Memories Made Modern

Family heirlooms, bright colors and sumptuous textiles transform a home from basic build to bespoke beauty

- AUTUMN KRAUSE

The past gets a colorful present in this vibrant renovation filled with family heirlooms, thanks to Susan Sutter, principal/owner of Susan Sutter Interiors. The Arlington, Virginia, home is a Craftsman-style standard build, but Susan gave the interiors a classically updated refresh with bright colors, lush fabrics and family heirlooms.

"My clients had just moved into this residence and wanted to blend their inherited pieces with some modern looks for the main floor," Susan says. "They also wanted to transform the kitchen and primary suite to better match their style." She wove the cherished heirlooms into the rooms and gave them new life while also imbuing the basic build with custom, colorful details, filling it with character and warmth-all while navigating the setbacks and restrictions of the post-pandemic landscape.

COLOR CONNECTION. To unite the adjacent kitchen and island color with the family room, Susan had the back of the built-in shelves painted green. "It creates great flow and helps meld the two spaces together," she says. The paint color is the same as what was used on the island (Sherwin-Williams' Inverness).

Seeing a pattern

Pattern mixing can feel like a hefty design challenge, but Susan has some foolproof tips that will elevate your style game and have you combining patterns like a pro.

• BALANCING ACT. Use one larger pattern and then a smaller complementary pattern to balance for pairs of pillows. For example, a large floral with a smaller-scale check or dot pattern. "Then, unite each pillow with a welt that ties the colors together," Susan suggests.

• WALLPAPER FOR MODERN TIMES. This is not your grandmother's wallpaper, as you can see by the selections in this home. A variety of wallpapers are an easy way to incorporate and mix patterns.