework time or party time. (Yes, this tribe loves to entertain.)

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Big families often have little time. But a clan of seven moving to a spacious new center-hall colonial in Springfield wanted a timeless design. A style destined to cry “Do-over!” after 15 years was not for this active brood. That proved especially true of the kitchen, the heart of the home built by Five Star Contracting. And permanence in a hurry was just one of the requirements.

“I was looking for modern and beautiful, but it had to be functional,” says Ariana, whose lifestyle as a teacher and mother of five children ages 1½ to 11 left no room for sacrifice. “The kids do their homework in the kitchen,” she explains. “I cook a lot. We entertain a lot.” On top of that, the family needed a kosher kitchen, with two sinks, stoves and other appliances in a design that didn’t scream redundancy.

The pressure was on as Victoria Bell, owner of an eponymous Springfieldbased design firm, endeavored to infuse style and beauty into a room that would have to meet the demands of both everyday life and special occasions.

It turned out to be a perfect partnership: Ariana liked that Bell listened to her needs, and Bell went out of her way to make the design decisions easy.

“The clients specifically wanted a transitional style with modern undertones,” recalls Bell of the project completed in July 2020. “They wanted something warm yet modern, which is why we went with gray cabinets with chrome as the metal finishes for the hood, the sink faucets and the cabinet hardware.”

Chosen by the homeowner, the Fabuwood cabinets feature a weathered look with movement in their grain for a textured departure from flat gray. “I didn’t want a dark kitchen,” says Ariana. “My old house had a dark kitchen.”

The simplicity of the white subway tile backsplash and easy-care quartz countertops set the stage for the room’s major punch: a marble accent wall above the Frigidaire stove in an elegant geometric pattern by Floor & Décor.

Bell saw the unobtrusive hood as an opportunity to stretch this focal point all the way from stove to ceiling. “The kitchen is grays and whites and very clean, but that wall brings a wow factor,” says Ariana.

A second design highlight is the metal-and-glass caged lighting hung from polished nickel chains above the island by Joss & Main. More than just an invitation to gather, the West Elm island stools provide contrast to the grays

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This page, right: This desk is a fine place for getting homework done, and it fits right in stylistically. Nearby is a midcenturymodern dinette with blue velvet chairs from West Elm. Opposite page: Opportunity to go big (stove to ceiling) with the room’s focal point? An elegant geometric pattern in marble.

And it proved to be just the wow factor this white-and-gray kitchen needed. “It matches the color scheme but it’s decorative and it’s interesting,” says homeowner Ariana. Keeping it simple with a white subway tile backsplash allowed the star of the show to shine without competition.

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and whites, with their carved-wood bucket seats and black steel base.

Further softening the look is the nottoo-dark stained oak flooring that runs throughout this space.

Bonus: Bell created that kosher kitchen by minimalizing the appliances—for instance, tucking away ultra-convenient Sharp microwave drawers into the island. The stainlesssteel appliances also marry tastefully with the gray cabinets, she says.

Because family members not only eat in the kitchen but also do homework there, a computer desk was an essential element. “Especially now with COVID, it has been a blessing,” says Bell.

For family meals, there’s a midcentury-modern dinette nearby, also from West Elm, with blue velvet chairs over gold-tone metal legs.

And what’s more convenient than a butler’s pantry next to the dining room with glass cabinets to show off beautiful serving pieces? A mirrored arabesque tile backsplash gives the bar area what Bell calls a “little pop of glam.”

Bell designed the mudroom off the garage with her mind on both function and flair. Helping to organize five kids are hooks with the first initials of each of their names from Anthropologie, as well as metal baskets to keep handy all those gloves, hats and scarves. “It’s part of their routine,” says Ariana. The cabinetry in Benjamin Moore’s high-gloss Gunmetal makes it all easy-peasy with a built-in bench.

Did this kitchen design hit its mark? Ariana’s verdict is strongly affirmative, and this is perhaps the home’s highest-stakes space. “It’s definitely the central location,” she says.

This page: This butler’s pantry, conveniently located near the dining room, features glass doors to display serving ware. The bar’s mirrored arabesque pattern is what Bell calls a “little pop of glam.” Opposite page: With so many ways to organize, this family of five mostly school-aged children is less likely to miss a beat. Wire baskets and hooks bearing the first initial of each child give the mudroom both function and style; this organizational built-in is painted in Benjamin Moore’s high-gloss Gunmetal.

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high art

When New Jersey-based empty nesters decided to redo their 21st-floor Manhattan “getaway,” they knew it would require an artist’s touch.

Text by Nayda Rondon

Design by James Yarosh

Photography by Patricia Burke

The challenge: to transform a drab, cramped co-op into a small masterpiece that glowed with a sophisticated palette and an Old World patina. Most of all, the space needed to feel bigger.

Bruce and Marsha Baldinger had made a transition from a sprawling 6,500-squarefoot custom property in rural New Vernon to their current primary residence, a 4,850-square-foot townhouse in South Orange, which they purchased in 2016. Now empty nesters with four grown children off on adventures of their own, the art-loving couple decided they too needed to venture out and pursue their passions. What better way than by renovating a neglected, 800-square-foot, one-bedroom Manhattan co-op that had been in Bruce’s family for decades, making it a “getaway” that allowed them to enjoy all the cultural pleasures of a cosmopolitan lifestyle?

For a partner in creativity they chose James Yarosh of the Holmdel-based James Yarosh

Interior designer James Yarosh made an 800-square-foot Manhattan apartment “pretty enough to chameleon into whatever fun presents.” Seamless blending and intermixing of recurring design elements helped. In the dining area, for instance, the table, with its silver Deco base and wine-colored top, marries with the foyer wallpaper. The vintage table light centers the dining space but is understated enough not to distract from the view or the more important art elements. The raised gray-on-bone-colored geometrics of the silk velvet drapes offer a repeat pattern that references the black-white-and-gray abstract paintings grouped in the main seating area.

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Associates Fine Art Gallery, which also offers interior design services for art collectors. Yarosh, whom the couple had first come to know after buying artwork from his gallery, had become a trusted friend after they collaborated with him on the interior design of their townhouse.

Re-envisioning the apartment was “pure fun,” says Yarosh of the yearlong renovation project. “The joy came from the clients’ pleasure with what we had created with their main house. They knew to trust me and now were excited to push the boundaries to see where the design might take us.”

Yarosh sought to showcase the owners’ art collection and harmoniously reflect their love of color, patterns and vintage and antique pieces. “I sought to direct the eye around the room so it would unfold in the way intended to marry the design elements,” he explains. “It’s a mix of thoughtful curation, experience—my gallery turns 25 in 2021—and trusting to my artist’s intuition.”

Located on the 21st floor of an East Side brick building with a view of The San Remo on Central Park West, the couple’s compact “tree house in the sky” now lives large and luxurious. “James is amazing at space design and utilization,” says Marsha, noting that they measured “to the inch” in order to accommodate all the necessary and desired components. The end result? “There’s so much in it, but it doesn’t feel at all crowded.”

To create the look and feel of an expansive space, Yarosh started by gutting the

apartment to reconstruct the kitchen and fashion areas like the entrance and the hall to the bedroom and bathroom. Old wood floors were replaced by dark charcoal slate tiles throughout; a dividing wall was torn down to make way for a stylish, utilitarian bar peninsula; all the doors, casings and fixtures were switched; and architectural moldings—personally designed by Yarosh to enhance the space—were custom-constructed.

