Tour a Family Home in Greenwich With Serene Interiors
Clarity Home Interiors delivers a serene, family-friendly design.
Above the living room fireplace, a Carvers’ Guild mirror is flanked by Hudson Valley Lighting sconces. The two small benches are through Global Views, the round pedestal accent table is from Arteriors, and the rug is from Coverture. Photograph by Neil Landino Jr.
No doubt that the Covid 19 pandemic changed the way many people live. For one young couple, it meant leaving Manhattan with their toddler in tow and plans to ride out the lockdown in Old Greenwich. A week into their six-month rental, they pivoted. “We looked at each other and were like ‘huh we should probably just move out here’,” says the wife, who was six months pregnant at the time. They fell in love with a Rich Granoff–designed and Greg Silver–built stone-and-clapboard home on two acres in central Greenwich. Besides the proximity to downtown, it had tons of living space both indoors and out with “a large backyard where my kids could run and play soccer,” she adds.
If the decision to buy the house was a no-brainer, figuring out how to furnish it was more of a challenge. “It was our first house, and it was a bit overwhelming,” the wife notes. She turned to Instagram and was immediately captivated by the work of Greenwich-based designer, Amy Zolin, founder of Clarity Home Interiors. “Amy’s design felt very fresh and modern and young. It really spoke to me.”
“The first time I stepped into the entry facing into the living room, I felt a sense of sweeping air and so much light coming in from the wall of doors leading to the terraces,” Zolin recalls. “The home was in beautiful shape.”
The goal was to create a space that reflected the couple’s lifestyle. They both worked from home and wanted an inviting and relaxing space. “The design had to fit into the architecture of the house, which has more of a traditional vibe to it,” says Zolin. It was equally important to maintain a sense of tranquility. “I’m not into big colors or huge oversized ostentatious pieces,” the wife says. “I wanted to be able to come into the house and breathe.”
The first step was warming up the entry hall, with its curved wall paneling and grand staircase. “We had to convince them that it was an important place to make a statement as a prelude of what was to come in the living spaces,” says Zolin. Mission accomplished. A custom bench mimics the curve of the wall and staircase, a round walnut accent table adds an organic feel and a neutral area rug has a grounding touch.
The kitchen island is designed for a crowd with stools from Interlude Home. The Roman shades above the sink are crafted from a Rogers & Goffigon fabric. Photograph by Neil Landino Jr.
Zolin continued the feeling of lightness throughout the downstairs with a mix of child-friendly fabrics and furnishings. She created two separate seating areas in the living room and framed the windows and French doors with linen sheers. “I could picture all of the doors open and this romantic linen billowing out to the terraces that wrap around the house,” she says. The family room is warm and inviting with its stone fireplace and two comfortable, deep Verellen sofas. The large open kitchen features a casual breakfast area, with spill-friendly, hand-painted wooden chairs.
Blue-velvet upholstered chairs and a table from Highland House add a playful element to the dining room, while a Phillip Jeffries grasscloth warms up the space. A Damien Hirst print from the owner’s collection hangs above a Chaddock Home credenza, which is topped with candlesticks from Eleish Van Breems. Photograph by Neil Landino Jr.
The mood turns more playful in the dining room with its blue velvet upholstered chairs and white table. A Damien Hirst print from the home-owner’s collection hangs above a credenza, which holds a collection of Swedish painted beechwood candlesticks. Here, too, Zolin framed the doors and windows with a Clarence House linen with an embroidered floral motif. “I’m not a fan of florals,” the wife says. “But I trusted Amy, and now I love it. I end up taking a lot of my Zoom calls in there.”
Photograph by Neil Landino Jr.
Upstairs, the primary bedroom exudes serenity with its peaceful palette of blues, taupe and cream. When the client mentioned she loved the spa at the Mayflower Inn, Zolin created a snug “relaxation” room overlooking the grounds and pool. For the mother of four (including twin newborns), relaxation may be a distant memory. “It’s a beautiful room,” she says. “I don’t have a lot of time to spend in it. But when I do, I just sort of exhale.”
The print version of this article appears with the headline: Breathing Room.
