DESIGN by EMILY GERNE AND GENEVIEVE BOTTONI, EGB INTERIORS
PHOTOGRAPHY by VIC WAHBY
TEXT by DONNA ROLANDO
Introducing bold after years of neutral can be a test of courage, but with encouragement from their designers, a Chatham family welcomed striking colors in their newly purchased colonial.
With rich hues like blue, her favorite, and a neutral balance, “I feel like I got the best of both worlds,” says one of the homeowners, a mom of two.
Emily Gerne of Chatham’s EGB Interiors recalls how she and co-founder Genevieve Bottoni worked to build the wife’s confidence. “She came to us, honestly, to kind of pull her out of her shell,” says Gerne, describing the six-bedroom colonial’s new vibe as East Coast organic modern, a color-centric style. The key to gaining her trust, says the homeowner, was how the team embraced her vision from the get-go with their swatches and paint chips—and never hurried her.
Already residing in Chatham, the husband and wife—with children in high school and college—moved to this more spacious house in 2022. The project wrapped up the next year, with only the powder room needing to be gutted.
The living room is “where we really went for it,” says Gerne. A custom shade of Benjamin Moore’s Evening Dove was used for trim, molding and baseboards. A mohair velvet couch anchors the space, while Annie Selke’s Moroccan Berber-style rug lends softness and texture. As for the chairs, says Gerne, “We just loved the caning detail.”
As Bottoni explains, the homeowner also needed a little coaxing in the formal dining room, where the “big wow factor” is Galbraith & Paul wallpaper. “We used the color story in the wallpaper as a road map for the rest of the room,” says Gerne, noting the rich indigo seats and watercolor art. Here, softness comes from the sisal rug, the designers say, while the linear lantern offers clean lines and airiness.
Decidedly masculine with a brass- and leather-detailed desk, the husband’s office comes to life with Boothbay Gray’s blue and green undertones from ceiling to shelves, Gerne says. Perched at the window, an equally masculine, leather-trimmed chair sits on a Stark plaid rug.
The family room with its bevy of blues reads more neutral than bold, says the homeowner. A contrast-color bar—in blue, of course—keeps cocktails ready for relaxing on RH linen-weave sofas, paired with a performance linen ottoman and indigo lamps. A custom rug unites the palette, while a brass mirror and sconces add warmth beyond the preexisting fireplace.
The powder room may be the smallest of these rooms, but it played a big role in the decision-making. Its Pimpernel print by Morris & Company was the homeowner’s first love during this redesign, Gerne says. The team worked to elevate the space—it’s right off the dining room—with a hexagon marble floor and a Carrara vanity, joining a brass mirror and sconces for further elegance.
With what she deems an ideal balance between neutral and bold, the homeowner says, “I love being home.” Thanks to designers who never made her feel rushed, she can proudly attest: “The end result was perfection.”