Yarosh curated the placement and framing of the couple’s art collection, ensuring that each design element advanced the overall aesthetic narrative. Every piece— from custom mirrored doors and cabinets to rugs and furniture—was carefully selected with an eye for depth and width considerations in order to coax more flattering lines out of the apartment’s configurations.

While not a completely open plan, Yarosh’s design achieves a dexterous duality—a feeling of free-floating spaciousness with an anchoring sense of distinct functional spaces. He transformed what’s essentially one room into several separate living clusters: a foyer, a kitchen, a bar, a dining area, a main living/seating area and a TV viewing spot. He did this through clever placement, for instance juxtaposing two TV-facing incliner chairs in an opposite perpendicular location to two upholstered armchairs in the main seating area. “This nontraditional twist allowed for more function of the space, creating a little private TV room for two in the middle of the main living room section meant for larger gatherings,” Yarosh explains.

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This page: The kitchen/bar peninsula, painted the same red as the foyer’s wallpaper background, serves up a balancing division of space. Feeding the owners’ appetite for color and pattern, the kitchen tiles are a riot of reds, blues and yellows. Says owner Marsha Baldinger: “When friends come over and see the ‘crazy’ tiles, they laugh and say, ‘Yup, you live here!’” Opposite page: “I love the starfish and feather wallpaper because it’s just fabulous on its own,” says the designer of the foyer’s historically accurate block-printed design. Another favorite: the Fornasetti iron umbrella stand; sprinkled with handpainted umbrellas, it reigns with upright solidness intermingled with a light mix of wit.

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Custom-sized to fit the space, the Rug & Kilim 9-foot-by-18-foot wool-and-silk blend rug features an abstract, retro-feel design with a color scheme that ties all of the room’s various sections into a cohesive esthetic.

Wallpaper was also integral in marrying patterns and color-blocking spaces in order to designate areas. “The foyer’s hand-printed historical patterns with garnet plumes and silver starfish against a mid-level gray relate to the grays of the prominent art and create one marriage, while the bedroom wallpaper of garland-wrapped swirled columns against another shade of blue similar to the apartment’s walls unifies another,” Yarosh notes.

Thanks to the designer’s instincts, wallpaper that might have appeared staid and stuffy takes on a fresh, lighthearted aspect. “These more old-school wallpaper patterns have stood the test of time as beautiful,” Yarosh says. “Using them to giftwrap the space actually turns out to be a fashion-forward step, imparting a little playfulness.”

The owners’ willingness to have fun with color and patterns played a vibrant part in Yarosh’s approach. For example, the collection of black, white and gray abstract oils on canvas by artist Max Schnitzler—Marsha’s great uncle—and a large Iliya

Mirochnik collage art piece purchased at Yarosh’s gallery were focal starting points.

But, eschewing a monochromatic gray on the walls as “anticlimactic,” Yarosh instead proposed using a pale, aqua-tinged blue as the apartment’s neutral. The choice proved a masterstroke. The color—Yarmouth Blue from Benjamin Moore’s Historic Colors collection—not only serves as a lively background for the art and unifies the entire apartment, but also “radiates brightness and light for a penthouselevel space in the clouds.”

In the dining area, deep cranberry mohair chairs face a built-in banquette upholstered in a tweedy pattern of pink hues. The Clarence House drapes, the Fornasetti ceramic plates and the painting over the banquette all contain hues that fit in with the central color story. In the kitchen, the Artistic Tile backsplash incorporates variations of the space’s primary colors. When the reds, blues and yellows of a custom Moroccan-inspired mosaic are viewed from across the bar, they offer a defused jewel-like effect and yet another play of patterns.

Stowage and multifunctional considerations also figured in Yarosh’s aesthetic calculations. Under the windows, which run all across one side of the entire room, he installed built-in cabinets with pressed-release mirrored doors for stylish storage

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This page, right: A colorful subplot to the two main rooms, the Bibliothèque wallpaper in the hall creates a literary illusion, while Iliya Mirochnik’s 24-inch-by-75-inch study makes a dramatic statement on the forewall. Opposite page: Placed over a dark gray couch accented with Hermès pillows, the owners’ prized abstract paintings are proudly displayed on the center wall of the seating area. Interspersed between these large oils on canvas are smaller framed art pieces by Jacob Landau, which the couple purchased from Yarosh’s gallery. The Danish cherrywood coffee and end tables are vintage finds. The Noguchi lantern with a paper shade adds a bohemian casualness to the low seating space and subtly complements the mixed media/collage-on-paper art piece commanding the opposing hallway wall.

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and reflective spaciousness. The bench, dining chairs and table—all fabricated

by Jonah Bibi for Artistic Frame—were literally made for each other. The bench, which typically resides along the entrance wall, was sized to fit snugly alongside the dining table. Upholstered in the same Fortuny cranberry red mohair, it matches the two Captain chairs to double as companion seating when company comes. The table, supported by a silver Deco base, is topped with a wine-colored lacquered shagreen that Marsha calls “virtually indestructible” for a surface that’s as visually palatable as it is practical.

Although unified by the same flooring and wall treatments as the rest of the apartment, the bedroom has a decidedly different feel. The antique furniture pieces from David Duncan Antiques in Manhattan, the custom king-sized bed adorned in custom Matouk cotton sateen bedcoverings and the Zuber of France handmade lace window panel secured with gold ring clips all harmoniously combine to impart a serene Old World grace. And of course, the room wouldn’t be complete without the essential element of art: the beautiful painting of peonies in a vase by Russian Realism artist Nikolai Koslov and the two Pierre Lesieur paintings by the custom

mirrored door closet.

“It feels like a luxurious hotel suite,” says Marsha of the ultra-personalized apartment. “It’s perfect for us to get away from it all to enjoy all the city has to offer. And it’s also great for socializing; we can comfortably entertain six people for a brunch or pre-theater cocktails. Before COVID, we would go about three times a month and stay for about three nights. It’s wonderful not to have to rush back home and to just wake up to sunshine and so many of the things we love.”

“It’s the right blend of modern and retro, utility and luxury,” says Bruce. “I’ve owned the place for close to 37 years and it’s never looked so good. It’s dramatically different and perfect for our needs.”

“We created something out of near nothing,” says Yarosh. “Designer–client relationships are so much better when we hold hands as we jump together in a leap of faith.” He says the collaboration has also yielded inspiration for similar spacechallenged possibilities closer to home. “Swapping big-city views for ocean ones presents a promising opportunity for clients interested in primary- or second-home apartments along the Jersey Shore,” Yarosh declares.

This page, right: With an eye to enhancing aesthetics, the crown molding in the bedroom was dropped to continue the line of the bed’s inset, allowing an uninterrupted line of the wallpaper across the wall; the molding was also used along the windows to hide drapery hardware. Further beautifying the space, the delicate Zuber of France lace panel adds sheer romance. Opposite page: The custom Liberty Lighting Group lamp with a silver silk shade acts as an art light shining on a mid-century Russian painting.

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three in the kitchen

A trio of talented design professionals put their heads together to update a classic Rutherford colonial’s busiest room.

