This 1920s Colonial home was stripped of all its original features – this designer brought it back to life with bold colors, clashing patterns, and funky furniture

Although most of us can't imagine ever wanting to strip out original features, there was a time when characterful millwork, ornate trims, and old flooring didn't have the respect they get now. So often, old houses were stripped of character, flipped into modern cookie-cutter homes that are easy to sell and easy to maintain.

This was what the homeowners of this 1905 property were dealing with when they moved from the suburbs to South Orange's Academy Heights, New Jersey. But they wanted that character back. So they brought on designer Sarah Storms to transform the first floor of the house. Her task was to add character to the home, restore some of the historic roots, while also designing spaces that worked for a young family and modern life.

'The family was currently living in town, but in a more residential neighborhood. They were yearning for their past urban residences, like their previous downtown Seattle loft. They missed being in the “city” and being able to walk to the grocery store or to grab a morning coffee, but didn’t want to leave South Orange,' explains Sarah Storms.

'They found this house, which is the only residential house within a few blocks. The location was just what they were looking for, and the size was perfect for their family. The downside was that it was a flip that didn’t take into consideration the flow of the space or how people would be living there. And, sadly, stripped away almost all the original millwork from this 1920’s home. The only original millwork is on the wall with the stairs. But they weren’t new to renovations and knew the house was the framework for their new home.'

So Sarah's brief was to reimagine the whole of the first floor – including the kitchen, dining space, living room, and powder room – and turn it into a family home that brought together the two homeowners' styles, one being a colorful maximalist and one a lover of industrial style. The couple also wanted a touch of the loft-like vibe they had in their previous apartments, and of course, some nods to the original features of the home.

'This family of three loves to entertain, and the husband LOVES to cook and bake. His passion and skill have become an essential part of the family’s daily life. For the husband, having a well-designed, high-end kitchen was of utmost importance. And from an aesthetic point of view, his tastes are a bit more industrial.'

'We wanted a large prep space and created a massive custom kitchen island, which we heightened to 39” because of his stature, and had a custom black walnut end-of-end butcher block work station attached so he could chop and go. Leaning into the love of industrial style, we selected a brick veneer kitchen backsplash that was taken to the ceiling to make you think we discovered a brick wall in the demo and kept it much like industrial city loft spaces.'

The kitchen is where you can so clearly see all the mix of styles coming together. The deep blue kitchen cabinets honor the love of color, whereas the accessories and the lighting lean more industrial. The faux brick walls add that character back into the space, as Sarah says, it's like they were part of the original building.

She continues, 'We wanted an industrial vibe in the kitchen, but for it to be balanced within this colonial house. The warmth of the brick backsplash balances beautifully with the blue. The blue has a slight green undertone, which makes the color come alive next to the brick. I love this kitchen and I’m so happy with how we used the space and incorporated some obstacles like the post to create a dreamy space.'

While it's lovely to have large windows in a kitchen, it does mean you often have to forgo wall cabinets, and if storage is key, then this can pose an issue. But Sarah broke all the design rules here and built shelving in front of the window – and it paid off.

'I’m also obsessed with the bistro shelving in front of the window in this space,' she says. 'We wanted a place for plants and glassware. Kitchen storage was still tricky, and we loved having a central window. Layering these stunning shelves allowed us to have storage and light!'

'There is nothing more magical than having plants in your window. This space is used as a living art nook and a place to store glassware. Currently, the homeowners are growing herbs for their summer meals.'

As part of the open plan living/dining/kitchen space, Sarah added a home bar. She calls this small area the 'muse' for the color scheme of the entire home. She specifically praises the tiles for giving her the perfect color palette to run throughout all the rooms.

'Color and scale are your friend when it comes to pattern matching,' she explains. 'And the “hero” of the space is the glass backsplash from Artistic Tile in the wet bar. It’s the full color palette from which everything is drawn. It's actually my favorite feature, it's the heart of the design, the muse who created this project.'

'When you have a bold color, it is important to ground it,' continues Sarah. 'We did this with the white in the entryway, and the blue in the living room and dining room. While there are bold colors and patterns, they are perfectly balanced. The other important aspect of managing bold colors is to repeat them at least three times. These repeats can be small, but what this does is it allows your eye and brain to make sense of the scheme and not have something feel too jarring.'

'For example, you'll notice a thread between the backsplash tile in the wet bar, the wallpaper in the living room, and the wallpaper in the mudroom. These were balanced with the sleek Danish dining table and chairs, and brick backsplash, because incorporating natural materials is also important for balance. We also refinished the floors, but still wanted a richness in the medium tone for a balance. Again – the importance of grounding the bold color choices.'

The living room is where the most color and pattern come together, this space feels fun and creative yet still sophisticated. The statement coffee table is the real focal point, clashing gloriously against the geometric pattern of the carpet and wallpaper. And yet despite all the competing prints, it feels very easy on the eye, as Sarah has mentioned, it's a very balanced space.

On the opposite side of the room stands a baby grand piano, an inherited piece that was essential to build it into the home's redesign.

'Incorporating the grand piano was tricky,' admits Sarah. 'Their daughter plays, so we needed to keep it. But I also wanted it to be featured without having it interfere with the space planning of the living room. We created a nook for the piano with the large-scale art and sconces. The seat was recovered in Rebecca Atwood woven fabric.'

'All the art pieces were sourced specifically for this project,' she adds. 'Personally, I love decorating with art, the larger the better. It’s unexpected and adds a gallery-like experience to your home. There was limited wall space with this project, so we wanted to make the most of it.'

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Downsizing from the suburbs to a city home that's been through a builder-grade remodel might have been a challenge, but both the homeowners and Sarah had a vision that this property could be brought back to its former glory. And this project wasn't all about adding original features back in, it was about using color and pattern to create something new and unique that both nodded to the past and felt very current.