While interior designer Courtney McClymond has always found inspiration in modern classical architecture, she also loves what happens underneath a project, the things people might not notice at first glance. “I love to elevate spaces to reveal good color texture and layering and to bring out the space in the most beautiful way. There is a certain alchemy to spatially designing a room and creating an aesthetic to evoke beauty from a client's underlying desire for functionality,” she says.
During a recent master suite renovation in a 1950s home, Courtney knew that while her clients’ tastes ran to classic traditional, there were plenty of modern amenities they wanted to incorporate, like heated floors, a steam shower, convenient outlets, and an inlaid niche above the bathtub.
According to McClymond, the inspiration for the bathroom started with the wallcovering. “After showing my client a few favorite selections, she fell in love with Mary McDonald's "Chinois Palais" in lettuce green. The panel scheme features a luxurious green background with enchanting cherry blossom trees and exotic birds. I color-matched the panels with Sherwin Williams Lounge Green, and it created a simply remarkable effect against the white, porcelain marble floors with an inlaid powder blue-marble border. I balanced the green with Benjamin Moore White Dove cabinetry and gold mirrors and sconces. The effect is simply beautiful.”
The white quartzite slabs, a surprise choice from the client, ended up being another one of her favorite bathroom design elements: “The creamy whitish-grey of the slabs fused very well against the white dove cabinetry, and the veins offered a beautiful, contrasting drama to the Lounge Green walls,” she says.
From there, the closet and master bedroom upgrades flowed perfectly with the master bath. They combined two small closets with a small guest room to create a space with modern amenities like a spring/summer and fall/winter section, deep drawers for sweaters, and standing dressers. “I listened to my client, so I knew exactly what storage she needed. When you decide on custom, you are able to create the scenery and make it come alive,” said McClymond.
Courtney had a lot of fun with this project, which she says was a group effort. “The clients leaned on me, trusted me, allowed me to use my creativity, and I leaned on all my tradespeople to achieve that outcome.”