Text by Marisa Sandora Carr Design by Rosario Mannino, Zack Dettmore and Jaclyn Isaac Photography by Chris Veith

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A coffered ceiling beautifully hides the structural beam that was needed to open up the dining room to the kitchen in this 1914 Rutherford colonial. The black-and-white Parisian theme carries over into the dining area with two black built-in cabinets, which house the bar and the homeowner’s collection of white pitchers. “I love the matte black finish on the built-ins,” says designer Jaclyn Isaac. “It gives them that Old-World look that we were going for.”

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More isn’t always merrier when it comes to interior design professionals collaborating on a renovation. But when homeowner Jennifer Darby Metzger was ready to pull the trigger on her kitchen update in Rutherford, she wanted a dream team, and that’s what she got. As a local real estate agent, you see, she knew the talent.

She called on Rosario Mannino of RS Mannino Architects + Builders in Rutherford to design the space, Zack Dettmore of Dettmore Home Improvements in Rutherford to do the construction, and Jaclyn Isaac of Downtown Decorators in Jersey City to create the interior design. And what might have been a cacophony of tastes became a symphony of synergy instead.

“Not everybody hires an architect, a builder and a designer,” says Isaac.

Yeah, and not everybody gets this kitchen.

Metzger had bought the circa-1914 colonial back in 2007, knowing “it had good bones and was an old beauty,” she says. But the dated kitchen with its adjacent tiny powder room was on her list to change from the get-go. Then the real estate market crashed and the project was put on hold. By the time Metzger was ready to do the work, she

realized that her needs had changed. “One of the reasons I bought the house was for the attached garage, so that I could bring my little girls in their car seats right inside,” she remembers. “But once the kids got older, the attached garage wasn’t as important, and I really needed a mudroom. We didn’t have any storage as you walked right from the garage into the house.”

Mannino solved her problems when he suggested taking half of the garage and making it a mudroom and larger powder room. That also allowed the designers to square off the kitchen and create a pantry in that space. Dettmore also opened the kitchen up to the dining room, giving the house a more open feel and creating room for a kitchen island, which ended up being his favorite part of the project. “Most homes have a kitchen island that ends up being very long and linear,” he says. “This island is square, so it has a nice intimate scale to it. You can be on any side and be in a good conversation.”

In fact, the dream team gathered around the island when they were done to toast to the success of the project. “It really was a cool collaboration,” says Metzger, “because everyone is so interesting and had such great ideas.”

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This page, right: The “fun and funky” powder room is designer Isaac’s favorite part of the project. She pushed the homeowner out of her comfort zone a bit, and “she gets compliments on it all the time,” Isaac reports. Black-and-white porcelain tiles cover the floor in a checkerboard pattern while dragonfly-adorned wallpaper adds even more flair. “The dragonfly is very special to her and her family, so we custom-designed and printed this for the space,” says Isaac.

A custom-built vanity and vintage light fixtures complete the look. Opposite page: A leathered, black Brazilian quartzite island adds contrast in the traditional white kitchen featuring Calacatta Gold marble countertops. An old door found in a warehouse full of building castoffs was used for the pantry, which is located where the original powder room was. “By moving the powder room, we were able to gain square footage for the kitchen, and now guests have more privacy,” explains architect Rosario Mannino.

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designer’s showplace The Saddle River colonial didn’t need to be gutted.

But it did need furniture from two Louis, cubist paintings by the owner-designer—and a vision.

Text by Donna Rolando Design by Robyn Stevens Photography by SGM Photography

Just as different musical notes come together in joyful harmony, the different design elements in this Saddle River home’s piano room merge in visual delight.

Cubist and abstract artworks gain a sense of balance and warmth with shimmering gilded frames. The Tibetan hand-knotted rug complements the pearl gray of the woven silk settee, watery blue glaze walls and other colors in a room born to entertain.

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Knowing that her dining room would see a lot of action, designer Robyn Stevens wanted it to be inviting. The vintage candlesticks clustered like a centerpiece on the ebonized Louis XVI table team up nicely with the antique rock crystal chandelier and sconces, and the abundant French-1940s-style leather chairs always allow room for one more. The de Gournay Paris wall coverings with peacocks and exotic plants are hand-painted in soft, soothing tones.

The newest owner of a classic brick colonial in Saddle River can tickle the ivories for guests and fill a gallery wall with her own masterpieces. But what this original condition circa-1990 house cried out for was a designer to breathe new life into its classical style. Fortunately, home buyer Robyn Stevens is also the founder and principal designer at Silhouette Studio in Saddle River. She had the experience to make it happen.

“We started renovating immediately the minute we moved in,” says Stevens. “We updated everything.”

Yet she resisted the clean-slate, gut-it-all approach. The reno completed in 2019 would merge new and old elements, respecting the home’s architecture but starting from scratch with all the finishes, hardware and flooring, and—in some cases—wood paneling.

“We kept it in a classical style; it has a lot of symmetry, the proportions are great,” says Stevens. “It just needed to be brought back to life.”

In luxe textures, subtle patterns and nature-inspired hues, Stevens merged French 1940s elegance with fresh contemporary accents. The result is perfect for when it’s just the family (Stevens, her husband and their three dogs), but it can also be the life of a gala. Stevens admits a passion for entertaining—she loves a good dinner party, which this home can easily accommodate, starting with what she calls the piano room.

“It’s a comfortable room for cocktails and some good friends,” says Stevens. She didn’t have to shop around for the cubist-style paintings that adorn the gallery wall alongside the Steinway grand or the large abstract over the banquette. “I’m a designer, but I also do oil painting,” explains Stevens, who put her muse to work throughout the home. She then used gilded frames (gold leaf over wood) for balance, warmth and “a nice little shimmer, which is elegant,” against watery blue glaze walls, she says.

Guests can relax with a cocktail in hand on the pearl-colored, woven silk settee sculpted in the workroom of Genesis Upholstery in Passaic, or perhaps a Louis XVI chair with gilded frame and fox fur pillows. The tradi-

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Stevens was the muse behind the photo-realism portrait of a woman above this Dark Emperador marble fireplace, as well as the design in this mahoganypaneled office/library. A metal artist created the starburst pattern screen for the selenite crystal logs. The antique books that grace the mahogany bookshelves inspired the ceiling paper with their marblelized lining, and a Louis XV desk finds itself right at home with the contemporary gem-shaped ottoman, empire-style chandelier and vintage ’60s bronze dog statue.

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tional silk curtains (custom-made from Manuel Canovas fabric) are not only chic; they’re sound-attenuating—just right for a piano room.

Pursuing her passion for plaster, a pure art form “very popular right now,” Stevens illuminated the room with eight palm tree sconces procured through a private estate sale in Palm Beach.

Completing the look is an antique coffee table with églomisé glass over gilded metal, concrete cubic sculptures under the piano for “a bit of fun” and a Tibetan area rug in hand-knotted silk and wool. The rug’s abstract design “brings together all the colors in the room,” Stevens says. Just what you’d expect from a designer.

At mealtime, Stevens is not one of those people who save their dining rooms for holidays. “I wanted to make the room inviting and warm, so the first thing I thought of was to do a kind of fantasy-like wall covering,” she says.

Custom-made to fit the room, the de Gournay Paris silk, hand-painted wall covering incorporates “mystical” elements—like peacocks and birds in flight set amidst exotic shrubbery, all in a soft color palette.

