Bronxville, New York
House

Restoring and decorating a historic house for a professional couple escaping New York City who needed more space for entertaining, gardening, and a better ‘working from home’ quality of life.

BRIEF

Swain Street & Co (SS&Co) was asked to reimagine and decorate a historic house for modern living where every room is lived in and enjoyed.

The clients wanted to maintain the existing architectural integrity of the building while enhancing and refining the layout. They requested that the existing plan be sensitively adapted for contemporary living while maintaining the original 1920s floorplan.

The original small cook’s kitchen was enlarged to accommodate family dining in the same spirit as the rest of the house. The third-floor staff rooms were reimagined as a comfortable three-room home office suite which could be turned into a nursery and nanny’s room if required.

SS&Co oversaw the full decoration of the house, incorporating the client’s own furniture and art.

A staircase landing with a large window letting in natural light, decorated with textured gray cloud wallpaper, and featuring a vintage-style wall sconce on a cream wall. A painting of a young boy dressed as a soldier leaning on a rifle is visible.
A vintage black rotary phone and a decorative drum mirror on a wooden desk, with a black lampshade, a glass vase of orange roses, and a small yellow Buddha statue. A carved wooden chair with a woven seat is beside the desk, under a staircase with white spindles and dark wooden steps, against a textured grey and white wallpapered wall.
Large white colonial-style house with black shutters, columns, and a balcony. Surrounded by trees and a well-manicured lawn.

The light-filled entrance hall was kept bright and uncluttered.

DESIGN

SS&Co took on the challenge of decorating this charming historically important house with great respect for the original architect’s well-considered design. 

The project’s focus was to maintain and refresh the look of the exterior while finessing the interior. Inside a color palette that is contemporary while harking back to the past included shades of creams and blues. These hues were enhanced with whimsical touches delivered via graphic wallpapers and textural fabric wallcoverings. 

The light-filled entrance hall was kept bright and uncluttered. Italian brand Fornasetti’s black and white clouds ‘ Nuvolette’ wallpaper visually furnishes this space without the need for art or too many accessories drawing the eye up the stairs and enhancing the room’s height. SS&Co created a welcoming foyer that is elegant yet not too formal or cluttered.

Entrance hall with dark front door, decorative wallpaper, and view into living room with large window, fireplace, and armchairs. Staircase on the left, framed artwork on the wall, and a red patterned area rug.

To encourage use, the living room has a TV which can be discreetly hidden behind bespoke cabinetry in keeping with the Federalist look of the house. The wool fabric walls add depth and warmth that could not have been achieved with paint. As it may have been when first built, this is the heart of the house and functions throughout the day as a true room for living.

The closet-like powder room needed scale and an element of fun. The Dutch mirror tricks the eye into visually creating more space. The oval sink from the same era as the house and the ‘La Fenice’ wallpaper creates a sense of delight and occasion.

A cozy living room with a white sofa, colorful pillows, and a glass coffee table with green apples, surrounded by chairs and a vintage rug. There are built-in bookshelves filled with books, a window with floral curtains, a fireplace with decorative items, and a framed picture above it.
A small white and brown dog sitting on a green velvet chair next to a window in a cozy room with a wooden desk, a yellow lamp, and a black pot with green plants.

The only part of the house that required significant structural change was the kitchen. Originally a dark small service room which was not meant to be eaten in, it was doubled in size to become an inviting place for cooking and entertaining. The studio designed windows to wrap the room in the same spirit as those in the existing breakfast room and study, flooding the kitchen with light for most of the day.

Bright white kitchen with marble countertops and large windows, decorated with fresh vegetables, flowers, and kitchen appliances.
Interior view of a room with an arched doorway, dark wood front door, and patterned wallpaper. There is a small table holding umbrellas and a framed picture on the wall. A chair with wood frame and upholstered seat is partially visible.

Heading up the stairs the five bedrooms were each given an individual personality. The clients’ favorite, christened ‘The Bird Room,’ has three exposures with views of large old trees. The studio introduced an English nature-inspired wallpaper bringing an idealized version of the garden indoors.

The master bathroom required extensive reworking in order to achieve a balance between comfort and practicality. An existing tub was sacrificed for a double sink and large shower, while a door into the hallway was eliminated to claw back space and create an ensuite with privacy. The new linen closet with a pull-out shelf incorporates a useful coffee station.

Placed throughout the house the clients’ heirloom furniture was restored and reupholstered before being deployed in a new setting. A mix of judiciously selected new pieces sourced internationally and others made bespoke by the studio’s craftspeople dovetails with the clients’ existing collection enhancing the feeling of relevant timelessness.

With SS&Co’s guidance a house that was once a time capsule has been brought to life to be enjoyed by a new generation of owners.

Living room scene with a bookshelf, floral arrangement, sofa with decorative pillows, window with curtains, and a side table with books and flowers.
Decorative living room fireplace with white mantel and black marble surround, flanked by brass andirons, with a dark gray textured wall above. The mantel holds two green moss sheep, two tall gold candles, a black antique clock, and a framed black-and-white cityscape drawing. Part of a wooden chair and a colorful patterned rug are visible in the room.
Bright kitchen with three large windows, white cabinets, and dark hardwood floors. A round wooden table with wire chairs, set for breakfast with plates, cutlery, a teapot, and a flower vase. Sunlight streams through the windows, and there are bowls of fruit and a stand mixer on the countertop.