Houzz Tour: Traditional on the Outside, Quirk Appeal Inside
Skulls sprinkled throughout, an abundance of art and a bedroom chalkboard surprise behind a demure exterior near Boston
Jenn Clapp loves the feel-good vibe of her house. Traditional on the outside and modern eclectic on the inside, the self-confessed oddball collector and interior designer's Greek revival home in the 'burbs oozes character and charm — and attracted Jenn and her husband, Gregory, from the get-go. "Even when the home was empty, it still felt cozy," Jenn says. "I credit all the previous homeowners with this. Their decisions were almost always right when it came to the flow of the house."
Prior to being owned by the Clapps, the house belonged to the town's fire chief; it's why it is the only one in town with two driveways. "He needed an extra spot for his truck," she says. "When one of the cabinets we've painted over chips, a pop of fire engine red paint — naturally — peeks through."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jenn Clapp and her husband, Gregory
Location: Newburyport, Massachusetts
Size: 2,204 square feet
Design challenge: Moving from a tiny city space in Boston to what felt like a gigantic space. Jenn says, "It was so overwhelming to fill up."
Prior to being owned by the Clapps, the house belonged to the town's fire chief; it's why it is the only one in town with two driveways. "He needed an extra spot for his truck," she says. "When one of the cabinets we've painted over chips, a pop of fire engine red paint — naturally — peeks through."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jenn Clapp and her husband, Gregory
Location: Newburyport, Massachusetts
Size: 2,204 square feet
Design challenge: Moving from a tiny city space in Boston to what felt like a gigantic space. Jenn says, "It was so overwhelming to fill up."
The kitchen has two sinks: an undermount sink next to the dishwasher and a stainless steel utility sink next to the stove, which comes in handy when dumping pasta water or rinsing spuds.
Gregory almost refinished the worn wood top, but once he realized that they could prep and cut right on the surface, he kept it as is; the top is also more forgiving with glassware and china. "We can chuck a plate on it, and although there's always a soft thud, there's no cracking," says Jenn.
Gregory almost refinished the worn wood top, but once he realized that they could prep and cut right on the surface, he kept it as is; the top is also more forgiving with glassware and china. "We can chuck a plate on it, and although there's always a soft thud, there's no cracking," says Jenn.
This view reveals where the Clapps store their washing machine and dryer — in the kitchen. "It helps that they're blue and match the base cabinets. I have to say that placing them in the kitchen is awesome. I will never have them in the basement again," Jenn says.
Dining table: custom, Staples Cabinetmakers; pendant: Nelson Saucer, Design Within Reach; dining chairs: Modernica; vintage bar stools: Brimfield Antique Show
Dining table: custom, Staples Cabinetmakers; pendant: Nelson Saucer, Design Within Reach; dining chairs: Modernica; vintage bar stools: Brimfield Antique Show
The couple's home office is a mix of vintage and modern: Jenn paired a Design Within Reach trestle table with a vintage table lamp and threw into the eclectic mix an antique orange chair and a tall antique filing cabinet.
"I ran to my parent’s farm in New Jersey before the move and took everything from my childhood that I had hoarded, starting with dried bugs, rocks, bird’s nests, pieces of dug-up antique china and animal bones. Skulls — I could have a table or wall just for my skulls," Jenn says.
When the Clapps first moved from a small space to this house, Jenn felt free to "snap up things" on a whim, she says, knowing that she could find a shelf or tabletop for a certain collector's piece. "I can’t tell you how happy I am making compositions. I've always been interested in juxtaposition; it’s fun to see a woodchuck skull sitting on top of my grandmother’s floral sewing tin," she says.
File cabinets: Craigslist; picture ledges: West Elm
File cabinets: Craigslist; picture ledges: West Elm
Jenn and Gregory converted the main path linking the kitchen, dining area and home office to the living room into a library. A CB2 pouf, a vintage Scandinavian chair and a vintage table lamp make up a modern vintage trio and reading nook.
Chair: Swedese; floor lamp: Machine Age
Chair: Swedese; floor lamp: Machine Age
Jenn put Gregory to work "for several hundred hours," she says, building the shelves. "A little football on the TV and a few ales got him through it," she adds.
