A family of four with two active boys strikes a balance between neutrality and fun.

The boys’ lounge area features graphic basketballs that pop in the builtin cabinets.

Being a parent isn’t so different from being a diplomat. You’re constantly working to keep the peace by fostering friendly relations between the adults and the little humans whose interests are usually not aligned. One example of a successful familial negotiation is this Weston home designed by Nicole Hirsch Interiors (nicolehirschinteriors.com) that is home to a family of four with two active boys.

The bold green shower in one boy’s bathroom

The boys love basketball and soccer and are always trying out new sports, but the parents wanted a luxurious and elegant space. Throughout the design process, Hirsch was able to appeal to both sensibilities by bringing in pops of color and fun for the boys, while at the same time keeping the overall aesthetic sophisticated and not at all juvenile. “We love including pieces in kid’s spaces that are timeless and cool enough for them to grow with,” says Hirsch.

Artful skate decks hang on the wall in the boys’ lounge.

The balance of neutrality and fun can really be felt in the boy’s rooms which include a lounge area and their bedrooms and bathrooms. Two standout design choices in the lounge area are eight Warhol-inspired skate decks from the MoMA Design Store that hang on the wall and graphic basketballs that pop in the built-ins. “We designed the built-in double desks so they each had a place to sit and comfortably do their homework. We added metal cabinet fronts above for an edgy feel and we found these really gorgeous surf prints that we had custom-framed to give the room a relaxed feel,” says Hirsch. The custom-made teal sofas and ottoman sit above a camouff age printed rug.

Custom-framed tennis prints are striking against the navy grasscloth on the walls.

One of the boys really loves a bold alligator green and Hirsch found a creative way to incorporate the bright color into his bathroom without making the room feel cartoonish. “We started by sourcing the shower tiles so the large shower felt really exciting. We wanted to keep the rest of the space very neutral and bright, so we went with white tile throughout and a very light stained custom vanity. In order to bring the gorgeous green in once more, we matched the tile color to a Benjamin Moore paint (benjaminmoore.com) and used it on the ceiling in the main section of the bathroom. The black hardware and large sconces Thanking the sink brought in an edgy touch,” she says. For the attached bedroom, Hirsch wanted to keep that space really neutral and timeless so it would age well. She stuck with shades of beige and gray, but had custom pillows made in the same color as the bathroom tile to celebrate the boy’s personality.

The office desk was designed by Nicole Hirsch Interiors and made by Cabinet RJB and the desk chair is by Artistic Frame.

There was ample space in the second boy’s bedroom, so Hirsch chose two full size beds and had them made in a custom gray fabric. To add personality, she chose bright blue, custom-made faucets from Watermark Designs (watermark-designs.com) which match accents in the adjoining bedroom, like the rich Phillip Jeffries (phillipjeffries.com) navy grasscloth on the walls, the striped rug and the custom-framed, striking tennis-inspired prints.

The homeowners wanted this wing of the house to feel like their own private retreat and their bedroom like a luxury hotel. The custom stained millwork on the bedroom walls was the starting point and Hirsch worked with The Rug Company to design custom rugs that felt like art on the floor.

For the guest bedroom and bath, Hirsch was able to really dial up the luxury. “We enveloped the whole space in marble tile to give it a very spa-like feel. We really wanted to highlight the matte brass details throughout the space. We always love including accessories in bathrooms to give them the extra touch of refined luxury,” she says. But to ensure they don’t drastically stick out, she used white to enhance their textural elements, bringing in a subtle touch of difference. A similar concept was used when choosing the subtly-patterned, white-on-white bedroom wallpaper by Designer’s Guild (designersguild.com) and the canvas art which has a soft texture and tone to keep the serene feel of the room. “We purchased these art pieces above the bed to bring a sculptural element into the room. We wanted the art above the four poster bed to have some depth. We always keep built-in accessories color-coordinated and diverse in shape. This one was extra fun because we had that beautiful wallpaper Thanking the back and the pieces really popped off of it,” she says.

