Updated Traditional Look for a Modern Classic
A designer’s decor and furnishing choices create a feeling of relaxed formality in this Toronto home
Becky Harris
June 25, 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
“At a time when so many people are asking for open-concept modern interiors, it was really refreshing to work with a family who unabashedly wanted a very traditional and formal home,” interior designer Emily Griffin says. This formal interior may be elegant but it’s far from fusty. Mixing antiques and new pieces, warm and cool tones and silver and gold finishes kept the classic style chic.
Photos by Virginia Macdonald
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Toronto
Designer: Emily Griffin Design
The northern Toronto home is about 10 years old and had beautiful moldings and great bones. “My client only gave me three stipulations, then let me run wild,” Griffin says. The first was that she wanted a traditionally decorated home with a classic and European feel. “This was really exciting for me because it was a departure from what I usually do,” the designer says.
Viewed from the front door, this entry vignette foreshadows what’s to come. The marble-topped antique chest is an elegant spot to drop mail and keys, the large gilded mirror is French, the lamp is more modern and the accessories are playful yet sophisticated.
Paint color: Paper White, Benjamin Moore
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Toronto
Designer: Emily Griffin Design
The northern Toronto home is about 10 years old and had beautiful moldings and great bones. “My client only gave me three stipulations, then let me run wild,” Griffin says. The first was that she wanted a traditionally decorated home with a classic and European feel. “This was really exciting for me because it was a departure from what I usually do,” the designer says.
Viewed from the front door, this entry vignette foreshadows what’s to come. The marble-topped antique chest is an elegant spot to drop mail and keys, the large gilded mirror is French, the lamp is more modern and the accessories are playful yet sophisticated.
Paint color: Paper White, Benjamin Moore
The second stipulation was that her client wanted a true antique English pedestal dining table to seat 12. “The real deal — no replicas,” Griffin says. “I had a great time searching for this.” She found it at an antiques store. Another antique score was the crystal chandelier, which had already been refurbished by the dealer and just needed a little cleaning up.
Cool silvery grays mix with warm metal finishes throughout the home. “My color palette was grays, blues, lavenders and creams, and then I used a lot of antique brass finishes, which are quieter than the more contemporary brass finishes,” Griffin says.
To keep things fresh, she played tricks with textiles. For example, the more traditional and formal choice for old-world damask drapes would have been silk. But Griffin went for cotton, which updated the look and kept things lighter. “I also put antique items right next to new items, like the antique dining table and the contemporary glossy walnut buffet,” she says.
She added depth on the walls via hand-painted embellishment. Artist Robert Sangster painstakingly painted metallic shadowy leaves directly onto the walls. “It’s really ethereal and romantic in here, especially when candlelit,” Griffin says.
Drapery fabric: Designers Guild
To keep things fresh, she played tricks with textiles. For example, the more traditional and formal choice for old-world damask drapes would have been silk. But Griffin went for cotton, which updated the look and kept things lighter. “I also put antique items right next to new items, like the antique dining table and the contemporary glossy walnut buffet,” she says.
She added depth on the walls via hand-painted embellishment. Artist Robert Sangster painstakingly painted metallic shadowy leaves directly onto the walls. “It’s really ethereal and romantic in here, especially when candlelit,” Griffin says.
Drapery fabric: Designers Guild
The client’s third stipulation was that Griffin find a spot of honor for her Steinway piano and that it be placed in a way that made the most of the acoustics. “This house has not only a formal dining room, but it actually has a piano room. Who has a piano room anymore? It’s wonderful!” Griffin says. “But figuring out the layout was challenging.” All of the kids play the piano.
Ultimately, the piano wound up close to the fireplace. That’s not ideal for those who use a fireplace a lot, but this family prefers to use the family room fireplace.
Griffin stuck to her new-piece-next-to-antique-piece strategy, placing two Louis XVI chairs next to a streamlined daybed.
Ultimately, the piano wound up close to the fireplace. That’s not ideal for those who use a fireplace a lot, but this family prefers to use the family room fireplace.
