After living for a time in their newly renovated Seattle digs without furniture, designer Jessica Joers’ clients turned to her for help settling in. “I walked into this blank traditional space, which I loved,” says Joers, “but I wanted to make it more transitional for a young, stylish family.” The house, situated in a historic neighborhood, had recently been remodeled by architect Paul Moon, and what it may have lacked in furnishings, it certainly made up for with a beautiful new interior backdrop.
For Joers, who worked on the project with her design partner, Bradley Huson, “the palette was our jumping-off point,” she says. “We loved the gray walls and white trim.”
The careful play between the traditional architecture and the designer’s concept for the interiors begins in the entry. Although the previous space was dark with little ornamentation, the revamped two-story iteration is grand and welcoming. It’s also flooded with natural light, thanks to the addition of side windows that let in sun from all directions. Joers treated the space as her canvas, placing a pair of petite consoles—their gilt neoclassical profiles modernized with smoked acrylic tops—opposite each other. Midcentury mirrors hang above them, acting almost as a second set of windows reflecting light, while a simple wood Queen Anne side chair quietly rounds out the room. Chinese vases, in an eye-catching canary yellow, infuse the space with color and energy. “The gray-and-white backdrop was the perfect foil for the yellow,” Joers says of the vibrant lemon, citron, bronze and gold hues she used throughout the house. “We are in Seattle; we have gray, cloudy days. Touches of yellow really brighten things up. We were looking for color here, not trying to be subtle.”
The living room, with its high ceilings, crisp moldings and paneled replace, called for a more formal turn: a 19th-century Japanese six-panel screen. “We love using screens because they’re elegant and have a timeless, enduring quality,” says Joers. “The wave design adds movement, and the paint has a shimmering effect.
The lively yellows in the main living spaces were traded for delicate shades upstairs in the master bedroom, where the statement is understated and serene. A bed upholstered in wool sits opposite the replace. Near it stand oversize Louis XVI-style chairs, yielding a comfortable spot for the family to gather together and read. “It’s the mix that makes the house beautiful, functional and fresh,” says Joers. “You need that balance to be successful.”
–Terri Sapienza