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Hillery aimed to keep her office design neutral and welcoming to her clients, but she couldn’t resist small bits of flair like a feathery light fixture.
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Hillery’s living room encapsulates her luxe yet lived-in vibe. Plush ottomans, gilded floating frames on the mantel and a practical seagrass rug all look and feel at home together. Design details in varying shades of blue offset the white walls and paneled fireplace, tying the room together.
Interior designer Sara Hillery spent her formative years in Richmond, and, after a successful career start in Houston, she made the move back in 2014 with a young family in tow. On her list of nonnegotiables during the home search: office space for her blossoming business and the ability to showcase her design ideas and ethos to inspire her clients.
Their Dutch Colonial home was comprised of boxy rooms when Hillery and her husband, Julian, purchased it, but she immediately saw its potential as a multifunctional place for work and play. First up: removing walls throughout the main floor to open the home and make the spaces feel larger and more fluid.
“We painted the walls white throughout the house, which is a favorite trick for creating a unified flow between rooms,” Hillery says. The white surfaces also serve as a ready canvas for showcasing the family’s eclectic assortment of paintings, mirrors, framed collections and prints.
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The Dutch Colonial’s ample grounds include expansive yards in front and back, a fishpond, and plenty of places to play hide-and-seek.
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The family room’s cooking fireplace is functional and even features a built-in kettle.
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A gold-accented campaign-style desk received a second life after one of Hillery’s clients wanted to throw it away. Hillery happily refinished it, and it now serves as a bar for parties. The map of New Orleans on the wall dates from 1930 and is a nod to her husband’s family roots.
Hillery and her family aren’t the only ones who benefit from a more open floor plan. “One of the main reasons we bought this home was that we knew it would be a great place to entertain,” Hillery shares. The Hillerys have made good use of the space, including hosting annual crawfish boils in honor of Julian’s New Orleans roots.
The kitchen, which Hillery calls “the heart of our home,” received extra love and attention during the renovation process. She equipped the room with an island and bar stools so that family and guests would have a natural place to congregate as they snacked and sipped. The light-filled breakfast nook is a sweet place for the family’s first meal of the day or for guests to sit down for a chat.
Another popular gathering spot is the family room, which showcases a cooking fireplace that was modeled after an original in a tavern in Williamsburg. Hillery says, “With such a unique feature, we wanted to keep the room’s color palette simple, with warm browns and tans and gold accents.” Two plush sofas that face each other get plenty of visitors during parties and become ideal landing pads to stretch out with a good book and a glass of wine at the end of the day.
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Hillery chose marble for kitchen countertops both for its unparalleled quality and for the way that the acquired stains and markings will tell stories of her family’s lives as it ages.
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Ghost chairs are a natural choice, making the breakfast nook even brighter and more airy. Used multiple times every day, this is also a favorite spot to keep an eye on backyard goings-on.
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The versatile dining room table can be converted into multiple shapes and sizes, making it ideal for accommodating parties of every size. The Louis XVI chairs are one of the few items in the house that haven’t received a facelift; Hillery loves them just as she purchased them. The mirrored window adds more light and the illusion of even more space to the room.
One of Hillery’s design philosophies is, “If you truly love a piece, you’ll find a place for it.” She put this maxim to work in the dining room with French antique mirrored windows acquired during an excursion to Round Top, the renowned antiques fair in Texas. After tearing out the dining room trim and building in column niches to highlight the treasured pieces, the windows have become one of the most remarked-upon elements in the home.
The second floor was also transformed under Hillery’s considerate eye. For the master bedroom, she kept the space calm and neutral, an oasis from the family’s hectic daily lives. Pops of yellow with hints of gold add sunshine and personality.
With three kids ages 6 and under, Hillery aspired to create bedrooms that reflect her children’s personalities as they grow and change, yet maintain the classic style that resonates throughout the house.
For the nursery, Hillery says, “We kept the color scheme neutral so that it could work for either gender.” A rustic changing table, a gold mirror and soft, subtle colors echo similar design elements in other parts of the house and make the space more chic, less kid-kitsch. She says with a laugh, “Toys, even plastic ones, are less of an eyesore when the rest of the decor is simple and classic.”
Hillery’s older, blue-loving son sleeps and plays in a room with plenty of natural light, rich wood paneling and a durable wood floor that can stand up to his active and enthusiastic nature (with the addition of a nubby neutral rug providing a little extra padding). A trunk at the foot of the bed serves as a place to stash baseball gear, while her son’s guitar is always within reach.
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The room for Hillery’s eldest child features the designer’s signature style of mixing the old with the new. Ikea light fixtures and storage units are completely in harmony with a bed set that belonged to Hillery as a child and a favorite Hermes scarf, now framed as art.
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Warm, rich wood-paneled walls are a defining characteristic of the room Hillery’s middle child occupies. Pale bedding and carpeting with accents of blue and green keep the space kid-friendly.
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The serene nursery for Hillery’s youngest (as well as for his sweet stuffed-animal giraffe pal) looks like a dream, with soft and neutral colors, cozy blankets and billowy drapes.
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Ever the lover of antiques and the stories they hold, Hillery fell for this early 1900s dresser at an estate sale when she opened it and realized that previous owners had kept a running record of those from whom they purchased the chest.
A color scheme of pink with splashes of purple and blue fit the bill for Hillery’s eldest daughter, who was thrilled to help with the decorating process: She proudly picked the lamp atop her painted dresser.
Somewhat surprising staples throughout the family’s home are the antiques sprinkled among the new and upcycled pieces. “Antiques are often already banged and beat up so they can blend in and add character,” Hillery says. “And having them around is a casual way to make kids aware of beauty and history.” Other kid-friendly accents: durable seagrass rugs that can withstand three children and a dog, as well as art that is playful and approachable, such as framed pages from a vintage children’s book.
The home’s lower level includes a playroom and the Sara Hillery Interior Design office. While having work and family so close together might seem like a recipe for distraction, Hillery reasons, “I have small children, and design is a time-intense career. I can put in hours of work after the kids go to bed. Having our office here is also a plus for clients; they can see how our ideas and aesthetics work in real spaces instead of a photo. Since we specialize in residential design, it’s fitting to invite clients into our personal space. They can understand how we live our life.”
