Relocating to a new city can be a challenge no matter what. For a couple with three children moving to Pittsburgh, the timeline was compressed. The family was introduced to interior designer Colleen Simonds through a mutual friend. They contacted her about renovating and decorating their new home. The closing ended up being near the end of May, and they wanted to move in in August, in time for the school year. But there was much to be tackled, as with any new home. In the end, the project was ready closer to the beginning of October—still impressively fast.
Relocate and Redecorate with Colleen Simonds in Pittsburgh
The new home was somewhat lacking in color, the new house painted mostly a drab, dull gray. “We have so many gray days here, you just don’t need that inside on your walls, too,” says Simonds. To help brighten things up, Simonds painted the main circulation area Benjamin Moore Simply White. She introduced more color and texture into spaces from that. While the couple wanted it to be stylish, they didn’t want something overly fussy.
Over the entryway, Simonds had the ceiling lacquered glossy white, which gives the space dimension and makes it feel even brighter. Simonds chose a vintage amber Murano glass chandelier, which has a strong presence. The fixture fills the space but reads warm instead of glitzy.
The couple was also moving from a larger home and wanted to incorporate as much of their furniture as possible. This was something akin to solving a puzzle. “Their original house had far different scale and proportions,” she says, but she managed to fit in even some of the largest pieces.
In the living room, large eggplant-colored sofas by Hickory Chair upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric help anchor the room. The couple’s Dorothy painting by Ashley Longshore likewise brings sophistication but also some personality. “A living room can get a really stuffy and uptight feeling if you don’t relax it in some way. And that art with all the color felt so fun.”
There is also an even less formal family room, directly off the kitchen, which is more of a hang-out space for the kids. The kitchen area is so large that it could accommodate the couples very large dining table.
A Seamless Transition
In addition to common spaces, he has an office with built-in cabinets painted Benjamin Moore Luminous Days 300, a reference to his job working for the Steelers, whose colors are black and gold. “It was like a discreet space where we could do something that was a little stronger and, it felt fun, masculine enough, and cozy.”
Her space, where she plays Mahjong, was painted with Farrow and Ball Setting Plaster, giving it a feminine but not girly feel. It was also pretty much the only place their very long (about 14’) sofa could fit. The area rug is from Temple Studio in New York, the game tables from Highland House Furniture.
To create a serene space in the primary bedroom, Simonds painted the walls a moody gray, Peignoir by Farrow and Ball. She incorporated additional color with bedding, the window treatments, and lamps by Christopher Spitzmiller.
He comes from a very large family, and the couple entertains a lot. It’s a “come over after the football game and hang out and have food” kind of vibe. They also host large holiday gatherings. Ultimately, the house suits them and the way they live. “They’ve got three young kids. She’s a super outgoing person,” said Simonds; “I didn’t feel like they were the kind of people that wanted a super serious house.”
To see more of Colleen Simond’s work, read about her Jersey farmhouse renovation by Stephen Treffinger.
Story by Stephen Treffinger
Interior Design by Colleen Simonds
Styling by Helen Crowther
Photography by Emily Gilbert
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