Designers Carla Zinman and Anna Sarly have always been in sync—even before they knew each other. They first crossed paths at a mommy-and-me swim class in Tribeca but really connected when they found themselves living in the same building on the Upper West Side a few years later. They had a lot in common: Same address, daughters the same age, dogs the same breed, and matching degrees from Parsons School of Design. “We had all these funny similarities,” says Sarly. “We just hit it off.” Though they had no plans to work together at that point, “we were always talking about design on the side.”
Years later, both women had left the city; Sarly for Westport, Connecticut, and Zinman for Westchester, where her soon-to-be clients spotted Zinman’s new house while touring the area with their real estate agent and loved the look of it. They tracked down the designer through her builder and hired Round Hill Design, Zinman’s newly launched firm, to transform their stately English manor home in Westchester into a warm and cozy space for their family of four, with lots of room for formal entertaining, as well.
With a project this size, Zinman thought she could use a partner. “The first person I thought of collaborating with was Anna,” she says, and since Anna Sarly Design was just getting up and running, their timing was once again aligned. Sarly’s incredible sense of color and textiles complements Zinman’s fearless, meticulous approach to millwork and construction, and with their combined firsthand knowledge of designing beautiful spaces that also function for family life, they were the perfect pair for the project.
The Heart of the Home
The kitchen received a refresh with new paint, updated solid brass hardware on the cabinets, and a total lighting overhaul. Modern sconces illuminate the farmhouse sink and under-cabinet lighting makes it a little easier to sneak a midnight snack. Every pot, pan, and knife now has its own dedicated spot in a custom-built island with thoughtful storage spaces for cooking and dining essentials, and a lowered ceiling covers up formerly exposed beams to give the space a cleaner, fresher look. On the previous page, the breakfast nook is the perfect place for everyday meals. The designers created the space by treating an exterior door as a floor-to-ceiling window, and custom-designing a bench and white oak dining table to fit. The bench’s tapered legs allow more light to filter into the room, and its leather straps secure cushions covered in durable outdoor fabric that can be wiped down after snacks and spills. The custom white-oak dining table is a sturdy and playful piece with a curved detail on the tabletop and fun popsicle-shaped legs. Lightened floors throughout the house give the spaces a brighter, more youthful feel.
Sitting Pretty
Just off the family room is the grand dining space, which visitors can glimpse through an arched window in the home’s entry. The designers filled out the room’s dramatic architecture with just the right pieces and thoughtful space planning. A generous dining table and chairs look just as lovely from afar as they do at dinner, and floor-to-ceiling linen drapes frame the French doors and emphasize the room’s height while bringing softness and warmth to a large-scale space. A curated vignette atop the antique cabinet, which serves as the bar, pulls the colors of the home together with vivid oxidized copper candlesticks in red, coral, and green.
Sleeping Beauty
A dark, gray, teenage boy’s room was transformed into a bright and whimsical space for the homeowners’ 4-year-old daughter. The happy hideout’s boho bed is centered in front of a mural wallpaper by French company Bien Fait, and the walls are painted in a soothing shade of peach. “It’s hard to get the right pink,” says Sarly, but Whispering Peach by Benjamin Moore hits the perfect note. Whimsical bedding from Roller Rabbit sheets and a John Robshaw throw complete the look.
Family Time
Zinman and Sarly opened up the layout in the more casual spaces by converting the original dining room into the family room and connecting it to the kitchen with a new curved doorway inspired by the arched architecture in the entry. A custom shelving piece by Round Hill Design gives the gang all the storage space they need for coloring books, puzzles, and games, and the Frame TV can remain a work of art or become the centerpiece of family movie nights. Comfortable pieces, like a deep-blue Restoration Hardware sofa, cushy ottomans, and custom rug, encourage lounging.
Sarly’s incredible sense of color and textiles complements Zinman’s fearless, meticulous approach to millwork and construction.
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