KENILWORTH COLOR

Each beautiful project in designer Jennifer Morrow’s rapidly expanding portfolio gets a short and sweet title before it appears on her Jen Marie Interiors website. There’s the “Lakefront Pied à Terre,” for example, and the “Lincoln Park Luxe.” But which phrase for a recently completed East Kenilworth design? “I’m thinking, ‘Kenilworth Color,’” Morrow muses.

The title captures the essence of this expansive project in which Morrow helped her clients express their personalities through color, rich textures and fabrics, custom furnishings, and curated artwork. “Far beyond the neutral cool gray walls and basic moldings that previously filled the space,” says Morrow.

The home, a newer-construction, Nantucket-style residence, had good bones, great flow, and a stunning de Giulio kitchen. “But beyond that, the interior design was very nondescript. After purchasing the home and living in it for a year, my clients—outgoing people with big personalities—kept saying the style of the home interior ‘just doesn’t feel like us.’”

Step by step, Morrow took the family through a design journey to determine their aesthetic preferences and how to create a space that better fit them. While using visual imagery to ascertain the couple’s reactions, Morrow learned that husband and wife were on the same page about furnishings and layouts but were initially cautious about color.

“In the selection process, clients will often tend to the ‘safer’ choice at first,” says Morrow, “but as trust builds, they see the design possibilities where better solutions are born. Thanks to my clients’ open minds and active involvement, the project successfully brought their vibrant personalities to life.”

To get there, Morrow facelifted the living room by building out the walls to receive custom arched and illuminated bookcases with custom tambour doors. She wrapped the rest of the room in a Phillip Jeffries periwinkle grasscloth wallcovering and hung lovely Métaphores drapery with periwinkle accents on the windows. Custom furniture upholstered in performance fabrics round out the space; with its Samuel & Sons fringe, the tufted corner sofa beneath a gallery wall is a standout.

Bringing the once basic gray hallways to life, Morrow added moldings and painted the walls white to highlight the ceiling’s Schumacher Queen of Spain wallpaper. All of that, plus a performance Antilocarpa runner from STARK on the floor. “This neutral and textural palette was used to bridge the colorful adjoining rooms together,” Morrow explains.

Among the rooms, the dining room was Morrow’s personal favorite. “It still gives me chills!” she enthuses. Because the room’s original chair molding felt overly fussy, Morrow removed it. She then brought interest back into the space with an Iksel Italian Promenade mural and juxtaposed a high-gloss lacquer dining table with a concrete buffet table. “Because the mural serves as the room’s fine art,” explains Morrow, “we highlighted it with a cluster of wall sconces and sourced a convex mirror to further engage the eye. The main takeaway is that this room really invites you to stay for a bit, just to absorb it all,” Morrow sums.

Throughout the project, adding color was key. “Lavender, for example,” says Morrow. “In my practice, we’ve really been leaning into pinks and purples as they balance a strong form. Among those hues, we incorporated lavender into the home’s palette for its playful yet sophisticated vibe.”

Originally, Morrow says the clients were unsure about this color, but then agreed to it, loving that lavender notes now appear throughout the home—on the drapery and fabrics of the living room, and in the rug, bench, and pillows in the great room.

Beyond trepidations about color, clients often come into a project thinking there are design “rules” that should be followed, but many of these don’t stand. One of them? “That trim and doors should always be painted white,” says Morrow. “Everyone assumes that walls receive the color and that the trim should be white. But rooms feel much more succinct if the wall and trim color match, or if a contrasting trim is used.”

Morrow also often finds herself guiding clients to appreciate the significance of layers and levels. “For me, a successful room includes rich textures, thoughtful lighting, and creative arrangements of furniture and artwork. When these elements are combined with varying heights, the eye is constantly engaged.”

In the end, the “Kenilworth Color” project is a testament to the transformative power of thoughtful design. Morrow’s ability to navigate her client’s initial hesitations about color and to cultivate their unique aesthetic resulted in a home that truly reflects their personalities. By breaking away from conventional design rules and embracing the unexpected, Morrow created spaces that invite exploration and engagement.

“This project not only revitalized the home’s interior but also celebrates the joy of living boldly and authentically,” Morrow concludes, “and is a perfect expression of Jen Marie Interiors’ mission— to infuse homes with character, creativity, and an unmistakable sense of individuality.”

For more information visit jenmarieinteriors.com.