8 min readKnocking on her new neighbors’ doors to tell them they may feel the earth shake for the next three days due to the dynamite she was having to set off into the ground wasn’t the way designer Lauren Stern imagined joining the Larchmont, New York, community, but such is life. After living in New York City for 23 years, Stern and her husband decided it was time to move to the suburbs, and the small town of Larchmont, known for its incredible community and walkability, was the most appealing spot. It was also, however, sitting on extremely rocky land, and to add the rear extension to their new home, dynamite was a necessary evil. Thankfully, everyone took the news very graciously.
Located 30 minutes outside the Big Apple, the town was perfect for the couple and their two young children, but the house they chose needed some upgrades. “Within a week of deciding to move, we had bought a sweet midcentury home on a spacious lot in a leafy part of town,” Stern tells House Beautiful. Built in the 1950s, her precious find was abundant with skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out into the lush yard. “The house was cute, but it lacked many modern amenities like a mudroom, a proper primary suite, a spacious dining room—things we absolutely wanted in our new home,” the designer adds.
To achieve everything they wanted, they needed to start with that extension. Many of the rooms now enriching the home didn’t exist before, like the sunken living room, the proper entryway, and the vibrant pantry. They extended the kitchen and formal dining room to accommodate family parties and finally entertain the way they’ve always wanted to. The primary suite, which was once in the attic, now resides in part of the extension with vaulted ceilings, a spacious custom closet, and a peachy ensuite. Each of her kids’ rooms also got a bathroom tacked on, making them the ideal spaces to grow into.
Every single decision revolved around the ethereal natural light that streams in through every window and skylight. None of the reconfigurations could block the light, and the added extension needed to amplify, not detract. “Natural light is the first thing I look for in any home, and this one has it in spades,” she explains. “The light is always shifting, and you genuinely feel it move through the rooms, which is what makes the house feel special to me.” They went with a more neutral color palette intentionally layered with rich materials, warm finishes, and pleasing textures to prioritize the sunshine and the view of their yard.
The scene outside became just as important as any paint color or wallpaper, so they splurged on landscaping, working with the team from Morano Group to take what was there and make it even more special. “Because the whole house is about the windows and the light, what you see through them matters just as much as what's inside,” Stern says. “Nearly every window looks out onto something lush and green, so that view becomes part of each room, and the inside and outside always feel connected.”
Throughout the 4,000-square-foot home, the lines between interior and exterior are blurred as the ever-shifting sunlight moves through each room. It’s the home Stern always wanted, one that could handle 40 people for Thanksgiving dinner and serve as the place her two kids will get to grow up in.
FAST FACTS
Designer: Lauren Stern of Lauren Stern Design
Stylist: Andrew Carter Thomas
Location: Larchmont, New York
The Space: A 4,000-square-foot 1950s midcentury home with 4 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms.
ENTRY & STAIRWELL
The warm tone of the house is set upon the first step inside.
Stern enclosed the entryway, making it a proper little vestibule so her family and their houseguests are able to arrive in a space of their own and take a pause before stepping into the rest of the home. It’s warm yet simple and filled with storied pieces they love.
“The rug is one my husband and I bought at a vineyard in Mendoza about twenty years ago, and it has been with us ever since. The bench is from Adam Bray, a London antiques dealer and interior designer whose eye I adore and whose collection I return to again and again for projects. And the vintage Greg Copeland mirror is really a piece of art, layers of cut paper set over the glass, which catches the light from the front door and gives the whole space a soft, reflective glow.”
The sculptural plaster staircase appears deeper into the residence and leads down to the mudroom, garage, a powder room, laundry room, and spacious den. Hard interior architecture is abundant throughout the space, so this served as the perfect design moment to add something softer.
LIVING ROOM
This space sits a few steps lower than the rest of the home.
Stern built off the existing garage to design their sunken living room, which opens right out to the yard. “Just beyond the doors are the fire pit and Adirondack chairs, so it functions as a true indoor/outdoor space,” she adds.
She leaned into the cozy, snug vibe and built a warm interior, literally and aesthetically. Across from the sectional is a wood-burning fireplace, and throughout the whole room are toasty radiant floors underfoot.
KITCHEN
A lack of upper cabinetry allows the sunlight to stream in, uninterrupted.
Stern fully gutted and expanded the kitchen, moving one of the dining room walls back to allow for more space for the island and an eat-in, windowed breakfast niche. “This kitchen is completely open to the main living areas of the house, so you really see it all the time, and I didn't want it to feel weighed down by upper cabinetry, which can read as dark or heavy,” she says. “I wanted it to feel like a natural part of the rest of the house.”