Stevens’ love of antiques can be seen in the ebonized Louis XVI table from Paris-based Maison Jansen, the rock crystal chandelier and sconces, as well as vintage candlesticks of various heights grouped like a centerpiece. And

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because she’s serious about entertaining, there are enough French-1940s-style leather chairs for the entire gang.

Even the books are antiques in the office/library, where Stevens works at a restored Louis XV desk, the star of this room’s décor. The mahogany wood paneling and metallic basketweave Roman shade add rich character, as does the fireplace with Dark Emperador marble, a custom starburst screen, selenite crystal logs and antique candelabras for the mantel. The marbleized paper lining the antique books was too pretty to be hidden away on a shelf, so it became Stevens’ inspiration for the ceiling, along with an empire-style chandelier.

“I like to do ceiling papers,” she says. “People always come in and ask what it is.”

How to master a fresh look with so many antiques? Stevens explains: “I try to incorporate contemporary pieces,” like the gem-shaped ottoman and abstract rug in greige, taupe, charcoal and gold.

In the master bedroom, Stevens accomplished her goal of serenity and restfulness with the help of watery blue hues for the chenille upholstery. Equally soothing are the round silk rug over bleached oak flooring and the ivory white sateen wall covering inside the millwork panels, not to mention the terrace view from the palladium windows.

“I wanted it to feel luxurious yet uncluttered,” she says. Stevens hit her mark with a happy marriage of antiques (bedside tables), contemporary (polished stainless-steel coffee table) and even plaster accents (console/table lamps). An architectural

Guests are treated like royalty with Louis XVI furniture purchased at auction and partnered with modern elements such as the brass frame mirror on a wall shared with striped Roman shades. “The pearl gray walls offset the mahogany beds nicely,” says Stevens.

She breathes new life into these antiques with planetary orbital concepts and mixed metals as evident in the end table lamp.

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This page, left: This striking image over the Louis XVI commode in the upper-stairway landing was inspired by a fashion photo. Again, classic elements take on a novel look with the help of contemporary accents such as the upholstered accent chair and concrete sculpture. Opposite page: The master bedroom with its watery blue chenille upholstery is meant to be peaceful, an effect complemented with a round silk area rug over bleached oak flooring, ivory white sateen wall covering and plaster accents. An Italian Murano glass starburst chandelier adds a celestial element to the barrel-vaulted ceiling. After a good night’s sleep, a private terrace awaits outside the French doors for laid-back mornings with a cup of joe.

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highlight, the barrel-vaulted ceiling met its perfect match with a starburst chandelier in Italian Murano glass.

There’s also a feast for the eyes in the guest bedroom, where Louis XVI antique mahogany furniture comes together with mixed metals against a backdrop of pearl gray walls.

“I like planetary orbital concepts mixed with traditional,” she says of her choice of wall art, which includes metal sculptures. Guests may think they’ve stepped into a museum with décor that also features ammonite “like a giant fossil” on a marble-topped console.

Custom linen Roman shades with fabric stripes and tone-on-tone gray carpeting (Stark in NYC) complete the look.

Even the upper stair landing strikes a balance between old and new with a modern oil painting mounted above the Louis XVI mahogany commode. Inspired by a fashion photo, the artwork provides “juxtaposition of modernity and classicism,” says Stevens. “The upholstered accent chair and concrete sculpture are also contemporary accents, echoing the shape of the eye mask cutouts in the painting.”

Through Stevens’ efforts, here’s one colonial that has truly escaped the blahs with the clever mingling of antique, contemporary and pure art forms—like plaster. Yet it’s still a classic at heart.

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california down the shore

A designer builds her dream beach house, bringing a West Coast boutique feel to Long Beach Island.

Text by Leslie Garisto Pfaff

Design by Karen B. Wolf

Photography by Raquel Langworthy

The lanai on the first floor of this Long Beach Island house connects with the pool area via an up-sliding garage door. In front of the wet bar, a custom driftwood-topped table and mesh chairs from Essentials for Living offer ample space for snacking and dining. They reflect the house’s palette of sand, white and blue, the latter evident here in a trio of bar stools and the floor’s ceramic tiles from Garden State Tile. The flooring was a practical choice, to stand up to sandy feet and potential flooding.

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Growing up, designer Karen Wolf had spent many happy summers on the broad beaches of Long Beach Island, so when she decided to build a beach house for herself and her family, location was never a question. “I love the fact that when you drive over the bridge to LBI, you feel like you’ve really gotten away,” she says. The house she built—and designed herself, from top to bottom—was created to embody that getaway feeling: part California cottage, part boutique beach resort.

It also had to accommodate three generations. Her parents occupy the top floor of the three-story house; Wolf and her college-age twins call the second floor home, and the ground floor is taken up by the lanai, an indoor-outdoor space that opens onto the backyard via an up-sliding garage door. The lanai, which features a wet bar, a dining table and a comfortable living area, sets the tone for the entire house, with what Wolf describes as “a cheerful, bright, sun-drenched happy feel.” It’s casual and inviting but very grown-up, eschewing coastal kitsch (there’s nary a beach sign or a decorative lifesaver to be found).

The floor is covered in hexagonal ceramic tiles in white and pale blue, and all of the furniture in the lanai, including a faux wicker sectional sofa with snowy white cushions and a found-driftwood-topped table, is indoor-outdoor—a hedge against This page, top: In the lanai’s living area, a sectional faux-wicker sofa from Southern Home offers comfort and practicality: all the furniture in the lanai is indoor-outdoor, weatherproof and water-resistant. Bottom: Flanking the pool, the cocoon chairs offer a place to lounge in a narrow space that doesn’t accommodate traditional chaises. Opposite page: The exterior is designed to bring to mind a clean-lined California beach cottage. Reflecting the interior palette, the board-and-batten siding was painted in Sherwin Williams’ Blissful Blue. The custom terrace railings pick up the X pattern in the garage doors.

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potential flooding, not unknown along the Jersey Shore.

The blue, white and sand palette that prevails in the lanai—Wolf describes it as “beachy chic”—is repeated throughout the house, with the blue morphing from turquoise on the ground floor to mostly navy on the second to periwinkle on the top. Wolf also used it on the home’s exterior, with board-and-batten siding painted a soft sky blue, accented by white trim and a white metal roof. The railings on all three terraces (off the second and third floors and adjacent to the pitched roof) are also white, with an X pattern echoing the design of the house’s two garage doors (one leading to the lanai and the other to an actual garage). The exterior colors are pure Cali cottage, as is the essential simplicity of its design, in contrast to some of the more ornate houses on the island.

The home’s overall palette, combined with tall, pitched ceilings, gives the top floor an ethereal feeling. The pale hardwood flooring, installed throughout the second and third stories, is echoed in the exposed beams that delineate the ceiling, but Wolf deliberately stained the beams slightly darker so that they’d contrast more dramatically with the white walls and ceiling. In fact, Wolf begins virtually all her designs with the flooring, whose tones she then strategically echoes throughout the space. In this case, she actually edged the white range hood with the flooring itself.

