Sometimes spur-of-the-moment decisions are the best choices in the long run. Four years ago, Janie Molster and two of her children were walking around and killing time before a University of North Carolina basketball game when they wandered into a real estate open house in a brand-new condominium development right next to campus. Janie is a native North Carolinian and a UNC alum, along with three of her five children, so the idea of a game-day condo had definite appeal.
As the designer started laying out the furniture, she quickly realized the late afternoon sunlight streaming in could also be hot and glaring. “The sunset ultimately drove the design,” Janie says. To cool things off, she chose a deep, muddy teal for the walls of the living area. “Once we started painting, I began to think of the small space as a little jewel box, so I brought in more sparkle with the ceiling’s patterned wallpaper, gauzy sheer curtains, and lots of golden accents in the tables, lighting, and pillows,” she explains. For a streamlined aesthetic, the velvet and linen sofas are the same hue as the walls. Bold geometric artwork, colorful patterned fabrics, embroidered pillows, vintage Turkish rugs, Moroccan terrines, and sculptural accessories confidently enliven the room.
