Text: Sherry Moeller
Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg
There’s an air of sophistication in the rich tones of deep purple, especially in aubergine, the hue that was the impetus for the interiors of this new custom home in Bethesda, Maryland, designed by interior and textile designer Marika Meyer of Marika Meyer Studio. Referred to the owners not only by the builder, Mid-Atlantic Builders, but also by a childhood friend who is Meyer’s client too, the designer welcomed the opportunity to combine her love of color and pattern with the owners’ love of aubergine.
7. Designer Marika Meyer Satisfies Owners’ Passion for Purple
6. Designer Marika Meyer Satisfies Owners’ Passion for Purple
5. Designer Marika Meyer Satisfies Owners’ Passion for Purple
4. Designer Marika Meyer Satisfies Owners’ Passion for Purple
3. Designer Marika Meyer Satisfies Owners’ Passion for Purple
2. Designer Marika Meyer Satisfies Owners’ Passion for Purple
1. Designer Marika Meyer Satisfies Owners’ Passion for Purple
“I knew my color assignment,” Meyer says. “They really love that shade of purple.” By grounding the interiors with aubergine, which was also in the owners’ previous home, Meyer selected Farrow & Ball’s Pelt in a high-gloss finish for the library that doubles as a living room. With plum wallpaper on the ceiling, Meyer blended complementary palettes, patterns, and textures in this room and others through upholstery, window treatments, art, and accessories.
“We wanted to make sure the house felt colorful enough without getting whiplash from room to room,” says Meyer. “It’s about establishing a cadence of tonality, pulling all the colors together in a way that you feel the consistency while also making each space unique.”
Meyer introduced blue—another favorite hue of the family’s as well as hers—holistically on the main floor, including in the foyer adjacent to the library and in the dining room across the hall. This approach keeps rooms from getting labeled the purple room or the blue or green room. Each space features saturated tones that are both balanced and bold. “There’s an art to pulling it off,” Meyer adds.
Along with the aubergine assignment, Meyer was asked to create function-driven spaces, too. “The family did a thoughtful audit of what didn’t work in their last house so they could have a well-functioning home this time around,” she says.
As a family of five, they have specific activities they do together and individually, so having dedicated areas for crafts, homework, and workouts were all part of the plan. “They wanted a custom-built home to fit their many hobbies,” says Meyer.
With seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and three half baths within more than 8,000 square feet, there was plenty of room for specialty spaces. From a spot for deliveries and large packages to drop zones for backpacks and sports gear to craft and hangout spaces, the new home’s layout changed the way the family lives—reducing stress and allowing them to enjoy their passions.
“The children are crafting all the time,” says the designer, who loves seeing the custom table with paint on it and the handmade art hanging on the walls. While the craft room is not large, it’s a dedicated space that frees up other rooms for their intended uses.
In the kitchen, color takes a backseat to function. “Since kitchens are audibly loud with hard surfaces, I like to create a quiet setting and then backfill with other elements,” says Meyer. Deep cushions along the banquette’s seating provide texture, while the adjacent morning room is a study in soothing monochromatic design. In the modern family room, lavender chairs tie into the home’s overall scheme, while a faux plaster treatment on the fireplace wall adds warmth.
Durability was another driving factor for the home’s design. Quality upholstery that could be reupholstered as needed down the road and high-end case goods that withstand wear and tear for an active family were also incorporated.
The moral of the story is that a house can have adult and youth spaces with similar color palettes that evoke both playfulness and sophistication. There is no age limit for having fun when adding color to a home.
