A Parisian-style, Yet Livable Palace
For Lynn and James Callihan, it was an easy decision to transform a 15-year old home with a crumbling stucco exterior into a beautiful home designed to suit the functional needs of their young family. Though the decision was made easy only after finding an interior designer who possessed the necessary mix of creative vision and talent for breathing new life into their home. They teamed up with Myrtle Beach, S.C.-based interior designer Kimberly Grigg, CEO and principle designer for Knotting Hill Interiors, to embark on a whole-house renovation and redecorating project that included the kitchen, dining and living rooms, the master bedroom, 1 children’s room, 2 guest bedrooms, and an upstairs bar area.
Inspired by the Callihan’s cherished collection of Mottahedeh blue and white china, Kimberly set to work planning the initial design and layout of the renovation. “I have always had a fetish for blue and white porcelain. In fact, I have been collecting it since I was 10, so I was enthralled when Lynn presented me with the largest and most breath-taking collection of Mottahedeh china I had ever seen,” says Kimberly.
The china played an integral role in choosing a color palette for the house that well-matched the design tastes of the Callihans. In addition, prominently storing and displaying the china collection was a key design factor. One example of this was the decision to create design vignettes for showcasing the Mottahedeh. Kimberly displayed the collection’s dishes, bowls, urns, and other pieces in china cabinets and hung them on walls to juxtapose the blue and white color with the entire interior color scheme. “Working with the Callihans on this project was a very personal experience,” says Kimberly. “We incorporated the china as accessories and artwork to blend easily with the home’s theme, with the knowledge each piece will eventually become a family heirloom.”
From intricate crown molding to a luxurious Parisian interior design style, the home now flows rhythmically from room to room. This was no small feat given the project included 8,000 square feet of interior space.
To accommodate the Callihan’s love of entertaining, the dining room was strategically designed for hosting guests during both casual and formal dinner parties. The combination of the room’s sophistication and functionality was at the forefront of Kimberly’s mind when conceptualizing the layout, furnishings, artwork, and lighting. She specifically chose an antique, 3-pane display cabinet to complement the room’s elongated oval dining table with 10 Louis XIV-style straight-backed, armless chairs.
She had the chair fronts covered in a velvet-like solid cream fabric with a customized silky-blue applique of the Callihan name initials. She backed the chairs with a stripped blue, cream and soft-gold fabric to draw out the corresponding blue wall color as well as the blue tones of the Mottahedeh art displayed in the cabinet. Grounding the furnishings around the dining room and reminiscent of the Parisian theme, Kimberly selected a bordered rug with detailed motifs and a short fringe in harmonizing hues.
Knowing the Callihans would use their remodeled home for large gatherings, Kimberly suggested a bar area be created on the second floor, one that would flow into a large room designed for hosting game-day parties and special events with close friends and family. Made from an existing bar of oak wood, the bar was tailored with deep-set paneled sides and matching front-and-back bar counters with a touch of European-style pub flair.
Another highlight of the renovation project included turning a 20-by-20-foot exercise room into Lynn’s dream, a lavish dressing room. During the renovation process, Kimberly designed the dressing room to store her large collection of clothing, shoes, purses, and attire accessories. Working with one of many gifted artisans on the project, a hand-built and painted round jewelry chest was customized with locking drawers for safekeeping jewelry. Adjacent to the chest, Kimberly installed a dressing table with a matching skirt topped with a beautiful storage bureau featuring a round mirror held in place by an embellished gold frame and a two-drawer base.
Leading into the master bathroom from the dressing room, a new double vanity embraces intricately detailed cabinetry with crisscross and floral patterns. “To pair well with the trim detailing on the vanity, we decided to install a beautiful granite countertop with rich specks of green and beige,” says Kimberly. To complete the room, she and Lynn chose a flowing Kingston swag valance in the same color palette to dress a large window above an over-sized soaking tub.
In addition to renovating and redecorating the main living spaces and master bedroom, the Callihan’s daughter’s room was also designed with the overall Parisian schematic. The room features beautiful, hand-painted fabrics and draperies above the bed as well as valances along the windows to enhance the room’s elegance. Blended patterns in stripes, checkers, leopard, and floral are all tied together by the use of a shared color palette of pinks, greens, blues, and yellows – the daughter’s favorite colors. To balance the fabrics, Kimberly selected furniture and accessories that gave the room a princess-like feel. “We found an antique stationery desk at a specialty resale shop and painted it pink to match the room’s primary and bold color foundation,” says Kimberly. “It was intended as a cozy and quiet study area for homework; but, it also houses and displays the Callihan’s daughter’s most treasured accessories and special keepsakes.”
At the hands of Kimberly and her team, the result of the project is a true sense of place and style. Each room in the Callihan’s home evokes the extravagance of a showplace as well as the presence of a family home for comfortable lifestyle. “This is what I refer to as, ‘livable luxury’,” says Kimberly. “The Callihan’s design and renovation project left no stone unturned, and the ideas were endless. From the renovation to the redecorating process, each space was carefully designed to suit the taste of the homeowners, which is always the ultimate goal.”
About Knotting Hill Interiors
Kimberly Grigg, and her team of talented designers at Knotting Hill Interiors, are experts at designing, renovating and redecorating homes. From interior and exterior color selections to the full knowledge and understanding of the construction process as well as historical renovation, Knotting Hill Interiors can guide homeowners effortlessly through myriad choices and decisions to help make a home personable and comfortable. For those interested in learning more, visit www.knottinghillinteriors.com.
- by Matt Watts