While blue is an essential element of the home’s palette, she’s applied it lightly, with a deft

The home’s palette was based on the color of the hand-scraped, wide-plank white oak flooring, picked up here, in the third-floor kitchen area, in the wood-look porcelain on the perimeter of the cabinetry and in the range hood’s rim, created from the flooring itself. The custom island—also porcelain, for extra durability—contains the kitchen sink. Coastal blues feature in Sherwin Williams’ Windy Blue on the front of the island and in the tiled Maritime Blue backsplash from Glazio. Opposite: The third-floor ceiling is covered in shiplap for a coastal feel; the beams are a slightly darker take on the color of the flooring.

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hand, so that it doesn’t overwhelm.

In the second-floor living area, for instance, Wolf used it in the kitchen backsplash, on the front of the kitchen island, in a console table backing the white sofa and, most notably, in a pair of swivel chairs upholstered in a striking blue-andwhite ombre pattern.

The sun-washed third-floor bedroom derives visual interest less from color than from texture, from a three-dimensional wheat-sheaf rim on a hanging mirror to a variety of highly textural pillows on the fourposter bed to the beaded chandelier above it. “I really wanted to provide a feeling of warmth and comfort in the bedroom with layering of texture, but to keep it bright and airy,” she says.

Light and air were important overall in creating the sense of beach chic that Wolf desired, but they were also essential to opening up a space that might otherwise have felt confined. The lot, like many on LBI, is long and narrow, presenting Wolf with her major design challenge. “From the beginning,” she says, “my goal in the space was to make it feel wider.”

One way she accomplished this was by differentiating specific areas in an open-concept space to draw the eye from left to right. On the third floor, she raised the ceilings, eliminated hallways and tucked the

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This page: The designer’s subtle use of texture—in a nubby rug and a Curry & Company console table that evokes the look of raw wood—enlivens the living area. Opposite page: The third-floor living area was designed for year-round living. The designer eschewed marble on the fireplace surround for tile in a subtle Moroccan pattern (Emma Gray) from Riad, which infuses it with warmth but doesn’t overpower the rest of the space.

Custom swivel chairs were upholstered in an eye-catching blue ombre pattern. The blue in the Shop Society Social console table matches the front of the kitchen island.

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master bedroom area behind the kitchen.

The narrow lot posed a particular challenge in the backyard, where a rectangular pool takes up most of the available space. To accommodate the pool, Wolf had to accept a narrower-than-ideal perimeter. Because there was no room for traditional chaise longues, for instance, she used dramatic cocoon chairs. The chairs, and the grasses behind them, were placed symmetrically to help draw the eye outward from the lanai.

Though summer is clearly the house’s flagship season, it was designed to be used and enjoyed throughout the year—as evidenced, for example, by the third-floor fireplace and the enveloping upholstered pieces that surround it. The lanai, too, says Wolf, “has an all-yearround-feel, so while you can use it for the pool, you can also sit down in the middle of winter and enjoy the space in warmth and comfort.” That’s exactly what Wolf and her family have done, multiple times, over the past winter, as they waited, expectantly, to greet summer in their own private beach resort.

This page, right: Texture also has its say in the third-floor master bathroom, in the veneered floating vanity and the glass blend tile from Artistic. Opposite page: In the accompanying master bedroom, colors are deliberately toned down to give the space a relaxing, airy feel. Instead of intense hues, the designer draws visual interest from texture—in the mirror from Ballard, the wallpaper from Mark Alexander and the bedding and pillows.

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ASK THE REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL Special Advertising Section

Special Advertising Section REAL ESTATE SPECIAL PROMOTION

Where is the real estate market heading in 2021?

Heading into 2021, the Northern New Jersey real estate market will remain active with strong momentum, and buyers and sellers alike will continue to benefit. With mortgage rates projected to remain low, high buyer demand is expected to fuel more home sales and continue to increase home prices.

Historically low mortgage rates will enable buyers to increase their purchase power from years prior.

Following a trend that we clearly saw in 2020, buyers will continue to take advantage of the industry’s acceleration toward technology to research homes and neighborhoods. In 2021, it will be the year of the educated and more knowledgeable buyer. With home prices hitting new highs, sellers are still in a favorable position.

A trusted real estate professional will create reasonable expectations and will set the tone for a timely sale, allowing sellers to focus on their next move.

The Urban Market will continue to have its challenges; however, affordability and inventory will slowly drive demand.

Millennial buyers are predicted to become a dominant force in the luxury real estate market and remote work has allowed them to ascend the housing ladder. Sustainability is projected to go into overdrive with millennials, being the largest generation possessing unique consumer preferences that will immensely influence the direction of luxury home buying and selling.

Although supply is expected to lag, we do expect the declines to slow and potentially stop by the end of the year as sellers grow more comfortable with the market environment and new construction continues to grow. The 2020 housing market astounded many with its strength, but 2021 is primed to be just as strong, if not stronger.

As always, send me an email with any questions you have or contact me via phone if you’re ready to start planning a move this year. We look forward to doing business with you.

TAYLOR LUCYK, BROKER ASSOCIATE Christie’s International Real Estate/Northern New Jersey 313 Broadway, Westwood, NJ 07675 Office: 201.476.0777 | Cell: 201.360.1292 Taylorlucyk1@gmail.com | Christiesrennj.com

• Closed Over $68 Million in Sales in 2020 • Top 1% in Closed Volume in all of NJMLS • 2019 & 2020 NJ Realtors® Circle of Excellence Award Recipient – Platinum Level • Christie’s International Real Estate Masters – Circle Member 2020 • Christie’s Certified Luxury Specialist 2020

Special Advertising Section What exactly is a property management company and why do I need one?

Property management is the full control and oversight of a property offering services to sustain and increase its market value. ARC Property Management usually charges anywhere between 7% to 10% of the rental income, depending on the assignment. We serve investors and out-of-state homeowners in New Jersey’s Hudson County area. Having an experienced property manager saves you time to focus on other projects and alleviates daily obligations for your investment. ARC connects you with their vast network of vendors and contractors offering all types of services and plans and we pass on the large volume discounts we receive to property owners. Monthly property statements are sent to our clients for updates on their investments. ARC is a full-service property management company focused on decreasing expenses and maximizing NOI (Net Operating Income) while managing tenant concerns and property emergencies at a great level of urgency. In addition, ARC continues to work with tenants to make payment arrangements and inform them of rental assistance programs during the pandemic. Please see the link to our Google reviews and testimonies on our website—we strive to provide excellent service to all of our clients and tenants. Stay stress-free with ARC.

CHRIS HERNANDEZ, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ARC Property Management 78 John Miller Way, Suite 326, Kearny, NJ 07032 Office: 551.444.9010 | Arc-propertymgmt.com

• Best Property Managers in Jersey City/ Expertise 2020 • General Maintenance and Renovation Management • Property Inspections, Violation Monitoring, Tenant Selection & Placement • Check out our reviews on Google Reviews • Follow us on Instagram @arcpropertymanagement

How do you stand out as a seller or buyer in today’s competitive real estate market?

Whether you’re considering selling or buying, you must hire a Real Estate professional who invests in your home goals. To stand out in today’s seller’s market, you need an agent that understands what makes your home unique and creates an appealing story. You’ll also need a professional who understands what it takes to invest in elite photos, videos, and buzz-worthy marketing through social media and strategic advertising placement that will showcase your property to the fullest.

As a buyer, you need an incredible negotiator who will properly investigate the seller’s priorities so that you can present an attractive offer.

