The Size Was Right
When a Glen Rock couple became empty nesters, it was time not to scale back, but to style up.
Design by Laurie DiGiacomo Interiors
Photography by Tori Sikkema Photography
Text by Donna Rolando
With two daughters off at college, a couple of empty nesters in Glen Rock decided to make a change. But this did not mean smaller quarters, as one might expect. Instead, they committed to their five-bedroom center-hall colonial (built in 1997) with a sophisticated redesign of their family and dining rooms.
“They didn’t need to worry about young kids ruining things,” says Laurie DiGiacomo of the eponymous Ridgewood design firm. “They just wanted to enjoy it and feel like it met the stage they’re in in life.”
So it was adieu to traditional décor—dark and dated— and welcome to a fresh modern vibe, she says. Both husband and wife have traveled the globe—he often does for work—and DiGiacomo tapped into the chic, elevated style they’d encountered at fancy and sophisticated hotels.
Such was the inspiration for the family room’s “wow”: a wall of drama that includes a traditional fireplace modernized with a floral pattern of Carrara marble. The linen built-ins with metallic elements by Timeless Closets & Cabinetry share the limelight, and “when it’s all lit up, the entire wall is a showpiece,” says DiGiacomo. At the husband’s request, the TV/work of art lies separate from the fireplace, creating a test of balance. Mission accomplished, DiGiacomo says: “Everything marries so beautifully together— without things fighting each other.”
While the coffered ceiling delivers dimension, an abstract rug by Stanton over oak “balances out some of the accent colors”—including gray and pale blue. A large room called for large furniture: a faux ostrich leather ottoman and chenille modern sofa, both by Burton James, joined by boucle barrel-back swivels by Four Hands.
“We wanted the rooms to speak to each other, which we did through color,” DiGiacomo says. Here a bedazzled chandelier elevates the dining area, where a supersized walnut table suits holiday gatherings just fine.
“I’m a big texture designer,” says DiGiacomo. “It makes people want to interact with the environment more.” She points to the faux shagreen star table by World’s Away and the texturally soft Kravet and Schumacher drapes.
The dining room has its own share of gems, such as the Crystorama chandelier, elegance defined by a jeweled golden effect. “It’s dramatic,” says DiGiacomo—and it was high on the husband’s redesign list, as he hated its ornate Tuscany predecessor. The new bedazzled chandelier highlights the ceiling’s surprising sparkle. Born of recycled windshield, the York ceiling, she says, really was the “icing on the cake” and finds its accompaniment in Romo’s glass-pattern, textured wall linen.
The star of the room—especially for hosting holidays—is the oversized walnut table which joins porcelain blue chairs, all by Vanguard. Another focal point is Interlude Home’s grass cloth sideboard with studded hardware and navy lacquer interior.
Playing supporting roles in this design saga are the blue abstract rug by Surya and metallic foil painting, which, like the Regina Andrew gold-toned mirrors, enhances by reflecting light. Tone-on-tone draperies with blue Shumacher trim are an intentional nod to the family room’s palette.
From family home to empty nest, from traditional to modern elegance, these Glen Rock homeowners demonstrated that they could embrace change in life and style. “They just thought the overall design was really chic and elevated,” says DiGiacomo, “and that’s what they wanted at this stage in their lives.”
