SCANDI RISING

A Wilmington, North Carolina, home gets a fresh look after hurricane waters ebb.

A Wilmington, North Carolina home gets a fresh look after hurricane waters ebb.

After the hardship of

Hurricane Florence flooding

this family’s Wilmington, NC, house, the ensuing remodel gave them back the gift of a bright and happy home.

“Wilmington’s record number of sunny days is the main reason why many folks move here,” says interior designer Mary Hannah Giebel, who came onboard in late 2018 to redo the house with builder Stone Development & Restoration. “Our primary aim was to create comfort and durability for the active, young family—they have 2 little kids.

But with this philosophy at the center of our overall design, I was thrilled to capture so much more of their taste,” she adds.

COZY COASTAL

The design look of the renovated house, which has been raised to avoid the same flooding issue, is what Giebel calls “Scandinavian coastal with farmhouse accents.” The palette is mostly neutral, with touches of icy blues and pale greens. Meanwhile, touches of high-contrast black elements keep the eye moving.

“The overall décor of this home emits a clean sensibility that we balanced with glamorous lighting, like the classic denim and white t-shirt look paired

with diamonds.”

“We went for warm coastal, of course, layering in a variety of wood tones, furnishings with caning, woven textures and natural stone tiles, often laid in fun patterns,” she says.

In the remodel, the overall floor plan was opened up, losing unnecessary walls, and the kitchen island’s footprint was also rotated to let the great room breathe. There are new windows for additional natural light, and all the main floor’s interior doors are also brand-new.

BETTER BUILT-INS

“We added an appliance garage in the kitchen, which hides everyday messes made by the toaster and coffee maker, as well as a new butler’s pantry for storing entertainment necessities, like wine glasses, spirits, and cocktail accessories,” says Giebel.

The kitchen’s island has a hardwood base and a Carrara marble countertop. The marble is carried over into the beautiful custom tilework surrounding the fireplace, which also features a rustic, floating wood mantel.

“Rather than doing expected built-ins on either side of the fireplace, I wanted to reinforce the Scandi farmhouse aesthetic by flanking it with bone-inlay wood chests, adding another organic material,” says Giebel.

Another big renovation was converting the downstairs guest bedroom/office into a luxurious master suite, which showcases a dazzling custom shiplap headboard wall, and a luxe bathroom with both tub and shower. All the bathrooms in the house were remodeled.

FAMILY TIME. An L-shaped sectional grounds the seating plan in the great room at the back of the house.

|TOP| EXTERIOR CHARM. Lanterns from Circa Lighting add a touch of black to the home’s exterior.

|LEFT| LIGHT & AIRY. The airy, glass-paned front door is finished in a pale blue.

ASCENDING BEAUTY. Serena & Lily sconces light up the stairway wall, while the open foyer entry is lit by an overhead lantern finished in a warm tone.

ROOM FOR ALL. Counter stools from Anthropologie pull up to the new island for easy meals beneath a pair of statement-making light fixtures; to the right, a multi-armed chandelier defines the eat-in area on the open plan.

PEEK-A-BOO. The peek-a-boo breakfast pantry corrals small appliances and other sundries.

WISHBONE & WHIMSY. Lulu & Georgia wishbone chairs pull up to an existing dining table in the dining room. The whimsical mirror, with its organic frame, was sourced at Anthropologie.

|TOP RIGHT| HANDY DETAILS. An added butler’s pantry seamlessly connects the kitchen to the dining room, with ample storage and a beverage fridge.