As design aficionados who also love discovering tools and services that make life easier, we're long-time fans of Havenly, an online interior decorating service that matches clients with a designer and lets them buy what they love directly through the platform. In other words, it turns a potentially overwhelming and stressful process into a fun project. So as you might imagine, the COO of Havenly, Jessie Dixon, has an incredibly stylish yet livable home herself. In fact, she hasn't even been in the home for a year, so "when people come over they cannot believe how pulled together it is," Dixon tells us.
But as with any major design overhaul, it wasn't without its challenges, "I think the biggest challenge was finding pieces that we loved from an aesthetic point of view but that worked for the family. And the budget was certainly a consideration—we had a lot of space to fill," she says. That's where Havenly's VP of Creative and Design, Shelby Girard, really came in to offer her keen eye and design expertise. So to see how it all came together, take a tour of this gorgeous contemporary family home in Denver.
A Warm Welcome
Since the foyer is the first thing you see, it's important to set the right tone. They wanted to create a beautiful, open space that also feels grounded and not overly precious, so they decided to keep "the entry fairly simple," Girard tells us. This also works well because "the architecture in the entry really steals the show." As far as functional pieces for the entry, they "used a bench Jessie previously owned and introduced a round marble entry table from Crate and Barrel for a place to set keys and sunglasses." We love that they opted for a bench with open space for shoe storage, too.
A Cozy Sitting Area
Aside from the foyer, "The formal living room is the first thing you see when entering Jessie's home and is a place that is less heavily used by her kids, but where she can entertain guests," Girard explains. And since it's "the most formal of the rooms, we used some lighter fabrics and a glass coffee table, which would be less practical in a space used by her kids." The design process in this room revolves around their staple piece: the sofa. "We started with Jessie's existing sofa, as well as an existing Serena & Lily rug and artwork she had in her previous home."
To complement those preexisting items, "We added racing stripe chairs that bring a really unique silhouette to the space, as well as the glass and brass coffee table, and filled out the space with neutral-toned pillows and décor," says Girard. And while she didn't necessarily start with them, "The accent chairs throughout the home are some of my favorite finds for the project. For example, the black striped armchair… It's classic and comfortable, and the striped fabric was the perfect simple pattern to complement the room," she adds.
Living Room Décor
The formal living room actually ended up being Dixon's favorite because of how open and airy it is—it opens up right into the kitchen area. "You can spend time together while making dinner or entertaining, and it feels really comfortable," Dixon tells us. And while it definitely feels sophisticated and easy on the eyes, everything was curated because it also added some value. For example, they also "included a console table with ottomans beneath for additional seating while entertaining," Girard explains.
And even this little section of the family room speaks to the overall feel of the home, which Girard describes as having "a coastal (almost Hamptons-esque) vibe." This really shines through in the color scheme. "We went with a lot of neutral colors in the space to accentuate the natural elements. We probably have more whites and light colors than most homes with two young kids, but I just love how light and airy light colors can make a space, so I went for it anyway," she explains.
At the Family Table
"We started from scratch in the dining room as Jessie's previous dining furniture was too small for the space," which allowed them to really honor the architectural bones of the home. "We wanted to bring in some natural elements to complement the finishes of the home, so we opted for a large wood table and rattan dining chairs." To dress things up a bit, they opted for a timeless chandelier that really "elevates the room, along with the Loom Decor curtains that include a simple contrasting color band around the edges." And then, they "styled the built-in shelves with a mix of cookbooks, bowls, mugs, miscellaneous kitchen" items, and décor pieces, Girard explains.
A Moody Study
"The library was a fun project because the home came with the high-gloss navy paint on the walls and the beautiful built-ins," which allowed them to experiment more with the color scheme. Even though it offered an opportunity to experiment more, the library still feels cohesive, thanks to the bright white elements, artwork, and traditional furniture. We love how the cognac leather coffee table grounds the space, too. "Jessie wanted this space to be a secondary living/reading room and include a desk for her kids do to their homework as well." The rich, deep blue colors definitely lend themselves to a more serious environment conducive to studying.
As with the rest of the home, the main goal in the family room was "to strike that balance between eloquent and livable," Dixon tells us. Right before they moved, they had actually just redone the family room in their prior house, "so there was a new ivory sofa, a leather ottoman, a large piece of black-and-white art, and a lovely gray-and-white rug."
It's definitely the heart of the home, Girard says. "Right off of the kitchen, Jessie and her family can lounge after work and school, read, and play" in here. "Since this space is frequently used by her kids, we opted for a large, charcoal-colored ottoman in place of a coffee table and maximized the seating with a sofa, love seat, and armchair," she tells us.
And it's really all about contrast. "For a more casual feel in this room, we leaned two pieces of layered artwork from Artfully Walls on the fireplace mantel and incorporated lots of cozy textiles," she says. "The black lacquer console is another favorite piece and adds a bit of drama to the space, which is offset by the bone in-lay mirror above it (also from Serena & Lily). The barstools are a whitewashed wood finish from Anthropologie and complement the coastal feel of the home's architecture."
A Bright Primary Bedroom
"We tend to gravitate to more transitional elements that have a timeless quality, but I also love the natural elements in coastal design. Since the house had such beautiful floors and natural beams, it really felt like monochromatic and timeless was the right direction to take," Dixon tells us. We love how the more casual, coast-inspired elements in this primary bedroom are balanced out by the sophisticated bedding and luxe deep green bed frame.
Primary Bedroom
The term “Primary Bedroom” is now widely used to describe the largest bedroom in the home, as it better reflects the space’s purpose. Many realtors, architects, interior designers, and the Real Estate Standards Association have recognized the potentially discriminatory connotations in the term “Master.” Read more about our Diversity and Inclusion Pledge.