A Colorful, Cool and Comfy Pennsylvania Home

Before the redo, Robin Midian and Anthony Lupetin’s home in Gibsonia, PA, could have been described as “doctor’s office waiting room.” Which is ironic, because Robin and Anthony are both doctors who spend most of their days in clinical surroundings. But with super-busy schedules and 10-year-old Lukas to care for, redecorating was low on the couple’s priority list.

Then finally, two and a half years ago, they decided they’d had enough personality-free brown and beige furniture. “I wanted a house with a wow factor,” says Robin. They found their style soul mate in nearby Pittsburgh designer Alisha Gwen and gave her the green light to go all out. Alisha responded with bold splashes of primary colors, sleek modern pieces, and lots of cushy places to relax after a long day at work…just what the doctors ordered!

The triptych artwork inspired the dining room’s poppy palette, including a red lacquer finish on the tabletop and chairs upholstered in hot-hued velvet by Kravet.

“We’re huge sports fans, and the TV is always on with some kind of event,” says Robin, who wanted plenty of seating for friends, family and fans. So Alisha ordered up two sofas: a roomy gray sectional from Century Furniture that seats five, and a yellow chesterfield-style one from Wesley Hall. The acrylic and glass coffee table from Interlude Home is see-through, so it doesn’t obscure too much of the mustard cowhide rug. It’s pure coincidence that the logos of all three Pittsburgh pro teams feature similar yellows, says Robin, “but Anthony was thrilled!”

The family eats most meals in this favorite spot, and at night sometimes Robin works here, so it was a must that the seats feel stay-a-while cushy. Alisha picked metal-frame counter stools from Century Furniture and upholstered them in graphic Sunbrella fabric. “Anthony really, really liked the chair pattern; I still have mixed feelings,” says Robin. “But marriage — like a reno — means compromise.” The 36-inch-tall café table is from Johnston Casuals, and the curtains, installed high above the sliding door and windows, are made with Kravet fabric.

This pass-through bar area between the kitchen and the dining room features traditional cherrywood cabinets painted bright red, inside and out. For the backsplash, Alisha installed gray-and-white chevron tile by Jerusalem Heights — a snazzy touch that doesn’t compete with the juicy cabinet color.

Robin wanted a serene scene in the kitchen, with just a bit of pop. Rather than embark on a huge overhaul, she got a fresh look with cosmetic upgrades: The cream cabinets were painted bright white (White Dove by Benjamin Moore) to match the already-there white appliances; the brown-and-gold marble countertops got replaced with polished white stone from Viatera; and the backsplash was updated with the same chevron tiles as in the pantry. Robin particularly loves the nook above the oven, a once-useless space transformed by glass shelves. The high-back crushed-velvet barstools are from Wesley Hall, and the polished-nickel and acrylic pendants — a modern take on lanterns — are from Hudson Valley.

“I was in love the minute Alisha showed me this watercolor fabric, which we used to make the euro shams,” says Robin of the linen print by Mark Alexander. “We decided to build the room’s color scheme around it.” So they chose a glass Regina Andrew chandelier in shades of blue, a seafoam velvet tufted bed from Vanguard Furniture and aqua zebra-print fabric from Zimmer + Rohde for the curtains. “The room feels like a treat,” says Robin. “For Lukas, too — he regularly falls asleep here.”