DESIGN by ABBY GRUMAN, ABBY LEIGH DESIGNS
PHOTOGRAPHY by KIRSTEN FRANCIS
TEXT by NAYDA RONDON
When Elissa and Andrew Glaser hired Abby Gruman of Tenafly-based Abby Leigh Designs, the designer was thrilled—and a little nervous.
The project was a big one—a from-scratch design of all the interiors of a newly built, 5,000+-square-foot colonial in Demarest featuring six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. But it wasn’t that. While Gruman gave her professional best to every client, this project was special because it was personal. Abby and Elissa had been friends for years; their kids played together; their husbands hung out and they moved in the same social circles.
“It was fun, but I did feel a little pressure,” says Abby, who admits she felt an expectation to deliver not only for Elissa and her family, but for all of their mutual friends who would be seeing the results.
Luckily, their close relationship was the secret sauce for success. “I already knew her style,” Gruman notes. “Modern and edgy, she likes to be different and take risks. She didn’t want her house to look like all the others.”
Both young moms with similar backgrounds and lifestyle needs, the pair worked in sync to create “a fun and funky, family-friendly home.” Because the builder’s rustic-feel features—distressed wood and farmhouse-style elements—weren’t the homeowners’ faves, Gruman’s design plan focused on modern, clean lines in a monochromatic color scheme interspersed with black accents and pops of color. Form and function got equal emphasis. “My 6-year-old [son], 3-year-old [daughter] and dog are always running around,” says Elissa Glaser. “I wanted functionality, but everything also had to look really on-trend.”
Accordingly, Gruman took a playfully practical approach, particularly in the private areas. For instance, bright bursts of yellow accents bring zing to the boy’s bedroom, while hot pink notes perk up the little girl’s room. In the high-traffic mudroom, the mood is casual and cheery thanks to colorful, smiley-face artwork and a teal-and-white, print-upholstered bench, which offers a convenient outdoors-to-indoors transitional spot where little folks can remove messy shoes before they’re tucked neatly out of mind (and out from underfoot).
“We also made sure to use durable and easy-to-clean fabrics,” says Gruman. “All rugs were Scotchgarded beforehand.”
To satisfy her clients’ love of current design trends, Gruman incorporated features such as nubby fabrics and black accents—along with a less-is-more sensibility that shunned kitschy hominess in favor of elevated minimalism. This aesthetic predominates in the main-floor living areas. Combining custom and luxury pieces with interesting “surprise” elements, the spaces project a cohesive vision of luxe livability intermixed with a fresh, occasionally funky vibe.
The great room—the first to greet visitors—sets the tone of elevated ease. “Not only is it gorgeous, but it also invites you to enjoy the space,” Gruman notes. “Everyone says it’s a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere; chic comfort at its best.”
The wedge in the Kravet sectional has a distinctive flair, while the backs on the two Interlude Home side chairs offer visual interest. The fireplace-facing ottomans were customized with fabric from Élitis. “We wanted a patterned, funky fabric that would pop,” the designer explains. Other custom pieces like the Bradley coffee table, the Romo Fabrics window treatment by Evelin’s Creations and the Holly Hunt decorative pillows co-exist alongside curated pieces such as the Baccarat vase on the coffee table and the Dumae vase on the Arteriors end table, as well as the fireplace, which looks rich and fabulous decked in a marble tile surround from Artistic Tile.
While an edgy, modern mood prevails on the main floor, the designer adopted a softer tone in the primary bedroom. “We were funkier downstairs, but here we wanted a calm oasis. So we went with neutral tones, lots of beiges and ivories,” says Gruman, who also added subtle organic and textural elements like the faux cowhide wallpaper and the Kravet bed bench dressed in a Holly Hunt fabric embellished with purple, teal, navy and metallic silver threads.
Every corner of the home is a reflection of the young family that lives there—the designer made sure of it. “Abby’s very talented and a good friend,” says Elissa. “She totally understood what I wanted, and I’m very, very happy with the way it all turned out.”