Tour a Colorful New Jersey Home With Historic Charm

When Josh Breckman and Sara Paddock first stepped into this 3,850-square-foot Colonial in Maplewood, New Jersey, Sara almost stepped right back out. “The entryway was so brown and dreary, I didn’t want to go further,” she says. The house, built in 1927, had dark wood accents in every room, drab paint on the walls and an awkward flow. Josh, a software engineer, convinced Sara, who works with adults with special needs, that they could turn it into a bright, happy home to share with their 10-year-old son, Miles. Designer Sarah Storms helped the couple transform the interior, painting the wood trim (there are 12 different colors in the house now) and filling each space with funky patterns and tons of personality. “Eventually those old-home details became the things we love most,” says Josh. “We have a century-old built-in yellow phone booth in our hallway — how fun is that?”

Unlike the dated interior, the outside of the house was already charming with brick, white siding and a tree-covered yard. The robin's-egg blue door (Bathe Blue by Sherwin-Williams) adds a pop of personality.

With wood stain on the floor, molding and door, the unique arches and trim blended into a sea of brown.

“We wanted it to be immediately apparent that this is a happy house,” says Josh. White walls and a sunny yellow front door did the trick. For the arches, Sarah chose a darker stain. “The thought was, ‘Let’s really make these arches sing,’” she says. A rainbow Missoni rug from Stark matches the stair runner.

This space had lots of potential with built-ins, cafe shutters and funky wood floors.

“There’s so much going on,” says Sara, “but it’s my favorite place to be.” The Scalamandré botanical wallpaper was the first bold choice, then the designer layered in pop art and pillows. An oversize Jaipur Living rug grounds the space and ties in the blue trim.

Lots of wood trim and beige walls made the stained glass windows look dated instead of charming.

“The stained glass was the muse for the whole room,” says Sarah, who chose a Visual Comfort & Co. chandelier to match the black and gold in the windows. She had the Ambella Home Collection cabinet painted Tea Room by Benjamin Moore, then added the multicolor rug from Stark and chenille chairs from Arteriors.

The existing cabinets and backsplash were in good shape, so the couple just made small updates. They replaced the chrome hardware with brass to match the knobs on the Café range, and they added a little color with a strip of Buffett Green by Benjamin Moore.

This is the perfect little spot for breakfast, but the existing banquette seating looked less than cozy.

“Getting rid of the heavy banquette made this space much prettier — and more usable,” says the designer, who swapped in walnut and rattan chairs and a marble-top table from Nuevo. The Safavieh pendant came with the house and was originally in the dining room. “It was too small there but brought the perfect bit of color and texture here.”

Blue paint on the lower part of the walls didn't highlight the cool coffered ceiling in this space.

Josh works from home, and this is his break room. “It’s nice to be able to wander in here between meetings and goof off on the piano,” he says. The 1920s player piano was a Facebook find, and Sarah had it painted in a red lacquer. The high-gloss black trim and French doors help frame the painted ceiling and Pierre Frey wallpaper.

“I wanted a space where I could easily wind down reading a book — or, let’s be honest, scrolling Instagram,” says Sara. Soft fabrics and peaceful pink walls set the scene. The bouclé chair is from Article and the peacock bedside lamp is from Anthropologie.