6 min readThe first thing that catches your eye in this Fair Haven, New Jersey, home isn't the butter-yellow kitchen, the blush sectional, or even the ruby red chandelier drawing eyes over the dining table. It’s the whimsy. Every room seems to know exactly what it wants to be, effortlessly introducing a new color, a new texture, or a new surprise without ever feeling disconnected from the greater good. Walking from space to space conveys a sense of playfulness and ease, a feeling that belies just how much work it took to get here.
When the homeowners—a family of five with three young children and two dogs—left behind years of apartment living in Hoboken, they found the extra square footage they had been craving in a 3,400-square-foot ranch set just a few miles from the beach. While the home boasted generous proportions and solid bones, decades of dated finishes had obscured its midcentury roots. “The homeowners wanted it to feel modern and colorful, with clean lines and less fuss,” say Robin Heller and Jen Levy, co-principals of Surrounded by Color. Before they added a single playful flourish, they started by taking things away: ornate trim disappeared, interior columns came down, flooring was replaced, and a new glass front door ushered sunlight into every corner.
Strategically dialing back the architecture made the perfect backdrop for what came next: a joyful layering of color, texture, and unexpected details. A sunny kitchen, wrapped in whimsical scalloped tile, became the heart of the home. The dining room was washed in layered blues and anchored by a sculptural red chandelier. Entire rooms were color-drenched—from a cornflower-blue office to children's bedrooms with contrasting neon trim—creating spaces that feel immersive without ever becoming overwhelming. “The best thing about this house is how much it represents our clients,” the designers say. “It's 100 percent their taste and their personalities, full of surprises and unexpected combinations. It’s casual with fine touches, and it carries that juxtaposition with grace.”
For Heller and Levy, the project marked another milestone, too: their first full-house renovation. “The project came with the weight of, ‘This is our chance,’” they recall. Instead of allowing the moment to undermine their confidence, they channeled the extra pressure into thoughtfulness throughout, creating a house that feels wonderfully lived-in and a true representation of the lively family that calls it home.
FAST FACTS
Designer: Robin Heller and Jen Levy, co-principals of Surrounded by Color
Styling: Julia Stevens
Location: Fair Haven, New Jersey
The Space: A four-bedroom, three-bathroom home across 3,400 square feet
KITCHEN
Buttery yellow paint makes the space glow from within.
To create a functional cookspace for a family that loves to cook, Heller and Levy focused on fitting in ample cabinetry while maintaining clean lines and an open feel. “I love how the hardware on the cabinets disappears versus being a design feature,” says Levy. “I’m always craving moments that are a bit quieter and more traditional.” A scalloped Tiles of Ezra backsplash is echoed across the room in the breakfast nook, on the apron of the custom Waka Waka table.
DINING ROOM
Color drenching creates a moody, inviting atmosphere.
In the dining room, the curtains acted as a jumping-off point for the design, says Levy, noting that the homeowners wanted a spot that was versatile enough to host a dimly lit dinner party as well as a bright, sunny Sunday brunch. “We chose a combination of blue paints to wash the walls and ceiling and anchored it with the most stunning red chandelier,” adds Heller. “We kept it playful with multiple colors of dining chairs and one of our favorite fabrics for the window wall.”
LIVING ROOM
A cozy sectional begets family movie nights.
“With such an open concept space between the living room and the kitchen, we wanted everything to have the same colorful tonality, so we played around with these lighter colors drawn out of the kitchen design,” explains Heller. The duo started with a jumbo pink fur sectional from Sixpenny, pairing it with multiple mismatched seating options to create enough room for the family to sit around and do legos or puzzles on the coffee table. The standout art from Paul Ferney, which depicts a nighttime pool scene, was a nod to the homeowner’s daydreams of swimming in their new backyard oasis.
“I think they had always dreamed of late nights in their own pool after so many years in the city, so this was a real ‘dream come true’ moment for them,” says Levy. “Finding art that's also personal and meaningful is a tough part of our jobs but a journey we really love.”
POWDER ROOM
A slim tile backsplash adds function and a fun pop of color.
The only powder room in the house, Heller and Levy wanted this space to be functional and beautiful. “We called in our most favorite pedestal sink from the UK company Water Monopoly, and keeping with the British moment, installed just a mini backsplash with just six tiles,” adds Heller.
ENTRY
Funky silhouettes modernize original floor tile.
Clad in the home’s original floor tile, the entryway got a glowup via a new front door that flooded the space with light. “They just don’t make flooring like this anymore,” adds Levy. “I’m not sure it's something we would have originally picked, but we fell in love with it after our first visit, and now it really shines.”
MUDROOM
Strategic renovations allowed for more family-friendly functionality.
To carve out a functional “mudroom” area, the designers pushed through a wall in the living room to gain enough depth for this cubby hallway. “With three kids, the family needed space for backpacks, shoes, jackets, all the things,” explains Heller. “We love how this space also invokes the color of the house and plays into their storage needs, with shoe storage below, bin storage above, and tall closet storage to the right.”
SON’S BEDROOM
Punchy colors encourage a child-like sense of wonder.
To create a magical escape for the family’s eldest son, the pair took direction from him (a blue palette and plenty of room for his stuffies) and ran with it. “We paired this bright blue with shades of brown for a room that he can love as a little guy and grow into,” says Heller. “Our favorite touches are the oversized ceiling light and the custom window coverings in a perfectly boyish fabric by Beata Heuman. The Ouef bed has a bench at the base, and the IKEA nightstand also acts as a stool, so his siblings can sneak in for hang time.”
KIDS’ BATHROOM
A clean and crisp palette is energized through pops of red.
Shared by the family’s three children, the kids’ bathroom toes the line between modern and retro. “I think the hanging pendants are my favorite detail here,” says Levy. “They were inexpensive, but their application was really playful.”
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Sleek furniture sets the stage for no-frills relaxation.
No room was off-limits when it came to the playfulness brief, so the pair didn’t skimp on whimsy in the primary bedroom. Because the homeowners had spent years in a snug apartment, making this room feel spacious and inviting was a key priority. “They had spent years crammed for storage, using nightstands for socks and underwear, so we intentionally chose these cheeky Billy Cotton [for West Elm] nightstands with the most diminutive, adorable drawer,” says Heller.
PRIMARY BATHROOM
Square zellige tiles combine to form a classic checkerboard pattern.
“The homeowners have long-term plans of adding an addition with a full primary suite, so we kept in mind that this might one day become their daughter’s bathroom, and being budget-conscious where we could was important,” explains Levy. “We made sure to keep the original layout and just reskin the space—it honestly really works for both now and later.”
About the Designer
Robin Heller and Jen Levy launched Surrounded By Color in 2022 with the goal of taking whimsical, vibrant ideas and turning them into cozy, livable spaces that make people happy. They love designing for families who want their spaces to feel full of life, comfortable, and approachable, while exuding uniqueness and thoughtful design. Their design mission is simple: to make the experience fun. Renovations and redesigns can be stressful in many ways, but we keep it light, exciting, and never too precious.
