66 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • DECEMBER 2018
INSIDE JOB
OLD MEETS NEW IN THIS MULTIROOM
By TAMMY SCILEPPI
A yearning for fresh air and the
tranquility and laid-back lifestyle
of charming Oyster Bay brought
newlywed city dwellers looking for
a home where they could entertain
family and friends to Glen Head/Old
Brookville.
But unlike most locals, Aline and
Kevin have been splitting their time
between their newly purchased and
recently updated 8,000-square-foot
abode and their Williamsburg,
Brooklyn digs, where they spend
weekends enjoying big city activities.
Most homeowners would feel
overwhelmed taking on a multiroom
renovation in a house that size – especially
with 35-foot-high ceilings and
massive expanses in the main living
areas – but the couple dove right
in with the help of talented design
pro Robyn Baumgarten, owner of
Interiors by Just Design. She worked
closely with her clients to turn their
individual ideas into a reality by
transforming an older mismatched
eclectic house (with huge rooms) into
the modern dream home they longed
for.
“This is your home,” goes Baumgarten’s
mantra. “I want it to be all about
you and what you love!”
At first glance the house appeared
to be move-in ready, purchased with
the previous homeowner’s traditional
furnishings as part of the
package. But Aline didn’t share the
same design aesthetic. For starters,
the Persian rugs didn’t jibe with that
modern, classic look she and her
designer wanted.
“My clients had differing opinions
on how they wanted their home to
look,” says Baumgarten, whose design
focus was on the grand living
room, family room and first-floor
master bedroom. “Together, we took
Kevin’s desire to turn the existing
fireplaces into focal walls, and his
passion for art then combined that
with Aline’s desire for this house to
feel like a home.”
Since phase one of design is always
conceptual, Baumgarten first presented
her vision for the focal walls
then brought her millworker into
the project. They decided to go with
separate plans for each wall that were
For the “boudoir,”
Baumgarten sourced out some
amazing Kravet fabrics and
selected side chairs and a chaise to
pair together. She wanted the lilac
on the chairs to pop against the
simple gray wallpaper and
window treatments.
In order to instill a
sense of serenity in the
master bedroom, muted gray
tones were added to the color palette,
softening up the lilac and giving the
room a grounded base. With 40-foot
by 30- foot dimensions, the designer
knew she had to break up the space and
define separate areas. So, she used
two different rugs (both similar
in color), so one pattern could
play off the other.
Custom bedding
and beautiful artwork
by a local artist were the
perfect final touches in
this unique bedroom
retreat.
Photo by Jump Visual