Modern Tradition

 It all started with a chair. When 23- year-old real estate agent Kathryn Stone and interior designer Cam Osborne collaborated on Kathryn’s house to strike the pitch-perfect, youthful tone in her new three bedroom, two bathroom West Augusta house, all they needed for inspiration was the right chair. Which—like the renovation process itself—didn’t prove too difficult.

Of course, it helps if you have a friendship with your decorator that spans more than a decade. Osborne and the Stones are old family friends, a relationship that began with Osborne’s designing for Kathryn’s mother, Claire, more than 11 years ago. So when Kathryn decided to update her very first house, she immediately called Osborne and the two began a three-month-long collaboration that included refinishing floors, changing lighting, pulling up carpet and lots of paint.

After the renovation was finished they found the inspiration for the decor from a wingback chair given to Kathryn by her mother. The light blue China Seas fabric they used to recover the chair proved to be starting point they needed for the rest of the house. “At first,” says Kathryn, “I didn’t know where to start, but I knew I wanted color. The blue fabric was my inspiration.”  

Clearly, Osborne and Kathryn were on the same wavelength. Osborne brought in pieces she carefully selected to add the right balance of color to each room. Osborne frequented local resale shops and antique malls and even commissioned local artist Declan Konesky to create a painting featuring the light blues and soft pinks that they were looking for in the house. The eye-catching painting hangs in a place of prominence in the living room and beautifully ties all the colors of the room together. Konesky was able to finish the impressionistic piece “in about three hours,” says Osborne with a smile, “for a very reasonable price.”  

The two were determined to give the entire house a modern-yet-youthful feel, while making sure to keep the space functional and interesting. They also discovered creative and inspiring ways to transform each room in keeping with their budget, incorporating furniture that Kathryn kept from college and even including some things she grew up with.

They mixed vintage pieces with newer ones, added new, snazzier pillows to Kathryn’s college sofa to give it an updated look and replaced old hardware on estate sale purchases with new from Anthropologie. They hired local artist Jeannie Groat to paint furniture they couldn’t afford to recover. They were so pleased with the result—Groat painted the fabric on a set of chairs in the living room a sensational bright pink—that they enlisted her painting talents in the kitchen and for several other pieces of furniture. Groat painted the kitchen cabinets as well as a tabletop in the living room, using her skills to give it a “marbleized” look.

The most challenging room proved to be the den, a room “lacking in symmetry,” says Osborne. They removed a wetbar at one end of the room and added shelves that were originally in the living room. Osborne also added a little bit of eclectic old Hollywood to update the space. “I asked Kathryn—who do you like? Marilyn? Audrey?” When Kathryn revealed her adoration for Marilyn Monroe, Osborne added framed photos of Marilyn from a vintage calendar found in a consignment shop to hang above the den sofa. They bring just the right amount of whimsy, fun and style to the room at a cost of around five dollars per photo. “Before,” Osborne says, “the room was just too traditional. Kathryn is all about fun and color.” They fit the owner and room perfectly.

The next challenge was to locate the right artwork to hang above the mantle. After trying different pieces, they decided to look to the artistic skills of Marianna Williams, a young Augusta native who attends school at the Rhode Island School of Design. Williams painted several small pieces, which were displayed on a grid, the perfect complement to the mantle and fireplace. “The colors livened the room,” says Osborne, “and they are pieces that Kathryn can appreciate forever.”

Though most of the home’s furnishings were purchased locally or were heirloom treasures from Kathryn’s family, Osborne did incorporate several pieces she acquired during her international travels. Tables from Argentina beautifully offset a pair of antique prints from Kathryn’s godmother giving the living room an inviting eclectic touch. It is the expert mix of vintage and modern pieces the two have achieved that gives the house a sense of history while maintaining a modern, youthful tone that reflects Kathryn’s taste.

Osborne’s basic rules for redecorating are to first and foremost maintain an eye for balance and scale. Next, be sure to minimize clutter and resist the urge to include an item that doesn’t fit. She also advises to take a second look at your current furniture and consider recovering or repainting it for a quick and inexpensive update.

And last but not least, Osborne points out that if the cost of redecorating seems out of the realm of possibility, consider that one year of Masters rental will go a long way toward taking the sting out of your decorating budget. It’s a great opportunity to get the picture-perfect home of your dreams without depleting your pocketbook.
 

"Before" Photos of Kathyn Stone's Home.

"After" Photos of Kathyn Stone's Home.