DesignNJ-Dec23Jan24-Digital Issue

“I wanted to create an experience
when walking down the stairs,”
Pluta says of the stairwell’s gold
metallic geometric patterned
wallpaper. It sets the stage for
the basement’s elevated design
scheme. Note the glass-enclosed
gym off the adjacent TV lounge
at right, which keeps sight lines
open.
Dramatic dimensional fretwork
trim on the billiard room’s accent
wall repeats the high-contrast
charcoal gray and metallic
gold theme, Pluta says. Lowmaintenance
vinyl flooring in a
heavy wood grain “balances all
the metallic elements and deep
charcoal tones.”
RISING ABOVE
LOWER-LEVEL CHALLENGES
Curves & Clearance: As in most basements, “the low stairway was
my biggest obstacle,” designer Veronica Pluta says. “I had to choose
uhostry accordin to ry scic masurmnts. h ar
lounger went down with 1 /8-inch clearance. Fortunately, the delivery
team at White House Living in Wayne (where all the furniture was
purchased), was “amazing,” she says. “I knew if anyone could
handle this challenge, they could.”
Illuminating Gestures: “Due to the lack of natural light, proper
above-head lighting with high hats was added as well as chandelier
pendants for ambience,” Pluta says. Dimmers help “create quite
the moody atmosphere for entertaining.”
a large-scale dimensional fretwork application in high-contrast charcoal
and metallic gold.
A coffered ceiling was an essential architectural element that Pluta used
to define the adjacent TV lounge. Charcoal-painted insets pop against
white beams, an effect that also accentuates the bold geometric pattern of
the grass-cloth wallpaper on the main wall. With storage being a “huge
priority,” Pluta says, she took advantage of the wide space with wallto-wall
lower storage cabinets. The charcoal-stained unit — topped in
quartz — holds board games, kids’ toys, blankets and more.
Every detail was considered to create a cohesive, balanced design
throughout the space, including pops of navy blue strategically placed
throughout, Pluta says. “The felt on the billiard table draws your eye over
to the luxurious navy blue velvet tufted sofas that flank the lounge space,”
she notes. The blue continues in the bar’s navy Shaker-style cabinetry,
where “beer on tap was a must” for the homeowner, a beer connoisseur,
she says. Opposite the bar is a wine storage area with a black-framed glass
enclosure that ties in with the glass-enclosed exercise zone, which keeps
sight lines open.
A dedicated playroom is a “fun yet transitional space” designed to grow
with the children, the designer says. When the architect on the project
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