Room of the Day: From Dead End to Cozy Nook

An interior designer turns a small space off a hallway into one of her family’s favorite spots in the house

Becky Harris January 30, 2017

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More

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Interior designer Kelly Rogers used to call this second-story nook a “dead end,” but since its redesign, she says, “it’s like a warm hug.” Striking the right balance between honoring the architecture of her historic 1896 home and coming up with an inviting and comfortable space was a challenge, but she managed to create a cozy spot where the family can now play board games, cards and Legos, read bedtime stories and catch some quiet screen-free time.

Kelly Rogers Interiors

Photos by Eric Roth

Nook at a Glance
What happens here: Playing games, reading bedtime stories, quiet screen-free time
Location: Waban, Massachusetts
Size: 70 square feet (6.5 square meters)
Designer: Kelly Rogers Interiors

The nook is off a second-floor hallway in Rogers’ Georgian-Colonial Revival-style home. It was important to make the space honor the historic architecture and style of the home while also making it warm and inviting.

Before Photo

The never-ending winter of 2015 had a big effect on the design. Initially, Rogers had only gotten as far as painting the nook, choosing a deep green. At the time she hadn’t planned the design any further than that and was a little stuck. Soon after, ice dams caused water damage, giving her time to reconsider. “It was a sign to do something different,” she says. “The nook is located right by my oldest son’s room, so I wanted to try and make him feel like a part of it by incorporating his favorite colors, which are brown and blue.”

Luckily, she was able to preserve the original millwork and the light fixture. While she wanted a new design for the room, keeping the historic details intact was of the utmost importance to her.

Kelly Rogers Interiors

In choosing a color scheme, it was important to play off the beautiful wallpaper in the hallway as well as the Victorian-era millwork. Rogers cozied up the nook with a warm brown and added a cool aqua to the ceiling.

Tip: “Matching the ceiling color to a color found in an adjacent room is a trick I often use to create a natural flow between different spaces,” she says.

Wall and trim paint: Townsend Harbor Brown, Benjamin Moore; ceiling paint: Wythe Blue, Benjamin Moore; cocktail table: Somerset Bay Home

Kelly Rogers Interiors

Both colors tie in with the wallpaper, while the ceiling brings attention to the spectacular light fixture. “The color and depth really make it pop,” Rogers says. The fixture is a refurbished antique that used to hang in an opera house in Paris. “With the existing white ceiling paint and trim, and the lack of a window treatment, it was just blending in,” she says. “I really wanted it to stand out.”

The fixture also inspired the artwork choices and metallic finishes in the design. Its copper finish helped inform the color scheme, while the shapes inspired Rogers’ lighting and artwork choices.

Kelly Rogers Interiors

The nook is just 7 by 10 feet, and the challenge was to fit comfortable furniture to accommodate Rogers; her husband; and their two sons, ages 5 and 2. The private upstairs location means it’s a family-only spot where they can be comfortable hanging out in their pajamas.

While comfort was a must, Rogers wanted pieces that were elegant enough to suit the historic home. The sofa has lovely lines, while its deep cushion makes it inviting for playing games or nestling in under the faux fur throw and reading a book.

Inspired by the vintage light fixture, Rogers brought in artwork that depicts an empty opera house stage. Playing off the light’s shapes, she chose a large-scale paisley that brings in teardrop shapes to the pillows and an arced floor lamp with a cup-shaped metal shade that complements the fixture. “I like to incorporate more modern elements into historic rooms and lighting is a great way to do that,” Rogers says. The pyrite bronze leaf finish lends a mottled, aged look to the lamp.

Sofa: Century Furniture, in fabric by Robert Allen; pillows: custom, in fabric by Highland Court with trim by Fabricut, Makkas Drapery Workroom; faux fur throw: Bloomingdale’s; rug: via Williston Weaves; floor lamp: Currey & Company; window treatment: custom, by Alan Babitts Workroom in Pindler fabric and Fabricut fabric border; opera house art: Nicole Wadlington for Zoe Bios Creative

Kelly Rogers Interiors

The existing Rococo Revival-style radiators were freshened up with the same shade of paint as the walls and window trim. Their location made it impossible to have drapes, so Rogers designed a large Roman shade. The urn artwork plays off the shapes and metallic finish of the antique light fixture.

Chairs: Duralee Fine Furniture in fabric by Duralee and welt by Robert Allen; pillows: custom, by Makkas Drapery Workroom in fabric by Ellisha Alexina with trim by Fabricut; floor lamp: Restoration Hardware; side table: Nina Campbell for Oomph; classical urn art: via Debbie Bowen Associates, framing by Frame-It Waban Gallery

Kelly Rogers Interiors

The rectangular millwork around the opening to the nook inspired this plaid fabric on the English armchairs, which complete the seating for four.

Tip: When space is tight, consider tight-back seating. It will save you a few inches of depth compared with cushion-back seating.

Kelly Rogers Interiors

The coffee table provides all the storage they need and is the hardest-working piece in the room. It has eight drawers that fit all the cards, Legos, books and games. Because the drawers were too small for regular-size board games, Rogers sourced charming vintage versions of Clue, Scrabble and Monopoly that come in smaller linen boxes that look like books — they fit in the drawers and look lovely when left out on the table.

Freshening up the space transformed it from a storage spot the family used to ignore to a favorite destination for everyone. “Especially in the evenings when the kids are getting ready for bed; this is where we regroup one last time at the end of the day as a family, read a bedtime story on the sofa, share some snuggles, and say goodnight,” Rogers says.

Restoration: Belfor USA
General Contractor: JW Construction

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