Hannah Oravec of Lawless Design says she wanted to update this classic Victorian home, located in Newton Centre, MA, without compromising on the character. Her clients, a young couple with a growing family, were eager for something unique and different. “Given that the home is in a classic part of the state, they didn’t want to create a home that was too modern or was too vastly different from the exterior,” Hannah explains. “So, we looked to fuse the classic Victorian characteristics and juxtapose it with modern elements.”

The style they agreed upon was “Scandinavian, with a twist.” The home, though livable, was totally outdated. “There were just a lot of things in the home that weren’t functional or practical,” Hannah recalls. “The layouts were awkward and didn’t utilize the space to the best of their ability. There was even carpet in the bathroom! The home didn’t have much storage in any of the rooms either, which was a big problem.”

Hannah and her team prioritized smart storage solutions, adding elements like garage door cabinets in the kitchen, custom built-ins in the dining and living areas, and even creating a new walk-in closet in the primary bedroom. However, it wasn’t all focused on function. “Part of what made the project exciting was the client was also eager to take some design risks,” she says, referencing bold tile and wallpaper choices. “We kept the foundation of the home neutral and added in little splashes of color with the dining room chairs and artwork.”

In the slideshow, Hannah shares more details on the space.