The couple converted a small addition in the back of the house into their living room, which freed up the home's front area and created space for the home office. They covered the linoleum floors with Flor tiles, adding instant coziness and lending the space some acoustic help.
The designer splurged on a midcentury credenza from a midcentury modern store in Boston called Machine Age. "I would much rather have one awesome piece with a lot of character than a room full of mediocre stuff," she says.
The Clapps' backyard tells a story of a relationship that's deepening with time. "I'm not going to lie: I wanted to fill in our pool. It's one of the largest pools I've ever set eyes on short of ones in Las Vegas. But once we got over the maintenance part of keeping it, we started enjoying the sound and sparkle of the water, and I realized that it adds a lot of energy to the yard," says Jenn.
She and her father planted herbs and vegetables in terra-cotta pots. Then "Greg and I bought large black containers and filled them with tall grasses. It went from a barren backyard to an oasis," she says.
She and her father planted herbs and vegetables in terra-cotta pots. Then "Greg and I bought large black containers and filled them with tall grasses. It went from a barren backyard to an oasis," she says.
Jenn has never met a wall that she didn't like for art. "I'm an art addict. No wall is no good," she says.
She filled a gallery wall on the second floor by the staircase landing with vintage prints, Etsy finds and a skull.
She filled a gallery wall on the second floor by the staircase landing with vintage prints, Etsy finds and a skull.
The guest bath is Gregory's father's labor of love: He demolished the bathroom and heeded the couple's request to make the space more contemporary. But Jenn didn’t want the bath to feel like too much of a departure from the traditional house, so they added beadboard and a Restoration Hardware vanity, giving the bathroom a neutral, transitional style.
Tile flooring, walls: Boston Design Center
Tile flooring, walls: Boston Design Center
If the soft black furniture in the guest room looks intentionally paired, it's because Gregory painted the armoire and chair, unifying the pieces and ridding the space of a hodgepodge look. "Our parents offered up random pieces of furniture when they found out we got the house, but they were all different woods," says Jenn. The paint gives the furnishings and the room a collected look.
Jenn knocked down a wall between two rooms and created a master suite, with room for a king-size bed. "I always thought king beds were ridiculous. Now I can’t go back to anything smaller," she says.
Moving forced her to make smarter spending decisions, but "there was no way I was giving up a midcentury credenza for a bed's headboard," she says. "So we threw up some chalkboard paint behind the bed, got a metal bed frame and bed skirt, and called it a day."
Sconces, bedside tables, dressers: Restoration Hardware; coverlet: Maharam; antique "C": Brimfield Antiques Show; bedding: Unison
Moving forced her to make smarter spending decisions, but "there was no way I was giving up a midcentury credenza for a bed's headboard," she says. "So we threw up some chalkboard paint behind the bed, got a metal bed frame and bed skirt, and called it a day."
Sconces, bedside tables, dressers: Restoration Hardware; coverlet: Maharam; antique "C": Brimfield Antiques Show; bedding: Unison
Raindrop decals add whimsy, color and movement to the master bath. "The diagonal patterns help break up an otherwise sterile corner. Plus, they were 6 bucks on Etsy," says Jenn. She admits that she's not the biggest fan of her "YMCA bathroom," as she calls it, but sometimes "it’s better to embrace the ugly than try to pretend it’s not there," she says.
Decals: Pauline, Etsy; octopus hand towel: Thomas Paul; antique medical illustrations: Suzanna Scott
Decals: Pauline, Etsy; octopus hand towel: Thomas Paul; antique medical illustrations: Suzanna Scott
The exterior of the home reflects the neighborhood's preference for Greek revivals and other Victorian styles, although Jenn remarks that Newburyport does surprise and is renewing itself.
"As for the inside of our house looking like everyone else’s — I doubt it," she says. "I don’t think Peggy next door has a skull collection."
"As for the inside of our house looking like everyone else’s — I doubt it," she says. "I don’t think Peggy next door has a skull collection."
Exposed beams throughout the first level add warmth, and the kitchen floor lends the space a trodden, worn appeal. The Clapps love living with a material that can get scratched and chipped and looks better with age.