Putting a Fresh Face on Heirlooms Is All About Context
Jennifer Walter of Baltimore’s Folding Chair Design Co. is well acquainted with historic row houses in and around the city. As it happens, her own firm was born in one a dozen years ago. Commissioned to reimagine one for her client, she knew just what to do.
“The rowhomes, as we call them here in Baltimore, are small, two- to three-story stone or brick homes built anywhere from the ‘30s to the ‘50s. They are made to last, [their] walls are plaster, and each has its own bit of charm,” Jennifer explains. After 25 years, her client was ready for a full decor update — but she wanted that update to honor her rooms’ existing architecture and integrate additions. “She loves feminine details, loves pink and loves all the heirlooms her parents and family have left her over the years,” Jennifer adds. Her role as designer, then, was to recontextualize those oldies-but-goodies in a way that felt new. So, how does a transformation like that come together?
“With her love of pink and blue, we started the journey there of course. Rather than take on a more traditional palette with navy, we decided to add amber and lighter blues into the mix throughout the spaces,” Jennifer says. “Knowing we were painting her island and new kitchen built-ins blue, we selected the Rowe Furniture sofa in a rich velvet, first to give her a nice jolt of color in her living room — which, in these row homes, is often seen from the exterior and, of course, is entered into upon breaking the threshold from the exterior.”
