For new parents Nick and Noel, the dated, Englewood, New Jersey, ranch house was a love-at-first-sight situation. Despite the fact that the home was stuck in 1960s "design don't" territory, the couple saw loads of potential in its vaulted ceilings, ample natural light and gracious footprint. After taking a deep breath and signing on the dotted line, the duo hired interior designer Natalie Chianese of Homepolish to whip it into their dream home.
“At first we discussed small updates, like painting the interior and saving the kitchen cabinets with minor updates,” says Chianese. “But, somehow that evolved into knocking down walls, demolishing the entire kitchen and basically ripping the entire first floor down to the studs!” (A reno tale as old as time.) To offset these expenses, Chianese got clever, integrating much of the couple’s existing furnishings and scrimping across the decorative layer where possible, like the rugs which are from HomeGoods (!). The end result? A bespoke forever home that Chianese describes as “comfortable, provocative and chic.” (We’re inclined to agree.) Here’s how they did it—and where all that money went.
