Designer Susan Sutter transforms a North Arlington home into a light-filled, highly functional sanctuary for a busy couple and their children.
The designer also built in plenty of space for meal prep.
In North Arlington, a couple with two children wanted a full remodel of the main floor and primary suite of their 3,618-square-foot home. The property previously had builder-grade finishes, dark interiors and an awkward layout. The project’s scope included the kitchen, powder room, family room, dining room, entryway, hardwood floors, stairway, primary suite and bathroom; it also included the home’s interior and exterior color scheme, front porch and roof.
An open pantry serves as a perfect space for entertaining, as guests have easy access to serve themselves
The busy couple chose Susan Sutter, principal and founder of Arlington-based Susan Sutter Interiors (sutterinteriors.com) for the expansive project. “We strive to curate each design for our clients’ aesthetics so they have a unique space,” says Sutter, whose design proclivities are classic and traditional with bright pops of color and an adventurous use of fabrics. “Functionality and use of space are key to our designs, and then we bring in color, texture and furnishings to complete the look. We use an easy-to-understand five-step process for our full-service design projects, beginning with a client consultation, where we seek inspiration elements and budget input from clients. We then create a design scheme and handle all procurement of goods, overseeing trades and construction elements, and finally see the project through to completion. We also style the space with accessories that provide that final detail.”
Sutter employed performance fabrics from Thibaut on furniture in the living space—the chairs are from Lee Industries and the area rug is from Surya.
Sutter and her team quickly noticed the home’s challenging layouts in the kitchen and primary suite bath, so her goal was to geatly improve their functionality. Other items to check off the list included modernizing furnishings to better match the clients’ tastes. “For the functionality piece, I usually talk with the clients about how they intend to use their space,” says Sutter. “Do they entertain guests? If so, how many? Do they cook a lot? Are they formal or informal? From there, we see how we can remove obstacles and improve the space to best meet their goals.”
A built-in window seat is the perfect vantage point for long, lightfilled afternoons of reading in the refurbished Arlington home.
For example, Sutter says the home’s butler’s pantry— linked to t he formal dining space—was tucked away from guests and difficult to access, making it useless for entertaining. “We f lipped the walk-in pantry and butler’s pantry to o pen to t he family room so guests can self-serve drinks and snacks and be near the kitchen but not in the way of the chef,” she says. “And in the primary suite’s bath, our clients wanted a larger shower area and updated vanity spaces. Their old shower was a cramped, dark cave. We opened up the space to enlarge the shower and installed body sprays and multiple showerheads, making it the car wash of showers.”
The dining room’s chandelier is from Hudson Valley Lighting, while Sutter sourced the table and chairs from Copeland Furniture.
The key for any home project, notes Sutter, is planning ahead for every obstacle. “For the primary suite shower, we needed to upgrade the existing hot water heater system with an auxiliary supply to meet the demands of the body sprays,” says Sutter. “We knew this in advance, thanks to our excellent contractors and the discussions we had before we started the project.” Another challenge was the tight deadline. The family planned to host guests for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the project launch was August—Sutter’s team finished just in time.
The dining space is complemented by a gorgeous buffet from Copeland Furniture.
Color and texture unite beautifully in the living room, as it benefits from a color palette used throughout the main floor and kitchen. Sutter employed performance fabrics from Thibaut (thibautdesign.com), which are both lively and welcoming—and endure spills during parties. The room’s standout pieces include swivel chairs from Lee Industries (leeindustries.com) and an area rug from Surya (surya.com). The contemporary dining room, complete with custom drapery, was designed to accommodate large groups for intimate evenings of celebration. The space’s table, chairs and buffet are from Copeland Furniture (copelandfurniture.com); a gorgeous area rug from Surya lines the room, which has lumens from Hudson Valley Lighting Group (hvlgroup.com).
The primary suite features a warm color palette and plush textiles from Annie Selke.
The kitchen hosts a mix of functions, including entertainment, homework and even Zoom meetings. Sutter worked with her clients to create a space that’s at once sophisticated and highly functional for all occasions and uses. The designer lined the room with Mouser Cabinetry (mousercabinetry.com) with hardware from Top Knobs (topknobs.com). Hudson Valley Lighting perfectly illuminates any event, while the island—topped in New Kashmir White quartzite—provides plenty of space for everything from cocktail prep to late-night poker games. And U-Line (u-line. com), Sub-Zero and Wolf (subzero-wolf.com) appliances offer the homeowners exceptional options for prepping and cleaning up gourmet meals.
Brizo fixtures add plenty of allure to the primary suite bath.
“[We created] a quiet retreat from the main home for the owners to relax,” says Sutter. “A darker, moodier color palette contributes to a more serene environment.” Plush textiles from suppliers like Annie Selke (annieselke.com) dampen sound and provide a cozy feel. The team also layered in an area rug from Masland (maslandcarpets.com), recliners from Lee Industries, lighting from Uttermost (uttermost.com), and custom draperies and pillows. The en suite bath shines with Hudson Valley lighting and fixtures from Brizo (brizo.com).
“We started with amazing clients with realistic expectations and budget—plus we had a good plan and a fabulous team,” says Sutter. “Our clients love the space and have been enjoying all of their improved rooms. After we completed the final phase this year—the exteriors—the client wrote to me, ‘From the exterior to the first two floors, this home has your imprint all over it, and it looks and feels great. Your assistance was much appreciated. We couldn’t have done all of this without you.’”
Photography by: Stacy Zarin Goldberg
