Second Act

Velvet-covered chairs from UpCountry Home play off of the drapery fabric by Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa in the formal dining room. The cloudlike chandelier is from Oly.

A chandelier from RH illuminates the cozy great room, where a sectional sofa from Natuzzi and club chairs by Moss Studio covered in fabric by Lee Jofa create a comfortable conversation area in front of the newly redesigned fireplace.

The custom banquette’s seat-back fabric by Jim Thompson makes a statement in the kitchen. The chandelier is Visual Comfort.

New marble countertops, pendants from Visual Comfort and a quartet of stools from Wayfair lend the kitchen an updated feel.

In a room used primarily for prayer and reflection, Kong employed an energetic fabric on a pair of lounge chairs. The antique brass accent table is by Noir Furniture, and the pink shagreen stools are from Worlds Away.

In the master bedroom, a wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries, draperies by Pindler and sheers by JF Fabrics create an enveloping retreat. The plush swivel chairs are from Arteriors.

Outdoor armchairs from Artesia pull up to a dining table from Four Hands in the covered outdoor dining area off of the kitchen.

The floral fabric by Romo on the custom banquette coordinates with the shades by Robert Allen and the green velvet chairs from Zuo in the second-floor recreation room. The game table is from CB2.

The covered outdoor patio is furnished with matching outdoor sofas from RH and a concrete coffee table from CB2.

Downsizing is a goal for many retirees, but it didn’t make sense for a couple with a large extended family. Instead, they built a five-bedroom home on a verdant golf course in Duluth with plenty of space for their adult daughter and her family, who all have their own bedrooms there.

There was just one catch: “This is my client’s dream house, but they wanted it to feel more modern,” says interior designer, Kristin Kong.

To tone down the traditional architecture, the designer painted the walls and moldings throughout in a crisp shade of white, and she brought in new ebony-stained hardwood flooring that was “museumlike,” Kong says. She also redesigned the home’s two fireplaces.

In the great room, the contemporary firebox is surrounded by sleek floor-to-ceiling porcelain slabs flanked by vertical wooden beams, a striking focal point for an Italian sectional sofa and a pair of 1980s-inspired chairs covered in a funky patterned fabric. “This home is subdued, but there are some great patterned pieces and fun pillows,” Kong explains. “We built around them.”

For example, the patterned fabric on a pair of plush lounge chairs inspired the pink and purple hues in the vibrant prayer room. And a rounded leather banquette with a cheerful white and yellow patterned seat back adds a splash of color to the classic white kitchen. Over the round, white lacquered breakfast table, a contemporary brass and glass light fixture, “sort of disappears,” Kong says.

In the formal dining room, by contrast, a jaw-dropping bubble chandelier makes a big statement over a wooden table surrounded by crimson velvet-covered chairs that coordinate with the patterned draperies. At the far end of the room, a gold leafed wallcovering  highlights a wall niche. “Every room has something that sparkles,” Kong says.

Indeed, a shimmery throw pillow elevates the upholstered headboard and simple white bedding in the enveloping master suite, where a pair of velvet channel-tufted chairs pull up to a large, round shag-covered ottoman. Floor-to-ceiling draperies enhance the sense of coziness. “It’s soft and serene,” Kong says. “When you’re not using too many bold colors, you need to layer in textures.”

Kong’s clients are thrilled about the outcome of the nine-month project, and they’ve enjoyed sharing it with guests, recently hosting family from India for an extended stay. “They feel very proud that they were able to do a house like this,” Kong says. “I feel so fortunate to have a job where I get to help give people their dream home.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Kristin Kong, K Kong Designs. (404) 953-5537; kkongdesigns.com