The interior design process involves taking away as much as adding.

​

In this stately, late-1800s home in Greenwich, Connecticut, Expert Georgia Tapert Howe was eager to erase the recessed spotlights blighting the lofty ceilings. “If I can avoid them, I do,” reveals the Los Angeles-based talent. “Clients often think I’m crazy when I suggest pulling out all the recessed spots, but in this instance, they just weren’t needed.” Luckily the homeowners (who happen to have exquisite taste) were on board. And with a layered lighting plan involving wall sconces, side lamps, and multi-bulb ceiling lamps, there was no chance of a gloomy corner anywhere.

​

Georgia was enlisted by the family who were relocating from New York City. The brief was for the home to feel sophisticated, clean, and layered with modern touches—essentially the designer’s calling card. “We had the same sensibility,” explains Georgia of the palette, which consists of neutrals with pops of moss greens, rust, and earthy tones.

​

With kids in the mix, there was an element of practicality to consider, but Georgia was keen to manage expectations: “I think you can be practical to a degree, but if you want to have a beautiful house, there has to be a little bit of ‘this fabric may get dirty, and we'll just hope for the best,’” she laughs.

​

This project marked a first for Georgia: the flooring in the hallway was a design she conceived and that was brought to life by a decorative painter. “From the beginning, the client said she really wanted a painted floor somewhere, so we poured over lots of images and were inspired by mid-century European houses.”

​

Once they had settled on the concentric pattern, Georgia sampled extensively to get the right shades of beige and white. Applied through stenciling, the large brown circles are actually exposed hardwood floors. A black trim elegantly borders the motif. It’s a clever and impactful alternative to a rug: “It's such a big space and without it, it could have fallen flat,” says Georgia. A happy coincidence is a mid-century bench with circular cut-outs anchoring the space: “It wasn’t intentional, we actually saw it before we picked the floor.”

​

“Pretty” is an adjective Georgia comes back to frequently when describing this house. Indeed, the powder room, with its rosy, marbled wallpaper, makes a fun, jewel-box statement—albeit one in keeping with the rest of the decor. “It’s a moment, but a tonal one. And in a powder room, I always wallpaper the ceiling,” she says. In the formal living room, she deployed one of her favorite colors, Dimity by Farrow & Ball, as it’s “the palest shade of pink.”

​

When it came to more budget-busting wall finishes, some gentle encouragement was required on Georgia’s part. The tiled bar off the second living room features a small nook entirely clad in delectable, glossy caramel-brown tiles. “There was talk of just doing the backsplash, but to me, it had to be the whole space,” says the designer. In the dining room, the tactile, silky strands of Abaca wallpaper by Elizabeth Dow elevate the mood. “It feels cozy, especially at night when the lights are dim and you're entertaining. It has an added texture that makes the curtains pop.”

​

The designer’s favorite spot is the principal bedroom, which features a pair of recovered vintage chairs and artwork sourced by specialist Kate Bellin. Off it is a small retreat for the mom, complete with a plush sectional and a desk. “My common thread is that I create interiors which feel comfortable and inviting,” muses Georgia. “I do my part and leave, but I want people to really live in the houses and I want it to reflect them.”

​