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When interior designer Katalin Farnady’s clients requested an all-white decor, she looked at it not as a challenge but as an opportunity—to redefine white. By commissioning art and using different textures, subtle shade variations, and accessories for drama, Farnady was able to reveal the complexities of this ubiquitous color and showcase it in a whole new way.
The client had admired and followed Farnady’s work for years; she even told Farnady that when she built her dream home, she would hire her. The client made good on her promise. When she and her husband, a Naval Academy graduate, moved to Hudson, Ohio, and built their dream lake house, they asked her to design the entire home. Farnady couldn’t say no. And the distance posed no obstacle. With a few trips and many phone calls and video chats, the home came together as seamlessly as the serene white-on-white interior.
They wanted an open floor plan and an elegant, easy-lifestyle décor in their five-bedroom, six-bath home. To provide the look they envisioned, Farnady drew on private and national sources as well as new venues to acquire approximately 100 new items over a period of almost two years. These included everything from the lighting and stone surfaces to flooring and furnishings. Farnady hired Annapolis artist Cathy Newman to compose original paintings, providing a fresh interpretation of the design vision. This art and a mixture of materials—metals, wood, upholstery, trim, fur throws— brought the home the warmth and flair it needed, yet stayed within the homeowners’ comfort zone.
The secret to keeping an all-white neutral interior interesting, notes Farnady, is paying close attention to details, both architecturally and decoratively. After complementing wainscoting on the walls, millwork, and custom wood flooring with dramatic artwork, lighting, textures, and different hues, the result was a sophisticated, layered palette that was both warm and inviting.
“Designing is layering: you start with a base and then layer to create a whole,” explains Farnady, who adds that working with all white is something that comes naturally to her. “So even though the house is done in all shades of white, you still need dimension so your eyes can travel from one place to another. You have to create the balance.”
The balance in this residence comes from a mindful mix of rare items and casual accessories in different shapes, sizes, and textures and a selection of stains and light finishes. Over the dining room table, Farnady used oversized expressive chandeliers to define the space. In the kitchen, on a different axis, two custom fixtures illuminate the kitchen island. For the kitchen, “The cabinetry is white but has a custom-brushed glazed finish to provide dimension,” she says. In the living area, white creates a solid base, while the addition of natural wood, metal, and fibers lend complexity. Newman’s gestural Day and Night paintings flank the fireplace. “Black and white shades in the painting on the left and warm tones in the painting on the right keep the eye moving,” explains Farnady. A wood table with a custom finish, oversized sofas, and an engaging trio of side tables ensure variety in shapes and sizes.
The exception to the white interior and open floor plan is the piano room. Farnady chose taupe for a subtle, serene ambiance. Adding ingenuity, she chose art from the to-the-trade venue, Phillips Collection. Above the couch, rows of faces gaze off into space, each with a different expression. Another departure from white is the lower level, where Farnady used grey tones throughout. White area rugs and accessories create drama and consistency.
Farnady’s project reveals that when manipulated artistically, white is both mesmerizing and versatile: it can be powerful or subtle, create stillness or movement. All came together in a home that, upon completion in December 2018, the clients loved. “They feel like I gave them their vision of a dream home, but I feel like they gave a gift to me—they gave me their trust,” says Farnady. Indeed, gifts flowed both ways. The couple gave Farnady something precious: the opportunity to design the special home they had dreamed about for years. In return, she gave them something equally precious: a one-of-a-kind home.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Farnady Interiors, farnadyinteriors.com, Annapolis, Maryland | HARDWARE: Walterworks Hardware, walterworkshardware.com, Annapolis, Maryland, | LIGHTING: Niermann Weeks, niermannweeks.com, Millersville, Maryland; Visual Comfort & Co., visualcomfort.com, Houston, Texas | BASEMENT AND LAUNDRY WALLPAPER: Thibaut, thibautdesign.com; Schumacher, fschumacher.com | ARTWORK: Cathy Newman, 410.507.1308, Annapolis, Maryland | PIANO ROOM ART: Phillips’ Collection, phillipscollection.com | STONE: In Home Stone, inhomestone.com, Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 10, No. 6 2019