A Modern Aesthetic Enhances a Tudor-Style Summit Home

The two styles blend beautifully

The vaulted ceiling in the family room is intersected by wood beams — a hallmark of Tudor design. The room features neutrals in varying shades, patterns and textures. “Kate thought of every little detail,” the homeowner says of designer Kate Mazza. “There are a lot of geometric elements, which I really love.”

A pretty resin box holds the TV remote. “Everything is tucked away, but where it needs to be,” the homeowner says.

The goals for this family room/home office redesign in Summit were twofold, according to Kate Mazza of Passaic County-based Mazza Collective LLC. “We were creating a look that would both complement the renovated Tudor home and also reflect the homeowners’ style, which is more modern.” The designer found a way to mesh the two seemingly disparate styles. “My favorite thing about Tudors is their charm,” she says. “So I created a design that had charm through a modern lens.”

The existing spaces offered plenty of Tudor charm in the form of an arched doorway into the family room and wood features on the ceilings of both spaces. In order to work with those elements while infusing the space with a more modern sensibility, Mazza began with foundation colors that fit both aesthetics — neutrals and moody tones. “I started with the idea that we would use black as a way of creating focal points throughout and built up from there,” she says.

In the office, the windows are bordered in black and dressed in sheer black shades. “The window treatments were a natural extension of the choice to paint the casings black. The office is at the end of a sight line when you enter the home, so I wanted to create a focal point to visually pull you into the space. The home has beautiful, large moldings throughout, so painting them black was also a nice way to enhance what was already there.”

Mazza selected the family room swivel chair for its silhouette and metallic velvet upholstery. “I wanted to add fun details throughout that were charming in their uniqueness without being old fashioned,” she says.

The family room features smaller hits of black in the ottomans, on an armchair and on the fireplace surround. Mazza notes, “We painted behind the fireplace and TV with a matte black paint to harmonize it with the new palette and pull the focus to the beautiful, large windows and into the center of the room.” The homeowner was thrilled to bring attention to the view: “We have really pretty windows with a daybed beneath them that look out to the arborvitae in the backyard. The eye is drawn right outside.”

“The transparent tables were selected to reveal as much of the sofa as possible,” Mazza says. “I love the fully upholstered frame and didn’t want that covered up at all.”

Mazza elevated the spaces with distinctive accents. “From the alabaster and textured glass pendant lights in the office to the adorable cocktail table in the family room to the silhouette and metallic velvet upholstery of the family room swivel chair, I wanted to add fun details throughout that were charming in their uniqueness without being old fashioned. Each material and silhouette was thoughtfully selected.”

According to the homeowner, the pieces were also chosen to withstand the comings and goings of a busy family of four. “Everything is high performance and stain resistant.” And the furnishings are not just hard-wearing; they’re also comfortable. “The rug feels like a warm sweater,” the homeowner says. “The kids love playing on the floor.”

The window treatments in the office are automated. “If you’re on a Zoom call and the sun comes in, you can touch a button to lower the shades without being distracted.”

Existing built-ins in the office provide abundant storage.

Durability and comfort are particularly important because the family enjoys entertaining. “We have friends over frequently to watch football games,” the homeowner shares. “So we wanted a lot of seating.” A sofa, daybed and armchair do the trick, accompanied by two custom ottomans upholstered in cut velvet that can be called into service if additional seating is required.

Mazza calls the overall look “a cozy, contemporary contrast to the old Tudor details in the house.” The homeowner credits the designer for making that vision come to life. “The way Kate described the furniture, textures and aesthetic was so beautiful. It allowed me to completely envision how the spaces would look.”