Blue Streak
Writer Meg Fox | Photographer Christopher Delaney | Designer Alma Russo, Allied Member ASID, Affiliate Member IDS | Tile Design Donna Martin |Coastal, casual and elegant describe this family-friendly home in the Navesink section of Middletown township
Blue is said to be America’s favorite color. And in Mary and Art Guerrera’s house — nestled near the Atlantic ocean and Navesink River — it never runs out of ways to express itself for the family of five who share a love of sailing among other sports.
To stay on course, “We always provide at least three adjectives to our projects,” says interior designer Alma Russo, principal of AR Interiors, LLC in Holmdel. For the Guerrera home, which was taken down to the studs and modified to host family, friends — and the occasional lacrosse team — the design mantra was to keep it “coastal, casual and elegant.” A nod to a coastal aesthetic, “without it feeing themey,” adds Russo, an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers and affiliate member of the International Design Society.
In the remodeled kitchen, Shaker-style white cabinets and durable quartz countertops look fresh and crisp when paired with a classic counterpart: a deep blue-toned island and wet bar. “The size of the island was the one non-negotiable” for Art Guerrera, notes Russo. “He wanted a place where his family could gather daily, that would also serve as a gathering spot for large-scale entertaining.” At 13 feet, “I call it the world’s biggest island,” she jokes. A large farmhouse sink in the center helps disguise the seams.
Russo and tile designer Donna Martin of Tiled Interiors in Red Bank collaborated on all the tile applications throughout the house, including the backsplash above the range: a small marble herringbone pattern that adds a bit of shimmer and shine. And on the maritime blue wet bar, which mimics the base of the island, “Donna took a plaid [marble] tile and made it more unique by creating an “argyle” pattern on an angle, that truly showcases the piece,” explains Russo. Elsewhere, in a powder room, the duo created a waterfall effect by running blue glass tile down the wall and onto the floor. “We knew we wanted a ‘wow’ for this guest space while being reflective of the homeowners’ affinity for all things nautical,” Russo says.
Strokes of blue also appear on the kitchen banquette, which was custom assembled on site with bracket feet, so it appears to float in the room. Upholstered in resilient performance fabric, “our upholsterer worked around windows and outlets and gave the clients a really beautiful, comfortable spot to enjoy family meals,” explains Russo. The homeowners “made a promise to each other,” she recalls “that they would gather there every Sunday for a family dinner, regardless of crazy schedules.”
Holiday gatherings and dinner parties also take place in the casually elegant dining room, the site of the original family room. “We kept the fireplace,” says Russo but redesigned it with a small block print tile—a focal point that helped launch the room’s soft blue and white scheme. A subtle herringbone-patterned wallpaper from Thibaut adds color and texture; a paper weave that “unlike grass cloth, does not have any seams.” Features like a whitewashed pendant look “very organic and modern” while nautical stripe host chairs, a series of blue coral framed prints and simple but stylish linen drapes channel a relaxed seaside spirit.
The cohesive color story continues in the new family room and in other spaces like the master bedroom where the homeowners’ penchant for plaid plays out in varying scale: on an upholstered king-size bed for instance, and in the family room’s larger-scaled plaid area rug that “feels fun and not too serious,” says Russo.
Adjacent to the kitchen, the family room boasts a ceiling height of 14 feet at its peak. Says Russo: “We wanted this space to feel light and airy in the summer but warm and cozy in the winter.” A substantial 5-foot-wide chandelier suits the room’s expansive scale but manages to feel almost weightless with its graceful arms. A small window-pane sheer fabric on the windows balances the heaviness of the stone fireplace, she adds, while the reclaimed wood on the mantel and structural beam add another layer of warmth and texture.
Elegantly appointed with tailored swivel chairs, a chic navy sectional and curated accents, the family room still meets the demands of an active family who love to entertain. “The sectional’s cotton velvet fabric is such a forgiving fabric for families,” notes Russo. Even peanut butter sandwich residue can be wiped clean with a wet sponge. Equally hard-wearing is the ottoman, upholstered in a commercial-grade vinyl fabric. And the high-top game table, which gets a lot of action, “will age beautifully” with its distressed finish.