Warm & "Homey"
New Age Interiors redesigns this grand home to stand the test of time
Story by June Sullivan l Photography by Noel Allum
When purchasing this new large Melville Colonial, the homeowners were eager for it to be ready in time for some very special occasions, including their son’s Bar Mitzvah.
“The house has a lot of grandeur to it,” says the wife. “However, in order to meet our needs, it required a good deal of reconstruction, and we had never faced anything so large-scale before.” For expert help, the couple turned to Melissa
Fenigstein and Linda Pravata-Fenigstein,
co-owners of New Age Interiors, in Deer Park.
“Linda and Melissa worked with both my husband and I through it all, offering selections that were so appropriate, so on-key with our personalities and lifestyle, that it all came together incredibly quickly. We had the exact home we wanted, and in time for these special events.”
“The homeowners told us they didn't want the sense of a large extravagant home, where their children would be afraid to sit or have friends over. They wanted it warm and homey,” says Fenigstein. Pravata-Fenigstein adds that the homeowners were nonetheless grateful for help in grasping the size and scope of the furnishings and appointments required to complete the rooms.
“We didn’t have large-scale pieces of furniture from our previous home,” says the homeowner. So New Age Interiors had a custom dresser made which immediately helped us understand the scale needed. Yet the colors and textures they chose still made everything soft and intimate and a mutual trust quickly developed between them and us.”
The interior designers say the home’s new color palette of red, blue, green, gold, brown and paprika was inspired by an existing inlaid rug mosaic in the foyer’s Jerusalem Gold marble floor. Elsewhere in the foyer, the new stair runner chosen by New Age Interiors harmonizes perfectly with the exquisite iron and wood railing of the grand staircase and upper landing.
Off the foyer, the two-story family room is a wonderful example of how deftly the designers handled the home’s dramatic living spaces.
“To show off the room’s high ceiling, we designed paprika window treatments that go straight up to the second level,” says Fenigstein. “Their light gold wool overlays are finished with a dramatic five-inch trim that can be seen from that height.” She adds that the panels themselves pick up the hues of the room’s comfortable tufted
leather chairs, which recline but show no visible reclining mechanism. The room’s hand-spun wool Agra carpet, designed with lovely floral tendrils and angular vines, has a very tight weave for durability in a room used so frequently by the family.
Touches of informality and warmth create the family room’s welcoming mood. For example, the base of the corner lamp is handmade pottery. In addition, the combination leather-fabric sofa upholstery is warm and cozy, where all-leather would suggest coolness. All the upholstered furniture in the family room is from Hancock and Moore.
The homeowner’s treasured white piano – a family heirloom – was chosen by the designers as the focal point for the more formal living room and was their inspiration for the room’s lighter-toned sofa and chairs.
“We pulled in some red accents through the draperies, silk carpet, bright ottoman, as well as through the Asian pagodas on the sofa's embroidered pillows,” says Pravata-Fenigstein. “Behind the piano, we hung a pair of over-scale antique glass mirrors, richly bordered in gold trim.”
According to the homeowner, the designers created perfect “his” and “her” offices for the couple. “They helped me pick the ideal location for mine and made it so bright and cheerful. It’s my own little space and I love the “Tiffany” blue they recommended. It's a color I've never used before.”
Pravata-Fenigstein explains that the husband wanted a rich cozy office where he could work in private but also have family members join him in comfort when he was through. “It opens on two sides to the den and living room, so we kept some red tones,” she adds.
Positioned behind his office’s all-leather sofa is an elegant, yet practical, large executive desk. A classic Persian Kashan carpet beautifully complements the rich reds and golds in the sofa's mohair pillows. “The textured leather ottoman, with tufted top over a crocodile patterned leather base, contributes to the room's
masculine feel,” says the designer.
A room the wife says she loves to retreat to any time of day is their beautiful master bedroom. Directly under the dramatic coffered ceiling, with its faux-painted subtle textures hand-painted between the beams, is one of the designers’ most romantic choices - a natural palm leaf fan that the homeowner feels “is right out of Casablanca.” The wife adds that she loves to travel, and the room, with its overall “Caribbean feeling” makes her feel like she's always on vacation.
“All the fabrics we used in the master bedroom are organic and natural which contribute to the relaxed vacation feeling she loves,” says Fenigstein.
Next to the master bedroom is a lovely sitting room with a dual fireplace shared with the master bedroom. The beige wool Jacquard carpet has a “halo” design. “We replaced the original red velvet brocade on the ottoman with a charcoal chenille with metallic thread,” says Pravata-Fenigstein.
The children’s bedrooms were equally well thought out. A leather captain’s bed in the son’s room has lots of drawers underneath. His room’s over-sized chaise is a sleeper for when he has guests and the ottoman has storage for extra blankets. In the daughter’s room, the soft tones of the all-linen bedding provide the “beach-y” feel so loved by the preteen. “It has been done in a style that appeals to her love of the shore, and includes such touches as a sea horse sculpture; but it is sophisticated enough to grow with her,” says Fenigstein.
“We’re only going to do this once and we wanted a classic style that would stand the test of time,” says the wife.
“However, Melissa and Linda integrated some eclectic pieces that can be changed as we grow with the house. There isn’t any detail they didn’t help us with. They even picked a fabulous dog bed – a delightful faux-leather ottoman. It’s the perfect thing for the corner of the kitchen.”
