Cozy And Chic
Faced with what seemed a choice between elegance and comfort, the designer of a new-construction Franklin Lakes home answered: “Yes to both!”
Design by Patti Smith, P. Smith Design
Photography by Courtney Weaver
Text by Donna Rolando
Can elegance coexist with coziness and glamour be achieved without any fuss? Can modern design exude warmth?
Ridgewood designer Patti Smith answered an emphatic “yes” on all counts as she infused her vision from the get-go into a three-bedroom coach home under construction at the Reserve at Franklin Lakes. This Toll Brothers luxury setting represented a new start for the homeowners.
What at first blush may have seemed like a dichotomy of styles—comfort and elegance, for instance—inspired a home one of the clients described as so “beautiful” it dazzled wedding guests. “We had a small wedding at the house, and all we kept hearing was, ‘Wow, this could be a wedding venue!’” this homeowner recalls.
With confidence gained from a prior project with Smith, the homeowners knew their individual tastes were within reach—that even glamour could be reined in to suit their tailored style. “There was no question that if I couldn’t work with Patti, I was going to be in trouble,” this homeowner says. “Patti also brought me out of a little bit of my neutral palette,” she adds, noting how decorative accessories, color and artwork “hold the room together.”
The dining room makes a big impression with its crushed-glass, hexagon chandelier, which spreads its charm to nearby spaces thanks to the open floor plan. “I love the way the home flows from one room to another,” says the homeowner, “and it all works well together.”
That sensibility shines in the living room, which seems just right for either a family gathering or a laid-back movie night. The room’s Taylor King sectional in polyester velvet delivers a plush yet durable look and takes center stage whenever it’s time to relax. “Very cool” is how Smith describes the cocktail table from Century, featuring polished-nickel blades for style and support.
Within toasty range of a sleek porcelain fireplace, another sitting area with an oyster swivel chair and an ottoman excites a wow with a watermark velvet pillow and modern sculpture. As the homeowner explains, artwork is a dominant force in this design, and at 5 feet tall, the room’s 3D floral oil painting certainly makes the case. More subtle is the Arabella pattern on Stanton carpet blanketing wood floors.
No matter where in the room one might cozy up, the couple’s treasured piano is within earshot, ready to entertain with or without a human. Completing the scene, sheer Romo window treatments are treated to polished-nickel French hardware from Houlès.
Because it’s highly visible from the entry foyer, the dining room needed to “make a statement,” Smith says, so she introduced a hexagonal, crushed-glass chandelier by Hammerton Studio for the perfect dash of glam. Another highlight is the oversized landscape above an ombré-front credenza with an open steel frame, both by John-Richard. Besides connecting the room’s colors, it creates what Smith calls “a nice, soothing atmosphere,” without competition from Stanton’s strie-pattern carpet in shades of pearl and gray.
Not forsaking comfort, the dining area itself has a practical side. The coffee-stain table by Old Biscayne expands for guests, and Jessica Charles chairs tackle spills with a wipe thanks to pearly vinyl interiors, married to a silk blend exterior.
A favorite spot in this complete home-design project, the master bedroom goes glam with a silver-leaf cabinet and golden glass on canvas, but Smith keeps it all in the right measure, retaining the bedroom’s oasis quality.
“Vinyl has come a long way,” Smith says. “People assume it’s leather.” The primary bedroom just may be the homeowner’s favorite part of a design that covers every detail, every room—from finished basement to outdoor furniture and closets. “It’s a cozy, elegant, beautiful bedroom,” she says, with a shoutout to the pièce de résistance—a three-dimensional, silver-leaf cabinet from Lily Koo. “It’s glamorous without all the curves and curls and fussiness,” adds Smith.
For “understated glam that fits in with the cabinets,” the designer points to the supersized canvas in the sitting area with gold pieces of glass by John-Richard. A swivel oyster velvet chair by Vanguard with a gunmetal-base ottoman by Interlude Home beckons weary feet.
Almost guaranteeing sweet dreams, the Interlude Home bed welcomes a channeled velvet headboard big on elegance and a blush-color bench floating on a nickel base. Espresso wood provides rich contrast in Century’s side tables adorned with crystal lamps. As a finishing touch, window treatments combine sheer fabric from Germany with French hardware.
“There’s literally nothing I would change,” says this happy homeowner. “We’re definitely very grateful to have had Patti’s eye and vision, and her team as well. If I had another home, I would do it again.”
