Old Meets New In A 19th-Century Greenwich Home's Eclectic Refresh

"I fell in love as soon as I walked in,” designer David Scott recalls of his first visit to his clients’ new Greenwich home. “It was a total yes for me.” The 1896 Federal Revival-style residence had beautiful bones, and unlike so many old houses, had been lovingly cared for and thoughtfully updated over the years. “All the rooms were light and bright, orderly and well-proportioned, and the fireplaces and stairs were all original,” he adds. Scott’s task, then, wasn’t a full-scale remodel; instead, he would respect the existing structure while injecting a sophisticated yet youthful feel befitting a 21st-century family.

To create this ambience, the designer opted for a mix of antique, vintage and new finds. “It’s curated but eclectic,” he says. “It shows their love of history but also of contemporary things.” Telegraphing that intention immediately is the entry, where an antique loveseat with a scrolling back, an 18th-century Portuguese turned-leg table and a neoclassical chest and mirror are mixed with contemporary artwork and slouchy ottomans. “I wanted things that were welcoming and had interesting, sculptural forms,” he says.

When it comes to balancing the tension between historic architecture and a modern sensibility, Scott likens his job to the role of a conductor, explaining, “I look at these compositions like a symphony and ask, ‘How does this relate to that?’ ” To that end, Scott decided to keep the shapes of the furnishings on the curvy side. “You have these very square rooms, so you want a softness,” he explains. In the living room, for example, a sofa and side chairs with sinuous lines covered in touchable fabrics play off the linear paneled walls and the neoclassical motifs on the fireplace.

The designer engaged the architecture in other ways as well. In the dining room, above the chair rail, he commissioned a hand-painted striped design rendered in plaster. “Stripes are very Connecticut and traditional,” he notes, “but these have feathery edges, giving them a 3D quality.” Coupled with silver leaf on the ceiling, the effect is fresh and sexy.

Just as he mixed old and new, Scott also countered light with dark, and solid with pattern to impart a youthful feel to the home. Throughout, floors are stained a deep brown that’s offset by mostly pale walls. “I tried to layer different whites, ivories and lighter colors, especially in the main living spaces, because I wanted those to be quieter,” he says. The occasional hit of yellow (see the entry and dining room), pinks in the living area and blue in the primary suite keep things from feeling too monochromatic. In a similar spirit, carefully curated works of art and handwoven rugs with abstract designs introduce subtle pops of pattern to the mix.

For Scott, working on a historic home was a delightful departure from the contemporary residences he typically designs. “It was a nice opportunity to balance respecting the architecture with bringing a fresh approach to the furnishings,” he observes. “There’s a lovely yin-and-yang dialogue, but everything feels of a piece.”