The lacquered, Marsala-colored walls and the table s burl-wood finish in the dining room create an intimate, warm atmosphere, contrasted by the lively, colorful pattern on the fabric of the Louis XVI-style chairs. Chair fabric and window treatment fabrics: Kravet/Lee Jofa/Brunschwig & Fils, Suite 105 Table: RJ Thomas, Ltd., Suites 77, 80, 82 & 90 Sideboard: Baker Furniture, Suite 60 Artwork: de Grimme Gallery, Suite 72 All lighting: Robert Allen, Suite 28 24
Theme &Variations By George Bulanda Photos by Brad Ziegler In music, a simple motif can provide the building block for an entire symphony. In that regard, interior design is a lot like a musical composition. Like variations on a theme, patterns, colors, or textures can be repeated, serving to tie the whole project together. A flame-stitch fabric was the motif that acted as a springboard for Birminghambased designer Corey Damen Jenkins. When it was added to a pair of Louis XVstyle chairs in a Novi home s great room, it set the redesign in motion. That fabric was the touchstone for the entire project, Jenkins says. It was picked up in the artwork, pillows, even the chevron backsplash in the kitchen. Jenkins also used the vibrant jewel tones in the pattern as inspiration for other furniture and accessories in the lightfilled great room of the 2007 home, where Sabrina Livermore, her doctorhusband Jake, and their three young children live. Before the project began, Sabrina chose the fabric herself and asked Jenkins for his opinion. The jewel tones and pattern in the flamestitch fabric on a pair of Louis XV-style chairs in the great room served as the springboard for the entire project. Fabric: Rozmallin, Suite 60 michigandesign.com 25
I told her I thought it was amazing, Jenkins recalls. But I added that it would mean preparing to fully embrace its colors. So, I said, How do you feel about doing teal walls the color of the deep blue sea or a fuchsia sofa? Sabrina was enthusiastically agreeable. When Corey wanted to use that flame stitch and the colors as a theme, we bonded, she explains. We both loved the vibe it created. Sabrina had grown weary of the home s neutral color scheme and was eager for an adventurous change. When we moved in, the house was mostly taupe and beige, and I was so sick of it, she says. I wanted some vibrant colors. She got them. Like designers Miles Redd and David Hicks, Jenkins champions a lively color palette. In addition to the fuchsia sofa in the great room, he added an egg-yolk yellow ottoman with a teal Greek-key motif encircling it, as well as a framed wallpaper mural in fuchsia, teal, and yellow above the mantel. The animated colors reflect Sabrina s personality, Jenkins says. Sabrina is very extroverted and energetic, he says. She s also glamorous and very well-versed in textiles and fabrics; she knows and understands quality. But the vivid hues aren t everywhere in the house. The dining room s lacquered walls, for instance, are painted in a warm shade of Marsala. Jenkins also changed the pattern on the walls for a more unified look. Before, there was wainscoting with picture-frame molding below, he says. I added picture-frame molding above 26 Corey Damen Jenkins, of Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates, employed a decidedly bold color palette in the light-filled great room, with vivid hues of fuchsia, teal, and sunflower yellow. Wallpaper over fireplace: Kravet/Lee Jofa/Brunschwig & Fils, Suite 105 Flame-stitch fabric on chair: Rozmallin, Suite 60 Chevron fabric: Schumacher, Suite 110 Other fabric: Kravet/Lee Jofa/Brunschwig & Fils, Suite 105 End table: de Grimme Gallery, Suite 72 Paint: Benjamin Moore
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to match the boxes below to create a paneled effect. New sconces and a faux bois chandelier with gilded branches added atmosphere. It s my favorite room, Sabrina acknowledges. I ve always wanted a romantic dining room, someplace where I could have intimate, cozy dinner parties, and I think Corey achieved that with the lacquered walls. The room is formal and intimate at the same time. The master bedroom, the most recently completed room, is an oasis of tranquility for the parents. It s calming, in navy, cream, and gold, whereas the rest of the house is lively and bright, Sabrina says. After we get the kids to bed, Jake and I immediately retreat to the bedroom. Jenkins says the kitchen didn t need a major overhaul. The cabinets and countertops were retained, but there were some updates. New light fixtures were installed, the island was painted, and a chevronpatterned backsplash replaced an earlier version. There was subway tile before, but it was dated, Jenkins says. It was also white, like the cabinetry. I felt that if we were going to do color everywhere else, this big splotch of white didn t work. The chevron also mimicked the flame-stitch pattern that triggered the project. The ceiling inset over the kitchen s island was wallpapered in a geometric motif that was used again as the backdrop in the great room s built-in bookcase. I m really big on repeating things and tying things together, Jenkins admits. The kitchen opens up to a spacious and sunny breakfast nook, which receives 28 The master bedroom, the last room to be completed, is an oasis for the parents after they get the kids to bed. Its palette is calming, in shades of navy, cream, and gold. Upholstered bed, valance fabric, and bedding fabric: Kravet/Lee Jofa/Brunschwig & Fils, Suite 105 Paint: Benjamin Moore
The kitchen s cabinetry and countertops were retained, but the chevron backsplash (which echoes the pattern of the flame-stitch fabric in the great room) was added, as was the ceiling wallpaper, new lighting over the island, and a fresh coat of paint to the island and walls. Wallcovering: Kravet/Lee Jofa/Brunschwig & Fils, Suite 105 Paint: Benjamin Moore michigandesign.com 29
ample light via the skylights. Turquoise fabric on the chairs gives the room a jolt of color, and an unusual chandelier draws the eye up. The boldest change in that room was the chandelier, because it has little seashells and crystals, Jenkins says. 30 face on them. There s a pair of antique chairs in the great room, but I recovered them with new ikat fabric, he says. When the project was completed and Jenkins took Sabrina on a walk-through, she broke down in tears of joy. It s a traditional Empire chandelier, but the seashells give it kind of a hip edge, he notes. I like traditional things, but with a modern flair. Nothing could have prepared me for the transformation, she recalls. It was exactly what I wanted. In that spirit, Jenkins added some antiques to the décor, but he put a new As for Jake, he s happy as long as his wife is. He worships the ground Sabrina walks on, Jenkins explains. His main concern is her happiness. And Jenkins couldn t be happier that they re happy. The kitchen opens up to a breakfast nook that s flooded with sunshine via skylights. In the evening, the Empire-style chandelier with seashells and crystals casts a shimmering glow. Chandelier: Robert Allen, Suite 28 Window panel fabric: Duralee, Suite 38 Side chairs: RJ Thomas, Ltd., Suites 77, 80, 82 & 90 Fabric on all seating: Kravet/Lee Jofa/ Brunschwig & Fils, Suite 105