At first glance, you might think this Westchester County home is a historic Tudor. But, it’s actually a new construction condo. The homeowners sought out Curated Nest—a top design firm lead by Lina Galvão and Erin Coren—to ensure the condo wouldn’t feel too ‘stiff’ or modern. The result is an English-inspired space, with hints of the popular ‘Grandmillenial’ aesthetic and plenty of architectural charm. The designers tell us more:
Tell us about the clients—we’d love to know more about their lifestyle, and hopes for their new home.
Our clients are a retired British couple. She, a, Italian-British jazz composer and he, a British diplomat who was honored by the former Queen Elizabeth as an Officer of the British Empire for his lifetime contributions and achievements to the UK. We met them through a referral. They are the parents of a lovely couple we worked with the previous year! It’s pretty awesome when clients keep in the family! We were honored. The couple was in the process of downsizing from a traditional Tudor house to a more modern condo, a new build in the downtown area. They had bought plans for a large condo in a new development, a boutique luxury building with only 4 units.
They hoped to live in a more modern space, while still keeping the Tudor inspiration, which was near and dear to their heritage. While their new condo would have similar square footage to their existing house, they appreciated a modern open concept layout. As with many new builds, this one lacked substantive character and they wanted to infuse their Tudor roots into the décor and interior architecture.
What were your goals for the space, and your overall scope of work?
While Tudor homes are often darker and moodier, our client wanted light and bright feel, with plenty of color but in muted tones. Our goal was to blend antique and modern styles, to create a sophisticated color palette, and to add statement lighting throughout to highlight the 10’ ceilings.
Our scope of work included the design of the entire condo, which we saw from the beginning of construction to the final installation of furniture and décor, right up to the “reveal”. We worked closely with the developer and our general contractor to make modifications to the original plans and to design the entire space.
What were some of the challenges here?
It was a challenge in and of itself to work with an ultra-contemporary developer and create an eclectic blend in what would have been a very modern space. Incorporating antiques and traditional furnishings in a modern way took a lot of thought to get the right balance. To overcome this, we worked closely with the developer and our GC to add traditional interior architecture and touches – lots of drawings to be created on our part! Our team did extensive research on the Arts and Crafts era, pulling out the most salient architectural and style characteristics and bringing them to life. I think we did an amazing job in the end! The overall aesthetic is signature Curated Nest – clean, edited, elegant, and with thoughtful functionality throughout.
How long was the process, and how did the clients react to the completed space?
The project took about a year once the frame of the building was completed, which with construction and furniture / material lead times, is about average for a new build.
The client was blown away when they saw the space. I almost got tears out of this adorable couple, who were as British as they come, with a dry sense of humor. This well-traveled and worldly client said we nailed the balance they were looking for! They absolutely loved how we seamlessly blended old world and new world, and how we incorporated all their special pieces in new and updated ways. While they were in the process of moving in, they shared how excited they were to live there and felt incredibly comfortable in every single space. As bookworms with an extensive book collection, they were enamored with their sunny reading nook – such a cozy corner to enjoy tea and a good read, they said.
See more in the slideshow.