The next phase of the design process included the primary wing of the home which encompasses the entry vestibule to the space, the primary closet, the bedroom, office space and the bathroom. “They wanted to completely reimagine this wing of the house. They wanted a spa-like bathroom, a bedroom that mimicked a luxury hotel and they wanted to completely overhaul their closet so it not only held all their clothing and accessories in a more efficient way, but looked gorgeous,” says Hirsch. The custom stained millwork on the bedroom walls was the starting point and she worked with the Rug Company (therugcompany.com) to design custom rugs for each space that felt like art on the floor. Every piece of hardware, wood finish and fabric was specially selected and designed for this project.

In the primary bathroom, Hirsch knew the shower was going to serve as the focal point for the room. “We wanted to do a threesided shower that perfectly balances glass and steel. We brought this idea to the clients and they fell in love with it. We worked lengthy hours with the teams at Curl Architects (curlarch.com) and Lynch Construction & Remodeling (mlynchremodeling.com) to achieve this show-stopping architectural feature in the space. It was quite an undertaking to make that steel and glass beauty come together, but it was well worth it, it is such a stunning focal point,” she says. Hirsch used a rift sawn oak for all the bathroom millwork that shows the grain of the wood and is a fabulous canvas for the perfect custom stain that she formulated with Kenyon Woodworking (kenyonwoodworking.com), who also designed the cabinet millwork. The stain took many, many rounds to achieve. “We knew we wanted to do a gorgeous stain on white oak, but needed it to be a little more elevated so we incorporated the inlaid brass to give it that extra level of sophistication,” she says. Hirsch knew she wanted a light in the space that had a presence without being overpowering. She had the chandelier made to accommodate the newly created vaulted ceiling and the stunning skylights were added during construction. “It measures close to 40 inches in height and 40 inches in diameter. It is a real wow factor when entering the space,” she says.

The three-sided shower with a perfect balance of glass and steel is the focal point for the room. Opposite page: The closet in the primary bedroom not only holds clothing but is a wow moment with custom lucite handles made by Luxholdups.

Each room has a special focal point. In the primary bedroom, it’s the closet with gorgeous islands with light fixtures above and custom lucite handles. Although one could argue that the exquisite custom millwork panels in the primary bedroom are also the star and they were the starting point for the whole design. “We were very influenced by Parisian design and how old architecture combines with modern décor for the perfect synergy,” says Hirsch.

New Day Woodwork newdaywoodwork.com Victoria and Albert vandabaths.com ACCESSORIES Lekker Home lekkerhome.com Luxholdups luxholdups.com Modern Relik modernrelik.com

The whole home sings of harmony. It strikes the perfect balance between youth and maturity, lively and serene, luxurious and liveable. It’s the creation of a deal well negotiated.

DESIGN DETAILS

TYPE
Single-family

LOCATION
Weston

INTERIOR DESIGN
Nicole Hirsch Interiors
nicolehirschinteriors.com

ARCHITECTURE
Richard Curl
curlarch.com

BUILDER
Michael Lynch
mlynchremodeling.com

STYLIST
Sean William Donovan
seanwilliamstyling.com

LIGHTING
Allied Maker
alliedmaker.com
Apparatus Studio
apparatusstudio.com

Arteriors
arteriorshome.com

Cedar and Moss
cedarandmoss.com

Urban Electric Co.
urbanelectric.com

RUGS

Adam Hunter for The Rug Company
us.therugcompany.com

Art and Loom
artandloom.com

Stark
starkcarpet.com

ART

Phillips Collection
phillipscollection.com

FURNITURE

Artistic Frame
artisticframe.com

A Rudin
arudin.com

Bright Group
thebrightgroup.com

Cabinet RJB
cabinetfurniture.ca

Lousso Designs
loussodesigns.com