Griffin stuck to her new-piece-next-to-antique-piece strategy, placing two Louis XVI chairs next to a streamlined daybed.
“The David Leventi photograph over the mantel exemplifies the feeling I was going for in this house,” Griffin says. “It is a Versailles-like space filled with antique crystal chandeliers and more modern furnishings.”
Sangster created a Venetian plaster-like effect on the walls by using all the colors of Griffin’s palette — grays, blues, lavenders and creams. He hand-painted the walls directly with a brush.
Floral paintings: Tony Sherman
Sangster created a Venetian plaster-like effect on the walls by using all the colors of Griffin’s palette — grays, blues, lavenders and creams. He hand-painted the walls directly with a brush.
Floral paintings: Tony Sherman
The family room is where the young family of five really hunkers down and gets cozy, and it’s the one place where Griffin veered from her color palette, opting instead for warmer creams and taupes.
She ripped out bad built-ins along the fireplace wall and replaced them with new ones that incorporate reading alcoves, gorgeous walnut millwork, a new black marble fireplace surround that’s meant to look old and a painting instead of a TV above it.
“It made no sense from a furniture layout perspective to have the TV over the fireplace in here,” she says. “And as a designer, I really dislike exposed TVs, so whenever my clients will allow it I conceal them.” In this case, the TV and toys are kept in the fabulous Julian Chichester cabinet on the right. The kids also like to play on the floor in here.
Painting by Greg Hardy
She ripped out bad built-ins along the fireplace wall and replaced them with new ones that incorporate reading alcoves, gorgeous walnut millwork, a new black marble fireplace surround that’s meant to look old and a painting instead of a TV above it.
“It made no sense from a furniture layout perspective to have the TV over the fireplace in here,” she says. “And as a designer, I really dislike exposed TVs, so whenever my clients will allow it I conceal them.” In this case, the TV and toys are kept in the fabulous Julian Chichester cabinet on the right. The kids also like to play on the floor in here.
Painting by Greg Hardy
Griffin nestled the sofa into the widow bay across from the TV cabinet. “Really the kids spend most of their time curled up in the reading nooks in here,” she says. Since this is the room the kids are in the most, all of the furniture is durable. The nesting coffee tables have shagreen tops, which add an interesting texture.
Coffee tables: Kravet
Coffee tables: Kravet
The powder room’s inspiration came from the homeowner’s love of chinoiserie. “The wallpaper is not exactly chinoiserie, but it’s reminiscent of it,” Griffin says. “This room is rather large for a powder room so I wanted to make it cozier and warmer with black on the walls.” Antique brass finishes on the light fixtures, faucets and mirror also add warmth.
The master bedroom was cavernous and beige before. “I made sure to touch every surface in here to make it feel luxurious and retreat-like for them,” Griffin says. She found a wallpaper to go with the client’s existing bed. The dark cherry tree branches pick up on the bed’s color, and the pattern is chinoiserie. The beautiful glass lamps were also the client’s; the designer replaced the shades with larger ones to update them.
Wallpaper: Brian Yates Chinoiserie CH70007, Primetime Paint & Paper; nightstand: Isabella, Bungalow 5
Wallpaper: Brian Yates Chinoiserie CH70007, Primetime Paint & Paper; nightstand: Isabella, Bungalow 5
The biggest intervention in the room was this new wall of built-ins; previously it was merely a fireplace surrounded by a blank beige wall. Griffin had a new mother-of-pearl surround installed and created a little spot for her client to get work done at night. She also concealed a TV and provided plenty of storage for clothing and jewelry.
The silk drapes were a worthwhile splurge. A new seating area by the windows provides a comfortable spot to relax in the master bedroom.
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So Your Style Is: Traditional
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So Your Style Is: Traditional
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I grew up with a very traditional home and remember it as light and fresh as well - I've always been comfortable in the combination. There's a security and tranquility... thank you so much for sharing!
I am so excited to see antiques used in a fresh manner. So many articles on social media are suggesting that younger generations have no use for antiques. What a lovely home with a sense of history and yet possesses a timeless nature. A treat for the eyes!
The paintings and the curtains stand out. The house has a museum feel to it.