Loecke, left, and Nixon in the characteristically unconventional master bathroom.
CURTAIN FABRIC Thibaut "Medley" in Green $100/yard, Pacific Design Services (310) 360-6418 WALL PAINT Seaside #10GY 69/262 and FLOOR PAINT White Whisper #44YY 84/042, glidden.com for stores
Registry
How to Decorate With Patterns
Published on September 2, 2010
Design duo Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke show Domino magazine how they gave a Brooklyn row house wacky-but-wonderful charm through clever renovating, bold decorating and easy shortcuts.
This story originally appeared as Piling on the Patterns in Domino magazine.
in the living room (before)
the goal A place where guests feel as if they've stepped into a British country manor souped up with splashes of color.
renovating fix The Tudor-style four-story underwent a substantial yearlong renovation, but some rooms, like the living room, required less work, so they focused on emphatic decorating flourishes. However, they did invest in Andersen wood windows throughout (vinyl had been swapped in for some of the originals) for a sense of tradition.
in the living room (after)
decorating fix Decked in a deft mix of florals and graphics, a cozy seating area lets visitors feel immediately at home. Less-than-perfect parquet floors were redone in playful stripes, introducing the fresh green that acts as a universal neutral.
time-saving tip Using a floor paint by Farrow & Ball, which contains polyurethane, meant that they didn't have to seal the surface afterward. It's also super-durable; as Nixon says, "You can spill wine and just mop it up."
- SOLID SOFA FABRIC Cotton "Kanvastex" in Moss (body) and Lemon (welting) $16.99/yard, calicocorners.com FLORAL FABRIC "Hydrangea" in Greens (on sofa) and in Apricot (on armchairs) about $105/yard, and STOOL FABRIC "Granada" in Blue/Green about $118.50/yard, Schumacher (800) 523-1200 for information PILLOWS (on sofa) 18" grosgrain "Trellis" and "Animal" $375 each, johnloeckeinc.com for information SECRETARY (similar to shown) "Bradbury" $4,299 drexelheritage.com for stores STOOLS 17" "Bamboo" $3,318 each (excluding material), and HEXAGONAL TABLE "Marrakech" $1,106 bakerfurniture.com for stores SIDE CHAIR (similar to shown) "Tivoli" $139 and cushion $29.95 crateandbarrel.com END TABLE Michael Weiss Classics "Alba" $537 vanguardfurniture.com for stores WINDOWS 400 series "Spring Line" $1,199 each, andersenwindows.com for stores WALL PAINT French Silver #90BG 55/051, glidden.com for stores FLOOR PAINTS in All White and Folly Green, farrow-ball.com *
in the kitchen (before)
the goal The two love to entertain and cook (Nixon went to culinary school), so they needed a highly useful area that nevertheless captured their outsize personalities. "Just because it's a work space doesn't mean it has to be dull," Nixon says.
renovating fix The kitchen lacked modern conveniences, like adequate storage or a workable sink and stove section, so Nixon and Loecke gutted it and brought in designer Christopher Peacock to create furniture-style cabinets. "Custom can be expensive," Loecke says, "but the trade-off is that it really lets us use the space."
in the kitchen (after)
decorating fix Nixon and Loecke continued the colorful mood with a decidedly un-kitcheny Brunschwig & Fils botanical wallpaper and tiles by Ann Sacks. The straightforward hues and classic design elements of the marble countertop and farm sink have a grounding effect.
shopping tip An unusual object can help give a spanking-new space a sense of history. What the pair call their "Palm Beach monkey sconces" (the one shown above is dubbed Sid; its mate, Nancy, hangs nearby) were Des Moines flea-market finds.
Custom cabinets painted Farrow & Ball's Cooking Apple Green evoke an English country-house spirit.
WALLPAPER Brunschwig & Fils "Bird & Thistle" about $116/roll, e-mail designpro@ddbuilding.com TILE 33 × 63 "Elements" in Beguna Gold, Pewter and Light Sage $20.24/square foot, annsacks.com for stores CABINETS Scullery Collection custom, peacockcabinetry.com for information CABINET PAINT Cooking Apple Green, farrow-ball.com COUNTERTOPS White Cararra marble about $96/square foot, homedepot.com for stores SINK (similar to shown) Cast-iron "Dickinson" $1,425 kohler.com for stores FAUCET Polished-nickel "Vir Stil" with side spray $1,086 kallista.com for stores
in the dining room (before)
the goal An open area that was both fanciful and functional—not something solely for dinner parties.
renovating fix Replacing the paneling with a chair rail made the atmosphere lighter. The leaded glass above the doorway was lovely, but it was attached to a frame that had to be removed, so the couple installed a new frame, reusing the glass at their country house upstate.
in the dining room (after)
decorating fix Positioning a bar at one end (left) and a settee near the doorway made the room more multipurpose. Nixon and Loecke then added personal touches, commissioning friend Given Campbell to custom-color a wallpaper that has an interlocking "J" pattern (for Jason and John, natch).
