When Jenna and Jeff Stingley first entered their future home in the Sunset Hills, the dark wood, painted stone walls, and antler chandeliers were a bit overwhelming.
“I think you really need to think about the design to see the potential of this home,” Gina says. She described the boarding house at the time as a bit drab, but she also loved the Tudor-style architecture of the early 1930s and the neighborhood south of the Plaza.
Despite its dark panel walls and Tuscan-style stucco treatments, the Stingleys knew they could turn the quirky house on a lovely tree-lined street into a home for their young families. Located a few blocks from Luz Park, it’s exactly where they wanted to live. With the help of Noble Designs, Stingleys transformed the ninety-year-old home into a light and airy residence with an eclectic mix of furniture and decorative elements that highlight the home’s character in an exuberant, modern way.
“The Stingleys were a really fun pair to work with,” says Sarah Noble, lead designer for the company of the same name. “They trusted the process.” The result is a home that is “small in the setting, a little classic” and has a defining wow factor.
Being such a young family, the Stingleys’ space should reflect their “bright and upbeat energy”.
“When we started their interior design project, we knew we had to update the house with a new touch while honoring traditional architecture,” says Noble. “So we decided to choose a transitional and bold design to reflect this emerging family and give them a comfortable space to grow.”
With this in mind, Noble combined furniture, textiles, modern and classic art for an unexpected contrast, creating a layered look. It’s a timeless style, one that seems to have been orchestrated over the years. The result tells a story that reflects the history of the house and at the same time looks to the future.
“I like to include elements that really make sense,” Noble says, pointing to a large chandelier perched above the dining room table. The traditional silhouette of the Empire chandelier is updated with modern white glass beads and a satin brass finish. The composition’s blend of old and new embodies Nobel’s signature style – a blend of “traditional charm and modern comfort”.
Living room
The main living space has high ceilings with carved wood beams and dark wood French doors, both of which Noble chose to leave untouched. The darker colors here contrast with the freshly painted white walls.
“We chose plush white sofas with clean lines,” says Noble.
“This choice offers more comfort and practicality than an antique sofa, and provides a modern contrast with the stone fireplace, stained French doors, and patterned textiles on the pillows.”
This living space is located directly off the kitchen and is the centerpiece of the house, so comfort was key.
front living room
Despite the more formal furniture in the room, the front living room feels cozy, comfortable and elegant at the same time. Not only does it seem like the perfect place to sit by the fire and read a book, but thanks to Noble’s selection of so many modern pieces of art, it also has the feel of an upscale gallery. A tiger swimming in a pond is projected above an antique box. The print itself looks modern, but pairing it with antiques “gives a rich, semi-regent elegance,” Noble notes.
Games room
Away from the main living area, Noble transformed the game room by painting the wood paneling and bar cabinets white and placing transparent lucite ghost chairs around an antique game table for the perfect blend of old and new. The chairs add a modern flair and recede into the space, making it feel larger and providing an unobstructed view of the antique table’s focal point.
The Stingleys found the original blueprints for the house, framed them, and hung them in the game room. Art-turned home plans provide the space with not only a small dose of history but vibrant color as well.
lobby
As with the jewel box, the “wow factor” of the house begins, Noble likes to say, as soon as the front door is opened.
The original black and white marble floor remains, but instead of dark wood walls, classic pale emerald grass wallpaper wraps the entry walls. Modeled on a 1930s house, a narrow entrance leads into a much larger foyer and, like a candy store window, offers an instant glimpse into colorful treasures large and small to discover.
breakfast corner
Noble added a colorful upholstered banquette in the breakfast nook. Covered in a classic floral fabric, it adds a bit of ready-made color to the space.
toilet room
Outside the entrance sits a small but interesting half-bath. Noble chose to design dark green tropical wallpaper, punctuated by bright red hues and curious monkey motifs. Tall, dramatic sconces surround the bathroom mirror, creating mood lighting and adding to the drama.
butler store
In the butler’s pantry, Noble went bold, painting floor-to-ceiling cabinets a vibrant green.
The cabinets feature classic lines, but a unifying color paired with clean black counters and a black and white geometric back line give the traditional space an upscale restaurant vibe.
On the table is a framed black-and-white picture of specialists drinking at Grand Uncle Gina Stingley’s Italian restaurant in New York, The Italian Platter. The photo, taken decades ago, adds to the pantry’s charm.
dinner room
In the dining room, Noble found cheap antique chairs on it Chairish.comIt is an online marketplace that allows antiques dealers and individuals to buy and sell items. By chance, these chairs, which Noble painted white and re-upholstered in a light plaid fabric with red piping, were placed in the online store by a Stingleys neighbor a few doors away. Chairs, along with a prominent chandelier hovering above the dining room table, give the space a traditional elegance with a clean, modern feel.
Noble used Schumacher’s classic blue and white wallpaper over the waterfall. “This placement displays a single iteration of the pattern, turning a traditional nature pattern into a piece of modern art,” she says.