The decision to add a touch of blue to every room of the house is fitting, seeing as how the couple feels most at home near the water. In the summer of 2013, the homeowners moved inland and found themselves far from the ocean for the first time in 15 years. “My husband grew up on the water. We lived in Florida. Even in New York City, we were living on an island. It’s the Hudson River, but at least you knew it opened up into the ocean,” says the wife.
Finding the right shade—and application—of color became the domain of interior designer Amy Studebaker, who met the homeowners when they first moved to St. Louis. “I knew the couple, in particular the wife, loved blue—but it needed to complement and to some degree relate to and blend into the couple’s artwork,” she says. “Wherever we placed color, we needed to consider the art so that it stood out.”
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A colorful Donald Baechler print and vibrant red kitchen stools inspired Studebaker to select aqua glass subway tiles for the backsplash, which she ran full height to create a feature wall. The kitchen art lends the room a fun and whimsical feel. “It doesn’t make you sit and think deep thoughts, but there’s a lot there,” says the wife. The original countertops were removed and replaced with white Silestone. “My clients tend to lean toward marble, but they wanted pure white, no color. And with three small children in the house, Silestone is such a durable product,” says Studebaker.
“I knew the couple, in particular the wife, loved blue—but it needed to complement and to some degree relate to and blend into the couple’s artwork,” says Studebaker. “Wherever we placed color, we needed to consider the art so that it stood out.”
Upper cabinets were taken down and the shape of the island reconfigured, opening up the room. “The island was a bit awkward for the space,” says Studebaker. “This just has a cleaner look and fit.” The breakfast room’s farm table and Louis Ghost chairs are not new, but the blue-and-white synthetic outdoor rug is. The couple bought two and stored one for future use. “With a lot of our furniture choices we wanted to be practical,” says the wife. “The farm table collects stains over time, and we’re not bothered by them. The Ghost chairs are easily wiped down.”
Despite running a busy household, the owners strive for a sense of peace and order at home. Though it’s not always easy to keep the house looking sleek and spare, the home’s uncluttered aesthetic makes it obvious when cleanup is in order. “If it doesn’t have a purpose, why have it?” asks the wife. Studebaker, who is best known for fashioning beautiful yet mostly traditional interiors, was thrilled to show off a modern side. “I’ve always wanted to do a project like this, but it’s a departure from what I get asked to do,” she says. The owners liked what they saw in the designer’s portfolio, in particular the simplicity of Studebaker’s work. “Tables aren’t overflowing with accessories. There aren’t a lot of decorative items. We felt like her style would really showcase the art.”
In the dining room, as in the kitchen, Studebaker pulled a tone of blue from the artwork and incorporated it into the surface top of the white buffet. For a small fee the couple elected to custom-design the piece, so Studebaker and the owners tested a pile of color samples until they found just what they were looking for: a versatile hue—Blueberry, from Benjamin Moore—to complement the photo hanging above the buffet. They ordered the piece in a high-gloss lacquered finish, creating a feel that’s in step with their preferred way of using color. “It enhances the art,” says the wife. The dining room chairs took more time to settle on. “It’s hard to find comfortable modern chairs that aren’t white leather,” says the wife. After a nine-month search, they decided on wooden chairs painted white.
The owners asked Studebaker to work heirloom pieces and a pair of chairs and a sofa into the living room design. “We’ve always been conscious of wanting things that would last and not spending a lot of money, knowing that we’re a young and growing family,” the wife says. To highlight the art in the room and throughout the house, architect Brian Smith designed a lighting scheme that imbues the room with a warm glow, especially in the evenings. “There are no chandeliers in the house,” says Studebaker. Instead, recessed lighting is angled to highlight art; on walls where there is no art, the light bounces off of them instead of pointing downward. In the foyer, the room’s ample size and extra-high ceilings allowed the team to stray from neutrals. But the owners didn’t know what to do other than display a large piece of art. Studebaker suggested a custom colorblock area rug created with the help of Carpet Art. “We drew it out. We determined the thickness and the colors, and then I requested the dye lots,” says Studebaker. In a nod to St. Louis, the homeowners purchased an iconic Saarinen Tulip table to place in the middle of the room.
A blue tufted couch with a contrasting white welt and sheer shades with a navy blue stripe detail add color to the master bedroom. The wife’s study is painted in a favorite periwinkle shade. “It’s simple and uncluttered and representative of how I aspire to live,” the wife says of the design.
Just as they have a passion for art, the couple hopes to instill an appreciation for it in their children. Their eldest daughter’s bedroom is adorned with four colorful prints purchased before her birth, and the room’s décor has been selected to show off the pieces. “We wanted her to have something she would own for her entire life,” says the wife. It appears that she’s off to a good start.
