Southern Charm Meets New England Simplicity in this Milton Manse

The newly paneled foyer includes a Thibaut sofa covered in a Jasper fabric and a rug from Stanton. The designers replaced an existing iron rail with a new wood version.

The floorboards overhead were revealed to create a more intimate feeling in the living room, which is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Kitty Gray. The ottoman is upholstered in a Rose Cumming fabric and the pair of mirrors are from Mecox.

A light fixture from Visual Comfort & Co. hangs above an antique table in the entry.

n the foyer, which is sheathed in a Cowtan & Tout wallcovering, an antique table from the owner’s collection is joined by an antique lamp and artwork by Wellon Bridgers.

In the study, an antique coffee table pairs well with the vintage rug and shapely sofa from Chaddock. The light fixture is from The Urban Electric Co.

An earthy Scalamandré wallcovering envelops the dining room, where armchairs from Hickory Chair and side chairs from Lee Industries surround a table from Rose Tarlow Melrose House.

A guest bath brings the charm thanks to a budding Morris & Co. wallcovering and matching sconces, mirrors, and pedestal sinks.

The kitchen ceiling was lowered nearly 2 feet, and a dated angled island was replaced with one that’s topped with Vermont Danby marble and bookended by lower butcher blocks. The backsplash tile is from Mosaic House.

Breakfast has never looked better in this nook featuring a custom banquette and eye-catching window shades dressed in fabric by Heather Chadduck Interiors & Textiles. The light fixture is from Visual Comfort & Co.

Off the kitchen, a pantry that doubles as a potting room channels the surrounding nature with cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore’s Pining for You. The light fixture is from Charles Edwards.

Several architectural changes occurred in the great room, including the addition of ceiling trusses, a floating wood mantel, and a more traditional back window.

At the homeowners’ request, the screened porch was converted into a three-season sunroom. A Patricia Edwards sofa upholstered in a Jasper fabric, slipper chairs from Thibaut with a Fabricut fabric, and an armchair from Mainly Baskets surround a cocktail table from Aesthetic.

A bed from Reid Classics infuses a calm and welcoming sensibility in the primary bedroom. The lamp is from Stephen Gerould.

ohl sink fittings and hardware from Van Dyke’s Restorers adorn the custom vanity in the primary bath.

A light fixture from Vaughan hangs above a Waterworks tub in the primary bath.

A wallcovering from Fromental enlivens a vestibule in the primary suite. The ceiling fixtures are from The Enchanted Home.

The designers embraced pattern with a gingham print from Schumacher that appears on both the headboard and walls in the son’s bedroom

Vintage artwork hangs above a chair from Four Hands.

A striped wallcovering from Colefax and Fowler enlivens the son’s bathroom.

A custom desk was tucked into an extra space in the upstairs hallway. The chair is from Redford House and features a cushion of S. Harris fabric.

The upstairs hallway also boasts a new custom window seat, which is topped with a cushion of Anne Kirk Textiles fabric.

Visual Comfort & Co. sconces flank a frame from Ballard Designs in a guest bath. The wallcovering is from Sister Parish.

More space always sounds like a great idea in theory—especially if you’re accustomed to compact city living—but it can be overwhelming too. So when San Francisco transplants found themselves in this soaring 7,500-square-foot five-bedroom residence in Milton, the couple tapped designers Marita Simmons and Krysta Gibbons of the firm Kipling House to make their young family’s abode feel more like a home. “What began as a kitchen remodel quickly escalated to a full-scale renovation of the entire house,” says Simmons. “The exterior is quite charming, but the interior architecture reflected the grand, oversize spaces popular during the early 2000s, complete with two-story volumes and angled walls that felt out of date.” Not to mention the Tuscan-style details that weren’t in keeping with the exterior or the location. “The property is located in horse country, and from the house you can see the neighbor’s barn and donkeys,” says Simmons. “This pastoral, equestrian feeling was a major driver of the overall design scheme.” Meanwhile, says Gibbons, “The wife loves Connecticut and the simplicity

found in New England, so we tried to marry these two sensibilities.”

With the help of local builder New River Building Co., the designers reworked the interior architecture, lowering ceilings to reduce the scale of certain spaces and adding character through timeless elements such as paneling, classic windowpanes, and ceiling trusses. In the living room, for example, they switched out the mantel and exposed the floorboards above to “add a sense of antiquity to a modern space,” explains Gibbons. In the soaring great room, trusses make for a cozier setting, and an overscale arched window was replaced with a more traditional version. “An abyss of drywall,” in Gibbons’ words, was traded in for paneling in the entry. And in the kitchen, the ceiling was lowered nearly 2 feet and an angled island—another telltale sign of the 2000s—was removed.

Aside from a few sentimental items—including a grandfather clock, a couple of chests, a console table, and some oyster plates—the couple was starting from square one when it came to furnishings. The designers selected custom and new upholstery and layered in textured and printed fabrics, artwork, and antique accessories in what Gibbons describes as an autumnal palette, spanning earthy shades of green and rust to mauve and blue. Now, each room has its own personality—and more importantly, its own purpose. “This house was built during the age of the open concept when bigger was better,” says Gibbons. “Our goal was to
fight against that and create distinctive spaces to gather.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Marita Simmons and Krysta Gibbons, Kipling House, (612) 767-0356; kiplinghouse.com BUILDER New River Building Co., (770) 373-7900; newriver.build