DESIGN by LINDA GRANERT, LINDA GRANERT INTERIOR DESIGN
PHOTOGRAPHY by RAQUEL LANGWORTHY
TEXT by DONNA ROLANDO
A Tudor-style Ridgewood home’s moment of fame—on a television design show—had faded with time. That left a style quandary for the four-bedroom home’s “new” owner. After six years of living at odds with his home’s style, he called upon Linda Granert of the eponymous Midland Park design firm to transform the home with a look he preferred, consigning TV fame to history.
Granert quickly realized that the living room was Ground Zero in a style war between the owner’s transitional and the show’s traditional elements— floral wallpaper, mirrored tile and bright turquoise walls, for example.
A focal point in the living room is the fireplace, so Granert treated its flanking built-ins to Thibaut grass cloth. The grass cloth, which she calls a welcome alternative to floral wallpaper, delivers dimension to shelving niches. Because antique mirror tiles above the fireplace contributed neither warmth nor dimension, she worked with an art curator to procure the landscape painting that now ties in the warm brown of hardwood floors. Not a strong pattern, but a ribbed texture with sheen enhances the monochromatic Jaipur rug, she says.
Even varying shades of gray—from the walls to the Lexington coffee table —can use a good pop, and Granert delivered with navy and black pillows atop a Charles Stewart sectional and black-and-white graphic art. While the sectional is relaxed down to its performance fabric, its wood base adds sophistication. So does the Lucite table with woven-leather and metal stools, which provides eye candy as opposed to the back of a sectional.
In choosing all new furniture, Granert prioritized comfort. Because there’s no family room, the living room needed to serve special occasions but also kick back for everyday life. Though the entire first floor needed a rescue, she says, the kitchen was in “dire need,” not functioning well and showing its age with warped cabinet drawers. The homeowner had even attempted to paint it himself.
The client got the redesign rolling by seeking a gray-and-white kitchen. As per the wish list, the island features a dark gray base, which teams up with richly veined Shadow Storm quartzite—on the perimeter counters as well. “My preference is natural stone because of the movement and interest,” the designer says of the quartzite. To further catch the eye, white marble subway tiles say “oh-la-la” under the white custom hood, where Granert deviated with a picket pattern.
Keeping it light, the Shaker-style cabinets are white with contrast from black metal hardware. Marrying black metal and white glass, twin pendants by Visual Comfort over the island are “almost like hanging pieces of art.” Ditto for the sink-area singular pendant.
Granert fancied bluestone concrete for flooring, but didn’t want its upkeep hassles, so she chose porcelain for the best of both worlds. Function also gets a boost with closet space transformed into a generous pantry and added island storage. Design hack: The woven-rope Palecek stools connect with the wood tones of adjacent rooms for texture and visual interest, says the designer.
Bountiful windows and a skylight in a bright alcove set the stage for the breakfast nook, where the round table by Lexington Furniture says cozy with its warm rich brown. “It’s a really sunny room,” says Granert—so she ensured longevity with fade-proof fabric chairs. With black again as an accent, she introduced a two-tier metal chandelier.
With attention to details such as easy maintenance, Granert’s goal was a timeless design. “Investing in your home is expensive,” she says. “You want to make sure that the things you’re recommending are going to have longevity so the client can appreciate and enjoy the space for many years.”