A Fresh, Bright and Classic Home in Modern Traditional Style

A family haven breathes calm in a harmonious blend of materials and style

“A blend of natural textures and materials in the foyer sets the tone for the home’s entire interior,” designer Ellie Mroz says.

A classic new build in Morris County proved to be the perfect setting for an active family with two young boys. They purchased the house when it was nearly complete but were able to select the cabinetry and other main finishes for the kitchen, making the space their own. Later, the couple enlisted Ellie Mroz, principal designer of Ellie Mroz Design in Westfield (EMD), to fully furnish the interior of the 6,000-plus-square-foot home.

“We wanted the dining room to be a showstopper” that works equally well for formal occasions or casual dinners with family and friends, Mroz says. With the ethereal mural wallpaper as a backdrop, “guests tend to get lost in it,” the homeowner adds. “We love it.”

“The goal was to design a fresh, bright and classic home featuring high-end, durable furnishings that would be functional for a young family while also giving the new construction a polished, lived-in feel, Mroz explains. “Our client was very much in line with EMD’s Modern Traditional style, which blends the warmth and familiarity of traditional elements with modern functionality and fresh, clean lines,” Mroz says.

The living room exudes a collected vibe, featuring a mix of clean-lined furnishings, traditionally styled tufted leather chairs with a contemporary twist, and an array of textures. Large-scale modern artwork unifies the room’s peaceful palette.

The wife, a Northern California native, has a strong affinity for natural materials, organic influences and a calming, earthy palette that aligns seamlessly with Mroz’s design approach. “I often gravitate toward modern or clean lines,” she says. Her husband, who hails from the East Coast, prefers a more traditional aesthetic. This blend creates what she calls the “perfect balance”: a timeless, livable and inviting modern feel.

The kitchen’s wicker and rattan dining chairs feature Crypton® performance fabric cushions, while the stools at the island are slipcovered in wipeable leather, both stylish and practical choices for a young family. The textured chandelier showcases hand-sewn wood and coco beads.

The foyer’s mix of natural materials — a concrete table, woven leather chandelier and natural fiber rug, for instance, “keeps the tone organic and collected,” Mroz says. “Given the open nature of the entry, living room and dining room, it was really important that all the spaces were cohesive,” with a serene, earthy palette that evokes elements of land and sky.

Shades of gray, soft whites and strokes of blue — combined with a varied mix of textures — establish a rhythm and a sense of calm from room to room. In the dining room, an ethereal mural of a pastoral landscape paired with “sky-like drapes” and a blue grass-cloth buffet creates a “serene, fresh and refined space where guests can be transported and will want to stay for a while,” Mroz says. Working equally well for a formal occasion or a casual dinner with friends or family, “It’s a beautiful place to dine that brings both the boldness and serenity of nature indoors,” the homeowner adds.

The open-concept family room is characterized by chic yet family-friendly materials and fabrics. A low-profile plaid-covered ottoman with leather-strap detailing “checked off all the boxes” for style and function, the homeowner says. Additionally, the upholstery and natural fiber rug have been treated with Fiber-Seal,® a specialized fabric care service that alleviates concerns about spots and spills.

Visible from the foyer, the living room takes on a collected feel that fuses clean-lined pieces with traditional-inspired furnishings and accents updated with a contemporary twist. According to Mroz, large-scale modern artwork “brings it all together,” serving up the “same dramatic impact as wallpaper without competing with the dining room’s muralpaper.” For the homeowner, this room is a dedicated no-kids zone — a clean, quiet, peaceful space to read or enjoy a cup of tea.

In contrast, the clients and their crew spend most of their time in the open-concept kitchen and family room, Mroz says. To accommodate this, the space features durable fabrics, a plaid-upholstered put-up-your-feet ottoman for movie nights and sheer curtains that can be drawn for privacy while still allowing natural light to filter through. A console designed by EMD, located behind the sectional can be used for games, puzzles, snacks, homework or working on a laptop, “making this room super functional for the whole family,” Mroz says.

The home office, located off the kitchen and near the mudroom, features a rich, saturated palette that sets it apart from adjacent spaces. “We incorporated the husband’s love for vintage planes into the artwork,” Mroz says, adding that the wool area rug continues the use of plaid in fresh new ways.

The use of plaid patterns extends beyond the ottoman, weaving a cohesive story throughout the home. “We love the use of plaid in fresh new ways,” Mroz says, noting its appearances as an accent in various spaces, including the wool rug in the home office, throw pillows in the living room, and the wallpaper in the older son’s bedroom. Not only is it a pattern the homeowner is drawn to, “it falls right in line with our Modern Traditional aesthetic,” Mroz says. “It’s certainly not the ‘old school’ plaid of years ago, but still a classic, timeless pattern.”

The nursery was designed to grow with the baby, featuring a blend of timeless pieces such as a plush rug, custom window treatments and the Phillip Jeffries herringbone vinyl wallpaper, which is “very durable for sticky baby fingers,” Mroz says. Other whimsical, age-appropriate accents can be switched out as the child grows.

Designed for longevity, the young boy’s bedroom combines classic foundation pieces with timeless patterns and materials like plaid and burl: a combination that “unexpectedly works well to create a playful yet sophisticated space,” Mroz says.

The boy’s bedroom was also designed for longevity. While plaid and burl may not be typical choices for a young child’s room, Mroz says, they “unexpectedly create a playful yet sophisticated space” that appeals to a wide age range, from 2 to 22 and beyond. This design philosophy continues in the nursery, where classic elements such as blue vinyl herringbone-patterned wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries, custom window treatments and a plush rug create a timeless foundation that will grow with the child. “We also source high/low elements when a space calls for it,” Mroz adds, highlighting whimsical accents such as the bunny artwork and the ottoman that are “fleetingly age-appropriate and don’t require significant investments.”

The primary bedroom’s serene, earthy palette and mix of textures create a “calming aura,” the homeowner says. “The late afternoon sunlight transforms the room into an enchanting space.” Double-layer curtains — one for privacy and another for room darkening — along with a super cozy wool rug, thoughtfully chosen bedding and pillows, and an incredible coco-bead chandelier enhance the setting, Mroz adds.

Beyond the design principles that influenced the children’s spaces, the primary bedroom emerged as a key reflection of the home’s overall aesthetic. This large open space, bathed in natural light, was a “dream to design,” the designer says. “We continued the palette of the living and dining rooms, making this a soothing retreat complete with ample sitting and storage space.” Varied textures — linen, velvet and a coco-bead chandelier — contribute to the collected, elegant aesthetic.
With the house now feeling complete, the homeowner expresses, “We are so happy with how everything turned out. Ellie exceeded our expectations, and everyone on her team was a joy to work with,” adding that the calming, light and airy feel of the home leaves people feeling rejuvenated. “Life can be hectic…this is a nice place to come home to and regain a sense of balance and tranquility.”

The finished basement includes a craft room designed for the children and their friends, featuring high and low design elements. “Wall decals create fun, affordable and changeable wall art, while the magnetic wallpaper allows the kids to be the stars of their home gallery, easily rotating their exhibits,” Mroz says. Additionally, “an extra-long table with solid steel legs provides 120 inches of easily cleanable creative space.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally appeared in the April/May 2025 issue of Design NJ under the headline “Serenity Calls.”

For more homes featuring updated traditional style, see “History Revisited,”  “Designers Blend Modern Efficiency and Timeless Charm” and “Building a Home With Modern Colonial Flair.”