Houzz Tour: Warm Neutrals, Contrast and a Rich Mix of Textures
A designer gives her clients’ home a warm and welcoming vibe before the birth of their first child
Becky Harris
5 January 2022
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
As these Knoxville, Tennessee, homeowners were building their new home, they reached out to interior designer Lauren DeBello to give it a warm and welcoming atmosphere. “They loved the idea of warm neutrals, and black and white was their signature,” she says. “They wanted it to feel organic, fresh and clean, and also warm and cozy.” The scope of the project included decorating the great room, the dining room, the primary bedroom and the nursery and styling the kitchen.
Photos by Allison Elefante of Ruby & Peach
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who were expecting their first child during the project
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Size: Five bedrooms, four bathrooms
Designer: Lauren DeBello
The designer and her clients used Houzz photos to share their style inspirations. DeBello used organic textures, patinaed vintage pieces and artwork to personalize the home. At the same time, she worked some of the homeowners’ favorite existing pieces into the scheme.
The front entry sets the tone for the house, which already had white oak hardwood floors. DeBello placed a rustic vintage bench for putting on shoes or dropping bags. “The bench adds a different wood tone and makes the house feel lived in,” she says. She also added a vintage light-colored Oriental runner to bring softness to the floor. The framed piece is a vintage textile.
Framed textile: Loloi
Find an interior designer on Houzz
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who were expecting their first child during the project
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Size: Five bedrooms, four bathrooms
Designer: Lauren DeBello
The designer and her clients used Houzz photos to share their style inspirations. DeBello used organic textures, patinaed vintage pieces and artwork to personalize the home. At the same time, she worked some of the homeowners’ favorite existing pieces into the scheme.
The front entry sets the tone for the house, which already had white oak hardwood floors. DeBello placed a rustic vintage bench for putting on shoes or dropping bags. “The bench adds a different wood tone and makes the house feel lived in,” she says. She also added a vintage light-colored Oriental runner to bring softness to the floor. The framed piece is a vintage textile.
Framed textile: Loloi
Find an interior designer on Houzz
The great room is open to the entryway and staircase. “The jumping-off point for the room was the rug,” DeBello says. “It brought in the black, white and neutral color scheme my clients liked. It’s a flat weave that is easy to take care of and adds softness.” Throw pillows on the armchairs add dark contrast to the light upholstery. The wood frames of the chairs and the wood coffee table add natural textures.
Shop for a round wood coffee table
Shop for a round wood coffee table
Two things DeBello’s clients brought to the room were the TV over the fireplace, the spot where they wanted it, and the sectional sofa. “My clients didn’t want to invest in a sofa at this point. They knew they wanted a white sofa and they also knew it would take a lot of wear and tear over the next few years, so they bought one at Ikea,” she says. They may opt to replace the relatively inexpensive sofa once their daughter is older.
DeBello added more organic textures with a caned storage console, baskets and a small olive tree. “The tree brings in more softness and a touch of life,” she says. She accessorized the space with pillows, baskets, artwork and throw blankets. She purchased the two black-and-white prints as digital downloads at a very reasonable price. Balancing splurges and saves within the budget allowed her to buy furniture that will serve her clients for decades to come. The clients also lucked out with her choices. Soon after DeBello bought those prints, they were picked up by a company that’s now charging much more than what she paid for them.
Carmel sideboard in Natural Mango: Four Hands; art prints: Dan Hobday
Browse throw pillows in the Houzz Shop
Carmel sideboard in Natural Mango: Four Hands; art prints: Dan Hobday
Browse throw pillows in the Houzz Shop
This photo shows how the dining room relates to the great room. The windows and doors are black, adding contrast to the light-colored walls.
The designer worked with the homeowners’ existing dining table and the light fixture that the builder had installed. “I selected an updated take on the classic Windsor chair for their dining chairs,” she says. “They will still be timeless, but their clean lines modernize the space.” She also added the black-and-white desert landscape photo on the back wall.
“Initially when I suggested it, my clients didn’t want a rug in the dining room. But after they saw this vintage kilim I brought in for the photo shoot, they wanted it,” DeBello says. The rug helps define the dining space and adds more texture.
The kitchen is also open to the dining room and great room. Most of the finishes had already been selected when DeBello signed on to the job.
The kitchen is also open to the dining room and great room. Most of the finishes had already been selected when DeBello signed on to the job.
This area is in a transitional spot between the kitchen and dining area and is also viewed from the great room. “One thing they really wanted help with was styling these shelves,” DeBello says. Taking that into account, she chose art and other objects that unite the three spaces.
Hire a cabinet pro
Hire a cabinet pro
Primitive objects, dark wood pieces and black-and-white pencil drawings attract the eye. DeBello’s kitchen styling brought organic textures and personality to the space.
Here’s the view of the great room across the kitchen island’s quartz countertop. DeBello selected all the accessories for her clients.
“My clients really wanted a four-poster or canopy bed for their bedroom, but they feared it wasn’t large enough to accommodate one. I had to show them that it was just right,” DeBello says. She knew the best place for it was in between these two windows. The canopy bed is black metal with an upholstered headboard — another mix of hard and soft as well as dark and light.
The designer anchored the room with an overdyed Oriental rug with dark hues. The ceramic lamps also add dark contrast, while the nightstands add light wood. Simple linen sheers soften the windows.
Rug: Loloi II
The designer anchored the room with an overdyed Oriental rug with dark hues. The ceramic lamps also add dark contrast, while the nightstands add light wood. Simple linen sheers soften the windows.
Rug: Loloi II
DeBello’s clients already had the dresser. It was in great shape and worked well as another dark piece in the room. “I updated it by giving it more modern hardware,” she says. The minimalist black-framed mirror also adds a modern touch. Finally, DeBello cozied a nice, comfy chair into the corner for late-night feedings with the baby.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
DeBello’s clients knew they were expecting a girl, but they didn’t want to go with the typical pink color palette in the nursery. “They wanted a cozy space in soft neutrals that could grow with her,” the designer says. “They loved the idea of mixing different textures and patterns in here.” She used less dark contrast in the nursery than she did in the other spaces.
The homeowners requested a daybed in the nursery for naps, so DeBello found one with a caned texture. She brought in another woven texture with the glider’s rattan ottoman. The rug has hooked detailing that adds pattern to the space.
Picking up on the texture of the rug, DeBello chose pillows with looped details, adding a range of patterns and textures to the daybed. She also knew baby animal prints would be a sweet addition to the nursery, and her clients loved the idea.
Thanks to the designer’s hard work, the homeowners were moved in, settled and ready to welcome their daughter by the time she arrived.
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Thanks to the designer’s hard work, the homeowners were moved in, settled and ready to welcome their daughter by the time she arrived.
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
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Very, very lovely indeed! Especially child's bedroom!
What pair colours did you use to warm up the white tones
Lovely!