Bright Colors Add an Exuberant Aesthetic to a Pennington Home

The mix of old favorites and new furnishings is sophisticated, not staid

The owner of this Pennington residence wanted a cheerful aesthetic in her recently purchased home. “The client wanted something that was really bright and beautiful — something that made her happy,” notes Judy King of Princeton-based Judy King Interiors, who’d previously worked with the homeowner on houses in Princeton and Palm Beach.

Bold color in artwork, books and florals greets guests in the foyer.

To make that happen, King, who worked in tandem with her assistant and project manager, Stacie Yarovenko, incorporated both new elements and old favorites. “This is sort of a combination of homes,” King says.

A Vibrant Entry Hall
The home’s cheerful disposition begins in the entry hall, where the décor reflects not only the client’s love of color but also her affinity for literature. “She loves books,” King says. The designer deftly combined the two elements with a stack of vividly hued volumes beneath a similarly dazzling piece of art. Understated wall covering in taupe and white finishes the space without distracting from the lively accents.

A two-tiered, geometric coffee table is the centerpiece of the living room. “We mixed this modern element with traditional sofas,” designer Judy King says. The art above the fireplace was done by a friend of the homeowner.

Pretty in Pink
The living room has its fair share of lively elements, including a variety of captivating pink accents. Two armchairs feature ebullient pink feather-fan-patterned upholstery that draws the eye to that corner of the room. Coordinating throw pillows on the sofas carry on the theme, as does the cocktail table. The geometric, two-tiered piece consists of pink, green, blue and white panels — referencing all the colors in the space. “It’s lacquered,” King says. “It was a real find; the colors were perfect.”

“We re-covered a lot of the furniture to get the look the homeowner wanted.” Here, two of the client’s existing wing chairs got a striking pink and white makeover.

The living room required an exceptionally large rug so King had two sewn together and hid the seam with a pink accent pattern (beneath sofa at right).

The scalloped rug is edged in green, blue and white and features an intersecting pink crisscross pattern. That accent does more than coordinate with similar hues in the room; it also solved a measurement problem. “We needed a very large rug, so we sewed two together and then accentuated the seam with a pink zigzag to give it a bespoke look.”

The floor tile in the kitchen is limestone. The adjacent mudroom/laundry room features blue-and-white gingham wallpaper. “It’s playful and fun,” King says.

A Dining Room Swathed in Blue
King took a more dramatic approach in the dining room, wrapping the space in a deep-blue striped wall covering inspired by the pattern on the newly purchased dining chairs. “The client loves blue and white,” King says. “She absolutely loved the fabric on those chairs. That set the tone for everything else in the room.” The table was the client’s own, having occupied the dining room of her Princeton home. It works beautifully here, even though the aesthetic represents a departure from the former residence. “This space has a completely different look than her old dining room, which was more traditional. This has got a little more punch to it, and the chandelier is a little more modern.”

King refinished the existing built-ins under the dining room window with a blue/gray lacquer.

The sitting room is a favorite spot for the client to hang out with friends. The ceiling is wallpapered in a delicate, light blue pattern. “The client loves wallpaper,” King notes, “So we used it in almost every room.” Millwork on the walls adds definition.

Southern-Style Sun Room
The sun room is an homage to the client’s former Florida home. A light blue sectional sofa is accessorized with vibrant throw pillows in a green and white botanical print. Behind the sofa, a stylized coral sculpture adorns a console. At the other end of the space, two green and white barrel chairs reiterate the pillow color, while two faux lemon trees flank the loveseat. Here, too, a stack of books adds bold color to the space while referencing sun-drenched locales such as Palm Beach, Capri and Tuscany. “It all kind of worked together. It’s Florida without being too ‘Florida.’”

A zebra-striped ottoman in the sunroom reflects the homeowner’s love of animal prints.

The sunroom, aptly named with light flooding in from an arched wall of windows, features two conversation areas.

Throughout the home, the designer curated a thoughtful blend of East Coast charm and Palm Beach flair to create the buoyant environment the client sought. “This home is a joyful and vibrant twist on tradition that was designed to be the client’s ‘happy place,’” she says. “Every room bursts with personality — lively greens, cheerful pinks, layered textures and fearless prints. The result is a home that feels both nostalgic and new. It’s elevated but never uptight. It’s a space that radiates warmth, personality and pure joy.”

The primary bedroom features more muted tones than the rest of the house. “The client wanted something very soothing and calming,” King explains.