This Country Club Condo Has None of the Clichés (And All of the Charm)
Words by Olivia Lidbury
Photography by Jared Kuzia; Design by Moore House Design
What happens when a pair of minimalists acquire a country club condo?
With the help of Expert Blair Moore, founder of Moore House Design, the result is miles away from the typical preppy aesthetic. Blair’s clients, a couple from Boston who have been members at the Portsmouth Aquidneck Club for over 20 years, were seeking surrounds that felt “modern and clean with a focus on natural materials,” relays the Rhode Island-based designer.
And so there ensued a delicate dance of honoring traditional New England features, like shiplap walls and coffered ceilings, with contemporary additions to create a setting that felt light and airy.
Blair pulled it off with a muted palette and beautifully patinated antiques. She had a head start on the latter thanks to ROWEAM, her masterfully curated furniture line comprising ‘true vintage’ (the hand-sourced, real deal) and ‘new vintage’ (heirloom-worthy, custom-made creations).
Looking out to the sandy dunes and rugged landscapes for inspiration, Blair explains how she overhauled a dated interior into a soulful and grounded retreat.
The project: A duplex condo within The Aquidneck Club
The location: Portsmouth, Rhode Island
The rooms: Kitchen, dining, and living room
The clients: A Bostonian couple
Photography by Jared Kuzia; Design by Moore House Design
The biggest problem to solve
The flow when entering the condo was very cumbersome: you had to walk all the way around the peninsula (and fixed bar stools!) to get to the kitchen. The owners love to entertain and that was a bone of contention. We moved the island and reworked all the electrics and plumbing so that we could position the sink and appliances (wine bar included) within it. It’s now a social space that incites conversation.
The item that started it all
The four pendants in the living room are so unusual and beautiful: each one is a glass globe suspended on a delicate metal sphere. The bulb sits in the brass tube and the light cascades through each one. We vaulted the ceiling, so it was tricky installing them on the pitch, but it was so worth it.
Photography by Jared Kuzia; Design by Moore House Design
Something vintage
I would design with vintage only if I could! My childhood was spent antiquing with my parents every Sunday, so I’ve always had the bug. The side table in the lounge is one of the best specimens I've ever seen—the patina is crackled to an incredible perfection and the color is all reds and browns.
The splurge and steal in the room
Our Javor Pivka Chairs around the dining table have the most useful peak in the crest—they’re so easy to grab and pull out, making them so functional yet sculptural. We love how they are reupholstered in an aged leather with a more masculine twist to the houndstooth wool backing.
The steal has to be the kitchen counter stools: they are sturdy and heavy with the best patina on the base and brass foot ledges. The rug from Minori Casa was a really good price too—the clients wanted something that wasn't too precious and easily replaceable since it was a gathering space for family and friends.
Photography by Jared Kuzia; Design by Moore House Design
The biggest learning
Personally, this was an exercise in restraint. Normally we would use more color and vintage, but we had to balance that with the clients’ brief. Looking back, I love how everything is very neutral—yet the pop of color from the boucle on the bar stools is really fun!
The design risk with the biggest payoff
The curved kitchen island—which is made of stone—was a lot of trial and error. I wanted it to feel like it was falling into the floor and was flexible and pliable—even though it’s not. I really enjoyed working with the craftsmen on developing that. There’s a thin inset of marble in it. It’s so beautiful because instead of being greeted by a harsh line, it almost feels like you could lean over it like a ballet dancer.
Photography by Jared Kuzia; Design by Moore House Design
The little detail with a big impact
I specifically sourced the oil on canvas dated 1938 of the lady reading hanging by the dining table. In a super modernist space, she invokes a simple sense of nostalgia and grounds everything. It was the boldest shot of color the clients were willing to go with.
I really had to sell my clients on
Everything in their main home in Boston is new, so anything antique I wanted to include proved a challenge. I won them over by sharing imagery and my general excitement for using vintage, as well as comparing older pieces to new ones to level the aesthetic out. Are they converted? Maybe not entirely, but I’d say they definitely see the balance and the positivity of having vintage in a space now.
Photography by Jared Kuzia; Design by Moore House Design
Why this space works so well
Normally I'm so focused on aesthetics and materiality, but here it was all about function and streamlining the movement and flow. We were cognizant of the pieces we put in: our ROWEAM Rhodey dining table and the chairs have rounded edges and corners so that people won’t be bumping or catching themselves as they’re walking around.
The final vibe
Warm, cultured, and contemporary.