While some may be wary of buying an older home on the market, historic buildings often possess an undeniable character that their newer counterparts lack. The classic architecture, distinctive shapes, traditional fireplaces and other quirky but charming features are what make them so appealing. Yet without the right touches, these buildings don’t always feel like home.
Given the difficulty of highlighting the old while embracing the new, interior designer Diane Rath, chief designer and owner of The Rath Projecttook over a classic 1920s colonial that was recently purchased by young homeowners. After moving from New York City to Connecticut with their toddler, this growing family of three felt their home needed the new life and energy they exuded.
Working with her clients, Rath sought the perfect color palette and furnishings that reflected their youthful energy and style. The biggest challenge? Reviving a home that still had life. “We didn’t want to take away from any of the original character,” says Rath. “Instead, we wanted to highlight it.”
Study & Office
Using the patterned rug and antique art she sourced, Rath gave the living room a touch of the couple’s youthful personality without taking away the space’s colonial feel. “We still pay homage to the past and the age of the house, but they are this new generation,” says Rath. The art she and the homeowners chose embodies this new life.
Since the study is adjacent to a narrow office space, Rath coordinated the carpets in both rooms. “The splash of color in the middle of the room makes it appear longer and larger than it actually is,” explains Rath.
Kitchen
After redesigning the space to improve functionality, Rath helped the couple refresh their kitchen, again taking inspiration from what was already there.
“We remodeled the space a little bit, but took the green from the original countertops and used it throughout. We decided to highlight the color with the green pendant light and the Cole & Son wallpaper. So the marble was the starting point for all the other green accents we added,” says Rath.
Living area
Having decided that this room would be the gathering place for everyone—including their friends, children, and their friends—the homeowners wanted it to be elegant and colorful, and they had a specific shade of blue in mind: New York State of Mind by Benjamin Moore. With her clients’ wishes in mind, Rath worked with the color and painted the bookcase in two different finishes: she chose glossy colors for the shelves themselves and matte colors for the drywall above the fireplace.
In the corner of the room was a round table that the previous owners still had. “We had it repainted and brought it back to life. We found a few vintage chairs in a nearby second-hand shop and had them reupholstered with a really cool checked fabric,” says Rath.
dining room
Then Rath turned to the dining room. “If you look closely, you can see tiny martini glasses on this wallpaper, and I fell in love with it. It looked old, it had this Art Deco feel,” says Rath. “It looked so elegant, but also whimsical at the same time.”
Although it’s one of the more formal, traditional rooms in the house, the dining room still exudes elements of young, fresh energy – not just in the choice of wallpaper, but also in the seating. Looking closer, the back of the chairs is upholstered in a unique jungle pattern velvet, breathing new life into the otherwise antique furniture pieces.
Master bedroom
The master bedroom is less feminine than some of the other rooms and was designed with a blue bed, walnut end tables and black accents. “We always had a blue velvet bed in mind. It looks good but is luxurious,” says Rath.
Girls bedroom
Using intricately carved wood she found at a local antique shop, Rath built a princess bed for the couple’s first daughter. She added enchanting wallpaper to the other corner of the room.
“It was one of the first things I chose for the design of the project. Before all the other main rooms, I found this wallpaper. It is a Schumacher paper and it felt so fun and playful. And they immediately said yes. So that paper was the starting point for all the other little elements that came together in this space,” says Rath.
Gender neutral bedroom
With a baby on the way, Rath’s clients wanted a more gender-neutral space where they could comfortably expand their family. Using pop art and colorful carpeting, Rath sought to create a playful yet functional bedroom that included both a crib for the couple’s future child and a daybed for an accompanying adult.
Laura Millar (she/her) is the deputy editor for Good housekeepingwhere she writes about home design. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC’s TODAY.com, where she covered everything from entertainment news to product reviews to pop culture news.
