How We Bring Modern Design Into a Traditional Space

We recently completed the design of the main living spaces in our Lake Hartwell lake house project. This home dates to the 1990s, but was built and originally designed to be a manor home. Our primary goal was to preserve certain traditional elements throughout this manor home while updating it for a modern family. When our clients purchased the home, they asked us to help create a space that was relaxing and comfortable for their family of five. While our clients wanted a family-friendly space for everyday life, they also wanted the home to feel like an escape. The main salon room – which was the heart of this project – is large in both size and scale. There are many traditional elements – including a massive fireplace, coffered ceilings, large baseboards and lots of trim work. Our clients did not want to strip the home of its historic soul. At the same time, neither did they wish to create a home that felt unapproachable or museum-like. In the end, our in-house team modernized this Lake Hartwell home to be functional, beautiful and family-friendly – all while honoring its original interior. Here’s how we bring modern design into a traditional space.

Our Solutions to This Lake Hartwell Home’s Design Challenges

Our clients’ Lake Hartwell home presented a number of challenges, but these are the type of design challenges we love to tackle. The team’s first step was to deal with this home’s flooring. The flooring varied throughout the space and the hardwoods – though beautiful in places – were quite damaged. 

We brought in Nydree hardwoods and ran them throughout the entire space. This improved the overall flow of the home, as the flooring is now consistent from the entryway throughout the entire main floor.

Our Design Process for the Living Room

Dark Tones Add Drama While Framing Gorgeous Lake and Foliage Views

The home’s main living spaces also needed to be repainted. Lake house interiors are often light and airy. However, we decided to go in an opposite direction to create a bit of drama and moodiness. We used Polar Bear by Behr on the ceiling. This design choice helped us preserve the grand scale of the space itself, as light colors can create a vaulted effect.

We went dark on the walls using Hematite from the baseboard to the ceiling. We left the original chair rail in place but painted it to match the walls. Our team also went dark on the windows. We painted them a bold dark gray – Cracked Pepper from Behr – and the result is absolutely breathtaking. Opting for a dark color around the windows perfectly frames views of the lake and amazing foliage that surrounds the home.

Modern Furniture Balances Traditional Elements Throughout the Home

To complete the transformation, we procured furniture and art for this space. We chose a baseline of modern furniture, which counterbalances classic elements we chose to preserve. 

In short, this modern furniture serves as a contrast to the traditional lines and elements of the room itself. It helps break up the heavy, museum-like feel the home had before we got involved.

We also crafted a new collection of artwork for our clients – a combination of custom paintings and modern art from Desenio. Decor accessories are a mix of modern and rustic pieces. Pairing rustic and organic elements is a great way to root this house in place – a wooded area on a beautiful lake.