Modern Traditional with a Youthful Twist!

Traditional Style has withstood the test of time, centuries in fact! But lately this timeless style has received a youthful facelift. My friend Jessica recently purchased a new home. She is one of a new breed of designers, young, confident, and wistfully creative in her love of traditional style.

Jessica and me at an ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) event.

This design powerhouse, Jessica, knew she loved design at an early age and received a design degree from Stephens College in Missouri, but the weather did not suit her. So she moved to Phoenix. Her first design gig out of school was with Lazboy Furniture Galleries and 6 years later she is award winning, referral driven, and boundary breaking! Jess is a big Foodie too, and loves to cook.

Jessica has a keen eye for mixing patterns and textures. In her great room, she used a gorgeous cream based plaid for a clean-lined reclining chair, traditional with a twist of modern. The chair is the Haven chair from Lazboy. A dark wood pedestal table and a cream ceramic lamp round out this side of her seating area.

The sofa Jess chose is in a smart and tailored creamy gray linen type fabric. This is the Edie sofa, also from Lazboy, and by the way, it reclines! This piece anchors the room without looking heavy or overpowering the other pieces.

Pattern and texture contrast this creamy linen sofa.

Layered rugs create an invitation to sit down and get cozy. Jessica chose a textured solid in a deep mocha color for the foundation rug, and a traditionally styled flat pile rug for the top. This rug is in shades of gray, cream, and has hints of rose tones. The combination fits the space perfectly!

This leather ottoman fills this space to a tee! It’s up on legs so it doesn’t look heavy and has nailhead trim to frame it beautifully. Jessica adorned her ottoman with a mirrored tray, ceramic bowl, candles and greenery.

Open concept rooms are great architecturally, but can sometimes be tricky from a design perspective. Jessica’s home has very high ceilings and she needed to connect the living area with a dining room, an eating bar, and the kitchen. And she did it perfectly! The dining area starts with a round pedestal table from the Park Studio Collection by American Drew. It’s in a deep taupe-gray washed finish with bird’s eye maple details. Jessica went with an oversized chair in a cream linen. These chairs are generous in height, width, and comfort. The unique buffet has a satin metallic finish with a dimensional front. The ceramic accessories emphasize geometric textures. A round cream and black traditional rug anchors the pieces in this space.

Jessica complimented her two-toned kitchen with gorgeous bar stools from Canadel. She customized the fabric and finish in a classic trellis print with shades of gray and a deep gray wood tone.

Lastly, a classic art detail emphasizes the high ceilings. Cream and black botanicals set in a traditional square pattern, create the right balance for the seating area. Botanicals are are a great way to make a bold traditional statement.

Jessica did it! She updated classic traditional style and brought it into a fresh, crisp realm where she bent and twisted design rules. Her design aesthetic puts her in an elite group of youngsters who are taking the design world by storm!

Look for part two of this post next week, the “how-to’s” of Jessica’s design!