Risky Business

A home in the heart of North Carolina pushes— almost beyond—the limits of layered vibrancy.

- Blake Miller

BASEMENT LOUNGE

Charlotte Lucas set a mood here that’s “edgy but fun, and full of color in a different way from the rest of the house.” Wallcovering: Jim Thompson (ceiling). Chairs: EJ Victor, in de Le Cuona fabric. Barstools: vintage, in Moore & Giles leather.

COLOR CAN ACHIEVE DESIGN MAGIC, especially in the hands of Charlotte Lucas, who's able to conjure up a room so rich and detailed, you never see it the same way twice. Adventurous clients-empty nesters who often host their extended family-and their recently renovated blank canvas of a Georgian home, in Raleigh, North Carolina, gave Lucas an opportunity for a grand transformation. She created a scheme that's elevated but also comfortable enough for holidays and large family dinners.

"We wanted the interior design to be dynamic and bold, and we were ready to take risks to get there," the homeowner says. A windowless central room Lucas calls the "jewel box," with walls covered in larger-than-life de Gournay cranes and a shimmery, textural gold ceiling, sets the tone for exactly how bold. Lucas followed it up with a game room drenched in turquoise blue and several spaces in soft pinks, including ceilings and trim.

Below the elegant everyday living quarters is a lounge with shiny black walls and a citron moiré ceiling. It was important to the homeowners for the house to have things their grown kids would enjoy coming back to. "We wanted it not to feel like a basement but to have space for family movies, games, a golf simulator, and entertaining," Lucas says.