Sugar and Spice(2)

For the Davises, two themes dominated: They wanted a cozy house, one that also would allow for easy movement between rooms. “We like to entertain, but we have four daughters and needed a family house, too,” Annette says. 

Wood siding, a cedar-shake roof, and butter-yellow shutters fastened with wrought-iron hardware set the stage of the exterior. “They wanted an American classic house, with a bit of an East Coast feel,” Kasler says.

A front porch furnished with inviting wood rockers was inspired by the family’s frequent summer vacations to a lake home in northern Michigan. Tennessee fieldstone accents the porch foundation, the garage, and other areas of the house, giving the structures a rock-solid, established feel.

“The thought process was to design a house that looked like it had been there a long time—that it was just added on to over the years,” architect Kenneth E. Rich says.

In the family room, shown here, Kasler introduced strong camels and warm red tones. “Annette really loves color,” the designer says. “You can bring a lot of different colors into a home if you start with very neutral backdrops.”
The room, with two comfortable sofas, double ottomans, and a cozy fireplace, is an ideal spot for gathering to watch evening television shows.

Sources:
Sofas: Nancy Corzine, 212/223-8340, trade only.
Pillows on sofa: Ainsworth-Noah, 800/669-3512, trade only.
Ottomans (custom): Suzanne Kasler Interiors, 404/355-1035.
Sunburst mirror: The Stalls, 404/352-4430, thestalls.com.
Floral chair fabric: Bennison, 011 44 207 730 6781, trade only.
Drapery (“Mission Cloth’’/Lettuce #92508-02): Rogers & Goffigon, 203/532-8068, trade only.
Carpet: (“Square Play’’/Wheat) Stark Carpet Corp., 212/752-9000, starkcarpet.com, trade only.