DESIGN by ELEMENTS INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO
PHOTOGRAPHY by MEGHAN BALCOM
TEXT by NAYDA RONDON
When Marty McDevitt and Joanne Turner, owners and head designers at Elements Interior Design Studio, walked into a stately Victorian home in Westfield in January 2024, they were on familiar ground. Three years earlier they had collaborated with the homeowners—a professional couple with two young daughters—to redesign their home’s entry hall and basement.
This time the challenge was bigger: to transform three disconnected, overly formal rooms—living room, dining room and den—into cohesive, contemporary spaces that would be inviting and practical with a touch of elegance.
“Our mission was to turn a classic Victorian into a home that fits how this family lives today,” says McDevitt. “They love to entertain, but they also often work from home and have two young kids. These spaces had to work hard, but still feel curated and beautiful.”
In the dining room, the designers leaned into pattern and texture to elevate the space without overwhelming it. Thibaut’s Mulberry Tree wallpaper in natural became the jumping-off point, wrapping the walls in an elegant, organic motif. Custom, pinch-pleat drapery panels in the same fabric created a seamless visual line, giving the space a polished, expansive feel.
Emphasizing the room’s lofty ceiling, the designers went with a mirror that echoed the architecture’s verticality as it reflected light throughout. Below it, a handcrafted, live-edge console table—the client’s find—added an earthy, sculptural touch, while a Lucite bar cart introduced a modern note without disrupting the visual flow.
A nod to the home’s heritage, the original chandelier stayed. But surrounding it with lighter colors, modern materials and functional furnishings breathed fresh vibrancy into the space.
“This room went from formal and fussy to stylish and social,” says Turner. “It’s now a place the family actually wants to be in.”
The living room, previously weighed down by heavy drapery and an impractical layout, hadn’t been exactly a people magnet either. The designers re-envisioned it, creating a space where comfort and style now coexist. A Lee Industries L-shaped sectional with bench-seat cushions in kid-friendly Crypton Oasis Ecru fabric now anchors the room, offering an inviting perch for everything from casual entertaining to lazy weekend plop-downs.
The dramatic game-changer? Window treatments. “We couldn’t wait to remove the drapery and add classic linen Roman shades,” says Turner. “The room seemed to double in size just from that one design move.”
A Vanguard ottoman in Nevada Blue doubles as a coffee table. A shag rug in Nourison Amore Cream adds comfort underfoot. A sleek floor lamp allows for space-saving side tables. On the wall, a custom canvas by Lucia Dowling adds a layer of softness and artistry, while a Kensey Disc mirror from Arteriors commands attention above the fireplace.
“This room is truly multifunctional now,” says McDevitt. “It’s a space that invites you to kick off your shoes, but still feels pulled together enough for entertaining.”
The den—now “the barrel room”—presented a unique opportunity to tell a story. When the designers discovered a wine barrel tucked away in the playroom and learned it was a wedding keepsake, it sparked the room’s design.
“Thanks to Joanne and Marty, what was once an unused room is now one of our favorites,” says homeowner Beth Dundon. “The ‘barrel room’ incorporates a wine barrel I gifted my husband at our wedding after visiting a vineyard and getting engaged in South Africa. That’s just one example of the creativity the Elements team showed throughout our home renovation.”
The walls were saturated in Benjamin Moore Powell Gray, creating a moody atmosphere that sets off the barrel’s golden oak tones. The built-in was repainted to match and styled with decorative accents. A Schumacher Gibson Bronze, cut-velvet cushion adds comfort and visual appeal to the seating bench.
Encouraging conversation, four Lee Industries velvet swivel chairs in Everest Brick—accented with French gold nailheads—surround a leather ottoman/coffee table. A patterned Jaipur Living rug ties together the grounding elements, including woven shades that filter light and add texture.
“It’s cozy, layered and completely unique,” says Turner. “We love when a room tells a personal story, and this one does that in a really special way.”
Throughout the five-month project, the design team focused on infusing personality and flow into the three rooms—once awkward and disjointed— and integrating them into the home’s larger narrative.
“This is what we love most—bringing modern sensibility to classic architecture in a way that feels effortless,” says McDevitt. “We didn’t erase the home’s Victorian heritage. We enhanced it.”