When 9-year-old Grace was diagnosed with a germ cell brain tumor in May 2018, hope came in the form of The Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Newark Beth Israel in New Jersey. Today, Grace, now 10, is recovering well after treatment, and she and her family are spreading that hope to other children facing cancer and blood disorders. Grace’s House, a designer show house restoration in Plainfield, is one of their efforts.
Grace’s grandfather Dan Reichard, a builder, and his partners originally purchased the historic home to renovate and sell. However, after his granddaughter’s diagnosis, he saw the opportunity to use the home as a fundraiser as well. Twenty-one interior designers came onboard to transform the rooms, and proceeds from tours from April 25 to May 19, 2019, as well as ad sales and sponsorships, benefited The Valerie Fund’s Green Light Initiative, a $5,000,000 capital campaign.
Take a look inside one of the show house rooms, Grace’s Green Garden Sunroom, created by Liepold Design Group of Millburn, New Jersey.
SIX DESIGN FEATURES WE LOVE
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Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Detail of hand-painted butterflies on the ceiling.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Plants fill an ‘Eero’ table by Opiary
1. Butterflies
In Grace’s Green Garden Sunroom, the delicate winged creatures flit across fabric patterns, grace a light fixture with golden wings, and roost in a dazzling art installation on the ceiling. Decorative artist Ariana Hoffman and Julie Liepold of Liepold Design Group collaborated to create more than 400 hand-painted butterflies for the project. After the show house, the butterfly installation will find a permanent home in a Valerie Fund hospital.
2. Indoor Garden
Three walls of windows in the sunroom provide plenty of light for a truly lush indoor garden. The showpiece among the potted plants and small trees is an ‘Eero’ table by Opiary, inspired by Eero Saarinen’s mid-century modern classic tulip table. It features an open planting area in the center, which Liepold filled with plants from The Conservatory NYC, such as hydrangeas and a String of Pearls succulent.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
3. Fanciful Seating
From the elaborate, architectural lines of a hydrangea blue throne, to a towering wicker perch reminiscent of a Fibonacci spiral, the seating choices set our imaginations alight.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Made Goods metal faux bois chair with ‘Fritillery’ upholstery by Hunt Slonem for Groundworks.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
For the sculpture wall, artist Tommy Mitchell created hand-painted, metal botanical studies featuring Grace’s favorite flowers, as well as a custom piece spelling out G-R-A-C-E.
4. Faux Bois
At Flower magazine, we are quite fond of the classic pattern faux bois, French for “false wood.” (See Exhibits A through I in our feature Hot Pattern: Faux Bois.) Naturally, we were delighted to find this gilt specimen in the sunroom.
5. A Personal Touch
For the sculpture wall, artist Tommy Mitchell created hand-painted, metal botanical studies featuring Grace’s favorite flowers, as well as a custom piece spelling out G-R-A-C-E.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Potted plants and a tree from Opiary’s Terrain Collection flank a water feature.
6. A Sense of Calm
To encourage an equilibrium of mind, body, and spirit, Liepold chose serene green for the walls—Grace’s favorite color—and a wall fountain to bring in the soothing sound of water.
MORE DETAILS FROM GRACE’S SUNROOM
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Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Butterflies are a common motif among the fabrics.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Hand-painted metal botanical sculpture by Tommy Mitchell.
Photo by Wing Wong
Decorative artist Ariana Hoffman and Julie Liepold of Liepold Design Group collaborated to create more than 400 hand-painted butterflies for the project.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
A faux bois lamp stands in front of botanical-print curtains, which unify the room's various shades of blue and green.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Detail of tall wicker chair back.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Detail of ceramic flowers installed above the water feature
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Detail of a stitched butterfly in the 'Fritillery' print by Hunt Slonem for Groundworks.
Photography by Erica Moffitt | Naki Studios
Detail of gilt butterflies on the light fixture.
By Terri Robertson | Interior design by Liepold Design Group | Photography by Wing Wong and Erica Moffitt/Naki Studios
