When a young family traded a tight Brooklyn apartment for a Denver Square, the shift wasn’t just about square footage. It was about possibility. “The family finally had room to breathe and choices,” says Kelly McWhorter, senior interior designer at Atelier, who led the project under the direction of owner and lead designer Katie Schroder. “It was less about squeezing things in and more about letting the house support their lifestyle.”
That sense of ease is felt immediately, but it’s far from accidental. Atelier’s process starts by casting a wide net. “We like to put a lot of options in front of clients early on and see what they’re naturally drawn to,” Kelly explains. “From there, we pull out the pieces they respond to most and let those lead the way.” In this home, that meant layering warm wood with soft, muted color and moments of bold pattern. Each room has its own anchors, but the real magic is in how they connect. “We make sure all the spaces are talking. The goal is always a home that feels collected and deeply personal.”
The clients didn’t need much convincing when it came to embracing Atelier’s signature mix of color and pattern. Where the team pushed was in committing to architectural moments that would ground the home for years to come. “The custom kitchen floor tile is a great example,” says Kelly. “The motif and border are rooted in the home’s era, but we laid it out in a way that feels fresh and modern. It was definitely a bigger spend, but one that pays off every single day.”
Balancing history with modern life guided nearly every decision. Original details were restored wherever possible, while past renovations that felt dated became opportunities to rethink how the home functions. Nowhere was that more apparent than in the kitchen, where opening up the layout improved both flow and sightlines for a family with two young kids. “Those oddly placed closets between the kitchen and dining room turned out to be perfect for a bar and beverage station,” Kelly says. “It creates a really natural transition into the new reading and music room.”
“That room, in many ways, is the heart of the house. They love books, music, and living with great art,” she says. It reflects what the project does so well as a whole—balancing personality with practicality, and making space for how this family actually lives. As Kelly puts it, “It’s personal, but still totally livable, which is always the goal.”
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