DESIGN by CARLI GROMMET, CG STUDIO INTERIORS, AND AGNES WANAT, AT HOME DEVELOPERS
PHOTOGRAPHY by LINDA PORDON
TEXT by NAYDA RONDON
SOME HOMES BEGIN WITH A CLIENT’S WISH LIST. Others start as a feeling. A Paramus residence recently rose from the latter—an instinctive pull toward light, warmth and serenity that found form in wood, stone and sweeping glass. For Agnes Wanat, founder and principal builder for Paramus-based At Home Developers, the 7,850-square-foot custom build emerged precisely that way: a vision she felt compelled to conjure long before a buyer—or the first beam—was in place.
To make the one-year project happen, Wanat partnered with Robert Zampolin of Westwood-based Zampolin & Associates Architects. He helped channel her bold ideas into a coherent structure defined by dramatic ceilings, airy architectural flow and window placements that celebrate the play of light.
For the interiors, Wanat sought a designer whose aesthetics matched hers and found a creative partner in Nashville-based Carli Grommet of CG Studio Interiors. “Although there are many gifted designers in our area, Carli’s style aligned perfectly with the direction of this project,” Wanat says.
Grommet embraced the opportunity. “We wanted this build to stand out from others in the area with a fresh, luxurious and modern-leaning vibe,” she says. Together, she and Wanat created an interior dialogue rooted in Scandinavian design—natural light, clean lines, warm woods and soft textures—then deepened it with moodier accents and lighting to introduce drama.
Completed in July 2025, the six-bedroom, eight-bath home features roof peaks and a Miami-modern tinted glass front door. Outside, marble steps, ordered plantings and a pool lined with stepping stones and synthetic turf project resort-like polish. Inside, the spaces soar with vaulted ceilings and oversized windows that welcome in the landscape.
Although the house was designed without a buyer, Wanat worked with trusted real estate agents to secure a contract before the foundation was poured. The clients, she says, were fully invested in the creative direction. “They embraced the process and allowed the design to unfold naturally.”
The foyer sets the tone for that vision. A floating staircase—white oak treads, black stringers and metal balusters— ascends beneath a gold globe chandelier suspended within a 20-foot vaulted ceiling. “It’s clean, neutral and striking,” Wanat says. “A perfect first impression.”
But achieving this “effortless” perfection was anything but. As a woman in a male-dominated field, Wanat was ever at the ready; an unflappable, hands-on presence ensuring that every detail landed seamlessly. When installers veered from the staircase plan, she stepped in immediately, guiding an onsite adjustment that ultimately improved the original design. “Sometimes the best ideas come from those unexpected moments,” she says.
Throughout the spaces, Grommet and Wanat moved in sync, selecting materials and finishes that could shift in mood yet speak the same visual language.
“Every material and detail had to be not just beautiful, but also connected from one space to the next,” Grommet says. Their most theatrical collaboration is the dining room, enveloped in Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore. A white oak, herringbone ceiling plays against the richness of a custom, 11-foot fluted wine wall crafted by Wallington-based Marwood Carpentry. A bespoke bar with integrated LED lighting whispers a speakeasy-like vibe, while an aged brass, ET2 chandelier brings an artful spark.
In contrast, the kitchen and family room offer a more measured calm. Custom white oak and off-white cabinetry in Sherwin-Williams Natural White stretches to 11 feet, its simplicity enriched by Top Knobs gold hardware. A curved, Venetian plaster hood introduces texture as a quartz waterfall island grounds the space. Rope-hung, Kuzco Lighting linear pendants echo the home’s gentle curves as a continuous quartz backsplash mirrors the countertops for a seamless finish.
The family room extends the quiet harmony with an accent ceiling bathed in LED light and white oak shelving illuminated from within. A travertine-look, porcelain tile fireplace surround adds subtle movement and Andersen sliding doors glide open toward the poolside marble patio, extending interior and outdoor comfort.
This interplay—serenity balanced by drama, grounded forms paired with sculptural elements— creates the home’s defining rhythm. “The way the main floor flows from space to space is one of my favorite things,” Grommet says. “The rooms feel cohesive, but each has its own identity. And the lighting—always so fun to select—is dynamic and beautiful.”
For Grommet, collaborating with Wanat offered another layer of meaning. “As a woman in construction, I work with many wonderful builders, but it’s rare to work alongside a badass woman builder,” Grommet explains. “Our ‘woman’s touch’ and attention to detail really shine through in this home.”
For Wanat, the project still holds an emotional pull. “Handing the homeowners the keys and seeing their excitement—that’s what stays with you,” she says. “Every time I drive by and see the house—its presence, the architecture—I’m reminded of why I love what I do.”