Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Bold Strokes for a Designer’s Home in Baltimore
Works from local artists, vivid paint colors and an eclectic mix of furnishings enliven this 1898 apartment
The apartment features an impressive foyer with double doors on both sides of the room. One set leads to the dining room and the other to the formal living room. Bernard refinished the wood floors, doors and trim.
The foyer is flooded with natural light thanks to two large transom windows on either side of the front door. Bradshaw says she tried various paint colors on the walls but all of them looked a little off. “Because of all the wood and natural light in the room, every color I tried looked a little jaundiced,” she says. In the end, a fresh coat of white paint did the trick. She added a pedestal table of gray-washed wood and antiqued nickel. Above the table, a sculptural brass chandelier with exposed bulbs adds a modern touch.
Shop for pedestal tables on Houzz
The foyer is flooded with natural light thanks to two large transom windows on either side of the front door. Bradshaw says she tried various paint colors on the walls but all of them looked a little off. “Because of all the wood and natural light in the room, every color I tried looked a little jaundiced,” she says. In the end, a fresh coat of white paint did the trick. She added a pedestal table of gray-washed wood and antiqued nickel. Above the table, a sculptural brass chandelier with exposed bulbs adds a modern touch.
Shop for pedestal tables on Houzz
The living room’s wood fireplace mantel and the built-in shelves to the right of the fireplace were already painted white, so Bradshaw felt comfortable adding the bold Hague Blue from Farrow & Ball on the walls. “Since this room didn’t have as much natural wood, I wasn’t worried about the blue detracting from the bones,” she says.
A feathered juju hat above the mantel pops against the blue walls and a large horse triptych painted by local artist Matthew Hance draws attention above the leather sofa. “I grew up riding horses, so this piece really speaks to me,” Bradshaw says.
A feathered juju hat above the mantel pops against the blue walls and a large horse triptych painted by local artist Matthew Hance draws attention above the leather sofa. “I grew up riding horses, so this piece really speaks to me,” Bradshaw says.
The large table in the dining room was a birthday gift from Bernard to Bradshaw. He made it out of wood floor joists he salvaged from an old house he remodeled a few years ago. Around the table are six rattan side chairs and a pair of vintage rocker host chairs slipcovered in gray linen. The Art Deco-inspired crystal chandeliers add a little glamour to the space.
Find Art Deco-style crystal chandeliers
Find Art Deco-style crystal chandeliers
Since the apartment is a rental, Bradshaw didn’t completely make over the kitchen, but she did make a couple of small changes that had a big impact. The cabinets, previously painted “builder’s gray,” received a new coat of white paint on the uppers and black paint on the lowers. New brass hardware finishes them off, and a new backsplash in marble tiles completes the look.
“I wanted the master bedroom to feel like a dream getaway with some global flair,” Bradshaw says. A pair of carved doors from Morocco on the wall behind the bed and gauzy netting hung from the ceiling give the room a well-traveled look. The ottoman at the foot of the bed is a custom piece that Bradshaw had upholstered in a vintage Oriental rug.
The opposite end of the master bedroom features a seating area with a pair of swivel chairs stationed in front of an antique burled walnut dresser. The abstract artwork above the dresser was created by artist Kristen Scotto.
Adding to the room’s global aesthetic are a perforated metal pendant light from Morocco and a black-and-white souk rug overlaid on a sisal rug.
Adding to the room’s global aesthetic are a perforated metal pendant light from Morocco and a black-and-white souk rug overlaid on a sisal rug.
The color palette in the bedroom of the couple’s son was derived from the watercolor painting above the sofa painted by local artist Dani Botzler. The blanket on the sofa, the area rug and the ceramic table lamp were selected to complement the artwork.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: Designer Stephanie Bradshaw, partner Brett Bernard and their 2-year-old son
Location: Baltimore
Size: About 2,500 square feet (232 square meters)
A much shorter commute to her office and the chance to bring an apartment with great bones back to life was all the motivation designer Stephanie Bradshaw needed to make the move to the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore with her partner and their 2-year-old son. “It’s this great neighborhood with lush trees, manicured yards and beautiful old homes,” Bradshaw says. “It wasn’t hard to convince us to move when this place became available.”
The place is a full-floor apartment in a grand brown shingled house built in 1898. The apartment features original wood floors, molding and trim — all it needed was a designer’s eye to make it sing. Bradshaw’s partner, Brett Bernard, is a general contractor, so together they felt confident they could transform the apartment into an eclectic space with old-world charm and magazine-worthy style.
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