DesignNJ_OctNov 22_Digital Issue

An original Bob Dylan painting
in the entryway helps to
create a relaxed vibe. The
child’s chair, found in an old
barn in Toulouse, France, was
re-covered. “Every child who
walks in the house sits in that
chair,” designer Wendi Jay says.
Dylan painting above a vintage table. For even more character, there’s a
child’s chair from an old barn in Toulouse, France. “I don’t like to fill a
house with too much so there’s room for the owners to add personal items
after I leave,” Jay says. “However, the things I do place I want to be quirky
and special. I think placing a child’s chair in an entryway is very inviting.
Every child who walks in the house sits in that chair!”
The entryway is open to the great room, where the initial furniture
plan resulted in an important structural change. “A furniture layout
is an important step because it gives people a good sense of space and
proportion,” Jay says. “After the owners looked at the plan for the great
room, we decided to expand it by annexing space that was supposed to
be a porch.” Now the section of the great room that lies off the entryway
is used as a conversation area while the additional section — on the other
side of a four-sided fireplace — is used for watching television and for
additional seating. “It’s unique,” Jay says. The additional section has a
sliding barn door that opens to a fitness room and glass doors that lead
54 October/November 2022