Phillip Jeffries wallpaper adds texture behind the roaring fireplace in the living room, while a simple Jules Place painting lords over the space.
When Tiffany LeBlanc of LeBlanc Designs (leblancdesign.com) first started with the clients of this 8,266-square-foot home, the project actually wasn’t for the property. In fact, she was originally hired to redesign the first floor of the family’s former Wellesley abode, which boasted more formal touches like a princess staircase. And then the wife called. “She was like, ‘I don’t know. We’ve been thinking… I know that we’ve been working to deformalize our original house… we may just want a less formal house,’” LeBlanc remembers. The result was the purchase of a five-bed, 5 ½-bath, new construction home in Weston, just 10 miles from the heart of Boston. LeBlanc was tasked with making it approachable and comfortable for the family of five, all while keeping the aesthetic tailored. She accomplished this with bursts of color, textures and edgy wallpaper. She also included some furniture from the family’s previous home—like the cane guest bed and grand piano in the living room. Also in this space, a high-gloss-lacquer teal-painted fireplace in front of a metallic Phillip Jeffries (phillipjeffries.com) wallpaper accent and two plush, blue chairs with a peacock-patterned backing. A large multibubble chandelier lords over the space. “You come in and you get this expansive view to the backyard,” the designer says. The property itself sits on 5.6 acres of mature trees and lush greenery. To the right of the entry hall, a neutral-toned dining room welcomes guests for larger dinners, featuring high wainscoting and a metallic-cork wallcovering. “For the dining room, we were working with some preexisting pieces that I thought actually made the house feel a lot less new construction-like. I didn’t want it to feel like this cookie-cutter house, and I think we definitely achieved that with some of the finishes and some of the push and pull in the furniture,” LeBlanc explains. While the family and LeBlanc opted to keep the kitchen the same (with minor adjustments in window treatments, seating and carpeting), the family room continues to weave in a warm touch to the home thanks to a large braided rug and an oversized, faux-leather ottoman—perfect for kicking your feet up at the end of the day. “I always say that there’s different ways of threading the needle. Everything can’t be precious,” she notes. In the kitchen’s informal dining area, a nod to family-first fun shows again in the chairs, which are upholstered in a playful koi fish fabric by Kravet (kravet.com). A final touch of greenery in stately textured planters from Winston Flowers (winstonflowers.com) pulls the look together. Upstairs, the primary bedroom is centered around the couple’s original canopy bed but was updated with olive green Hickory Chair Furniture Co. (hickorychair.com) chairs and Dune and Duchess (dunesandduchess.com) sconces. Two of the boys’ rooms, who almost have their own section of the house due to the longer blueprint, include more playful touches like blue tie-dye pillows and an eye-catching coral bed frame by Lee Industries (leeindustries.com). Needless to say, when the family moved in, they were exuberant. “They’re very happy living there,” LeBlanc concludes. “The house is beautiful. It’s a great place to hang out.”
LeBlanc chose a neutral palette in the family room, including a large Verellen ottoman that can face the day-to-day foot traffic in the space.
A custom-wrapped console houses two Ro Sham Beaux lamps, among other trinkets.
The kitchen, which LeBlanc only made minor changes to, has an abundance of sunlight and natural wood accents.
At the center of the guest bedroom, a cane bed that was previously owned by the clients invites those who enter to relax while an Ambella chair promises to keep family and friends cozy with a good book in-hand
The daughter’s bedroom pops with a coral-hued bed.
TYPE
Single-family home
INTERIOR DESIGNER
LeBlanc Design, leblancdesign.com
FERRELL MITTMAN
Chairs, living room
ferrellmittman.com
JOHN POMP STUDIOS
Light, dining room
johnpomp.com
JULES PLACE
Art
julesplace.com
LEE INDUSTRIES
Ottoman, living room; coral bed, children’s bedroom
leeindustries.com
PHILLIP JEFFRIES
Wallpaper
phillipjeffries.com
STEVEN KING DECORATIVE CARPETS
Rug, kitchen
skcarpets.com
Photography by: Michael J. Lee
