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“We wanted to create barefoot luxury, a sleek mix of sophistication, beauty and comfort,” says Kenneth Byrd, who designed this home’s interiors and returned to decorate for the holidays. The custom wallpaper is from a Swedish mural company. The chandelier is from Hudson Valley, the chairs and cocktail table are from Bernhardt, and the sofa is from Vanguard Furniture. The accent table, brass mirror and floor lamps are from Arteriors. The rug is from Rug Company, and the bar cart is an antique.
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“This is the first room you see when you enter the home; we wanted it to make a bold statement,” Byrd says of the sitting room. The ceiling is papered in a custom mural from Sweden. The chandelier is from Arteriors, and the lamps are from Visual Comfort. The chairs are from Four Hands, the sofa is from Bernhardt, the coffee table is from Chairish, and the drapes are a Kelly Wearstler fabric from Kravet. The accessories are a mix of antique and modern.
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The Christmas tree and garlands are adorned in neutral and brass ornaments to complement the design of the room, Byrd says. The plaster chandelier is by Hudson Valley, the dining chairs are from Bernhardt, and the drapes are in a Schumacher fabric.
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Cherished family photos are displayed on an ever-growing gallery wall. “We started the grouping on the staircase landing with the intention of adding to it as time goes by,” Byrd says. He hung the garland at the base of the balusters for a more casual feel.
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The homeowner uses this space as a multipurpose creative area, gift wrap station and office. The mirror is from Global Views, the rug is from Stark, the ostrich feather chandelier is from Regina Andrew, and the craft table is from Parker House.
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Home on winter break from Virginia Tech, the homeowners’ daughter, Megan, helps decorate gingerbread houses.
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The homeowners give each other a special ornament for Christmas every year, Byrd says; their collection adorns the tree in their bedroom. The upholstered chairs are from Caracole Couture, the ottomans are from Bernhardt, and the wallpaper is from Kravet. The floor lamp is from Visual Comfort, and the chandelier is from Arteriors.
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A romantic, feminine bedroom in a French provincial style was created for the homeowners’ daughter. The window and wall coverings are from Kravet, the chandelier is from Regina Andrews, and the upholstered pieces are Bernhardt. The rug is from Surya, and the mirror and chest are antiques. Byrd used loads of tinsel on the tree to create a glamorous flourish.
“Everything is a conversation piece,” says Kenneth Byrd of the interiors he designed in this Monument Avenue home. “There are little Easter eggs, surprises that keep things interesting.”
In the front sitting room, a wallpaper mural on the ceiling and statement chandelier draw the eye upward while setting the tone for the dark grey walls and Carrara marble fireplace. Monochromatic built-in bookshelves are styled with artwork and objects in gold, white and natural wood. A dark, low-profile coffee table sits between soft, beige chairs layered with textiles and animal-print pillows.
The result is warm and inviting — perfect for homeowners who regularly host Bible studies and other gatherings.
The moody space also stands in stark contrast to the rest of the home, where creamy whites; natural woods, marble and metallics; and soft textures channel Kelly Wearstler’s California-cool aesthetic.
“I really wanted to strike a balance and create something that felt current while also celebrating the historic architecture of the house,” says Byrd, owner of Kenneth Byrd Design. “It’s traditional and modern with a little bit of whimsy, a little bit of glam, but warm and inviting at the same time.”
Byrd says the home, like many on Monument Avenue, has a natural grandeur that offered a gorgeous blank slate, appointed with beautiful molding and new hardwood floors in a herringbone pattern.
Still, Byrd wanted to “pump up the volume” with a bold yet elegant and refined statement. This is evident in the dining room, where he covered the soaring 12-foot ceiling in textured wallpaper to create a “wow” factor and a foundation for the rest of the design.
Too often, he says, modern design — with its gleaming white and sharp, clean lines — can feel cold. To add warmth to the monochromatic spaces, he incorporated a variety of textures to create a tactile experience.
Furniture and textiles also struck a balance between old and new with timeless designs in updated silhouettes.
“In the dining room, the chairs have classical, round backs, but the table is streamlined,” Byrd says. “For the family room walls, we started with a traditional chinoiserie pattern but blew it up and changed the color to a sepia tone. Everything is contemporary, it’s for today’s living, it’s taking old things and making them new again.”
It’s about creating a festive mood, a lively atmosphere that conjures up happiness.
—Kenneth Byrd
While decorating the home, Byrd and the homeowners discovered a mutual affinity for all things Christmas, and Byrd was invited to return and adorn the house for the holidays.
Byrd approaches Christmas decorations as an extension of a home’s existing design. He sought to maintain the same subdued color palette with elements of off-white and mixed metals — again aiming for a textural, tactile vibe. He accented marble and white fireplaces with garlands of evergreen, gold and silver ornaments, sprigs of dried flowers, and twisted gold ribbon.
“I wanted to add sparkle here and there,” he says. “It’s about creating a festive mood, a lively atmosphere that conjures up happiness.”
Pops of red come in the form of poinsettias, vintage vases and accessories, and a sitting room tree — but Byrd is careful not to lean into the stereotypical yuletide color scheme.
“Christmas, of course, is special, but I don’t think you need to bring in all of the red and green to celebrate,” he says. “It can be done in a way that complements your decor and still feels festive — and it really does come down to that color palette.”
Decorating with style doesn’t mean sacrificing the personal touches that serve as reminders of holidays past. In this case, the homeowners have an annual tradition of giving each other an ornament that honors their accomplishments, travels and other memories from the year gone by. After nearly four decades, the couple have accumulated a collection that could be a disorganized jumble, but with Byrd’s help it becomes yet another point of interest.
“When you have multiples of anything, I’m all for saying, ‘The more the merrier,’” Byrd says. “If you have a hodgepodge or ornaments you’ve collected as a family over the years, maybe you have a special tree in one room and a more formal tree that works with the color palette in another room.
“When you have a collection like that, it needs to be corralled together instead of spread throughout the house. Go maximalist, overdo it, mix the old and the new, and show your collection in an interesting way that creates a conversation piece.”
