The architectural details of this center-entrance gambrel colonial in Needham are striking — diamond mullioned windows, wainscoting, and crown molding. Yet the interior design left more than a little to be desired. “When I arrived, there was green shag carpeting in the living room that hadn’t been updated in 35 years or longer,” says Phoebe Lovejoy Russell of Lovejoy Designs.
It was time to update the living and dining rooms’ furnishings and color schemes. While the homeowners, who have three young children, wanted the spaces to have a modern feel and flow, the key was to create a “traditional, timeless, and not too trendy” aesthetic, she says. “It needed to be a space the family can grow with.”
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As an homage to the years she spent living by the coast in her youth, the wife wanted a color palette that recalls the colors of seaside locales. In the dining room, green grass cloth Kravet wall covering grounds the space; chairs are upholstered in an orangey coral cotton velvet.
In the adjacent living room, the sofa reflects a green hue similar to the dining room walls. Shades of cobalt, aqua, and teal are combined to create a nautical feel. Brass finishes and bright white woodwork have a fresh classic appeal. “The rooms are serene, cozy, and elegant,” the designer says. “The colors are evenly balanced so the space feels very soothing.”

Jaci Conry can be reached at jaci@
jaciconry.com.