JEWEL BOX

This 1980s townhome has been transformed into an art-filled space that’s perfect for entertaining.

A custom hand-painted feature wall by Phillip Bland is a standout focal point of this living room. Lots of luxe lounge seating was added for parties and entertaining with friends, all pointed toward the crystal “fire and ice” gas fireplace. Organic sculptural lighting adds a modern, feminine flair and sets the mood for evening chats by the fire. The original art on metal in the foreground is by Suzann Kaltbaum.

When you’re an accomplished interior designer, one project often leads to another. That was the case for Beth Krupa, principal of Beth Krupa Interiors of Greenwich, Connecticut, whose home renovation for one satisfied client led to a referral to the client’s mother.

With its long banquette seating and swiveling tub chairs, the dining room has the feeling of a private lounge. In the custom artwork by photographer Wink Gaines, the jockey silks were custom-colored to match the owner’s own racehorse silks.

“Her mother already had homes in Manhattan and Saratoga Springs, New York, where she races and rescues thoroughbred race horses,” explains Krupa. “This home, her third, was a pandemic purchase, made so she could be close to her daughter, son-in-law and new grandbaby.”

In the dining room, this home’s main party space, a bar-like console with stools provides extra seating. The compact kitchen is outfitted with a high-top table and banquette seating, complete with a brass bar rail, enticing guests to linger.

An upstairs bedroom makes great use of space with a cocoon-like sleeping nook. Note how designer Beth Krupa extended the custom upholstered headboard wall to wall.

Krupa’s new canvas was a vintage 1980s townhome just off the Post Road in Westport. It was a “builder special” in its day, with sloping ceilings, awkward soffits and loft-like bedrooms—not exactly an architectural masterpiece. But space is space, and under Krupa’s skillful hand, the small home was transformed into a jewel box.

“The dining room design was very much inspired by the homeowner’s equine passions and desire to entertain,” says Krupa, who made the room into a lounge-like party space, furnished with a long custom banquette, tub chairs and a bar-like console with stools as extra seating. Wink Gaines, the wildlife photographer, captures the essence of the room with a high-energy racehorse image printed in HD on aluminum metal. The jockey silks of the winning horse in the artwork were custom colored to match the owner’s own racehorse silks, making this print not only personal, but also one-of-a-kind.

A symmetrical arrangement of club chairs and throws with a bold Greek key pattern creates the feel of vacation-like retreat in the main bedroom.

“The dining room design was very much inspired by the homeowner’s equine passions and desire to entertain,” says Krupa, who made the room into a lounge-like party space, furnished with a long custom banquette, tub chairs and a bar-like console with stools as extra seating. Wink Gaines, the wildlife photographer, captures the essence of the room with a high-energy racehorse image printed in HD on aluminum metal. The jockey silks of the winning horse in the artwork were custom colored to match the owner’s own racehorse silks, making this print not only personal, but also one-of-a-kind.

A symmetrical arrangement of club chairs and throws with a bold Greek key pattern creates the feel of vacation-like retreat in the main bedroom.

Even the compact kitchen was fashioned into an enticing room for lingering with friends, with a high-top table, a comfy banquette anchored by a brass bar rail and stylish patinated brass stools. The inspiration for the main bedroom came from the owner’s desire to feel like she was on a vacation-like retreat when she entered the room after a long day. “To create that vibe,” explains Krupa, “we layered coconut shell panels onto the 16-foot-high pitched ceiling, adding instant warmth, and used her favorite muted color palette to create a soothing and relaxing ambience.” Dual acrylic custom upholstered accent benches at the footboard create extra seating, while allowing light to pass through, producing a warm and airy effect. A careful mix of textiles and textures softens the space and adds just the right feminine touch.

As part of her quest to eliminate the “’80s angles” from the vintage 1980 townhome, the designer installed coconut shell panels on the sloped ceiling. The original oil on canvas is by Liz Leggett.