home of distinction
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over the hardwood floors. The fireplace, built-in niches, double
crown moldings and deep baseboards are authentic to the home
and the decorative trim is brought into focus with Sherwin
Williams’ Dorian Gray paint tints.
“I didn’t want them to get lost against all-white walls,” Sain-tard
Valiente explains.
The walls, almost universally unadorned, are purposely bare,
except for cypress tree rings that echo the interior’s dialogue
with the outdoor setting.
The palette pops with the deeply jewel-toned convertible
chaise and upholstered lounge chair, and gradually mutes to an
understated olive and gray scale.
“Green is my favorite color anyway, but I wanted the
palette to tie back to nature,” she says.
Interior designers will confess: for all of the wonderful spaces
within, in nearly every vintage home there is often one obstacle
to overcome. For Saintard Valiente, the challenge was the office,
tucked into the floorplan beneath the stair.
Removing the wall-to-wall carpet revealed hardwood floors.
Acoustic ceiling tiles were replaced with drywall. A fan became
a drum shade light fixture. To capture the feel of a worn leath-er-
bound library book, authentic wood paneling was softened
with the addition of Sherwin Williams’ Iron Mountain Gray,
but the built-in shelves and cabinets are true to the home.
“I wanted to honor the era in which the house was built,”
Saintard Valiente says.
Rolls of original architectural drawings were found inside library cabinets, right. The drawings are framed and displayed on the second
floor landing (page 58-59). Shades of Dorian Gray bring design details into focus in the living room.
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