A CASE FOR COLOR
Ashley DeLapp’s fearless use of wallpaper gives a Foxcrof home a layered, expressive new life. by Taylor Bowler | photographs by Megan Easterday/Easterday Creative
Ashley DeLapp is known for her bold, pattern-forward style. It’s why Sara and Tab Williams hired the architect-turned-designer to transform their Foxcroft home two years ago, soon after they moved in.
“It was built in the ’90s, so it was a very ornate, Tuscan-looking house with heavy, dark wood and medieval-looking light fxtures,” DeLapp says. “It had never been updated, so we’ve been changing everything room by room.”
The homeowners wanted a brighter, more elevated look that would showcase a mix of classic and modern furniture, as well as their extensive art collection.
“We aren’t afraid of vivid colors and playful patterns, so Ashley was the only designer we ever considered,” Sara says. With two young children — and another on the way — they also needed a kid-friendly space that could withstand the daily wear and tear of an active family.
“My husband is the chef in the family,” Sara says, “and the kitchen is his sanctuary.”
The renovation, which included the kitchen, breakfast nook, living room, laundry room, a child’s bedroom and hisand-hers wet bars, centered on the foral harlequin wallpaper in the powder room.
“This was the frst thing I picked,” DeLapp says. “It had all the colors I pulled through the house.”
In the kitchen, she kept the existing cabinets and modernized the space with new countertops, backsplash and hardware. She painted the island green for a pop of color and installed bold green ombre tile and a custom vent hood to anchor the range alcove. An antique-brass chandelier with a petal motif complements the barstools’ foral upholstered seats.
DeLapp brightened up the breakfast nook with patterned wallpaper from Milton & King and painted the dark stained trim and ceiling in a high-gloss pink with magenta undertones. She modernized the homeowners’ circular dining table with new upholstered chairs.
“We had to convince (Tab) on the spotted velvet fabric,” she says. “They’re durable and easily cleanable, but also very luxe — we piped them with minty-green velvet.”
“I think wallpaper can transform a room in a way paint can’t,” DeLapp says. “It gives it such a different vibe.”
Opposite page: “The hand-painted Lucite backsplash was inspired by a vintage rug I fell in love with,” Sara says. “We got a local artist to essentially replicate the woven rug in painted form.”
“They love art, so the whole house is like an art gallery,” DeLapp says. “I created a backdrop for things they love.”
The sunken living room is immediately visible from the entrance, so DeLapp knew it should make a statement. She chose a cool purple paint color for the ceiling and trim, with grasscloth on the walls for added texture. She swapped out a dark stone freplace surround with sleek marble and replaced the dated chandelier with a dramatic, multi-arm fxture from Visual Comfort. The furniture is a mix of old and new; she had the existing accent chairs and sofa reupholstered and added layered area rugs and a new coffee table with a brass base.
The his-and-hers wet bars were Tab’s idea.
“Maybe he just wanted an excuse to display his whiskey collection,” Sara says, “but the thought of a prosecco bar was really speaking my language.” For Sara, DeLapp chose teal cabinetry and commissioned artist Summer Savin to paint the Lucite backsplash.
“I had shown the clients a bunch of rugs for the living room, and the one Sara fipped out over was $30,000,” she says. “So we took the look of that rug and pulled it into that backsplash.”
For Tab, DeLapp created a dark, moody space to display his bourbon collection.
“He went to Chapel Hill, so I went with Carolina blue on his cabinets,” she says. The gold-toned shelving and fxtures complement the gold splatter in the glass-tile backsplash, and the chandelier, suspended from a gold-link chain, has leaf-inspired shapes that feel elegant but not overly formal.
In the laundry room, DeLapp dressed the walls in a Schumacher pattern with painterly blue splotches and installed pink-and-blue concrete foor tile. She painted the existing cabinets, trim and ceiling a peacock blue and added gray marble countertops and a custom folding table.
“With three kids, Sara spends lots of time there, so she wanted it to be fancy,” she says.
For their daughter’s bedroom, DeLapp “dipped the whole room in pink” by painting the walls, ceiling and trim in a bubblegum hue. She added custom window treatments, a striped area rug and pops of chartreuse throughout the space to pull in the color from the Jack-and-Jill bathroom.
The result is an elevated yet lived-in home with fresh, unexpected details.
“I love that these clients are so adventurous and not afraid to take chances,” DeLapp says. “The house has so much energy, and it suits their personalities now. There’s a surprise around every corner.” SP
