A couple from Philadelphia creates their ideal escape.
Designer Emily Pinney reupholstered the inherited swivel chairs which became the room’s anchor.
When interior designer Emily Pinney (pinneydesigns.com) first met the owners of this modern abode on Cape Cod, she made sure to wear her most colorful sweater. “Right from the start, the client said that they wanted someone who could push the color envelope. And they were a little worried because they didn’t see a lot of color in my portfolio. So the first time I met them, I wore my brightest colored sweater,” Pinney says with a laugh. Her sweater may have helped seal the deal.
The Italian, iridescent coffee table changes colors with the sun and is reminiscent of the ocean’s dynamic nature.
New Englanders typically don’t embrace the vibrant shades and prefer to reside in agreeable neutrals, so Pinney gladly accepted the assignment to go bright and bold. Nothing was too much for the clients who have their primary residence in Philadelphia. They’re both retired now, and spend most of their time traveling. They wanted a second home to serve as their ideal escape when they weren’t exploring the globe. The husband grew up going to the Cape and wanted to return, but he and his wife were in agreement that they didn’t want the interior to resemble the typical beach home. Out were nautical touches, seaside themes and pale blues and in were contemporary accents, oranges, purples and yellows.
Pinney reupholstered and painted the dining chairs to create a purple palette in the dining room.
“Modern spaces don’t need to be overdone. They just need key pieces that are sculptural and beautiful,” says Pinney. One of those pieces is the gorgeous wool sofa and another is the Italian, iridescent coffee table. “It changes colors with the sun throughout the day. The house doesn’t have an ocean view. It’s more inland in Truro, but the table is reminiscent of the ocean’s dynamic nature,” Pinney says.
Colorful wallpaper helps bring bold hues to the powder room.
The couple was also able to add some of their own family heirlooms to the mix. Many of their antiques were used as accent pieces and inherited furniture became key anchors. The dining room chairs, for example, were given new life after Pinney reupholstered, reinforced and lacquered them in an eye-catching purple. The hue matches two plush armchairs and the large print by Philadelphia artist Rebecca Rutstein. The wife also inherited two swivel chairs that Pinney upholstered in a bright orange. They became the foundational building blocks in the downstairs rec room. Pinney found the abstract Elixir wallpaper by Pierre Frey, a reproduction of a work by artist Heather Chontos. It also came in an indoor/outdoor fabric that she used for the ottoman. Pinney leaned into vibrant wallpaper to bring extra splashes of color, like in the powder room and bedrooms. And whenever she could, she hung the husband’s own photographs. A retired lawyer, he’s found a creative outlet in photography and a lot of the floral pieces throughout the home are his work.
The couple’s own antiques became eye-catching accents.
The design also extended to the home’s outdoor space. Although not oceanfront, the home revels in the wild, natural landscape emblematic of the outer cape. Pinney created a refuge with lounge chairs, chaises, porch swings and a water feature.
The Tibetan photograph is by homeowner Marc Kittner.
Fortunately, there weren’t too many challenges with the property and no architectural work was needed. “The house was pretty well-kept. It was originally designed for a London couple and built in 2019. Mark Hammer was the architect. We did some painting, but overall the house was just like a blank canvas,” says Pinney. Once slight snag became a design win. “The primary bedroom had an upholstered wall that we inherited and the clients loved. I wasn’t really sure how to make it work, but in the end, the rug pulls out the dark color, the arched headboard complements the grid, the lamps have a little bit of the wall’s pinky color in them, and the black and chrome side tables add a nice juxtaposition. I think it came out really amazing,” says Pinney.
The kitchen counter stools were upholstered in Jerry Pair Leather, Like No Udder Limelight.
Perhaps the biggest challenge was the project’s timing. “The clients reached out to me prior to purchasing the home when they were waiting for their offer to be accepted. They closed in March and wanted to be able to use the house that summer, so we had to move really fast. We installed all of the major things prior to July 4 which was awesome,” says Pinney.
The striking rugs and carpets throughout the house were mostly custom hand-woven and broadlooms.
Being an experienced designer, Pinney knew where to source unique, modern pieces for the client, but this project also allowed her to return to an aesthetic that she knows well. “Early on in my design career, I was doing modern projects with a lot of bright colors, so this brought me back to my roots a little bit. It was fun to be able to design like this again,” she says.
DESIGN DETAILS
TYPE
Single-family home
LOCATION
Truro, Cape Cod
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Emily Pinney, Pinney Designs
Pinneydesigns.com
ARCHITECTURE
Hammer Architects
Hammerarchitects.com
RESOURCES
PAINT
Farrow & Ball
Farrow-ball.com
LIGHTING
FlosFlos.com
Moooi
Moooi.com
ART
Rebecca Rutstein
Rebeccarutstein.com
Rachel Maxi
Rachelmaxi.com
Marc Kittner
Kittnerphotography.com
RUGS & CARPETS
Prestige Mills
Prestigemills.com
Steven King Decorative Carpet
Skcarpets.com
Company C
Companyc.com
WALLPAPER
Pierre Frey
Pierrefrey.com
Elitis
Elitis.fr
FURNITURE
Design Within Reach
Dwr.com
Usm
Us.usm.com
Artistic Frame
Artisticframe.com
Kravet
Kravet.com
Knoll
Knoll.com
Glas Italia
Glasitalia.com
Blu Dot
Bludot.com
APPLIANCES
Subzero, Wolf
Subzero-wolf.com