To learn more about how I differentiate my listings for sellers and create opportunities for my buyers, please follow me on Instagram at @KellyFernandes_Homes or email me at Kelly.

Fernandes@sothebysrealty.com for all my recommendations.

KELLY FERNANDES, REALTOR® ASSOCIATE Heritage House Sotheby’s International Realty 38 Main Street, Holmdel NJ 07733 Office: 732.946.9200 | Mobile: 908.489.5970 Kelly.Fernandes@SothebysRealty.com KellyFernandesHomes.com

• Closed Over 12.5 Million Sales in 2020 as an Individual Agent • 2020 NJ Realtors® Circle of Excellence Award® Recipient—Gold Level • Servicing Monmouth, Middlesex, and Ocean Counties NJ • NJ Lifetime Resident--R.E. Investment & Construction Background • Trilingual in English, Spanish & Portuguese

Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Special Advertising Section Will the 2021 housing market be super-competitive for homebuyers?

The market trends from January of 2021 do show that home buyers will face a continued competitive market for many reasons. The inventory of homes remains at an all-time low, but the demand is still very high. Two of the reasons the demand is so high is because of the low mortgage rates and remote work sparking the suburban real estate boom. In addition, housing prices began to go up before the pandemic, but the situation further accelerated the rise in real estate prices, which economists predict will continue throughout 2021. With the increasing competitiveness and complexities of today’s real estate market, home buyers and sellers now need more than ever a dedicated team of professionals who know the local real estate area and its opportunities inside and out. If you are buying a home and need a dynamic and attentive team with exceptional negotiating skills, contact Team KDKM to find out why we’re considered one of the most determined and tireless real estate duos in the area.

KIERNAN DIFEO AND KAREN MATUCH

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Over $17,000,000.00 in closed sales for 2020 Top Spring Lake Office Producers 2020 Life-long residents of Spring Lake Local knowledge of the Jersey Shore and surrounding communities • Instagram: @TeamKDKM

Team KDKM | Jack Green Realty 1225 Third Ave., Spring Lake, NJ 07762 Cell: 732.684.8197 or 732.685.7580 jackgreenrealty.com

Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

REAL ESTATE HOMES OF DISTINCTION

10 Farmstead Mahwah New Jersey 07430 Price: $9,875,000 Sitting majestically as the marquis of this secluded 7 home double cul-de-sac,on 4.29 dramatically landscaped acres overlooking the Ramapo Mountains sits this approximately 14,500 sq ft palatial estate just thirty minutes from The George Washington Bridge. As one enters the spacious hand painted domed entry area, there is a sweeping ‘Gone with the Wind’ double staircase which sets the tone to this residence.

160 Spring Valley Road Montvale New Jersey 07645 Price Starting $899,000 Welcome to The Alexa, the definition of luxury living. The Alexa is a gated community situated on a beautiful 15-acre property, just off the Garden State Parkway, with easy access to NYC, public transportation, world class shopping, dining, golf, and top-rated schools. Community amenities include Pool, Clubhouse, Tennis, and Playground. Flexible layouts featuring 3 Bedrooms/2.5 Baths +, 10ft ceilings, modern gourmet eat-in kitchens, spalike Master bathrooms and elevator options.

Christies International Real Estate Northern New Jersey

Cell: 201.360.1292 Taylor C. Lucyk, Realtor

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chasing waterfalls A freestanding waterfall adds both a spirit of adventure and a serene calmness to your outdoor space.

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The soothing sound of flowing water provides tranquility and enhances the ambience in any secret garden.

The tabletop-sized Mountain Spring Rock Waterfall packs a punch in just 11 inches, with four waterfalls, five pools of water and LED lighting. Available at harmonyfountains.com.

Add some Zen and Asianinspired style to your outdoor living space with the Ivy Bronx Natural Stone floor fountain. A large bowl captures the water that trickles down from the metallic orb above. Available at wayfair.com.

Crushed stone and designer resin combine to create the handmade resin rock outdoor fountain by Design Toscano. Available at Lowe’s, multiple locations.

Inspired by Western décor, the John Timberland modern rustic outdoor floor water fountain features water flowing through four petite tiered basins.

Availalable at Target, multiple locations.

Emissary’s urn-shaped ceramic fountain in a lemon-green glaze instantly ups the backyard ambience. Available at Bed Bath & Beyond, multiple locations.

Low maintenance and high style is what you’ll get with the Sunnydaze desert spring solar-powered outdoor water fountain. The sun conveniently charges the helix on top, plus the green hue blends in with any garden. Available at The Home Depot, multiple locations.

NEW JERSEY’S PREMIER DESTINATION FOR INTERIOR DESIGN SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 20% STOREWIDE* COMPLIMENTARY INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE HUNDREDS OF STYLES OF FURNITURE AND RUGS AVAILABLE IN STOCK PREMIER WHITE GLOVE DELIVERY

www.safavieh.com | 877.919.1010 LIVINGSTON 442 W. MT PLEASANT AVE 973.629.5800 PARAMUS 110 E. STATE RT 4 201.291.0200 BRIDGEWATER 1213 RT 22 WEST 908.864.4330 *Cannot be combined with any other offer, not valid on all brands. Offer good on new purchases only.

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Draperies & Upholstery

•

Blinds & Shutters

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Motorized Shades

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70,000 Fabrics

If you are looking for Custom Window Fashions - Call the Experts!

Our professional decorators will come directly to your home or office.

Hunter Douglas is on SALE! Save up to 30% OFF*

Call Today 877-722-1100

for your FREE consultation.

Livingston - Grand Opening!

449 West Mt. Pleasant Avenue

Green Brook - at Fabricland 270 US Highway 22 West

Paramus - formerly Nassaus 799 NJ State Highway 17

NJ Family Business of the Year National Retailer of the Year Family Owned Since 1934

*Excludes restricted products

Silhouette® Quartette® Window Shadings shown

To request an appointment, call or visit us at windowfashions.com

Check out our New Showroom!

Tracy Pearce Interior Design 409 Richmond Ave, Suite 103 Point Pleasant Beach 732.202.5588 Follow us on Facebook & Instagram @tracypearceinteriordesign

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LUXURY INTERIORS

Commercial Awning by Window Works Livingston, NJ

Gennius Retractable Awning by Window Works

Drapes by Window Works. Design by House of Funk. Photo by Mark Weinberg.

WINDOW WORKS Homeowners and hospitality businesses are expanding their outdoor living spaces and are providing more areas for outdoor entertaining, and Window Works is right there beside them effortlessly meeting the demand with beautiful protective retractable awnings. Now celebrating its 40th year in business, Window Works happens to be in the right place at the right time with the innovative Gennius Retractable Awning complete with a rain management system. However, this family-owned and operated business has also spent decades tirelessly designing the finest interior window coverings for generations of homeowners in the New Jersey and New York area.

“We strive to create relationships, not transactions,” says co-owner LuAnn Nigara, who is proud of the fact that Window Works has a reputation, built over the decades, that delivers on its promise of experience, expertise, and excellence. “We are honored to work with dozens of clients now whose parents were our original clients. We even have some third generation clients, too!”

