Tour a Downsized Home with Modern Charm

When a family needed to downsize, they called in designer Pamela Pennington to help them restyle their lives in a smaller home, with most of their living space on the first floor and extra bedrooms for visiting children on the second floor. After architect Bess Wiersema of Studio 3 Design finished the structure, much of Pennington’s work with her colleague, Henry Nissani, involved introducing the clients to a fresher, more modern aesthetic. At first, the wife was more nervous than the husband about leaving behind her traditional pieces, but as the project unfolded, she began to see how contemporary furnishings and artworks could bring a new kind of beauty to her life. Here, tour the new home with Pennington to see how she used calming colors and inspired details to craft this charming, modern space.

Hardwood flooring from Duchateau was used throughout the house to achieve a clean, modern look. The art was sourced from a local gallery, Whitney Modern, in Los Gatos, and the contemporary stool is from Ligne Roset.
Here, a pendant fixture from Sonneman lights up a red, photographic wallcovering from Trove.
An eye-catching chandelier from Hammerton decorates the contemporary stairwell.
Pennington paired the sleek table that has a hint of industrial style from Nido Living with cream-colored chairs, also from Nido Living. A geometric Giardini wallcovering offers eclectic energy to the space. The pendant lights here are from Bocci.
Fresh, crisp colors help this area connect to the outdoors; the architet helped design large pocketing sliding windows throughout the home that also merge the interiors and exteriors. Danish brand BoConcept provided the leather sectional, while the coffee table comes from the Future Perfect.
In the kitchen, a sleek, subtle door opens to a walk-in pantry. The cabinetry throughout the kitchen is from Valet Custom Cabinets and Closets.
In the breakfast nook, a Foscarini light is suspeneded over a chair and tables from Design Within Reach; the banquette was custom-designed by Pennington.
The appliances in the kitchen are from Sub-Zero and Wolf. For the island, Pennington chose a polished marble from All Natural Stone in San Jose. The playful lighting in natural hues is by Vibia.
The leather upholstered bed from Roche Bobois brings a unique touch to the master bedroom, while a rug from the Dabbieri Collection underfoot enhances the texture of the space.
Stone tile from Ann Sacks provides a luxe, natural backdrop to the master bath; the linear sconces are from Sonneman.
A comfortable window seat is decorated with throw pillows.
The sophisticated dining area looks out toward the fire pit. "I love the way this house turned out and the way it feels," says Pennington of the result of her design work. "I have been to a couple of events given by my clients at their home and was able to experience how beautifully and seamlessly the house flows when you are there."