Designer Annie Selkie and Jennifer Vreeland applied country principles to a New York City apartment.

Take one boxy, nondescript dwelling. Apply a serene palette of robin's-egg blue and linen white touched with accents of red and brown. Layer on warmth with natural wood, textiles, and leather. Keep the profiles clean and the texture rich. The result: this cozy city retreat with all the character of a country house.

Prints: Natural Curiosities; Faux-wood wall treatment: Alpha Workshops.



Robin's-egg blue on the walls suggests sky, to bring the outdoors in. Linen white and brown feel earthy yet fresh, and red, another country classic, lends strength and focus, to move the eye around the room.



Consider the country interior and what defines it: simple colours, comfortable furnishings, a lot of personal artifacts. Designer Annie Selke, with Jennifer Vreeland, applied these principles to an apartment on New York City's West Side, to turn the warren of rooms into an inviting pied-terre with the requisite comfort of a country retreat. "The colours were chosen to inspire a bit of calm from the city experience," says Annie. "So you come in and feel relaxed without giving up sophistication."



The palette is uniform throughout, yet each room has its own identity. Wall treatments  painted wood graining in the living room, a bold wallpaper in the study  offer depth, while upholstery, wood, and fabrics add warmth and texture. References to nature, such as real and faux wood, stone, and weathered finishes, keep the place rooted in the country, while the city sparkles just outside.



Collections, like pattern, add personality! Try massing together similar pieces, to make statements about what you love.



Special effects: paint

The faux bois wall treatment in the living room is also by Alpha Workshops, in Ralph Lauren paint. The grain effect, done by hand, introduces subtle depth and texture in a room full of naturally inspired details. You can also achieve this look with a wallpaper that mimics wood graining.



The hand-painted striped soffit in the guest room, by Alpha Workshops, serves to downplay the extruding and irregular feature by creating a colour relationship with the wallpaper, which looks hand-painted, too. It also proves a playful counterpoint to the cornice on the bookcase from the Workshops of David T. Smith.



The living room's palette sees a reversal in the guest room/study. Lively patterns are both dynamic and compatible, thanks to shared color values. The blue from the living room is carried forward in the painted table from Pot Luck Studios, the wallpaper and draperies by Waverly, and the interior of the bookcase from the Workshops of David T. Smith. Colourful textiles layered on the bed and assorted books allude to the owners' passion for travel and collecting.



Texture lends depth and character to a room. You can freely mix materials within a chosen palette  mirror with silver leaf, painted wood with quilts.






In the master bedroom, chartreuse green walls provide a tranquil backdrop for the romantic silhouette of the upholstered bed from the Pine Cone Hill Collection by Lee. The shimmering interplay of surfaces on the Larson Juhl mirror, Drexel Heritage vanity, and Circa Lighting sconces ramp up the glamour and hint at the bright lights of the big city just outside. Annie says, "It's snappy!"




photo credit: Laura Moss