Energy and Color Aplenty in a Live-Work Rental
Designer Caitlin Wilson
lives in and works out of a rental home in an old building in
Philadelphia, and she wanted her furniture to reflect a classic look but
with a twist. Details like luxurious English rolled arms, tufts and
feminine silhouettes root the space to a traditional style, but bold
color and pattern choices showcase a modern eclectic spirit. "My style
has evolved from modern to eclectic to a kind of new traditional, and I
think my home reflects this evolution," Wilson says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Caitlin Wilson, husband Brigham and kids Olivia and Penn
Location: Center City, Philadelphia
Size: 1,400 square feet
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Caitlin Wilson, husband Brigham and kids Olivia and Penn
Location: Center City, Philadelphia
Size: 1,400 square feet
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The designer's foyer sings a happy note in Key Largo Green
by Benjamin Moore. Wilson purchased the mirror from Joss & Main and
hand painted the ampersand canvas. Artwork from her parents'
collection, digital prints and family photos make up the gallery wall.
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A Pindler & Pindler Winston
sofa draws you in with its spirited pink hue, a color repeated
throughout the room in the accessories and trim. Wilson custom designed
her drapes to frame her views of Rittenhouse Square and Center City. She
layered in a brass bamboo coffee table and a pair of Chinese brass
lamps; a Thom Filicia rug ties the room together.
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Ikea bookshelves flank one of
Wilson's prized possessions: a camel-colored tufted leather settee with
rolled arms, a luxurious hand-me-down from her parents.
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A happy arrangement of roses in
bloom picks up on the pink color seen throughout the room, adding the
final color layer to the space.
"We moved to Philly on a student
budget, so I scored our huge dining table and chairs from Craigslist. I
reupholstered the chairs and wingbacks in my signature fabric, Navy
Fleur Chinoise," Wilson says. Her parents loaned their artwork to Wilson
and her husband to remind the couple of their previous home in
California.
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Wilson's home office is a study
in pattern and color. "It's so fun to work here. The room is filled with
vibrant fabrics from my textile line, so there's this naturally bright
and cheerful environment," she says.
Wallpaper by Nina Campbell creates a unique backdrop and ties together all the colors in the space. The Roman shades are Wilson's Jade Byblos fabric. She found the desk on Craigslist, and the Greek key cabinets are an Ikea hack. The Chinese brass lamp came from a market in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. |
The designer says that the best
part about working from home is that she can run her business and raise
her family under one roof.
An Asian-inspired tangerine
mirror above a Chinese gold and black silk-screened shoe cabinet echoes
the home's eclectic global style. "Thanks to our travels, our home has a
collection of quirky pieces from the Middle East and Asia, which
clearly have influenced my textile patterns," Wilson says.
Wire baskets store and organize Wilson's fabrics without obscuring them entirely from plain view.
Her office is the hardest working room in the house. With a full-time assistant and a design intern, it's almost always occupied by a family member or an employee.
Her office is the hardest working room in the house. With a full-time assistant and a design intern, it's almost always occupied by a family member or an employee.
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"Benjamin Moore's Gentle Butterfly
is perfect for any little girl’s room," says Wilson. She had these
Roman shades custom made, and she repurposed a coffee table to create a
pint-size desk for her daughter that's painted in Valspar's Hint of Mint.
Rug: Rugs USA; pouf: Dubai market |
A Laurence Amelie tutu painting
from Bonpoint hangs above daughter Olivia's art table, from Pottery Barn
Kids. "It was the first piece of artwork we ever bought," she says.
In the kitchen, Wilson spiced up a
wall for Olivia and swapped out the old linoleum for Armstrong
Crescendo Marble Gray vinyl tile. "It looks so much like marble and
feels great underfoot," she says. "And the best thing about it is that
you just peel off the back and stick it down."
She painted the back wall with
chalkboard paint and hung frames and bulldog clips for displaying
artwork. "I DIY'd the leopard chairs with a Sharpie on solid cream Ikea
chairs," she says.
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Benjamin Moore's Classic Gray
gives Wilson's master bedroom a neutral, subdued backdrop. She made the
headboard to showcase her Fleur Chinoise textile in a berry pattern.
Cleft pillows in Coral Fretwork fabric and Berry signature pillow shams
from Wilson's Garnet Hill collection create a luxurious hotel look. But
true to Wilson's design savvy and what she calls "school budget" roots,
the glammed-up nightstands are Ikea hacks, painted gray and with new
gold acrylic knobs.
"A happy family lives in this colorful and vibrant home," she says, "and you can see and feel it in all the little and big things, in all the larger rooms and quiet corners." |
