Natural Luxe

A design team collaborates with a couple to turn their home into an elegant dreamscape.

When interior designers Sydney Foley and Emma Legg, co-founders of Kindred Interior Studios, first visited this home in Greensboro, North Carolina, the kitchen had just flooded. “The remediation team was going full force and there were dehumidifiers everywhere,” Sydney recalls. The clients, a couple who had already raised their two boys in the home, took the unfortunate situation and turned it into an opportunity to renovate. “The house previously had a lot of stone, iron and dark wood, and we could immediately tell that our client’s bubbly personality warranted a brighter, warmer aesthetic,” Emma says.

**Bespoke Touches.** The team opted to paint the previously renovated living room fireplace white and replace the existing white mantel with a simple oak beam. “Next to it, we squared off original arched built-ins and added grass-cloth wallpaper, bookcase lights and bespoke hardware to the doors. It was such a simple but drastic change to the entire room,” Emma says.

Throughout the project, the pair collaborated with the clients on all the details. Major layout changes included opening up the wall between the kitchen and living room and creating a direct line of sight through the space.

**Dining in Style.** “The round table was our client’s existing piece restyled with new upholstered chairs,” Sydney says. A vintage rug, fluted glass chandelier from Visual Comfort and textured wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries create a sophisticated and elegant formal dining space.

**Quirky & Fun.** The designers came up with a quirky, short wall that separates the countertop to add clear symmetry on the range-hood wall. “The hood and backsplash needed to be punctuated with an exclamation mark instead of meandering around the corner to the sink wall,” Emma explains. “We loved that this created a fun little nook for open shelving.”

**Breakfast Glam.** “The oversized beaded light fixture helps define the breakfast area and adds a little glamour to this area,” Emma points out. “Even though this space is very much its own, it still blends seamlessly with the more distinctive kitchen and living room.”

“The homeowners wanted to push the envelope with a design that would be completely unique to them,” Emma says. “They wanted a cozy, livable home but with custom features and details that you don’t see anywhere else.” Finding the perfect quartzite and marble countertops for the kitchen counters, backsplash and primary bathroom was especially important for the homeowner. “We scoured the East Coast, and she even made trips to Charlotte and Atlanta to visit slab yards,” Emma says.

Natural Sophistication

In every room, movement was a key design element used to call attention to all the right places. “We call this aesthetic elevated organic with a bit of the unexpected sprinkled in—a ‘natural sophistication’ or ‘natural luxe’,” Sydney explains. Details like the marble wainscotting in the primary bath and the curved stone fireplace surround in the breakfast area add that sense of movement, while formal elements like chandeliers and polished metal hardware bring class and sophistication. “Keeping in mind their aesthetic and love for the unexpected, we chose a cast-stone hood in the kitchen over a cabinet style or metal one. Its graceful shape complements the movement in the quartzite below,” Emma says.

**Small Pattern, Big Impact.** “We used a small pattern for the window treatments to frame the sitting area between the bed and the bathroom,” Sydney says.

Texture and More Texture

Another key design feature was Emma and Sydney’s adept use of natural materials and texture. “We used a lot of organic elements, like the oak cabinetry and dynamic stone countertops,” Emma says. In the living room, they reworked the previously dark beams with a lighter tone and added an oak beam over the fireplace. “We also felt the vaulted ceiling in the primary bathroom needed accentuating, so we brought in oak from other areas of the house to warm up the space,” she explains.

“It’s a dance between the effortless beauty of nature and modern luxury.”

Creative Comfort. The primary bedroom required only slight cosmetic updates and new furnishings to create a serene sanctuary. “Our client opted for neutral furniture with small glimpses of color in the bedding and rug,” Sydney says. They also made small updates to the existing fireplace mantel, like sanding down the appliques and using the same quartzite from the bathroom countertops for the surround.

**Fluting Fun.** This guest bathroom was a fun space to play with different elevated elements. “The shower tile with circles was our starting point here, so it was fun to include additional round elements like the radius corner on the mirror and the fluting on the vanity front,” Emma says.

The dining room continues this theme with sophisticated class.
“The rivet wallpaper plays into our texture story while adding a modern touch with its geometric pattern,” Sydney says. A vintage rug complements the space. “We used a lot of vintage and found rugs and accent pieces to give this house a curated feel,” Sydney adds.

**A Splash of Color.** “The real standout here is the shock of color. In the otherwise very neutral house, our client wanted to cut loose a little,” Emma says. They paired the bright wallpaper with a custom vanity and split-front sconces.

**Laundry Life.** “This room probably had more planning than the kitchen,” Sydney says. “Our client wanted this space to be a workhorse.” The top of a utility cabinet doubles as a laundry chute for functionality, while the star-cross floor tile and small dot backsplash add stunning and subtle texture to the space. Who says you can’t have form and function in a laundry room?

Details Make the Difference

While it may seem like the dramatic pieces, materials and visual moments make this home shine, there’s even more attention to detail than you notice at first glance. “We left no detail untouched,” Emma laughs. “We even created custom cabinetry elements, particularly in the kitchen, with rounded cabinet door fronts.” They added textured grasscloth wallpaper to the living room built-ins for that sense of texture and worked tirelessly to find the perfect height for the wainscotting in the primary bathroom. “It’s a dance between the effortless beauty of nature and modern luxury,” Sydney says. Once the construction was complete, the designers layered in vintage pieces and textiles to create both an iconic and comfortable home.

“The homeowners wanted to push the envelope with a design that would be completely unique to them.”

**Marble Marvel.** “The bubble chandelier and polished- nickel plumbing fixtures and hardware give the bathroom a little sparkle without overpowering the space,” Sydney says. “We designed the vanity to accentuate the long sought-after marble.”

Natural Luxe Design Essentials

Love this look? According to Kindred Interior Studios, these are the top four design elements to focus on when trying to achieve an aesthetic like this one.

**Happy Hour.** “This space sits opposite the living room built-ins, so it really needed its own identity,” Sydney explains. “It’s a wet bar we’d hang out around for hours.” Bianco Cristallo countertops, custom cabinets and side splashes make it an entertaining nook with tons of personality.

Stone with movement. Pieces like the cast-stone fireplace surround in the breakfast area or quartzite kitchen countertops are dynamic elements that add vibrance and elegance with their subtle movement.
Warm medium and light wood tones. While dark wood tones can add unnecessary intensity, the lighter woods bring warmth.
A little sparkle. Adding an elegant touch is an easy way to make a neutral home like this one shine. “In the dining room, the fluted glass chandelier brings retro, glamorous vibes, blending the modern and traditional elements,” Sydney says.
Texture. You see it everywhere, from the vintage rugs to the textured wallpaper. Texture is a must-have element that can make all the difference. “It’s all about layering to create multidimensional spaces,” Emma explains.

Must-Have Materials

Who says neutral homes can’t be visually interesting? These four materials make this home stand apart and bring the drama in the best way.

Handpicked Quartzite. Not everyone can scour slab yards to find the perfect quartzite and marble, but that’s exactly why the countertops and backsplashes in this home are so stunning.
Oak. “The oak cabinetry and beams used throughout the home bring that warmth and organic feeling,” Emma says.
Vintage Textiles. “We used a lot of found rugs and accent pieces to give this house a curated feel,” Sydney explains.
Polished Metal. In almost every room, polished metal hardware, lighting and more adds some shine, elevating each space.