Written by Marisa Sandora | Design by Una O’Neill Designs | Photography by Peter Rymwid
Kicking back with a good book in this elegant family room might feel as though you are reclining in an English manor home, but in fact, you’re on the Navesink River in Rumson. Wood-paneled walls and mahogany built-ins lend a formal feel, yet “the homeowners wanted a very inviting room that they could relax in,” says designer Una O’Neill, who owns her own firm in Glen Rock. A pair of green corduroy couches, two leather recliners and a coffee table were found at ABC Carpet & Home, but the console table behind the couch is antique, as is the bronze doré chandelier. The homeowners’ vast collection of art made decorating easier for O’Neill. “We had to buy next to nothing because they had so much we could use,” she says. The room may look traditional, but it features modern electronics like the TV over the fireplace (which looks like an aquarium when not in use) and a sound system cleverly hidden in the built-in bookcases.
“The homeowners wanted something very traditional,” says designer Una O’Neill, who used antiques throughout the home. Many of the ceilings, like this one in the family room, were painted using faux finishes.