She sat down with Hunter Douglas to chat about design leftovers from the early aughts, designers who inspire her, and how using the right shades can transform the light — and the mood — in a home.

Tell us about your home. Why did you initially choose this house? When did you start renovating?

We started renovating our home in May of 2022 and made a tremendous amount of changes. We moved in in June and lived in the basement for a full year during renovations! We created a full vault in the living room, built a chimney and added a fireplace, designed a new kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry, and updated the facade as well.

Although I wasn't a fan of the home aesthetically when we purchased it, I loved that it was only 20 years old, solidly built, and that it didn't need any structural work, allowing me to simply focus on updating the design. The high ceilings throughout the home gave it an open and airy feel, and offered ample opportunity to add character with trim and transoms. Additionally, the property came with a large barn in pristine condition and a rather dreamy lot in a peaceful country setting. Lots to work with!

Your house sounds like it was, before your renovation, a relic of the 2000s! Share your approach to the redesign. What was your jumping off point?

I started by changing the home architecturally to make it look classic and timeless. This meant removing its 1990s timestamps! Uneven drywall, little to no symmetry, honey colored floors and trim, mauve walls, maple cabinets, a diagonal whirlpool tub — basically every major 1990s design trend was packed into our early 2000s home and had to be removed.

Provenance^® Woven Wood Shades  Fabric: Auckland  Color: Kiwi

Were there certain interior designers who inspired you along the way? Whose work played a role in your approach?

I studied classical architect Gil Schafer's books on architecture and design to get ideas for adding classic trim work, transoms above main entrances, symmetry, fireplaces, bath fixtures, timeless hardware, lighting, and so on. I also looked to one of my favorite interior designers, the late Sandy Gallin who was known for his signature look: bright white walls, darkly stained wood floors (almost black!), white slipcovered upholstery, and woven wood window shades. His work heavily inspired the palette of our home, and made me super excited to use Hunter Douglas Provenance^® Woven Wood Shades throughout [the house].

From a decorating standpoint, I mainly just design my homes with the pieces I already own and love: Lots of vintage and antique finds, textiles from all over the world, art that I've collected over the years, books, and so on. The look is sort of coastal and European in feel. [And] my kitchen was heavily inspired by Ina Garten's kitchen, on her TV show. She's brilliant!