Modern and feminine vibes come together to impress both husband and wife clients— creating a traditional, yet daring space.

Osborne & Little wallpaper sets the tone in the family room.

THE CLIENT
When one young family finally found the larger city home they were looking for, they called upon Jocelyn Chiappone, owner and head designer of Digs Design Company (digsdesignco.com), after hearing about the team’s talents. “They had been looking for a larger space in Boston for quite a while and then this came available and they decided to purchase it,” Chiappone explains. “But it needed a little bit of renovation.”A Dowel Furniture bench in Manuel Canovas fabric is dotted by the client’s shoes.

THE GOALS
“It was important that we design the spaces with a timeless quality in keeping with the classic Boston brownstone vernacular while simultaneously infusing the home with a fresh and youthful quality that reflects the lifestyle and personality of the young family who live there,” Chiappone says. This meant mixing traditional pieces with those that were family-friendly, but still chic and sophisticated. For larger changes, like flooring, the team worked hand in hand with Catamount Builders (catamountbuilders.com).

A light fixture from Visual Comfort lords over the dining room, which is complemented by CR Laine and Dowel chairs.

DETAILS, DETAILS
“The wife had a wonderful love for pastels,” the interior designer says of the client. This meant incorporating different shades throughout the home, starting in the main areas on the first floor thanks to Osborne & Little (osborneandlittle.com) wallpaper. This, along with a blush Peter Fasano (peterfasano.com) print in the powder room, set the tone for the rest of the home in terms of the color palette.

Cool, geometric tile acts as the backsplash in the kitchen.

Starting in the family room, Chiappone and her team opted for an oversize sectional sofa in plush velvet from Cowtan & Tout (cowtan.com) that could handle the wear and tear of the young family’s daily life. Complemented by fun patterned pillows, the pastel green-hued wallpaper from Osborne & Little wraps the entire room in a feminine aesthetic.A Pollack fabric decorates the Bernhardt stools.

Adding to the pattern, a Jim Thompson Fabrics (jimthompsonfabrics.com) drapery was chosen, which was also mimicked in the nearby lampshade to provide consistency. “The goal here was sophistication, elegance, but family-friendly,” she adds, noting a beautiful vintage limestone and brass midcentury coffee table that they were able to source. The blush color from the powder room can be seen in a pink egg chair that the clients previously owned. To keep the room from looking too traditional, a chic, bubblelike chandelier was added.

The Peter Fasano wallcovering continues a feminine aesthetic into the powder room

Heading into the living room, the same Osborne & Little wallpaper sets the tone, but this time complemented by a completely refurbished fireplace in pastel blue paint. “We installed the new gas fireplace, which was much more family-friendly and efficient,” Chiappone says. Next to it stands the pièce dry bar sourced from Paris, clad in brass and Macassar veneer. She adds, “One of our goals is always to try and have something in a room that’s a little bit unexpected, and a talking point, and this piece certainly fills that bill.”
Cool plant-like sconces from Arteriors hang in the primary bedroom.

Directly across sits a blue velvet chaise—perfect for cocktails and cozy nights in. “The lacquered kidney tables work as a coffee table, and then we paired that space with some modern sconces and a more traditional carved mirror above the mantel,” she says, noting how the sharper lines of the sconces juxtapose the curved lineatures of the other pieces.

A closer look at the Bernhardt table, which was styled with china from the client’s own collection.

Upstairs, the interior designer took a break from color in the primary bathroom, where a shimmering tile envelops the floor and shower. Here, a custom vanity with nickel accents was added with a new marble top, along with a Kallista (kallista.com) soaking tub and The Urban Electric Co. (urbanelectric.com) lighting. Over into the primary bedroom, the point of design all started with the Dowel Furniture (dowelfurniturecompany.com) bench in Manuel Canovas fabric. Made with blush and floral fabric, it served as the jumping aesthetic for the room, which features a Thibaut (thibautdesign.com) grasscloth wallcovering, wool and silk carpet, and a velvet bed frame in a light raspberry hue.

The designers took a break from color in the primary bathroom

THE CHALLENGE
“The wife loves traditional damasks, while the husband gravitated toward modern lines, so my job as the designer was to integrate their individual styles for a cohesive look,” Chiappone says. “The result is a curated mix with unique and unexpected elements that make it memorable.”

Made Goods side tables snuggle the primary bed, which sits against wallpaper from Thibaut.

Making both clients happy, all while creating a cohesive design, was a challenge, but accomplished nonetheless. One example of this can be seen in the dining room, where a more traditional table from Bernhardt Furniture (bernhardt.com) is complemented by a blush grasscloth wallcovering. Modern touches were added through the silhouettes of the chairs, as well as the Visual Comfort (visualcomfort.com) chandelier.

A vintage bar in the living room serves as the main talking point.

THE RESULT
“We specialize in historic projects at Digs Design, and I cherish the honor of working on a home with original millwork and classic details. This traditional architecture doesn’t mean that every piece in the home has to be in the same style. It’s the juxtaposition of old and new that balances a design and makes it feel authentic and engaging,” Chiappone notes. “When floor plans need to be updated for modern living, we are very mindful of doing that in a way that meets the needs of our clients, while being mindful of the integrity of the architecture.”

DESIGN DETAILS

TYPE
Brownstone

INTERIOR DESIGNER
DIGS Design Co.
digsdesignco.com

BUILDER
Catamount Builder
catamountbuilders.com

OLY
Coffee table, living room
Light fixture, living room
Side table, family room
olystudio.com

KRAVET
Rug, primary bedroom
lravet.com

WORLDS AWAY
Console, dining room
worlds-away.com

HIGHLAND HOUSE FURNITURE
Chaise, living room
highlandhousefurniture.com

VISUAL COMFORT
Sconces, living room
Light fixture, family room
Sconce, powder room
Light fixture, dining room
Lamps, primary bedroom
Light fixture, primary bedroom
visualcomfort.com