Gutting a dated Tenafly colonial gives a young family a modern home they can grow with. The house needed a lot of work, but the homeowners were undeterred. They knew it had good bones and sat on the perfect block in the loveliest area of Tenafly. Plus, it had a large yard, a great pool and a beautiful view of the valley below. So they hired Shelley Cekirge, a Tenafly-based designer, to help them make the tired old house live up to its promise.
Text by Marisa Sandora
Design by Shelley Cekirge Interiors
Photography by Dean Luis Chuqui
“The couple wanted a transitional, clean look they could grow with,” Cekirge says. “We kept the color palette neutral and then popped in color with accessories. I wanted to layer the look, so I used a lot of texture and pattern with lots of different fabrics and wallpaper, plus some gold and silver to sparkle it up a little.”
The kitchen was completely reconstructed and opened up to the family room to give the home an open, fluid feel. It features show-stopping, 3-inch-thick Super White marble countertops from Artistic Tile. The Pratt & Larson subway tiles on the backsplash have a frame relief to “give them a little bit more interest,” says Cekirge, and faucets and hardware were chosen for their clean lines and unfussy feel. Gray barstools from Room & Board and a trestle table and wooden chairs from Crate & Barrel complete the picture.
“We love the open feel and the simplicity of the design,” says one of the homeowners, a young couple with kids who moved from New York City.
Upstairs, the master bath is their private oasis. Two sinks are linked by a vanity with Pacific White marble countertops from Artistic Tile, giving the couple plenty of storage and lots of space to get ready each morning. The bathroom also features a striking standalone tub by Blackman, plus a shower with a recessed drain. “It allows the floor to be completely flat, which gives the whole room a seamless line,” Cekirge explains. “It’s a really beautiful touch.”
The renovation took about nine months, and the homeowners couldn’t be happier with the results: “We feel like we are coming home to the house we always wanted,” they gush.