“Fun, Glamorous, and a little cheeky.” After a decade in social work and public health, Bostonian Cecilia Casagrande started a new chapter by pivoting to interiors: She founded an eponymous design firm in 2015 and swiftly garnered attention for her lively reinventions of historic houses. “The way Cecilia uses unexpected nature motifs like bugs and birds in fabrics and wallpapers, combined with sleek midcentury modern and vintage, lends a dignified quirkiness to her style. I really wanted to work with her,” says Liza Hunter, a nurse practitioner who, with her partner, Jamie Heywood, a biotechnology entrepreneur, enlisted Casagrande to overhaul their home in Newton, Massachusetts.
Built in 1895 by inventor and developer Moses Crane, the Colonial Revival occupies a prime piece of lakeside real estate, but a patchwork of renovations over the years left it far from its former glory. “We had this sense of wanting to return it to the place he’d originally intended it to be,” says Heywood. After stripping back the muddied architecture, Casagrande focused on reviving the spaces through creative use of color. For large rooms with big windows, like the living room and Heywood’s office, she chose darker hues to make the spaces feel cozier.
Before
In the kitchen, Casagrande proposed something more daring: contrasting deep purple and forest green -cabinetry. “It’s inspired by Liza’s pottery collection,” the designer explains. “Each room was based on their love of -collecting—whether pottery, antiques, vintage pieces, or a rug—and then elevated to make it feel modern.” In the particularly luxe dining room, Casagrande went even bolder, pairing yellow Eero Saarinen dining chairs with a Bavarian hunting lodge chandelier dripping in crystals. She wrapped the room in a pale blue wallcovering dotted with leopards. “I knew in my mind that we were going to do this wallpaper,” says Casagrande, “but it took six months to convince them.”
More From House Beautiful
Other envelope-pushing moments came directly from the clients: While reading Casagrande’s blog, Hunter spotted an unusual Grow House Grow wallcovering: “It’s these Victorian ladies and bugs, and I became incredibly smitten,” she recalls, requesting that the paper be used in a powder room and paired with the vintage mirrors she’d collected and painted black. “It was such a group effort,” says Casagrande, “which makes my job much more fun.”
Living Room
To complement the restored wood accents in this Boston Colonial Revival, local designer Cecilia Casagrande settled on a deep, rich paint: Farrow & Ball Hague Blue. Chandelier: Arteriors. Sofa: Jonathan Adler. Pillow fabrics: (from left) Pierre Frey, House of Hackney, Romo. Painting: Hunt Slonem. Swivel armchairs: Thayer Coggin. Coffee table and side table: vintage, Autrefois Antiques. Ottoman: Cisco Brothers. Rug: Ramble Market. Table lamps: Kelly Wearstler for Circa Lighting.
Another Hunt Slonem painting pops against the paint. Sconce: Arteriors. Lamp: antique
Edward Miller. Console: antique.
Dining Room
A 20th-century Bavarian hunting lodge chandelier, sourced from eBay, was the jumping-off point for the room. Wallcovering: Leopard Walk, Cole & Son. Chairs: Eero Saarinen, Design Within Reach, in bouclé fabric from Knoll. Art: Hunt Slonem, DTR Modern (far left); Yury Darashkevich, Jules Place (far right). Rug: Gregorian Oriental Rugs. Console: Arteriors. Lamp: Christopher Spitzmiller for Circa Lighting. Tabletop accessories: Lekker Home.
Kitchen
Casagrande incorporated Hunter’s collection of rugs into the kitchen for an earthy touch, that also reflects the colors of the cabinetry. Cabinetry paint: Yorktowne Green, Benjamin Moore (lower); Paean Black, Farrow & Ball. Pendants: Thomas O’Brien for Circa Lighting. Tile: The Winchester Tile Company. Cooktop: Thermador. Countertop: Quartzite, LeaMar Industries.
Before
Breakfast Nook
Copy teekay teekay Copy teekay teekay Copy teekay teekay Copy teekay teekay Copy teekay teekay Copy teekay teekay Copy teekay teekay
Office
Inspiration for the luxe finishes came from London social clubs. Chairs: vintage, Kravet. Chandelier: Arteriors. Paint: Railings, Farrow & Ball. Art: (from left) Jessica Feldheim and Robert Seguin, both from Jules Place. Coffee table: vintage. Rug: antique.
Before
Primary Bedroom
Casagrande salvaged this marble mantel from a home in a neighboring town built in the same period. Wall paint: Middleton Pink, Farrow & Ball. Ceiling light: Alexa Hampton for Circa Lighting. Art: Christopher Peter (above fireplace); Jordan Piantedosi. Dresser and rug: Chairish.
Primary Bathroom
The clients requested ample marble tile, so Casagrande pulled out all the stops. Tub: Penhaglion. Fixtures: Newport Brass. Wall paint: Peignoir, Farrow & Ball. Art print: Alberto Vargas. Curtain fabric: Timorous Beasties.
Powder Room
Hunter devised the gallery wall of vintage mirrors, all painted Farrow & Ball Pitch Black. Wallcovering: Ms. Ward, Grow House Grow. Vanity: Kallista.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
