BOLD TRANSFUSION
By Anne Marie Ashley; Photography by Anna Routh Barzin, Chair8 Media & Julia Wade
This article appeared in the May/June 2024 issue of Home Design & Decor’s Triangle edition.
LONGTIME HOMEOWNERS ENLIST DESIGNER MAGGIE DILLON TO TRANSFUSE COLOR INTO THEIR COUNTRY CLUB HILLS HOME.
When the homeowners purchased the home from the husband’s parents in 1992, it was already more than thirty years old. Another thirty years and a few kitchen renovations later, when designer Maggie Dillon entered the picture, the time was right for a major owner’s bedroom and bath update. The goal was to make it appear as if the addition was always part of the home.
“Over the years, the homeowners had experimented with lots of color in design, and during her last iteration, she counterbalanced with neutrals throughout,” explains Dillon. “When my client came to me, she was ready for color again.”
Dillon worked with the couple on a vision that maintained the integrity of the original structure by keeping things clean and simple to match the existing exterior while adding traditional and warm interior design elements like unlacquered brass and Calacatta gold marble. “This house was well-loved but desperately needed an update,” says Dillon. “These clients had a large collection of sentimental heirloom pieces, so we reused what we could and brought new life to each space through new paint, unlikely pairings, and reupholstery.”
Never one to hold back from color, Dillon was thrilled when her client agreed to punchy tones and fabrics. “There was a traditional, beige undertone to the design before we started, so it was fun to introduce a whole heap of new colors,” she adds. The most challenging part, however, wasn’t the color-matching or pattern play, but instead matching the exterior paint on the addition. “We wanted the existing house and addition to flow seamlessly, and with a whitewash brick home, getting the perfect mix of ‘aged’ without looking overdone was tricky. I think we nailed it, though.”
While Dillon loves playing with color and uses it fearlessly, she also recognizes a limit. “There will always be textile colors, scales, and motifs that we can use to complement, but scale will always be an important thing to keep in mind,” she says. “The living room is a great example—the palette is unbeatable, and when you can strike the right balance, it feels like everything else just falls into place.”