DESIGN by KATE MAZZA, MAZZA COLLECTIVE
PHOTOGRAPHY by JACOB SNAVELY
TEXT by NAYDA RONDON
For designer Kate Mazza, founder of the Mazza Collective in Passaic County, the redesign of a Montclair center-hall colonial began with a collection of cherished photographs. Her first-time client, Lara Dahl, shared images of the beloved Telluride, Colorado, home where she’d spent childhood vacations. Rich with family memories, it became the emotional touchstone for a contemporary refresh of the homeowners’ custom-built, 5,500-square-foot home.
“I design spaces based on who my clients actually are, not a predetermined aesthetic,” says Mazza. “I listen carefully, understand what makes them feel like their best selves, and create environments that reflect that.”
Rather than reinvent the home, Mazza sought to modernize the main floor’s two most-used spaces while honoring the traditional architecture and many much-loved family pieces.
“After living here since 2012, our yellow kitchen and family room had begun to feel heavy and dated,” Dahl explains. “I was just tired of the traditional look of everything. We were ready for something more modern, lighter and peaceful, but absolutely not boring.”
The Telluride connection quickly emerged as the project’s guiding influence. For more than 25 years, Dahl’s parents had owned a retreat there, making the mountain town an enduring part of her family’s story. A Tony Newlin triptych photograph of Telluride aspens in autumn, purchased in 2017, became the design’s visual anchor. The vibrant orange leaves against stark white bark captured both Dahl’s love of fall and her connection to Colorado.
The artwork also provided the palette for the family room. Already rich in architectural character—a fireplace flanked by built-ins, a window seat, soaring windows and wood-beam ceilings—the space just needed refining tweaks rather than dramatic changes.
“It was important to me that her family room had that same inviting yet cozy essence,” Mazza says. “I wanted it to feel like a place where family and friends could relax, play, read, watch the game and enjoy one another’s company. It was more about capturing that nostalgic quality than following a style too closely.”
Mazza covered the yellow walls with Benjamin Moore Linen White, a soft neutral that echoes the trees’ pale bark while accentuating the dark ceiling beams. The artwork’s autumn hues inspired an earthy mix of ivory, orange, brown and brass throughout the room.
A Bernhardt sectional with Jab Anstoetz fabric established a sophisticated neutral foundation, while patterned pillows and textured fabrics brought warmth. New furnishings—including a Bernhardt ottoman, a sofa-back console by Universal, Visual Comfort lamps and Vanguard drink tables—shifted the room toward a relaxed, contemporary sensibility.
“Kate layered different colors, fabrics and textures everywhere you look to keep it harmonious but playful,” says Dahl. “The result is rich, warm and elegant—and it works seamlessly with the rest of our home.”
Equally important was what Mazza removed. With the couple’s two adult daughters now living in Manhattan, the empty nesters’ family room no longer needed to accommodate the demands of a busy young household and all its kid/ teen-centric “stuff.” Instead, Mazza focused on comfort, conversation and flexibility, introducing a variety of seating options while embracing the power of negative space. The result feels lighter, more open and less cluttered without sacrificing functionality.
A checkerboard Vanguard swivel chair upholstered in Gastón y Daniela fabric adds personality, a Pollack fabric-clad, white-chevron Vanguard chair offers sculptural contrast and two Kravet-upholstered Vanguard bench chairs create an intimate seating area near the fireplace.
The adjoining kitchen received a complementary yet distinct update. While the family room embraces the warmth of autumn, the kitchen’s dining section reflects a cooler palette that enhances the neighboring space rather than competing with it. Mazza replaced the pale yellow walls with a soft blue (Benjamin Moore 715 In Your Eyes) drawn from the room’s existing Schumacher window treatment. The color was paired with a sleek, dark dining table by Ethnicraft, Bernhardt dining chairs upholstered in black-and-white Kravet fabric and a bubble chandelier from Visual Comfort.
“The home is absolutely stunning,” says Mazza, “and while each space has its own distinct personality and palette, they all thread together into a beautiful, cohesive whole.”
Drawing from Dahl’s memories of Telluride rather than a prescribed design style, Mazza created fresh spaces where memory and modernity blend.
“Her ability to bring new into the old was key,” Dahl says of Mazza’s design skills. “She absolutely nailed it, curating a perfect mix of fabrics, shapes and styles that add rich interest and personality. The final spaces feel wonderfully fresh, light and inviting.”