Effortlessly dazzling with three adorable kids, Eva Chen is the head of Instagram fashion and author of children’s books. Having visited Troutbeck in Amenia, New York, she fell in love with the area. When Eva found her country home in Connecticut, her agent recommended Hendrix Churchill and the relationship with Hyde and Rafe blossomed over the social media app.
Well versed in historic renovations, Raf Churchill led a home transformation that necessitated opening the first floor, expanding the living room and overhauling the kitchen while incorporating key features such as the simple English workbench and Bertazzoni set.
Heide Hendricks carefully selected each piece of furniture to create a comfortable and eclectic home for the family, who welcomed their third child, River, in May. As an author and book lover, many reading nooks are incorporated throughout the house, from the window seat in the living room to the B&B Italia Camaleonda’s sofa in the upstairs guest room. An eat-in kitchen and dining room decorated with Antoinette Poisson wallpaper provide the family with flexibility away from Eva’s Manhattan residence.
Designer Hyde Elena talks about briefs, design decisions, and how the family is using their modern home…
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
Sunlight streams through the open plan living room with many different seating angles.
How did you participate in the project?
“Eva Chin visited Trobeck in Aminia, New York, and fell in love with the area,” Hyde says. When I found this house, her real estate agent recommended Hendrix Churchill and my relationship with her blossomed via Instagram.
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
What was your brief?
“Eva is a New Yorker born and raised in love with the tranquility and scenery while visiting the North. Her husband, Tom Bannister, is a native of England and this area closely resembles the English countryside.
“After settling into a contemporary Cape Cod home of nearly ten acres of land, we were tasked with unlocking the potential of the home for Eva’s growing family who welcomed their third child, River, in May 2021,” she adds. “The house was built in the ’80s and had good bones, but it wasn’t quite ready for everyday family life.”
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
Traditional floral wallpaper wraps around this lovely dining room, evoking images of bygone times. Black furniture and modern dining room lighting match the black frames of the windows. Modern and traditional ideas blend confidently in this space.
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
What was your response to the client brief?
“The house underwent a renovation that opened up the living room and kitchen, and converted the garage into a guest bedroom and additional play area,” Hyde explains. Eva, who is also a children’s book author, asked for a lot of reading nooks. We arranged furniture in cozy little reliefs throughout the large living spaces to provide these intimate places to curl up and read a book.
“He used to live in an apartment in New York City, and the main priority given the space inside the house was to create sight lines,” she adds. Eva and her husband can stand in one room with the ability to watch the children in the next.
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
A soft gray tone on the wood elevates the staircase from the ordinary. It can be hard to come up with staircase decorating ideas, but a lick of paint goes a long way.
Why did you choose certain materials?
“We pulled off elegant yet powerful pieces for the house,” Hyde explains. “Matching Eva’s background aesthetic and fashion was important to the design while keeping in mind the durability needed for young children.”
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
Now here’s a classic kitchen that looks totally modern. Rustic farmhouse kitchen ideas are gaining popularity even for fans of the most modern interiors – the colors and materials all contribute to making the heritage look contemporary.
What are the smart design ideas when a property needs to be renovated?
“Converting the attached garage gave the home so many possibilities. This became a guest room, often used by Eva’s parents,” Hyde explains. Above, there is a playroom that doubles as an additional guest room offering the extended family a great deal of flexibility. The key to making a new home feel like an old one It is to widen the openings between rooms rather than completely removing the corridors.
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
What inspired you and where does your inspiration come from?
“I get a lot of inspiration in my color palette from paintings by Renaissance masters, and I stay current by admiring the work of other designers,” Hyde says.
Eva unsurprisingly found a lot of inspiration through Instagram. We’ve been sending pictures of each other and knowing she’s drawn to our downsized style, made this house feel like it had already been flattened for a while, she says.
“Unlike some of our other projects, Eva brought her relationships with multiple vendors to the table and was able to introduce us to their designs,” Hyde says. “We were inspired to blend more contemporary pieces into eclectic interiors than we usually do.”
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
How did you work with the client?
“We were constantly texting each other pictures and spent a lot of time talking about artistic decisions and antiques,” she says. The project was developed just before the world changed, so when we started with in-person meetings and design presentations, we eventually moved on to a lot of zooming and screen sharing. Our most exciting act happened around midnight over the city of Dubai. “
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
What do you love most about this project?
The house has a brief color palette of blues, grays, and violets. This allows the mix of modern and contemporary art to really pop. ‘There’s nothing like art to make a home feel more personal and lively,’ says Hyde.
“The way the house was previously designed makes it feel like a European cottage,” she says. We played this magic and got inspired by the place that overlooks a man-made pond.
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
A classic pedestal sink sits next to the stylish modern shower and they both look right at home. Whether you are looking for modern bathroom ideas or something more traditional, this proves that you can have both!
How does the family spend their time at home?
“We love the house for many reasons, but mainly because it is a multi-generational home,” she says. “The family spends their time reading, writing and gardening and this was a fun task to accomplish. He frequents the house on the weekends. Eva’s parents visit and stay regularly which makes it a really special place for their extended family to meet.
(Photo credit: Chris Motalini)
A great kid’s bedroom idea that will last for years to come. A child’s room doesn’t have to be childish after all…