Photography by Mindy Briar
The pool house got a vibrant, colorful, and beachy treatment to create a dream space for a family of four in Greenwich.
The best design projects often come about when there’s a true collaboration between designer and client, and this summery Greenwich pool house is a prime example. The homeowners, a couple with two teenage children, went with a more traditional aesthetic in their main home. But for the new space across the patio, the lady of the house had a vision for something with a more modern, Hamptons-esque vibe. Though she started the project solo and got things off to a colorful start, she soon realized she was in need of a partner to help her pull it all together. Larchmont-based designer Emily Meszkat came highly recommended by a close friend and was in sync with the homeowners’ style immediately. With fresh ideas and a discerning eye, Meszkat helped her clients’ dream of a vibrant yet minimalist beach house come to life.
Kitchen
A multicolored trio of pendant lights in the kitchen were the springboard for the rest of the space, but a rainbow color scheme can quickly go from joyful to juvenile with the wrong mix. Meszkat was able to skillfully carry the playful palette throughout the house with funky prints and colorful accessories, letting vibrant pieces sing against a clean backdrop of white walls, smooth subway-tile backsplash, and a wraparound kitchen counter with sleek quartz countertops. “We did keep the rainbow alive,” says Meszkat, “just in a more sophisticated way.” The kitchen’s open shelving, modern barstools, and light-blue fridge keep the look laid-back.
Living Room
The main living space is a true “glamily room,” where funky form meets comfortable function. A high ceiling and tons of natural light make the space feel extra-airy, but Meszkat brought in some coziness, with cushy chairs by designer Patricia Urquiola that are perfect to sink into after a swim. A round, indoor-outdoor rug feels great underfoot and serves as an anchor for the main seating area’s furniture pieces. Hits of color in just the right places – including a dramatic, orange ceiling fan; a bold, indoor-outdoor Christopher Farr fabric on the chairs; and fun details, like ombre pillows and a rainbow backgammon set – make the space feel cohesive and cool. A large sofa is perfect for lounging or watching TV, and the neutral color gives the homeowners some room to play with different pillows or accessories in the future. Though her selections were already made to withstand a regular rotation of pool-party spills and damp swimsuits, Meszkat added even more durability by having everything sprayed with water- and stain-resistant FibreSeal. “We did our best to make it bulletproof,” she says.
Artwork
Choosing the playful art pieces in the living room was another big collaboration, though Meszkat often lets clients lead the way on their collections. “Artwork is really personal,” she says, and trying to pick it out for someone else “is like picking out their shoes for them. It’s unlikely you’ll get it right.” The homeowner found the set of handmade blocks by artist Natalia Puglie that now dance over the doorway in the living room, then she and Meszkat worked with a local art hanger to decide how to position them. The colorful abstract to the left of the kitchen was rescued from the homeowners’ storage space and given a prominent place in the living room.
Bathroom
Meszkat went with a watery theme in the pool house’s more private spaces. A royal-blue vanity and geometric tiles provide a fun foundation for the bathroom design, and touches of black keep it grounded and elegant. Sleek, navy-blue light fixtures flank a circular mirror, which adds some curviness to an otherwise angular room. The swimming suit artwork is actually a piece of framed fabric from Mira Jean Designs. Meszkat loved the print for a pool house, and the client loved that it brought in a subtle touch of the rainbow. Since the bathroom faces the pool area, a woven solar shade window treatment provides some privacy from any sunbathers lounging on the deck outside.
Sunroom
To access the pool from the home, swimmers go through the sunroom, so Meszkat reflected its transitional function in its design. Once full of dark-brown furniture, the homeowners now call it the rosé room for its peachy palette. “It’s a study in repurposing,” says Meszkat, who used the power of paint to totally transform the space. Changing the yellow walls to a bright white instantly enlivened things, and spray painting the existing wicker furniture in Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl gave the patio set an updated new look. A circular coffee table, originally bought for the pool house, was deemed a better fit for the sunroom’s smaller scale. The rosy tones of the large-scale print by artists Minjin-Mijoo are echoed in the throw pillows and lamp.
Bedroom
“We wanted to go calmer in the bedroom,” says Meszkat, who kept the color palette and design elements to a minimum to keep things serene and uncluttered in the small space. Custom floating nightstands and hanging-glass pendant lights save space visually and literally, and other design elements were kept neutral so that the viewer feels enveloped by the blue-and-white Lindsay Cowles print used on the wallpaper, shade, and bed pillows. “We felt like it looked like you were underwater,” says Meszkat. The wood-look porcelain tile set in a herringbone pattern runs through the bedroom and living room.
Related: This Rye Colonial Is a Storybook Home in Westchester
