This Designer's Home Is Full of Sophisticated Style

Anyone might feel the itch to move after living in the same home for 20 years, but for designer and mom of five Saudah Saleem, the urge came on especially strong in early 2020. “We’d outgrown our townhouse physically, even with my oldest, Jasirah, getting ready to move out, and I’d outgrown it from a design perspective. I’d done all the projects I could do there,” says Saudah. Looking for a fresh start and a bigger yard, the family moved into a 100-year-old home not far from their old place in Baltimore, Maryland, that had been flipped by a builder. Saudah started personalizing every room, her creativity fueled by new blank spaces to decorate. “When my kids were younger, I leaned into more playful colors and choices. These days, things look a little more sophisticated, but we still have fun!”

Saudah decorated this space with blues and greens, including a performance velvet sofa from Anthropologie, which she chose for its shape. “I like the coziness that the curve creates,” she says. The swivel chairs are from Kirkland’s Home, and the stools are from Burke Decor. They come in handy as extra seating but easily tuck away when the kids aren’t home.

Saudah scored this burlwood table secondhand for just $300 and paired it with acrylic chairs that she has had for years. “Those chairs are my tried-and-true because they are so easy to clean, and I love how you can see the table through them,” she says.

Since the move, the family has started cooking more. “It’s nice to be together in the kitchen without feeling like we’re on top of one another,” says Saudah. She replaced builder-grade lights with new pendants from Pottery Barn and added a gray marble backsplash and gold cabinet pulls. "Changing the backsplash had a huge impact," she says. "I used large floor tiles, so I didn’t need many."