Tour a 100-Year-Old Tudor Full of Color, Personality and Historic Charm

Amy and Thomas Hughes didn’t have to think long about where they’d land when they were ready to leave New York City for a quieter place. Amy, an audit executive, grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and had always imagined raising a family there; Thomas, an attorney originally from Austin, was instantly charmed by the town’s close-knit feel.

The couple enlisted local designer Kristina Phillips to bring the interior to life, weaving Amy’s love of prints and blues into the historic elements of the 1925 home. The end result is exactly what they wanted: It’s rooted in history, layered with personality and perfectly designed for life with two little girls: Eleanor, 3, and Clara, 20 months.

The first house they toured — this 2,577-square-foot Tudor — sealed the deal. The soaring roofline, arched doorway and front-facing brick chimney hint at the charming historic details to be found inside.

The couple wanted to retain Tudor details like exposed beams, wood trim and arched bookcases. Kristina modernized the shelves by adding wallpaper from Lee Jofa. The sectional is covered with performance fabric that matches the wall color (Santorini Blue by Benjamin Moore) but has a fun green welt that gives it personality. The swivel chairs are from Highland House, and the photograph above the sofa is by Slim Aarons. “We liked the laid-back, luxe vibe it evokes,” says Amy.

“Tudor style has a deep connection to nature,” Kristina says, so she wove that throughout the home in fabrics and wall coverings. The leafy wallpaper and floral fabric on the chairbacks are from Schumacher, and the light, which looks like flower petals, is from Hudson Valley Lighting. The mirror belonged to Amy’s grandmother Eleanor, her older daughter’s namesake!

The banquette was original to the house, but Kristina had the seat covered in a John Robshaw fabric to complement the blue walls (Denim Wash by Benjamin Moore). The matching chairs are from Serena and Lily, and the artichoke light (the couple’s favorite!) is from Visual Comfort & Co.

“There’s not a lot of furniture in this room, so I wanted the headboard to be the focal point,” says Amy. Kristina covered it with medallion fabric from Schumacher. The grasscloth wallpaper is from Thibaut, the fabric on the window shade is from GP&J Baker and the fabric on the bench is from Lisa Fine.

“This is my sanctuary,” says Amy, who works from home a couple of days a week in this top-floor enclave. It was dark and depressing before, she says, but Kristina helped her reimagine it with botanical wallpaper from Schumacher on the walls and ceiling. “I always get comments on my background!” Amy says. The trim is painted Orleans Violet by Benjamin Moore for even more color. "We painted the trim in the rooms upstairs to make it feel fresh and a bit more modern," she says. The acrylic desk is from Chelsea House; the light fixture is from Visual Comfort & Co.