FROM BEIGE TO BRILLIANT
By Brandy Woods Snow; Photography by Michael Blevins, Styled by Heidi Donohue
This article appeared in the November/December 2025 issue of Home Design & Decor’s Triangle edition.
A once-muted townhome unites Art Deco motifs, legacy pieces, and bold color in a light-filled refresh.
When a newly retired couple returned to their North Carolina roots in 2022 after living out of state for many years, they sought a home with both character and connection to family.
What they found was a 4,000-square-foot classical townhome, built in Chapel Hill in 2006, with a great layout, convenient location, and abundant natural light, even if the beige-and-brown interior felt uninspiring. Though the kitchen had been recently renovated, the rest of the house begged for a fresh perspective.
They enlisted the keen eye of designer Cat French to turn their new house into a retirement haven. The couple’s deep connection to art and family heirlooms paired naturally with French’s confident use of color and her background in historic preservation. “The home had great natural light with many architectural details we could weave into the design,” French says. “But it was outdated, with a bland palette. The clients had artistic tastes, favoring a colorful, Art Deco–inspired design with luxe fabrics, symmetrical pattern, and great craftsmanship.”
French embarked on a partial-home renovation involving a gut of the owner’s bathroom, the transition of the dining room into a sitting room, and a complete redesign of the breakfast nook, screened porch, powder room, second-floor landing, and owner’s bedroom.
Dark tile and awkward flow in the owner’s bathroom were replaced with a light-filled retreat featuring a spa-like shower with three-dimensional accent tile and twin vanities topped with black quartz. A warm wall tone, pulled from the bedding in the adjacent bedroom, reflects sunlight and creates cohesion in the suite. The former dining room became a jewel-toned sitting room, a place for connection and display of the couple’s extensive pottery collection.
Their passion for local art and handmade pottery is a hallmark of the design. French collaborated with area artists to procure unique pieces that embodied the expressive nature of the design, while also integrating heirloom antiques inherited mid-project to add family history and legacy to the aesthetic.
Art Deco motifs subtly tie the home together. Fond memories of New York’s skyline informed the design’s undercurrent, appearing in symmetrical patterns and cityscape echoes—in the dining room chandelier, powder room wallpaper, owner’s bedroom accents, and the striking shower tile in the owner’s bath.
The result is a beautifully layered aesthetic where antique, artistic, and modern pieces seamlessly blend into a curated design that feels both collected and personal. “I’m thrilled with how connected the spaces are throughout the home,” French says. “Every room reflects who these clients are, creating a joyful—and artful—home.”