Sometimes a little goes a long way. “I’m often tasked with making things look different while also keeping things the same,” says Ariane deBraux Triay of La French Goose Interiors in New Canaan, CT. “Contrary to popular belief, not every client wants all new items.”
When the homeowners of this traditional Greenwich home called on deBraux Triay to breathe new life into their first floor, she leaned into their favorite color blue to create a relaxed while also sophisticated look. “I needed to find things that were formal and elegant without being fussy,” says deBraux Triay.
When the homeowners purchased the house, it was decorated all in gray. “While they love gray and could have happily kept everything monotone, the wife knew the house deserved a little more color,” says deBraux Triay.
She started in the formal living room by giving the space a show-stopping focal point: a wood veneer wall covering by Philip Jeffries. The blue wall covering has flecks of gold and ocean colors in it. “The client loves the water, so I tried to bring those colors in without it feeling overtly coastal,” she says. Then deBraux Triay updated their existing sofas by having Kostas Upholstery refinish them in a sumptuous and dog-friendly fabric from Carlucci through JAB. The carpet, from deBraux’s favorite showroom, Kanter’s in White Plains, NY, is a bohemian tweed with shades of gray running through it to easily hide four-legged footprints. “The room now feels sexy and interesting though not a lot was done,” says deBraux Triay, who often has to combine existing furnishings with new finds. “I looked for design elements that are evidently beautiful, especially upon closer look,” she adds. “This subtle sophistication is powerful yet doesn’t scream at you.”
Blues continue into the foyer beyond with peacock blue silk lampshades and a midnight blue ceruse wood console table.
Her clients weren’t completely redesigning their powder room, which they had recently remodeled after a flood, so deBraux Triay gave it a bit of personality simply by wallpapering the space in a fun geometric Kravet wallcovering (now discontinued).
“Everything is connected, but in a subtle way,” she adds.
On the hallway bench, she chose a cut velvet fabric and sisal carpet trimmed in leather. “It’s another nod to the modern sensibility of the homeowner,” says deBraux Triay. “All of these elements feel timeless because they are done in moderation. The house still feels the same but now there’s personality.”
Photo Credit: Julia D’Agostino Pierce (@juliadags)
