For their “forever home,” a Springfield couple wanted it all. Each room in their new-construction colonial was to have its own style. Yet the total effect was to be that of a livable home, not a cacophony or a frigid showplace.
Designer Daniella Hoffer took up the homeowners’ challenge to curate unique materials and elements that could stand up under one of the hardest of tests: five kids, ages ranging from 11 years down to less than 1 year. Hoffer, herself the mother of four, understood the need to create livable elegance. “We don’t want to feel like we live in glass houses,” she says. The solution? A timeless, transitional design.
Homeowner Michelle has a passion for show-stopping features and appreciates how Hoffer helped her “hone the look” for longevity. Perhaps there’s no greater example of bold meets beautiful than the master bathroom, with its large-format, black-and-white Panda tile by Raphael Porcelain. “This mom wanted to feel like when she’s in her room, she’s on vacation,” says Hoffer. No cookie-cutter gray-and-white for this family. Maximum sleek resulted from book matching each tile, which means matching up patterns like one seamless stone. For a rug-like effect, a marble border runs strategically through the porcelain floor. Added drama comes from extending Panda to the frameless shower walls, teamed up with a black hexagon mosaic floor. Big on style and size, the 10-foot his-and-hers vanity with makeup counter by Fabuwood completes the look, along with iron-and-polished-chrome sconces by Troy Lighting and a Maax soaking tub.
Cookie-cutter was also not an option for the kitchen, which contrasts navy blue with creamy white cabinets by Mouser over gray floor tiles set diagonally. “I didn’t want an all-white kitchen,” says Michelle. She appreciates how Hoffer took a cloud-white glass tile and doubled the backsplash interest with a double-herringbone pattern. The room’s wow factor, located over the GE Profile stove, is a blue blend of polished stones reflective of an intricate textile weave by Artistic Tile. Because design depends on durability, the marble-effect counters are an easy-clean white quartz. For fun with textures and shapes, there’s geometric brass pendant lighting and acrylic-and-brass stools—no fuss here. In this kosher kitchen, the stainless-steel appliances are in multiples, yet nothing detracts from the design. Hoffer collaborated with Kitchens by Torrone on this high-traffic room.
Because great kitchens inspire gatherings, the dining room features a custom bar that gets its sizzle from a beveled-edge glass subway mosaic. The charcoal gray cabinetry by Shiloh is topped with quartz that’s cleverly disguised as a dark-veined marble—a busy mom’s delight.
“We wanted to do something that would really stand out and add a bit of shine to the space,” says Hoffer of the mosaic. Because weekends are often filled with family and friends, the bar area puts “all the entertaining pieces they would need at their fingertips.”
Also not bashful about design, the family room gives center stage to the fireplace, with large-format porcelain tiles in brown, gold and neutrals. “We knew it would pop next to the gray custom cabinetry,” says Hoffer. Over the red oak floors, an abstract broadloom with burnt rust elements also stands out against the charcoal gray, performance-fabric sectional and gray chenille chairs. White rope-wrapped tables and glass-and-chrome sconces add another dimension to a room that opens to the kitchen and thus sees plenty of action.
While the family room gathers the gang, the study is a cozy spot to relax with a read on a creamy, light-cheetah barrel chair. “The pop of color and a beautiful built-in is one of the first details you see from the foyer,” says Hoffer. The built-in draws its rich tones from Sherwin-Williams Slate Tile.
Even the powder room is a thing of timeless beauty, thanks to a leather-like picket tile in deep bronze topped with Carrara tile from Lazer Marble that is layered in steps. “I like to call this room the jewel box because it’s filled with so many beautiful different finishes,” says Hoffer. These treasures include glass-and-brass abstract lights and a lacquer-finish, light-gray vanity. Already equipped with a cleverly-tucked-away shower, this room can become a full bath if needed one day.
Did this project meet its mark with a design that suits both children and adults?
“The space is wonderful,” says Michelle. “I didn’t want to have to redesign multiple times for different stages of life.” She credits Hoffer for her ability to use different design concepts to achieve both cohesiveness and individuality. Her husband trusted his wife and Hoffer with the design, and Michelle says he now considers it both versatile and beautiful. Perhaps best of all, when the kids have friends over, this family can truly relax. After all, good design is meant to be lived in.
Text by Donna Rolando
Design by Daniella Hoffer
Photography by Lisa Russman Photography