Another reason for the company’s success is the meticulous customer service it offers clients. “We do not subcontract out business,” says LuAnn. “We have our own installers that take safety protocols very seriously.” Window Works, known as a leading window décor destination in North Jersey, carries Hunter Douglas products, designer fabrics and retractable awnings and will come to a client’s home or do virtual consultations, providing expert design advice. This year, the company launched The 38 East Collection of fabrics designed by in-house designer Kimberly Serafim. The stunning lux line of textiles is available in thoughtfully sized drapery panels, as well as fabric by-the-yard. You can see The 38 East Collection at windowworks-nj.com/38-east. Whatever window challenge you have, the Window Works staff has spent decades honing their craft, sharpening their skills, and broadening their knowledge to benefit every client.

LuAnn Nigara Window Works Window Treatments and Awnings 38 East Northfield Rd., Livingston, NJ 07039 P| 973.535.5860 F| 973.535.5846 Schedule a Free Shop at Home Appointment | 800.505.5860 windowworks-nj.com

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LUXURY INTERIORS RENO’S APPLIANCE Shopping for an appliance can be an overwhelming experience, given the enormous amount of online information. The “family” team at Reno’s Appliance helps each customer through this process with knowledgeable sales professionals familiar with all brands and manufacturers. Reno’s Appliance even has as an on-site Corporate Chef who provides tasty treats to sample while shopping and is available to demonstrate a variety of appliances.

Founded in 1951 by Reno Cioletti, Reno’s has grown to a 14,000 square foot designer showroom, serving the tristate area, and offering a full range of appliances. Reno’s three sons continue the family tradition, always dedicated to offering new and improved service, highlighting customer satisfaction and creating a unique shopping experience at every visit.

235 McLean Blvd., Rt. 20 North, Paterson, NJ 07504 973.247.1860 | renosappliance.com

THE ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS BUILDING The Architects & Designers Building, located at 150 East 58th Street, is home to New York’s best address for luxury design showrooms featuring eleven floors of high-quality kitchen, bath, tile, lighting, cabinetry, appliances, flooring, and fine furnishings brands. With 40 showrooms, featuring thousands of distinctive products, the A&D Building is a leading resource for designers of both residential and commercial projects and offers the finest collection of premium brands to suit any design project from modern to transitional to traditional—all under one roof.

Open to the public, the A&D Building features the world’s leading brands where luxury design defies expectations. Many of our showrooms are open. Visit or call our showrooms to make an appointment. For more information and a directory of brands, products and services, visit adbuilding.com.

150 E 58th St, New York, NY 10155 212.644.2766 | adbuilding.com

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LUXURY INTERIORS TOWN & COUNTRY KITCHEN AND BATH This full-service design company is more than kitchens and baths. Specializing in spatial design and hard surfaces for every room in the home, they take projects from concept through completion.

Whether it is a single room or entire house, they focus on blending function and form to create effortless luxury in every space.

Town & Country Kitchen and Bath offer design services from consultation only to full design, sourcing, and project management.

25 Bridge Ave. #100, Red Bank, NJ 07701 732.345.1441 | tckbdesigns.com

PLAN ARCHITECTURE We are experienced problem solvers with a thirst to “make it better”. We create consciously and innovatively. Architecture and Interior Design is our outlet for doing so. Plan Architecture and Plan Interiors is a full-service design firm which specializes in producing innovative client-driven programbased architectural design and budget appropriate problem solving. Plan Architecture’s mission is to arrive at client and site specific architectural solutions to unique client demands. Our firm produces work for public, commercial and residential clients. Beyond architectural design, Plan Architecture’s depth of services includes: Feasibility Analysis, Programming, Master Planning, Interior Design, Renovation, Alterations, Additions, Bidding and Negotiation and Construction Administration.

125 Paterson Ave., Little Falls, NJ 07424 973.837.8399 | plnarc.com

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LUXURY INTERIORS NEAT GARAGES NJ For most families the garage is the most used entrance to the home, yet it can tend to be a “chaotic mess.”

NEAT Garages NJ are experts in garage organization and flooring solutions. We work with you to design an optimized solution that meets your storage and organization needs.

NEAT Garages NJ is a full-service designer and installer of storage and flooring solutions for Garages.

We specialize in storage solutions that fit your needs and your budget including. Our storage solutions include made to order Cabinetry, Monkey Bar Storage Systems/Gorgeous Garages and Handi-Wall Slat wall. Our flooring solutions include superior strength polyurea-coatings with a large variety of decorative chips options that will transform your garage!

If you are ready for a Garage Transformation call/text today for a design consultation (908) 377-3325 or visit our website at www.NEATGaragesNJ.com or our corporate website www.GorgeousGarages.com.

NEATGaragesNJ.com 908.377.3325 | GorgeousGarages.com

CROWN POINT CABINETRY Family owned and operated, Crown Point Cab¬inetry handcrafts the finest quality custom cabinetry for the entire home. Because we only sell direct, every client can work firsthand with one of our in-house designers. Our unique approach enables us to sell direct to homeowners, architects, custom builders and remodelers nationwide. Specializing in period style, including Arts and Crafts, Shaker, Victorian and Early American, we also create outstand¬ing designs in transitional, cottage and contemporary construction. Cabinetry can be crafted from choices in our premium lumber across a large range, including cherry, sapele, red oak, maple, quartersawn white oak, walnut and pine. We also offer a special selection of reclaimed and old growth lumber, including reclaimed chestnut, reclaimed hickory, old growth heart pine, and reclaimed elm. Our smooth, beautiful finish completes the cabinetry in clear or a rich stain, or from a wide palette of paint colors by SherwinWilliams or Genuine Old Fashioned Milk Paint.

800.999.4994 | crown-point.com

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LUXURY INTERIORS AJ MADISON AjMadison is the go-to resource for appliances in the Tri-state area.

Offering an unrivaled selection of top-rated home and kitchen appliances, AjMadison is family-owned and has been in operation for over 20 years. Our team of appliance experts delivers the understanding, expertise, and experience to cater to all your appliance needs.

Explore the best products from over 150 brands. There are thousands of appliances to choose from. AjMadison offers an enormous selection of brands with thousands of in-stock products ready to ship. Homeowners, Contractors, Builders, and Designers depend on our team to recommend, deliver and service the best appliances for every project.

We’re here to make your appliance delivery easy, including professional installation and haul away of your old appliances. We also offer complimentary next-day shipping to New Jersey on most in-stock products and kitchen packages.

Shop your way. Browse thousands of appliances on the #1 appliance website, guided shopping with an expert with a virtual appointment or visit our 16,000 square-foot showroom in Brooklyn, New York.

New York City Showroom 3605 13th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11218 718.732.4900 | ajmadison.com

KARLA TRINCANELLO INTERIOR DECISIONS, INC. Karla Trincanello Interior Decisions has won 19 ASID Design Excellence Awards and specializes in creating beautiful and personal interiors. With 30 years of passionately designing interiors, Karla’s relationships are very important to her, and she strives to provide complete satisfaction for every client. With no limits to design capability, Karla and her staff also travel for re-locating clients, or with vacation homes, helping them design their homes and adjust to their new spaces. Client presentations provide a complete visual and comprehensive understanding of the design along with a color plan of coordinated fabrics and materials.

Karla and her staff work with architects and builders on new construction and renovation projects, personalizing each home and always aiming for creative, unique details that add memorability to all long-lasting interiors. Karla believes everyone should live in their dream spaces.

