Argomenti trattati
The story begins with an unexpected decision: a designer and her husband saw an open house while on a walk and signed for a 1980s condominium in Westchester that lacked charm but offered abundant light and proximity to the shore. The unit measured roughly 1,900 square feet and arrived as an empty canvas—a place without architectural character but full of potential. Faced with an imminent addition to their family, the couple treated the purchase as a practical solution that would quickly become much more. From that moment the project shifted from pragmatic need to a considered exercise in turning a generic footprint into a distinct family home.
Shortly after their son was born, demolition began and a hands-on renovation stretched over three years. Living in a construction zone meant improvisation: meals from a microwave on a folding table, late-night bottle washes in the bathroom sink, and frequent site meetings with contractors while juggling newborn life. The designer, founder of Stephanie Perez Studio, sketched cabinetry on the spot, selected materials between feedings, and managed daily choices that would shape the home. This process was as much about resilience and adaptation as it was about aesthetics, and it produced a house layered with time and domestic memory.
How the layout was reimagined
The original two-bedroom plan was reworked to accommodate a growing family: the team increased sleeping spaces to three bedrooms and redistributed square footage to create more practical circulation and storage. Central to the transformation was the addition of custom millwork, recessed paneling, and built-in elements crafted by the designer’s father-in-law, which supplied the house with architectural coherence that it initially lacked. The overall palette and spatial decisions draw on a mix of influences—coastal Americana inspired by a stint in Newport, layered with European influences from travels in England, Spain, and Portugal, plus a touch of memory from the designer’s grandmother in Colombia—so the plan reads as both personal and internationally informed.
Key rooms and design moves
Kitchen and dining nook
A narrow galley became a purposeful, sociable kitchen after borrowing space from the adjacent dining area. The heart of the room is a pine-stained island that provides generous prep space and anchors the room visually, while checkered marble tiles—reminiscent of old European farmhouses—introduce pattern underfoot. A built-in banquette replaces a formal dining room, creating a cozy hub for breakfasts and family dinners. Materials were chosen to feel collected rather than showroom-perfect; for instance, the tile pattern was sourced from field-stock limestone and repurposed to achieve an authentic, country-inflected look that reads as both durable and warm.
Living areas and bedrooms
The living room was organized for day-to-day family life with multiple seating zones, vintage finds, and an area for board games that encourages lingering. Each bedroom was treated as a layered vignette: the son’s room mixes vintage sports memorabilia and nautical motifs inspired by childhood interests, while the nursery—completed at the tail end of the renovation when the couple welcomed a daughter in 2026—references childhood books and playful, stitched fixtures. Throughout, the designer used vintage pieces and heirlooms to create rooms that feel storied, allowing personal objects to act as primary decor elements rather than subordinate accessories.
Materials, craft, and design philosophy
Throughout the condo, attention to durable, tactile materials anchors the aesthetic: marble, unlacquered brass, beadboard wainscoting, and soft linens form a classic, long-lasting foundation. Small spaces receive bold gestures—a fern wallpaper in the powder room creates a compact, jewel-like moment—while bathrooms include thoughtful moves such as a shower niche and vintage mirrors to combine function and charm. The designer emphasizes that good design is not merely ornamental but narrative-driven; this home intentionally records milestones—first steps, late-night feedings, family meals—so that the finished spaces feel inherited rather than manufactured.
Beyond the practical choices, the project also marks career milestones for the designer: she launched Stephanie Perez Studio in 2026 and was named a House Beautiful Next Wave designer in 2026, recognition that reflects her talent for crafting layered, lived-in interiors. What began as a stopgap solution evolved into a residence that balances craftsmanship, collected objects, and coastal light—a space that tells a familial story at every turn. In this way, the renovation stands as an example of how a spontaneous purchase and sustained, thoughtful design can convert a bland, 1980s unit into a warm, personalized home.