Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Perfection Just Out of Reach in an Eclectic Colonial
Design objects, antique finds and hand-me-downs mingle in this designing couple’s inviting — and ever-evolving — Massachusetts home
When an architect and an interior designer buy a house together, renovations don’t happen as quickly as you might think. Just after Kevin Ten Brinke and Kalah Talancy moved into this 1950s center-hall Colonial home, they were hard at work removing the red shag carpeting and peeling off the three-layers-deep wallpaper. Since then, the designing duo has renovated the house room by room, adding antiques, heirlooms and their own touches throughout. And, just as they prefer it, the work will never be done.
The couple took the longest time completing the living room, but it’s now the room they use most, especially in winter. “There’s a very lived-in vibe in here; we’ve got board games stashed under the sofa and lots of coffee table books,” Talancy says. A mix of textiles, such as the sisal-wool blend rug, velvet sofa, canvas chairs and linen pillows, creates comfort. And the dark brown sofa can stand up to whatever the little ones throw at it.
The couple painted the fireplace brick and mantel the same color to create the illusion that it was an actual fireplace surround. An antique mirror with a rustic wood frame hangs above. The framed pieces are textured paper with a basketweave pattern.
The room often serves as a home office for the business the couple run, KT2 Design Group, though they’re preparing to move into a separate shop-studio space in town soon. The antique screen hides a filing cabinet and printer.
Wall paint: Silver Sage, Restoration Hardware; surround color, White Blush 904, Benjamin Moore; linen window treatments: Kravet
The couple painted the fireplace brick and mantel the same color to create the illusion that it was an actual fireplace surround. An antique mirror with a rustic wood frame hangs above. The framed pieces are textured paper with a basketweave pattern.
The room often serves as a home office for the business the couple run, KT2 Design Group, though they’re preparing to move into a separate shop-studio space in town soon. The antique screen hides a filing cabinet and printer.
Wall paint: Silver Sage, Restoration Hardware; surround color, White Blush 904, Benjamin Moore; linen window treatments: Kravet
Talancy is constantly picking up new accessories that she keeps on hand for clients and photo shoots, so the items in the built-in shelves are always in rotation. She hand-painted the backs of the shelves in a dark brown fish-scale-like pattern, inspired by a favorite Lulu DK fabric.
The blue paintings are heirlooms from a late aunt, Linda Lindeberg, who was a talented artist. We’ll see some more of her work upstairs.
Another detail worth noticing are the muntins on the window. The couple left them wood with a mahogany-like stain, then painted the frames white throughout the house.
The blue paintings are heirlooms from a late aunt, Linda Lindeberg, who was a talented artist. We’ll see some more of her work upstairs.
Another detail worth noticing are the muntins on the window. The couple left them wood with a mahogany-like stain, then painted the frames white throughout the house.
In the dining room, the gallery wall is in constant rotation. The paintings were all flea market finds. Talancy threw some plates and platters into the mix because the composition was looking too sparse. The family has fun dressing up the bust for different holidays.
The sideboard was another Brimfield find. Talancy made a very pale blue color by mixing together a few different cans of paint she had and painted it herself.
“Because this room is eclectic in nature, we broke up the chairs and added the upholstered ones on the ends,” she says. The rug is indoor-outdoor and can stand up to spills.
Wall color: Alexandria Beige, Benjamin Moore; chandelier: Pottery Barn; rug: Dash & Albert
The sideboard was another Brimfield find. Talancy made a very pale blue color by mixing together a few different cans of paint she had and painted it herself.
“Because this room is eclectic in nature, we broke up the chairs and added the upholstered ones on the ends,” she says. The rug is indoor-outdoor and can stand up to spills.
Wall color: Alexandria Beige, Benjamin Moore; chandelier: Pottery Barn; rug: Dash & Albert
In the kitchen, the couple painted the dark brown wood cabinets a soft white and added butcher block countertops and a checkerboard linoleum floor. They also did a little rearranging: The refrigerator used to be where the cookbooks are now, blocking the flow to the sink.
Part of a collection of McCoy pottery is in a favorite green hue. The pendant light is a vintage Italian fixture that was handed down from a relative.
Cabinet paint: White Blush 904, Benjamin Moore; painting of oranges: Minted
Part of a collection of McCoy pottery is in a favorite green hue. The pendant light is a vintage Italian fixture that was handed down from a relative.
Cabinet paint: White Blush 904, Benjamin Moore; painting of oranges: Minted
Upstairs in the couple’s bedroom, their favorite painting inspired the color scheme. It’s another heirloom by Lindeberg. Pattern comes into play via the Moroccan quilt and on the carved wooden chests that serve as dressers and nightstands.
Wall paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore; bed: One Kings Lane; chests: Gabby Home
Wall paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore; bed: One Kings Lane; chests: Gabby Home
The two chests have lovely marble tops and are the only storage in the room. (The couple have two closets as well.) Glass lamps resemble garden cloches, and the little Moroccan box was an antique find.
In the guest room, a vintage fringed bedspread and Otomi tapestries add sunny color. “Kevin and I got married in Mexico and picked the tapestries up there two years later on an anniversary trip,” the designer says.
The girls’ room has some Mexican influence as well. “Frida Kahlo watches over our girls at night,” Talancy says. The poster was a great vintage score.
She laid the beds end to end to maximize the space, giving the girls plenty of room to play on the floor. One long custom skirt extends under both beds. “It has a daybed feel and they sit on it like a sofa,” Talancy says. “It’s so cute — at night they’ll crawl from bed to bed for goodnight kisses.”
Sconces: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child; nightstand stools: Serena & Lily; bedspreads: Pottery Barn Teen
She laid the beds end to end to maximize the space, giving the girls plenty of room to play on the floor. One long custom skirt extends under both beds. “It has a daybed feel and they sit on it like a sofa,” Talancy says. “It’s so cute — at night they’ll crawl from bed to bed for goodnight kisses.”
Sconces: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child; nightstand stools: Serena & Lily; bedspreads: Pottery Barn Teen
Another painting by Lindeberg inspired the palette. Talancy had the rug cut and bound to fit the room with just a small wood margin. It’s white with a pink diamond pattern.
The designer says she’s already switched out the dining room rug several times since the photo shoot to experiment with different looks and to test potential products for clients. By the time this story posts, it’s likely the house will have changed in other ways, as the designing couple are always on the hunt for antiques and eager to try out new things.
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The designer says she’s already switched out the dining room rug several times since the photo shoot to experiment with different looks and to test potential products for clients. By the time this story posts, it’s likely the house will have changed in other ways, as the designing couple are always on the hunt for antiques and eager to try out new things.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Kalah Talancy and architect Kevin Ten Brinke of KT2 Design Group and their two young daughters
Location: Sudbury, Massachusetts
Size: 2,200 square feet (204 square meters); four bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
This house is a constant work in progress and its two homeowners will never truly be done decorating. “Because we’re in the industry, the house is always evolving — we rearrange the art, try out new products and add new accessories,” interior designer Kalah Talancy says.
Because the front hall is narrow, she and architect husband Kevin Ten Brinke knew they’d need a slender table there. They topped a pair of antique corbels found at the Brimfield antiques fair with a floating shelf from Restoration Hardware, then added a mirror. The corbels came from a row house in Baltimore. The chair was another flea market find. Beaded light fixtures add a sparkly contrast to the antique-patinaed pieces.
Also worth noting is the subtle stripe detail on the front door. It adds dimension and architectural interest.
Paint color: Manchester Tan, Benjamin Moore; ceiling lights: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child