Give & Take
Writer Marirose Krall | Photographer Raquel Langworthy | Designer Karen B. Wolf | Location Short Hills, NJA Short Hills renovation involves keeping what works and transforming what doesn’t.
Having been built fairly recently — in the mid-aughts — Amar and Neha Khubani’s Short Hills, New Jersey, home was not in need of major repair when they purchased it a few years ago. It did, however, require some interior cosmetic renovations to bring it more in line with their tastes. The well-traveled couple wanted to furnish their home in a style reminiscent of the luxurious hotels they’ve visited. “The ‘luxe’ aspect was a major consideration,” says Karen Wolf of Short Hills-based Karen B. Wolf Interiors. “They wanted every room to have a ‘wow’ factor.” To establish that elevated look, the designer added metallic accents throughout the home, deployed in strategic proportions that make a statement without overpowering the spaces. “We didn’t want it to look garish,” Wolf explains. “We wanted just enough for it to be livable but to present itself as elegant.”
In the living room, mixed metals make an appearance in accessories such as the cocktail tables and the brass-and-polished-nickel light fixture. These gleaming accents add an understated dose of glamour to the space’s gray-and-blue palette, an apt addition because this room was designed for entertaining. “The homeowners are very social, and they wanted to create an inviting bar-like feel in an often-unused space like a living room.”
Mixed metals give the kitchen a subtle sheen as well, thanks to silver insets in the backsplash tile, brass cabinet hardware and gilded chains on the pendants above the island. “Those pendants really drove the design,” Wolf says. “Having proper light is very important.” In this case, “proper” means slightly larger than standard. “I’m a huge fan of overscaled lighting. I usually up the size for impact. And when fixtures are clear, like these are, they don’t look as big. You’re able to get away with a larger size.”
The designer swapped the original kitchen flooring for wood-look porcelain tile and outfitted the dining area with contemporary furniture in white and gold. But perhaps the most dramatic element in the kitchen makeover involved the cabinetry, the majority of which Wolf retained. She streamlined the look by removing fussy corbels on the island and above the cooktop, then replaced the existing ogee-edged countertops with sleeker, straight-edged quartz in white with subtle gray striations. A crisp coat of white paint freshens the perimeter cabinetry, while a deep gray hue on the island adds a shot of color to the neutral space.
The designer also preserved the millwork in the dining room. “The crown molding was one of the reasons the clients bought the house,” Wolf notes. While the homeowners liked the shape of the molding, they were less enamored of the way it had been embellished. “It was originally gold and stenciled. We simplified it, but we kept the form of the original crown intact.” Wolf also kept the thin strips of millwork that border the upper and lower wall, highlighting them with white paint for a cleaner, more contemporary look.
The original crown molding in the family room was saved also, but Wolf dramatically transformed the fireplace by removing an elaborately carved surround in favor of floor-to-ceiling tile. “We bumped out the wall, framed a new surround and clad it in porcelain tile in a chevron pattern.” The sleek new fireplace is now a focal point in a room where there are fewer metallic accents. “This is their casual room; so we didn’t go as luxe in here. It’s transitional but it’s not as jeweled.”
Though every room has a distinct design, the overall effect is cohesive. Wolf says, “We took a holistic approach. It makes sense visually. The house tells one story.”