The shelf above the bronzy-brown Lacanche range (which set the palette of the entire space) helps to keep things airy and open, as do the inset flat cabinet doors. Due to the lack of upper cabinetry, Stern added more storage to both sides of the large island. A counter of this size could easily feel heavy in a room like this, but Stern kept it balanced with open space for stools.
Though the creamy marble countertops and the handmade irregularly shaped tiles from Tess Tile could both be considered works of art, Stern’s favorite trick is the refrigerator and pantry wall. “It's perfectly symmetrical, which makes me so happy, and because the pantry and the fridge are designed to match, you'd never guess one of those doors opens into a whole walk-in pantry,” she says. “People are always shocked when they pull it open and realize there's an entire room back there.”
Because of the small, awkward shape of this dining niche, everything had to be made to measure. Stern worked closely with Stitchroom in Brooklyn to design a custom curved banquette, then added a perfectly proportioned oblong marble café table to create a cozy and comfortable nook. “The shape [of the bench] is soft and curvy, and the returns aren't quite full seats, but they're just right for the kids to pile onto,” she says.
Everything had to fit underneath the window—an addition from a previous owner—which looks out to the side yard, making the area feel bright and connected to the outdoors. “In the end, it all came together so naturally that it feels like it was always meant to be here,” the designer adds, explaining that they use it constantly. “At the moment, it's home base for a very ambitious piranha diorama we've been building for days.”
PANTRY
Open up for an unexpected jolt of color.
Nearly neon-yellow shelves greet whoever’s looking into the pantry, which used to be an exterior access closet that held HVAC equipment. “Since the rest of the house lives in such calm, warm neutrals, it's a treat to open an everyday closet and find an unexpected jolt of something bright and joyful inside,” Stern explains.
She’s adored this sunshiny hue—Yellowcake by Farrow & Ball—for ages and was ecstatic when she finally got to use it. It’s like a happy surprise for anyone rummaging around for snacks.
DINING ROOM
A neutral backdrop lets dinner guests and colorful dishes shine.
This dining room was built with large gatherings in mind. Bentwood dining chairs and a long oak table from Belgium make it the perfect spot to host a meal, like a 40-person Thanksgiving dinner. “We host families for brunch all the time too, and everyone always arrives with beautiful, colorful food, so I love keeping the backdrop relatively neutral and calm,” Stern says. She kept the furnishings clean and pared back to stay true to the minimalist architecture found throughout the rest of the home, resulting in a calm, easy place to sit and stay a while.
She’s loved this Nobilis wallpaper for years, trying multiple times to use it in other projects that never quite came together, so finally bringing it inside her home felt like a little victory. “It really makes the room. Just outside is a lush, green yard with landscaping we adore, and carrying that leafy, garden feeling inside makes the whole space come alive.”
PRIMARY SUITE
Terracotta paint softens the scale of the vaulted ceiling.
“I was on the fence about doing a vaulted ceiling here, since every other ceiling in the house sits at a lower, mid-century height, but our architect talked me into it,” she explains. To keep it from feeling cavernous, Stern chose to paint the ceiling in a warm terracotta, casting the room in a cozy glow.
A simple light fixture wouldn’t cut it in a room like this, so she went with an oversized paper pendant by UK-based artist Colin Chetwood. It’s made entirely by hand and only enhances the warmth from the paint color.
POWDER ROOM
Iridescent shadows dance behind the mirror.
Dark chocolate walls wrap the powder room, creating a rich and elevated escape. Stern had a lot of fun designing the small, hardworking spaces around the house with little opportunities for color, and the shimmer mirror here reflects that. It casts iridescent shadows on the walls, while the concrete sink and brass sconces and fixtures bring the room back down to earth. The trimless cherry door with unlacquered brass hardware here is a theme throughout the house, and Stern especially loves how the warm wood pops against the dark, moody walls.
PRIMARY BATHROOM
Textured walls bring richness and warmth.
The marble slabs used in this primary ensuite were purchased very early in the renovation process, and Stern had a brief moment of panic, thinking that she’d accidentally committed her husband and herself to a pink bathroom. Thankfully, when paired with the other neutral tones, it simply feels warm and subtle.
“I just thought the slabs themselves were so beautiful and unusual,” she says. “I loved that I hadn't seen them everywhere, because when you look at design photos all day long, you start to crave something a little different.”
About the Designer
Lauren Stern is an interior designer with degrees from both The New York School of Interior Design and Boston University. Alongside her team at Lauren Stern Design, she creates thoughtful interiors rooted in collaboration with her clients. She offers comprehensive and à la carte design services and takes on projects across the country.