140 Columbia Tpke., Florham Park, NJ 07932 973.765.9013 | Interiordecisions.com

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LUXURY INTERIORS GPS SHOWROOMS GPS Showrooms aren’t just a place to find kitchen and bath innovations—they’re a place to envision your next home design. From faucets and sinks to showers, cabinets and countertops, your inspiration is our mission. And because we’re also a major supplier, delivering the details to contractors throughout the East Coast since 1910, our in-house experts can help with even the most challenging projects.

Whether you’re casually browsing or searching for something specific, stop by your local GPS showroom for a truly remarkable experience encompassing thoughtful design, top brands, and impeccable customer service.

Showrooms: Bayonne ∙ Bergenfield ∙ Edison ∙ Flemington ∙ Green Brook ∙ Hawthorne ∙ Lakewood ∙ Matawan ∙ Morris Plains ∙ Orange Kohler Signature Stores: Eatontown ∙ Paramus Please visit shopgps.com or call 1.800.CALLGPS.

INTERIOR MOTIF Stephan Elbaz, the founder and owner of Interior Motif—a leader in the blinds, shades and closets business—is an innovator who never gets tired of pleasing his clients. “Every day is different, every customer is different,” he says passionately. “Our goal is to change people’s lives by transforming their homes.

We love what we are doing here.”

Interior Motif is one of just two flagship Hunter Douglas Galleries nationwide.

And, despite COVID-19 and other challenges in 2020, Stephan went ahead and renovated their showroom using the latest technology—Hunter Douglas’ PowerView Automation, powered by remote control or voice activation.

Interior Motif took things to a whole new level recently by introducing Temi, a virtual “robot” assistant. “We’ve programmed Temi to walk through the showroom with a client and talk about different products,” Stephan says. “Even if one of our representatives is not on site, we can log in, remote control Temi and face time with a customer. This is perfect for after-hour consultations with homeowners, interior designers and builders. We call it ‘Interior Motif After Dark.’”

Interior Motif continues to offer home and showroom consultations as well as virtual consultations for those who don’t wish to leave their homes. And their mobile, glass-enclosed showroom is an excellent option, too. Interior Motif offers all the best ways to interact with their clients.

629 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030 888.55.MOTIF | interiormotif.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

LUXURY INTERIORS

TRACY PEARCE INTERIOR DESIGN

DESIGNS BY RIA

At Tracy Pearce Interior Design our team offers an array of design services.

We are with you every step of the design/build process. Early on we collaborate with our clients during the architectural planning phases. Kitchen and bath designs and storage solutions are some of the critical elements we specialize in when planning a home design. The finishing touches we provide include styling accessories, furniture and window treatment selections. We combine all these essential details to make your dream home a reality. Our design team balances the right amount of texture and clean lines creating layers of interest. Each project is unique to our clients lifestyle.

Looking back through my early years, I have always played with crayons and pencils drawing pictures as an expression of ideas. Over the 40 years of designing interiors for an array of interesting lifestyles, I can say our clients at Interior Designs By Ria has experienced their dreams too. We give the clients what they want, what they can afford and an environment they can enjoy and what they have worked for. Graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale gave me the education to fulfill my passion that I bring to my projects. Working with my team of skilled artisans and my staff has given us the opportunity to achieve the many DESIGN Excellence AWARDS from the NJ ASID CHAPER.

409 Richmond Ave., Suite 103, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742 732.202.5588 | pearceinteriordesign.com

187 Monmouth Blvd., Oceanport, NJ 07757 732.571.1171 | designsbyria.com

KOPA DRAPES

METROPOLITAN WINDOW FASHIONS

KOPA Drapes is a company with a purpose and an idea. The idea that beauty and sustainability go together. We handcraft and install sustainable custom drapes and shades. We offer complimentary at-home design consultation.

Metropolitan Window Fashions is NJ’s largest retailer of custom window fashions, family owned since 1934. With three beautiful and convenient showrooms in Green Brook, Paramus and Livingston, Metropolitan is ready when you are, to start your next decorating project.

What makes KOPA Drapes different? Our focus is on natural and ecofriendly fabrics, made with the highest quality raw materials, woven by the best weavers in the world. Our custom drapes and shades are made locally, in our workshop in Belleville, NJ. The quality of our products and installation is backed by a lifetime warranty.

145 Heckel St., Belleville, NJ 07109 973.751.1545 | kopadrapes.com

Services offered through their FREE in-home decorating service include custom draperies, reupholstery, Hunter Douglas shades, blinds, shutters, motorized shades and home automation.

Locations in Paramus, Livingston and Green Brook 877.722.1100 | windowfashions.com

NJHome

VIRTUAL DESIGN S E M I N A R

S E R I E S

A unique, innovative experience That’s PERFECT for generating leads And converting them into sales!

In 2021, NJ Home magazine will partner with leading online events platform, WorkCast (www.workcast.com), on a series of exclusive, virtual design seminars for affluent New Jersey residents who are planning luxury home remodeling projects in the coming months.

This is a perfect sponsorship opportunity for the following: Kitchen & Bath Dealers & Designers Furniture Retailers Interior Designers Architects

Pool Builders Landscape Designers Real Estate Agents And More!

Contact Thomas Flannery at 201.571.2252 or thomas.flannery@wainscotmedia.com for more details

finishing t ouch

the advantage is clear

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| NJHome

Why not protect your private pool—and enjoy your backyard views—with elegant glass fencing?

Life is all about trade-offs; install a protective wooden fence around your pool and you can be sure that swimmers, sunners and revelers won’t be seen. But neither will they see! If there are vistas worth viewing from your poolside, consider the alternative: glass fencing.

After all, a visual immersion in beauty can make any experience richer—even a swim. That’s what architects had in mind when they designed places like the luxurious Asbury Ocean Club and the upscale SoJo Spa Club in Edgewater; each features a pool surrounded by glass fencing meant to showcase magnificent views of the Atlantic and the Hudson River, respectively.

Certainly your backyard is a sight to be seen. A glass enclosure around your private pool can provide an unobstructed view of the surroundings, whether your property is designed with lush greens and landscaping or a unique patio and outdoor living areas. It can also make a smaller yard appear larger and withstand natural elements. Wood can grow mold and wear down under time and heat, but tempered glass is made to last a lifetime with proper care (and it’s resistant to pool chemicals). Companies such as Aquaview in Toms River can outfit any yard with either a framed or a frameless glass fence; both versions are made with rust-resistant, marine-grade stainless steel and ½-inch thick glass that offers beauty and protection.

For certain pools—maybe for yours—an enclosure of glass can be a touch of class.

One For You, One For Free

SAVE UP TO

$4,500

IT’S THE DETAILS THAT DEFINE US At Monogram it’s not just one detail, it’s many. When you put them all together, you create appliances that look, feel and perform as if they were designed perfectly for you.

Monogram offers an extensive selection of appliances designed to meet the needs of a modern kitchen. AjMadison offers the largest selection of Monogram appliances online and in our design showrooms.

New York City Showroom 3605 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 718.732.4900

DC Area (NoVa) Showroom 8500 Leesburg Pike, Tysons, VA 202.892.5000

800.570.3355 ajmadison.com/brands/ge-monogram sales@ajmadison.com

CLC

Landscape Design