Take a Peek Inside the Stunning Home Makeover That Didn't Require a Single Renovation Project
Behold, the art of an instant gratification “renovation,” in which a design-loving executive puts her personal, inviting spin on a 1950s home—all without knocking down a single wall.
Debbie Propst brings her work home every day. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. As president of One Kings Lane, an online home furnishings retailer, she believes it’s impractical to think work and life shouldn’t, or won’t, overlap. “I know our team members are thinking about creative briefs in the shower,” says Debbie, who recently blurred the lines between the two worlds in an unprecedented, somewhat dramatic fashion: by offering up her New Canaan, Connecticut, home as a company showhouse.
“I wanted to engage with our customers, vendors, and partners in a way that felt personal—to showcase what the company means to me and how I live with our products.” So in spring of 2017, Debbie, alongside husband Michael and kids Charlotte and Henry, opened her doors to design-curious visitors for a month and, in December, for a holiday house tour that drew a whopping 1,200 visitors during a two-day period.
While many people shy away from hosting family and friends until their home feels “complete,” Debbie, who has lived in eight houses, from a classic cottage in England to a “modern concrete box” in Barcelona to a 1930s Tudor in Ohio, and “a bunch of apartments mixed in between,” is undaunted by change—or by company. Her unconventional open-door policy, combined with her artful approach to layering, makes the home a true lesson in housewarming.
Exterior
Designed by famed American architect Royal Barry Wills, the home was transformed from a ranch house into a farmhouse by its previous owners. The topiaries, a nod to the One Kings Lane logo, are a classic component of New England landscaping.
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Topiaries: Boxwood Topiary In Pot for a similar look
Entry
To allow the surrounding Connecticut countryside to take center stage, homeowner Debbie opted for a creamy neutral wallcovering. A welcoming Dutch door and casual grouping of straw hats set a breezy, laid-back tone.
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Wallcovering: Eleanor Rigby Wallpaper for a similar look
Living Room
Debbie worked with One King's Lane's in-house design service to achieve her casual, collected mix. “You can get a layered, lived-in look without working at it for a lifetime,” says Debbie. A blend of fabrics (velvets, linens), eras (modern armchair, antique dough bowl), and muted colors (blues, browns, corals) reinforces the effortlessly layered approach.
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Armchair: Wide armchair for a similar look
Dough Bowl: Custom Antique dough bowls for a similar look
Kitchen: Before
The dark and heavy kitchen just needed a few coats of fresh paint in addition to some colorful and personal accesories.
Kitchen: After
While it appears to be the most dramatic of the home’s before-and-afters, the kitchen transformation was purely cosmetic—and mostly due to a milky matte paint that allowed the home’s original hand-forged hardware to pop. Robin’s-egg blue barstools and the original beechnut island reinforce the farmhouse aesthetic.
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Barstools: Wayland Fan-Back barstool by O&G Studio
Storied Collections
English silver reminds Debbie of childhood and makes for pretty props for open shelving.
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Teapots: English Silver Teapots
Breakfast Room: Before
This bland, but versatile room was ready for an upgrade.
Breakfast Room: After
“I collect things that remind me of my English childhood,” says Debbie of the dressers flanking the breakfast room's doorway. She offsets her more serious, storied antiques with modern silhouettes, as with the beveled mirrors. Similarly, a sleek pendant casts light above a traditional pedestal table.
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Mirrors: Hexagonal beveled wall mirrors for a similar look
Pendant: Teardrop pendant light for a similar look
Master Bedroom
One of Michael’s decorative demands: swapping the room’s original baby blue hue for something more sophisticated. “I picked the dark blue based on a paint swatch with fears I might regret it,” Debbie says, “but then I read the color was ‘inspired by the dramatic Scottish skies.’” Debbie, who is 100 percent Scottish, felt it was a sign. Natural shades don’t compete with the serene scenery.
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Wall and Ceiling Paint: Inchyra Blue by Farrow & Ball
Master Bathroom
"My approach to color depends on the surroundings," Debbie says. "Now that I’m in a farmhouse nestled in woodlands, I choose muted gray-casted versions of colors as opposed to super-vibrant hues."
Henry's Room
“I love Mongolian rugs with rich colors, so I wanted a wall color that would make the reds and purples pop,” says Debbie, who selected a dark navy for the task at hand. A star light fixture adds playful decorative “pow,” as does an armchair upholstered in a quirky “Champs” fabric.
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Wall Paint Color: Stiffkey Blue by Farrow & Ball
Chair Fabric: Carol & Tusk fabrics for a similar look
Charlotte's Room
Of her approach to kids’ rooms, Debbie insists she’s not a look-to-the-future, convertible furniture sort of decorator. “I create rooms for right now,” she says. Kids’ fleeting tastes give the design-lover an excuse to change things up. Fortunately, a whimsical-yet-understated wallcovering makes it easy to swap in playful, colorful elements.
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Wallcovering: Folklore Wallpaper in Taupe by Hygge & West
Patio
Outfitted with casually hung, porcelain-shaded disc lights, the patio serves up farmhouse staples such as barn lights and Windsor furniture with more buttoned-up boxwood topiaries.
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Barn lights: Outdoor string lights for a similar look
Windsor furniture: Outdoor arm chair for a similar look
Love the look of Debbie's home? Head over to OneKingsLane.com to shop Debbie's modern farmhouse style.
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