Living with Color in Connecticut Part II

For any who missed Monday’s post, we are continuing our tour of an amazing Diamond Baratta designed house in Connecticut, full of color, collections and masterful coordination of pattern. Here we look down the stairs to the basement, with a hint of what’s to come. The walls are covered in a durable, subtle patterned anaglypta wallpaper, so appropriate for a family of seven!

Anaglypta wallpaper

A great venue for Superbowl or gaming fun, downstairs is a colorful, comfortable, practical space, perfect for the large family or crowd of guests.

Luxury game room   Basement family room

And of course no room in this house would be complete without the requisite artisanal piece, in this case a fabulous rustic cabinet from Randy Holden.

Game room in Diamond Baratta designed Connecticut house

A home theater in a house of this significance is de rigueur. This one is complete with fun vintage posters and red leather of course!

More collections can be seen as we head upstairs. An antique letterbox holds a charming assemblage of children’s plates. You can’t see in this shot but an original letter from the box still resides there. And on the right a set of antique children’s sleds hang with an antique sampler – a very It’s a Wonderful Life moment.

Antique collections in Diamond Baratta designed house in Connecticut

As with the first level, no corner is overlooked. Generous halls and landings allow for a well curated mix of fine federal and country American pieces!

A classic enfilade connects the family bedrooms, master suite and upstairs sitting room.

Diamond Baratta designed house in Connecticut

Clearly collecting runs in the family as the pretty antique cherry maple four poster in one of the daughter’s bedrooms originally belonged to the owner’s grandmother.

Living with heirlooms

The art collection in one of the son’s rooms and bath reflects his love of baseball and the theater. The wife is also a talented quilter and made all of the examples seen throughout the house. The designers coordinated them carefully with other patterns in the rooms.

Baseball and theater art collection

The tone changes to French country in the master suite, starting in the sitting room where the pretty desk, another piece inherited from the owner’s grandmother, is the star.

French country antiques

The bedroom is an exercise in more is more, with painted furniture including a custom made armoire, upholstered walls with matching chaise, coordinating needlepoint rug etc.

French country style decorating

Living with antiques

The painted bed was a find at les puces on a buying trip to France, adorned with another home made quilt.

Diamond Baratta designed Connecticut house

Spacious his and hers dressing room/closets are of course to be expected.

Luxury custom closets

What I love are the thoughtful details such as the cranberry knobs throughout the master suite that echo not only the pinks in the decor but also the collection downstairs in the dining room.

Antique doorknobs

On the second floor is a cozy sitting room. With a fireplace and lovely balcony it offers a quiet escape from the more public sitting areas.

Luxury custom home

Again fun pattern mixes abound with more examples of Diamond Baratta unique lighting choices. Here antique sewing machines are repurposed for a room where perhaps a little quilting or mending occurs.

Repurposing antiques as lighting fixtures

The top floor is an old fashioned eaved living space with one more bed and bath. I know I would have begged for this floor if I were a child living here. The sitting area has a lovely stenciled floor and charming chaise with pink ticking and another home made quilt.

Diamond Baratta designed Connecticut house

Hope you’ve enjoyed the tour of this amazing house! I love when an owner’s vision and personality comes through – it’s the difference between a house and a home!

28 thoughts on “Living with Color in Connecticut Part II

  1. Love the cranberry door knobs. House is beautifully done. Not overwhelming. Livable. Wallpaper in daughter’s room is charming. Great coordination of reds that cheer rather than jar throughout. Thankyou . A keeper.

  2. I think you said it accurately…more is more!! This is so not my style, personally, but I could not have enjoyed it more! The colors, the patterns, the gorgeous furniture and accessories are stimulating in a good way. It’s stunning! It’s also a great representation of a regional style done to the hilt that is not so commonly seen.

  3. I agree with Susan – not my style, a little busy for me, however so many details and aspects that are so incredibly wonderful. What I do love is that the house feels like a home. It’s warm and inviting. I find this not always to be the case.

  4. I’m with Susan and Jessica… Could not live in that space myself, but certainly hound your tour spectacular. The furniture pieces alone are museum worthy. Thank you for the tour.

  5. I was beginning to think I was the only one who didn’t really like this. The case goods and collections are fabulous but to my eye, all the patterns on the floor and walls detracts from the true beauty of that ab fab millwork. Too each his/her own but I would need a Valium to wake up in that house every day.

    • Ha! I totally understand – it is a lot of color and pattern, which is not everyone’s cup of tea but I wanted to showcase not only the amazing house but also the incredible attention to detail, coordination of all the collections and the concept of living with what you love – whatever that may be!

      • Agreed! Live with what you love. Be bold and bada** enough to express your passion and commit to it fully. My passion just runs in adifferent direction.

  6. Was so excited for the 2nd installment and I was not disappointed! I can only just imagine the hours of fabric and wallpaper sourcing that went on in the design process!
    Thanks Q!

  7. Wallpaper galore! Living on the West Coast we typically don’t see a lot of wallpaper. I really like it especially in smaller rooms – I’m updating one of my powder rooms and plan to wallpaper. I like the warmth of this home and I love the details: the cherry maple four poster bed, the large home theater, the floors, and the red door knob. Not a designer by trade, love all this inspiration as I begin to update my home (kids in college! out with the old and in with the new!) Enjoy your day!

    leslie

  8. It’s so fun to see the owner’s personality reflected in the home.
    There was so much to see but oddly enough, my favorite was the cranberry doorknob :)
    Going to go check out Monday’s post now!

  9. Thanks for sharing! Even if it is not my style at all, I can appreciate the amazing TLC put into this home and wonderful attention to details. Enjoyed the red door knobs, the gorgeous drop leaf desk in bedroom, and really liked the son’s bedroom, great color scheme and just feels lived in and comfy. And such a pleasure to always be learning something new on your blog!

  10. No space or corner is overlooked, and I have scrolled back and forth several times not wanting to miss a thing. Love the attention to detail, and oh, the organized closet…heavenly!!

  11. A truly beautiful home!! I’m really loving that tartan rug and stair runner. Just made me smile!

    ~ E

  12. What a fun house! I can’t get over the tartan carpet in the basement….I know you loved that : ) So much pattern and color everywhere….the family must have so much personality! xx

  13. Stacey,
    Thank you for sharing your visit to this amazing home. How appropriate for you to end the tour at the top, as you usually do. I’m still swooning as I type and am in desperate need of that fainting couch!
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    xo Lisa
    P.S. Tony promised me that whenever I’m ready, he’ll be ready too to design my forever house by the beach! It will have a D&B signature blue & white gingham kitchen ceiling! Swooning AND dreaming….

  14. No one does over the top like D&B! I saw this house a few years ago on the New Canaan kitchen tour. Fabulous is an overused word, but it is appropriate for this house. If you like D&B’s look, you will love it here. Every single detail so carefully considered – from lamp shades and finials to the perfect weathervanes, and the use of antiques anchors the whole thing. One of my favorite elements of this house is the cherry red lavastone countertops in the kitchen. So rich!

  15. How fabulously refreshing to see a home with pizazz! I utterly adore the kitchen and the powder room! I’m growing weary of all the white, shabby chic homes that are filling Pinterest and Blogland! Thank you for sharing such a gorgeous home!

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