When the fortysomething owners of this seven bedroom center hall colonial in Scarsdale began talking to Tami Wassong, founder and principal designer of Tami Wassong about redesigning their 2001 home, one non-negotiable was that every room in the home had to be family-friendly for their three sons (one is 12 and the twins are 10 years old).
“In other words, they didn’t want the house to feel like a museum,” says Wassong, who was hired to orchestrate the redesign.
While her clients initially thought they might do a gut renovation, Wassong knew that with a few minor structural alterations, creative layouts, and custom millwork, the seven-and-a-half-bath home could get the refresh it needed — all of which occurred while the family was living in the home.
“This house has tall windows, 10-foot ceilings, a beautiful layout, and scale,” Wassong says, adding that while she kept the original moldings, she decided to replace the doors and hardware, remove dated floor tiles, and replace it with white-oak floors. “It was dated but it had great potential.”
Telling a color story, including which rooms would be bold and which would be more calming and neutral, was also key to breathing new life into the home.
“We used warm colors — rich greens, oranges, blues, and gold — and Venetian plaster or wallpaper in most spaces,” she says. “When we looked at my past projects, the couple felt comfortable knowing that an entire room can be in one hue and that it will expand the space and make it more welcoming.”
Kitchen
As Wassong worked with the owners to sketch out how to reinvent the kitchen, two main goals took center stage: “The owners didn’t want an all-white kitchen and they liked the idea of mixing metals and combining materials,” says the designer. “We agreed that we didn’t need to rip out the entire kitchen to give it the facelift it needed.”
Structural changes included closing off a passthrough to the family room and adding decorative shelves to showcase beloved ceramic and serving pieces. The gold-beige floors were replaced with refinished oak floors and new marble countertops by Marble America were installed. Designing a new island also refreshed the space and updated the room’s focal point.
“The original island wasn’t working for the family as they needed something longer and wider, so my millworker made a new one out of walnut, we added all new hardware and installed two sculptural pendant lights from Allied Maker,” she says. “There are seats that get tucked underneath the island that the family loves, too.”
Living Room
Informally elegant was the objective in this room. The gray Lawson Fenning sofas and paprika colored swiveling lounge chairs, designed by Wassong, are perfect invitations to relax. The deep olive-toned walls and custom-designed black/gold wool/silk rug add to the moody feeling and complement the space.
“We went through this room so many times and talked about how many we can seat and how to max out the space to keep it comfortable,” she says. “The owners wanted a place that would be a fun place to hang out with their friends.”
A custom record player and receiver — found on Etsy — to play their collection of vinyl records is another signature item in the room.
“The family has nicknamed this room the music room and filled it with their collection of books about art and music, collectible records, and, of course, the turntable,” she says. “It’s a really cool space.”
Wassong loves that the room offers a glimpse into the entryway. “From this room, you can see the beautiful Michael Robbins sideboard in the entry hall,” she says. “I love that this space offers a yin and yang of dark and light.”
Family Room
Featuring a wall with built-in shelves encapsulating a TV above the fireplace, this sunny room is another favorite place for this family to hang out for movie night or a cozy evening in front of the fire.
The Lawson Fenning sectional sofa is a go-to space to stretch out, and a coffee table, with four ottomans tucked underneath, offers even more seating — or a place to put your feet up.
“Instead of putting your feet on the coffee table, you can just pull those ottomans out,” says Wassong, who designed the piece. “Or that seating can be used when friends come over for a visit.”
Powder Room
With a marble sink from Marble America that sits atop gold legs and Belgian bluestone flooring, this refreshed room creates the most elegant vibe.
Interestingly, the Black Crow Studios’ floral wallpaper chosen for this room was the “kicking-off point” that inspired all the other colors in the home, Wassong says.
“I love the greens and the taupes, and the whole tonality of it,” she says.
Office
One of the most important features of this room’s transformation was the countertop surface separate from the actual desk. “This is the mom’s office and she wanted to make sure her kids would be able to sit behind her and do their homework while she was seated at her desk,” Wassong says.
The floating shelves — custom millwork by Lauren Paul Woodworking — frame the window and add a homey touch for personal items and photos.
With wallpaper that blends with the crown and window molding, the look of the space is seamless and grounded in a rug from Fayette Studio.
“I like adding a little black into each space,” she says. “This rug adds a little graphic texture, and I wanted the black in the rug to be accentuated by the midcentury Blueprint Lighting fixture. I love how the light in this room bounces up to the ceiling and back down.”
Dining Room
Wassong bedecked the walls of this formal dining room in Venetian plaster, adding Holly Hunt wallpaper to decorate the ceiling. “I think it’s fun to paper the ceiling instead of slapping a coat of paint on,” she says. “It’s also nice to leave the walls blank. I wanted the owners to have a blank palette so that any art they purchase won’t compete with the wallpaper.”
The custom dining table, designed by Wassong, features 10 Craft Associates chairs that feature black leather seats and caning on the backs, a “nod to midcentury furniture,” she says.
Primary Bedroom
There’s a feeling of floating in the primary bedroom, thanks to the limewashed walls that give movement and texture to the space.
The custom bed and headboard, loose-weave sheers from The Romo Group (the automated blackout shades are hidden), and plush sink-your-feet-in carpet from Kanters transform the space along with the tone-on-tone creams, soft grays, and light-oak nightstands. “We wanted this to be a calming space the couple could relax in,” Wassong says.
Primary Bathroom
Wassong wanted to better utilize the square footage in this part of the home, so she and her team gutted the existing bathroom and used a former hallway closet to remake this space into a bright and fresh bathroom.
Featuring custom-sized white dolomite tiles, double marble sinks, a soaking tub, walk-in shower with a floating seat, and a natural oak vanity and custom medicine cabinets by Lauren Paul Woodworking, the room now has a timeless feel.
“The couple wanted this bathroom to feel light and airy,” she says. “The colors and textures helped give this space the exact feel they were looking for.”
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