Without wanting to compromise on the design direction, a lot of planning time went into ensuring the house delivered on achieving next level design details whilst remaining a functional and liveable space for a young family, which has frequent children parties and playdates to contend with. We designed the house to be, for the most part, a peaceful haven for us to relax with family and friends in. One of the big requirements was we wanted to create a living room space that allowed us to look out towards a garden brimming with plants to provide year-round interest – this is where Irene had a lot of fun with the design. The traditional ‘front room’ was disposed of and in its place we installed a hard-working kitchen that faces the road, which allowed us to have a larger living room at the back looking towards the garden.
A beautiful home for a family to enjoy with lots of joyful colours, patterns and architectural details that really make this home thoughtful and special. Designed by Irene Gunter and Ian Hazard of Gunter & Co. Photos: Mary Wadsworth.

Brittney Bromley is a bit of a maximalist when it comes to her designs, but it always has her signature relaxed elegance vibe, and lots of the prettiest colours and patterns used throughout. This home went through a serious renovation and the result is such a wonderful family home with a palpable lively energy. Photos: Annie Schlechter.

In addition to refurnishing the house, we also undertook an extensive renovation; adding a standalone three-car garage and converting the existing attached garage into a mudroom, a laundry room, a paneled-wood family room, and an expanded kitchen. Our clients, who had inherited an impressive art collection of primarily Calders, Miros, and Picassos, described their style as ‘East Coast preppy,’ and so we accepted the challenge of marrying that aesthetic with the bold, primary colors and forms of the iconic modern artworks. We developed an interior color and material palette in the reds, blues, yellows, blacks and whites of the art, but with each of those colors softened and muted. The result is a house that feels right for the art, right for the clients, and right for the house.
Jessica Helgerson does it again, creating some vintage magic in this beautiful home but somehow managing to work in this modern art collection and have everything make sense. I love how cohesive it all is by using those primary colours throughout (though in very manageable shades). Photos: Aaron Leitz.

Surrounded by nature, escaping from the chaos of the Amsterdam city centre, lies the Forest Home situated on the northern edge of the extensive nature reserve ‘Veluwe’. The house, originally a bungalow with origins from the 1960s, is located amid tall pine trees and verdant woodland. It was discovered in almost completely its original condition. Although trying to re-use the traditional character of the home, we opened the space through adjustments to the layout, trying to make it even more open and transparent in character. This resulted in a more natural flow and circulation through the space, while retaining the connection to all individual spaces and functions. An atmosphere was achieved whereby the principles of living with nature and ‘to slow down’ were essential. The choices that were made during the design process incorporated the 1960s way of thinking about design – simplicity, functionality and clean lines. In contrast to other projects, where intense colours are often used more, the forest home incorporates a much calmer colour palette. Surrounding nature and the view of the garden had to remain the most important ‘feature’, hence the understated and natural atmosphere and colours.
I have a similar dream for a weekend home – something neutral and earthy. Taking it to another level with a cool mid century home here which must have been so fun to re-invent. Love this sooooo much. Designed and owned by Nicemakers. Photos: Marc Heldens & Alan Jensen.

An incremental remodel of a historic Victorian homestead in Portland’s Mount Tabor neighborhood.  We worked closely and collaboratively with the clients, over a decade, to transform their beloved old house, bit by bit, into something that truly is their home. 
Home of James Mercer of The Shins, his garden designer wife and their 3 kids, this home is everything I continue to adore about designer Jessica Helgerson. It’s always in keeping with the history of the home, lots of vintage elements and attention to detail like no other. Yet another spectacular kitchen, a bedroom ensuite that is maybe my favourite of all time (with a tile floor of dreams), and it’s just got charm oozing from every corner. As if the exterior wasn’t cute enough…. Photos: Aaron Leitz.