Caitlin Wilson Is Sticking to Traditional Decor for Her Dallas Home

You know how you can not decide a guide by its cover? You could say the very same detail about properties. In our Highland Park, Dallas community, persons aren’t worried to make daring layout decisions. A home’s exterior may perhaps search French Provincial, but you could open the front doorway to discover putting modern day interiors.

When I saw our residence, I understood particularly what I desired the within to be. I was motivated by the formality and romance of its colonial architecture, and I wanted the inside to have that similar feeling—and to keep on being genuine to the 1920s period when it was developed.

If you are a designer or a house enthusiast, reworking an outdated property can feel like a rite of passage. That was real for me. Just before we acquired this dwelling, I’d reworked a home from the ’80s. We’d also designed a house from the floor up. In many methods, nevertheless, restoring a 100-furthermore-calendar year-outdated residence is the greatest project—so a great deal coronary heart and soul goes into it, specifically when it is your for good household.

When I desired our house to feel formal, and my fashion is surely rooted in common, I’m not fearful of applying architectural detail, color, and sample to infuse a new choose on a common style—I connect with it “traditional with a twist.”

Here’s how I’m working with that fashion to tutorial our Highland Park renovation:

Permit the architecture discuss for by itself. My layout aesthetic has generally been knowledgeable by my travels. When I was a school university student, I chose to research in France. It was a formative time for me, and I like that this house experienced a whole lot of French inspiration, like the initial iron railing on the facade and the aged inside doorways, and fireplaces. I picture in the 1920s, the molding was grand, but I assume about the a long time, as with lots of grand old residences, the entrepreneurs slowly received rid of a whole lot of it. We’ve salvaged what we can, and we’re working with plaster to create those people great aspects. We’re also incorporating a ton of dentil molding and a number of parts of crown molding to replicate the ornate type of the 1920s.

Intricate millwork and molding will include character to Caitlin Wilson’s property.

Set the tone with color. Persons who’ve adopted along from the commencing of my job could don’t forget my 1st collections began in punchy, brilliant hues. Above the decades, my preferences have advanced into a softer palette and I’ve grow to be regarded for my signature mixture of blush pink and French blue. Having said that in this home, even though I however want the colors to be soft and feminine—rooted in this idea of complementary tones and palettes—I’m applying deeper tones and including in a lot of greens and purples.

Use textiles to layer textures and styles. I established my textile line when we were living overseas, and I was encouraged by patterns and textures from other cultures and the unique international locations where by we lived—London, Dubai, and Hong Kong. I started to mix florals and chinoiserie that give a space individuality and character.

Increase a feeling of playfulness with furnishings. Residing in compact flats overseas, we only had obtain to fashionable home furnishings. So when we came back again to the United States and rented an previous penthouse in Rittenhouse Sq., Pennsylvania, I felt cost-free to increase, basically. I fell in enjoy with parts that ended up significant and unique. I scoured Craigslist, eBay, and community antique shops for exceptional home furniture. I located a Queen Anne-design and style table for my office environment desk, and a Regency dining home established. I nevertheless really like to perform around with mixing diverse models of home furnishings, and am thrilled to have the house to do this in our dwelling.

Caitlin Wilson was inspired by this area intended by Robert Couturier that was showcased in the November/December 2013 situation of VERANDA.

Be intentional with the landscaping. Just as we’re coming up with interiors that mirror our home’s official architecture by preserving its original depth, we want to maintain and rejoice our lot’s mature trees. We envision a garden that feels manicured, with sculptural boxwoods, but punctuated with arches and romantic perennials, like wandering wisteria. The home’s landscaping can be as an important design and style element as its interior—it offers the initially effect of the dwelling and sets the design and style tone and fashion.

Sketch of the garage and mudroom by Wilson Fuqua Architects.

Retain it purposeful and adaptable. In Texas, garages are generally different from properties, but we preferred to add an enclosed breezeway. With 5 young children, I necessary that house to be a useful mudroom—an important ingredient for a contemporary home. We’ll style it to be beneficial, entire with locker storage, but we’re also generating it lovely with Paris Ceramics tile and elevated cabinetry. We’ll invest so significantly time right here, and I want it to be filled with gentle and elegance.

Caitlin Wilson made use of Paris Ceramics tile in her previous home (pictured previously mentioned). This will also serve as the inspiration for the tile in her new property.

Now that we have founded a framework for the architecture and the structure aesthetic, we’re prepared to dive into the details! Join me following thirty day period in the coronary heart of our dwelling as we examine how to carry an early 1900s, tiny maids’ kitchen into the modern age.

This is section two in our Along for the Revival sequence with Caitlin Wilson. Get caught up with the rest of the sequence here.