DESIGN by VANESSA DELEON ASSOCIATES
PHOTOGRAPHY by LAURA MOSS
TEXT by DONNA ROLANDO
“A modern, beauty vibe”— that was the directive a Wayne couple gave New York City-based designer Vanessa DeLeon as they handed her the keys to their Toms River summer home and walked away. Followers of hers on social media for years, the couple had the confidence to jump at what DeLeon called a “fun experiment.” That meant not only giving her free rein on a gut-job reno but also staying in the dark on the details—that is, until the grand unveiling in June 2022.
The timing mattered because homeowners Vickie and Keith and their two young girls didn’t want to miss a single summer ray at their first Shore home, a four-bedroom split level on jet-ski-friendly Silver Bay. (And yes, they do jet-ski.)
“I love doing it this way,” DeLeon says, adding that many clients give carte blanche for a second home. “There’s no room for anything to get derailed.”
The award-winning designer didn’t have to sell her credentials. “I didn’t have any jitters,” says Vickie. “I trusted her vision, and I thought, ‘It’s probably better for us not to be involved.’”
What DeLeon faced was a “major time warp,” completely outdated with dark floors and dark cabinets. No surprise there, because the couple had actually taken her on a tour before buying the 2,182-square-foot retreat in late 2021. Among her goals? Achieve the light and airy vibe one desires in a beach home.
The couple skipped the wish list, but DeLeon got a good idea of their wants and needs when they spoke of their big family and mentioned that, in the designer’s words, “all they do is entertain.”
She was also attuned to their personalities—right down to their Greek roots, to which she gave a nod in the living room. There the focal point is a blue shiplap fireplace wall that evokes the blue rooftops on the island of Santorini. “That’s the inspiration in that room, but without being so kitschy,” DeLeon says.
Beyond the pop of color, this accent wall also grounds the space with its Dimplex electric fireplace (more for effect than heat), Samsung’s The Frame TV showcasing Greek art and bench seating/storage. Further bursts of blue follow this lead in the linen draperies, velvet lounge chairs and a vintage record player (one of Keith’s passions).
Chosen for its soft and cozy character, a kidney-shaped Kartell sofa teams up with Anthropologie’s swirled-drum, reclaimed coffee table. A beach-vibe area rug complements refinished oak floors that reflect DeLeon’s mastery of light and bright.
With GT Builders, DeLeon took architectural leaps as well, like raising the 8-foot ceilings that made the space feel “kind of squashed.” Demolishing walls, the team also created an entertainment-friendly, open format for the kitchen, dining and living rooms, adding a powder room too.
For the chef ’s kitchen, DeLeon knew that her clients liked the look of gold and silver, hence the room’s focal point—a rugged, industrial-looking stove and refrigerator in stainless steel with robust brass hinges. This “unexpected” and vintage aesthetic makes the Big Chill hood and appliances this room’s star feature, contrasting updated, Shaker-style cabinets with slabs of white, Carrara-style quartz for backsplash and counters.
Evoking the beach spirit in the island area are Pottery Barn blue rattan pendants joining wood and leather stools. “I wanted it to feel like it could almost be a beach chair,” says the designer of such a stool. A Vigo farmhouse sink with Kraus faucet completes the heart of the home, Vickie’s favorite room.
Though tastefully subdued, the dining room gets a big “oohla-la” from a layered-wood chandelier from Made Goods, resurrected from out-of-stock status just in time. Another highlight is the wooden-and-epoxy-resin surfboard by Jeff Trotter Design— a wave-kissed coastal room divider. “It’s beautiful, and it’s kind of see-through,” says DeLeon.
With the living room’s big blue wall within sight, DeLeon says, “We kept the dining room sort of neutral,” from the driftwood-like table from CB2 to a combo of faux linen and wooden chairs to a subtly multicolored Surya rug.
Offering views of both the pool and lagoon, the recreation room is another key player on the entertainment scene. No longer what DeLeon called “dungeon-like,” today it’s a lounge featuring a wet bar with a Carrara look against black-and-gold laminate cabinetry as well as metal stools.
For further pizzazz, DeLeon called in North Jersey artist Sue Works to create a sandy-colored wave that “feels like an ocean on the walls.” One may never look down, but DeLeon also dressed the floors—with luxury-vinyl planks.
The bedrooms (both the children’s and the master) get a punch from wall art suited to the generations. For the kids, DeLeon created a “fun space” with a custom Volkswagen bunkbed (check out the original wheels) and a “Let’s Surf ” wallpaper mural by Society6. For more kid kicks, there’s a hanging rope chair, sky effect ceiling by Sue Works and Perigold’s 3D tree bookshelf. “They adore it,” says Vickie. “It’s such a pretty room.”
Equally inviting is how Sue Works’s master-bedroom mural reflects sky tones. To keep the piece from looking like child’s play, the artist uses gradations of color. “It feels serene,” says DeLeon of the space where slumber comes on a steel-hardware canopy bed by Bernhardt with a rattan headboard. This bed’s rustic vibe is offset by a whitewash dresser and night tables from Crate & Barrel along with sculptural lamps.
The master bath wows with Raphael Porcelain’s Bardiglio for a marble persona that’s large-format chic on walls and in the black-framed shower. A modern touch from Signature Hardware, the floating vanity is topped with porthole-like light-up mirrors from Lighting New York and keeps the space open. Providing contrast, the Vintage Almendra floors, also from Raphael Porcelain, are styled after concrete or limestone but a snap to clean.
Thanks to the chance for unbridled creativity, DeLeon says, “It was probably the most successful project we’ve done.”
And when it came time for the owners to lift the blindfolds and discover their essentially new beach house, Vickie says, “That was the surprise of my life—a perfect surprise.”