“We often have cousins over for sleepovers and playdates and we love to host family gatherings. It’s a life full of shoes, coats, toys, sports equipment, instruments, and more. It’s lots of fun but it’s hard work to coordinate,” says Takeesha. Designing around a family that likes to dial up the fun meant that the interior had to be spaced out and decidedly toddler-proof. “Abigail would come over and see how we lived and then assess each new piece as it arrived, to figure out how it would fit into the space.” In a bid to create free space for the kids, Abigail pared the furniture down to a bare minimum, while using prints, plants, and patterns to fill in the gaps.
At the same time, Abigail was keen to preserve the home’s prewar past. The original parquet flooring was polished up, while the trim and moldings were restored to their former glory. “I’m not a fan of red, but when we were choosing the sofa, Takeesha and Alex were particularly drawn to a paprika fabric that I had,” reflects Abigail, adding that she soon came to realize that a deep tone might not be such a bad thing. Besides the choice of color, the sofa presented another conundrum: it needed to be large enough to fill the sprawling living room, but contained enough to leave room for free play. Luckily, Abigail sourced a 12-foot-long sectional sofa from Room & Board that fit just right. “It’s now my favorite part!” she muses.