This Westchester Colonial Includes Design Surprises Inside

A Benson sofa from Modernlink anchors the sunroom. The Fayette Studio rug and the oak cocktail table are custom designs by decorator Tami Wassong. Photography by Tim Lenz

The owners of the Larchmont residence featured here thought that they were destined to live in Brooklyn with their three kids forever—especially after sticking it out during the worst of the pandemic. But after seeing their children enjoying the outdoors on weekend trips to Quogue, it became clear to them that the time had come for a new chapter outside the city.

The couple settled on a 1945 center-hall Colonial with mature gardens and plenty of space for the kids to run loose. And while the 6,000-square-foot home was in tip-top shape (the previous owner was a decorator and adamant about making improvements), it wasn’t exactly in keeping with the young family’s style. Intricate railings, brassy hardware, and ornate moldings and lighting hardly contributed to the modern aesthetic the couple desired, so they enlisted the help of decorator Tami Wassong to come up with a more minimalist, streamlined pad.

In the kitchen, a ceiling fixture from Allied Maker hangs above a custom oak table by Tami Wassong and chairs from Design Within Reach. The Arabescato Corchia marble on the backsplash and island is from Marble America and the cabinetry is by JEM Woodworking. Photography by Tim Lenz

Wassong, who happens to be a resident of Larchmont and was already familiar with the house, pared back some of the aging frill and made some cosmetic tweaks, including refreshing the staircase, stripping the floors, removing wallpaper, and simplifying moldings. The biggest transformation occurred in the kitchen, which had previously been renovated in the French country style. “We completely gutted the space and turned the adjacent office into a hidden pantry,” Wassong recounts. “The husband likes to cook, so I worked closely with him on the layout. We installed open shelving, a table off the island for informal dinners, and a mix of Caesarstone countertops on the perimeter and marble on the island and backsplash. Caesarstone is easier to clean, so this way we were able to get the impact of marble without having to worry about a lot of mess.”

The dining room’s custom ceiling mural is by Flavor Paper and the chandelier is from Pelle. Photography by Tim Lenz

The kitchen table is a workhorse for casual family meals, but when it comes to entertaining a larger group, the dining room is the go-to crowd-pleaser. Wassong based the look of the space on a floral wallpaper the wife found, applying it to the ceiling and pairing it with limewashed walls in the same shade of taupe as the pattern’s background. “The paper has a painterly aesthetic that elevates the room,” says the designer. “You feel like you’re in an English garden.” Indeed, staring at the ceiling makes one think of frolicking in the verdant yard just beyond the room’s French doors.

A velvet sofa from ModShop and a Moroccan rug from Apadana Rugs & Carpets add a cool edge to “the speakeasy,” which accommodates a den and bar area. The paint color is Benjamin Moore’s Cheating Heart. Photography by Tim Lenz

Also seeing a lot of use during large gatherings is what’s affectionately referred to as “the speakeasy,” an intimate, cozy den painted a moody deep gray that corresponds with the bar area’s gray-and-silver-chain wallpaper—a remnant from the couple’s previous environs in urban Brooklyn. As for the serene primary bedroom, the designer experimented with color and pattern, introducing a soft abstract print that “makes you feel like you’re in the clouds,” says Wassong. “There’s a nice balance of unexpected surprises throughout the house. I tried to give the family a refreshing, fun, and functional space that captures their personality and echoes their Brooklyn beginnings.”

The print version of this article appeared with the headline: Sweeping Success.