This home is Pelham is a stunner. Photography by Brittany Ambridge
A family-friendly house in Westchester County is custom designed with a dash of drama in its entertaining spaces.
When a family with three young children who had been happily living in tighter quarters in Pelham had the opportunity to buy a piece of property a few blocks away, they jumped at the chance to build a more spacious forever home while remaining in the neighborhood. It was important to the homeowners that the house feel like it belonged in the area, a neighborhood of older homes, many of which were used as summer homes at the turn of the 19th century. Ultimately, a 6,000-square-foot-home in an updated shingle style was designed for the almost half-acre property. “The clients wanted a home that was truly tailor-made for them,” says Anelle Gandelman of A-List Interiors in Manhattan, who headed up the design team. “We were brought in early on in the project and were involved in every aspect, from the architectural plan right down to the dishware,” she recalls. Coastal design influences and different shades of blue reference happy times the family spends on Caribbean and Jersey Shore beaches. The homeowners also love animal prints and wanted abstract versions of them to be incorporated into the home’s design.
The Design Team
Interior Designer: Anelle Gandelman, A-List Interiors
Builder: Top Drawer Construction
Photographer: Brittany Ambridge
Stylist: Philippa Braithwaite
All Dressed up for Company: The Entertaining Spaces
The Foyer Sets the Stage
“The homeowners wanted a statement foyer to set the stage for welcoming guests,” says Gandelman. Placed leaning on a tailored, custom console, an abstract painting in light blues, whites, and a touch of green by Sara Brown provides a dramatic pop against the predominately white-paneled area, she adds. Other standouts include a midcentury-style Murano glass chandelier handmade in Italy, a woodgrain-patterned runner on the stairs, and a pair of cheetah-print, fabric-covered chairs by Artistic Frame that flank the console.
A Sophisticated Setting in the Living Room
The black-and-ivory color scheme here sets up a more sophisticated ambience against which a moody landscape painting by Mari Urasawa in bold colors adds drama. A sofa in charcoal-gray performance velvet by Hickory Chair, Baker chairs covered in a black-and-ivory woven fabric in an organic pattern, and a geometric wool area rug set the stage for company to enjoy craft cocktails and scintillating conversation.
A Singularly Dramatic Dining Room
“The homeowners have a large friend group and take holiday entertaining seriously,” says Gandelman. “They wanted to have a little bit of a wow feeling when guests entered the formal dining room.” Adding to the drama is that all paneling is painted a high-gloss navy, and that the room features a gold-leaf-and-crystal chandelier by John Richard, abstract metallic textured wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries, and Theodore Alexander chairs covered in a Kravet fabric reminiscent of a tiger print.
Casual, Comfy, and Kid-Friendly: The Family Spaces
Kitchen Confidential
The gleaming white space features recessed panel cabinets with hammered, polished-nickel pulls by Hamilton Sinkler, transitional lanterns from Lighting by Visual Comfort, and Ambella counter stools, whose backs are upholstered in a light-blue herringbone fabric. A navy-blue island provides a welcome pop of color.
A Multitasking Breakfast Area
The kitchen opens directly into the breakfast area and family room beyond. The perfect place to grab a snack, tackle some homework, or trounce an opponent at Connect Four, the Baker table with custom stone top and faceted base with metal detail is framed by four Artistic Frame chairs with French-blue wool backs.
All in the Family Room
Hung over a comfy Kravet sectional in dark-gray performance fabric that begs to be lounged on while binge-watching, a seascape by Petras Koublis calls to mind the family’s love of the beach. A light wood coffee table and comfy chairs, both by Vanguard, and sheer, striped fabric curtains, by Scalamandre, in taupe, cream, and French blue complete the inviting space.
An Elevated Work-From-Home Experience
Forget Zooming from a dark, cramped closet. This stylish study features a sleek Modern History desk, elegant emerald-green chairs by Artistic Frame, a Stark Carpet rug in an abstract snow leopard pattern, and a Vanguard lounge chair in a gray textured fabric that’s perfect for perusing marketing reports — or catching a power nap.
The transitional design scheme features clean-lined pieces and an overall tailored look, with some requested glam elements in the entertaining spaces. The result feels both “fresh and special,” says Gandelman. Thoughtful details, classic architectural millwork, and custom finishes help the house function in a way that reflects the family’s everyday life, as do lots of custom cabinetry and storage, liberal use of easy-to-clean, highly durable performance fabrics, and quality pieces that can withstand being pressed into service as forts or hiding spaces. While the family-only spaces are more low-key and casual, the homeowners, who love to entertain, wanted certain areas, like the foyer, living room, dining room, and powder room, to be a bit more formal, with a touch of drama. The analogy, says Gandelman, is that of an individual who enjoys being impeccably turned out and accessorized when in public but who chooses to relax at home, wearing more comfortable loungewear.
Private Sanctuaries: Bedroom & Bath
A Primary Bedroom That’s a Relaxing Retreat
The palette of blues, black, and ivory was carried into the primary bedroom. “Blue appeals to both men and women and, as such, is a good choice for the primary,” says Gandelman. “It feels both masculine and feminine at the same time.” Standout pieces include a navy velvet headboard, a French-style crystal chandelier by Niermann Weeks, and curtains, adds Gandelman, “that feature a textured weave with a design that replicates the dappled light and shading that occurs on the forest floor when light is filtered through the foliage.”
Spa-like Primary Bathroom
A crisp, all-white color scheme allows the soaking tub to shine center stage. Nesting tables of antique mirror and iron by Ochre provide the perfect place for a scented candle or bath salts.
A palette of blues, black, and ivory was carried throughout the home, with one room flowing into another, sometimes offering a peek at a navy-blue kitchen island and other times a preview from the foyer of French-blue chairs in the breakfast area. Construction began a few months before COVID hit, which made this a challenging project from a logistical perspective, says Gandelman. But despite the delays and related supply-chain setbacks, the home came together and was completed and ready to welcome the family and their friends by the summer of 2022.
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