This formal sitting room in our 2023 Whole Home had an abundance of ornate moldings and trim, but felt out-of-date. Never one to shy away from historic features, designer Caitlin Wilson instantly imagined this as a posh spot for a ladies’ tea, inspired by the elegance of Downton Abbey. “I just remodeled a 100-year-old home where they had stripped away all the grandeur—and now I’m putting it all back in,” she says. “To have a house preserved this way is unreal.” Celebrating what already existed was simply a matter of choosing complementary colors that enhanced the architecture and felt very feminine.
The finished room is pink on pink—with a bit of blue and a hint of green. The end result is not only pretty, but also practical. While the room is admittedly large, Wilson used swivel chairs and several pieces on casters to make reconfiguring the space for family events quick and easy. For the designer, “It’s really just about bringing this home back to life with color.”
Two ottomans and four chairs (including two swivels) fill the room with comfy seating, while the fireplace surround shows off framed chinoiserie prints and 3D brass butterflies in flight.
Rather than an expected gallery display, Wilson hung framed intaglios (reproductions of incised art popularized by travelers in the 18th and 19th centuries) from Statuette.
A bookcase from Serena & Lily stores decorative vases that move in and out of circulation among the mantel and tables.
Designer headshot photographed by Nick Mele.