DIY tip "Ribbons are a quick way to customize for little money," says Loecke. To wit, the window-valance trim is fashioned from a strip of grosgrain ribbon.
CURTAIN FABRIC Cotton "China Rose" about $89/yard, Scalamandré (800) 932-4361 for information VALANCE FABRIC "Cane Trellis" in Green about $37.50/yard, Schumacher (800) 523-1200 for information WALLPAPER Custom-colored Given Campbell "Villa" in Topiary $142/roll, studioprintworks.com for stores ORANGE CHAIR-CUSHION FABRIC "Lock" $14.99/yard, calicocorners.com RED CHAIR-CUSHION FABRIC (front) Manuel Canovas "Mandarin" about $123/yard, cowtan.com for information SETTEE FABRIC (right, rear) Josef Frank "Windows" $250/yard, Just Scandinavian (212) 334-2556 CHANDELIER SHADES "Garden Toile" $18 each, anthropologie.com for stores WALL MOLDING "Laurel Lineal" #8031 $9.22/foot, decoratorssupply.com DOOR-FRAME MOLDING #244 $205/foot, dykeslumber.com for stores MOLDING PAINT Folly Green, and FLOOR PAINTS All White and Folly Green, farrow-ball.com
in the dining room (after)
The green-and-white theme continues down to the floors; a diamond motif echoes the original parquet.
- CHAIR "Emily" $874 (excluding fabric), crlaine.com for stores CHAIR FABRIC "Tropical Isle" about $83/yard, Schumacher (800) 523-1200 for information *
in the master stairwell (before)
the goal Transforming the three-flight staircase into a gallery that would tie the whole house together.
renovating fix Although Nixon spent many late nights stripping the banister, he ultimately decided that its ho-hum design wasn't worth rescuing. The couple gave in and rebuilt it, but retained the original paneling for its detailing.
in the master stairwell (after)
decorating fix Art keeps the eye "constantly engaged," Loecke says. They sketched out how to arrange their collection of more than 150 pieces—everything from a Mapplethorpe photo to prints bought on London's Portobello Road.
pro tip Papering walls in grass cloth offers texture and masks nail holes—a real plus when hanging so many works. "If you goof up, who cares?" Nixon says.
The stair runner is an easy-to-clean indoor-outdoor rug from Dash & Albert.
WALLPAPER "Lotus" #DSG102 $98/double roll, blonderhome.com for stores RUNNER 2 1/2' × 8' "Lighthouse" in Denim/Brown $110 dashandalbert.com for stores MOLDING AND BANISTER PAINT White Whisper #44YY 84/042, glidden.com for stores
in the guest bedroom (before)
the goal Turning a quiet part of the house into a comfortable, secluded retreat for friends and family.
__renovating fix__To concoct a distinct realm for visitors, two petite rooms were morphed into one. A deck made by Trex, which uses reclaimed wood and recycled plastic in its designs, was also incorporated, extending from a new French door that overlooks the garden. Crown moldings were installed—an add that, according to Nixon, "can really provide some architecture and make it feel like a different place."
in the guest bedroom (after)
decorating fix Cabbage-rose wallpaper on the ceiling "draws your eye up and away from the sides of the room" for further visual interest, Nixon says.
quick tip High-gloss oil paint, which was used on the moldings and trim, is "easy to clean and adds a little sheen," Loecke says.
The latticed, striped and floral prints pick up on the colors of the house.
FRENCH DOOR 400 Series $1,199 andersenwindows.com for stores CROWN MOLDINGS #364 $260/foot, dykeslumber.com for information CURTAIN FABRIC "Lattice" in Lime $20.99/yard, and SHADE FABRIC "Key West" $14.99/yard, calicocorners.com LAMP-SHADE FABRIC "Hydrangea" in Greens about $105/yard, Schumacher (800) 523-1200 for information BED The Milling Road Collection queen "Malacca" $4,550 bakerfurniture.com for stores CRISSCROSS PILLOW $375 johnloeckeinc.com for information BEDSIDE CABINET Martha Stewart Furniture with Bernhardt "Fernwood Chest" $726 marthastewart.com/shop for stores CHANDELIER (similar to shown) Metal and resin "Bamboo Bell" $695 shadesoflight.com CEILING PAPER Thibaut "Fanfare" in Brown about $86/roll, Pacific Design Services (310) 360-6418 DOOR AND MOLDING PAINT Hurricane Lamp #50YY 71/369, glidden.com for stores
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