Designer Brian Paquette remembers the exact moment a young couple in Southern California rang him about a potential project. Seattle, where he’s based, had just shut down for a snowstorm. “So I went down to Manhattan Beach and was very happy to get some sun,” he jokes. The pair had purchased a 3,500-square-foot four-bedroom spec home a few blocks from the beach for their growing family. “Like most spec homes, it just lacked any personality,” Paquette says. So he set about making the home reflect the clients.
The husband and wife were fans of Nordic design, which, to Paquette, meant minimalism—all white and oak. “But they started making all these references to colors like chalkboard green, pale pink, salmon, goldenrod, and pastel purple,” he says, causing him to rethink his approach. That chalkboard hue became the launchpad for the entire project. Paquette found its perfect representation in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke, a color he returned to frequently, using it on the lower cabinets in the kitchen, the recessed ceiling in the dining room, and cabinet doors in the den. He brought in other colors to add a quiet cheerfulness to the home, including some shades that surprised him. “Purple is one of my least favorites; I never use it,” Paquette says. And yet, one of his favorite spots in the house is the breakfast nook, where he upholstered a banquette in a violet Perennials fabric. It’s paired with an oak-paneled accent wall for a beachy touch that gives a sense of place. “I just love how that space turned out,” the designer says.
Another cherished spot is the primary bedroom, which he considers “the definition of a nap.” In this soothing sanctuary, a grasscloth wallcovering, a pink rug, and an oak-clad vaulted ceiling exude warmth in the golden afternoon light. When he brought the homeowners in for the first tour, Paquette asked where they’d like to start, and the wife picked the primary bedroom. “I took this picture of her in the corner, and she has this glowing look on her face,” he recalls. “The room just feels really good.”
Living Room
Even in this formal room, “I wanted people to feel they could sink into” the furniture, says the designer. The modern fireplace is soapstone clad in oak. Roman shade: McLaurin & Piercy. Coffee table: Josh Greene Design. Rug: Kush Rugs. Chairs: Lawson-Fenning in Mark Alexander fabric.
Den
Pictured above.
The designer made this sunken space next to the dining area “more saturated, but in the same color family.” Sofa: Lawson-Fenning in Romo fabric. Ottoman: Nickey Kehoe in Nobilis fabric. Rug: Armadillo.
Kitchen
Paquette brought the home’s signature green paint to the lower cabinets in this white kitchen; the Design Within Reach barstools just happened to be the perfect accidental match. Pendants: Allied Maker.
Breakfast Nook
This light-filled space off the kitchen features a custom table from Paquette’s line for Lawson-Fenning. Pendant: Workstead. Roman shades: Zak+Fox.
Dining Area
The green tray ceiling “provides carry-through” to the other rooms, Brian Paquette says. Wall paint: Alabaster, Benjamin Moore. Pendant: Visual Comfort & Co. Curtains: McLaurin & Piercy. Table: O&G Studio. Chairs: Stahl + Band in Perennials fabric.
Primary Bedroom
Grasscloth on the walls “immediately elevates” a spec home, Paquette says. Wallcovering: Thibaut. Bed: Lawson-Fenning in Zak+Fox fabric. Window treatments: Pindler. Side table: Disc Interiors.
