Design for Good: Grace’s Green Garden Sunroom

Look inside a serene, garden-inspired sunroom in a show house created in honor of 10-year-old cancer survivor Grace to support the healing of thousands more

Grace's Green Garden Sunroom

 

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.

6 Design Features We Love

1. Butterflies

“Emblematic of transformation, butterfly motifs beloved by Grace flutter throughout the sunroom conveying a meaningful message to lighten and brighten up life.”—Julie Liepold

Detail photo of hand-painted butterflies installed in Grace's Green Garden Sunroom, featuring hues for blue and green
Detail of hand-painted butterflies on the ceiling.

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.

The 'Aero' pedestal by Opiary has a white base, topped with a planting area of rocks and moss, and topped with a circular glass tabletop with an open center
Plants fill an ‘Eero’ table by Opiary.

“I envision Grace’s Green Garden Sunroom as a wellness garden to promote healing and positive outcomes. The concept is inspired by Grace’s love of nature and The Valerie Fund’s core mission.”—Julie Liepold

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.

4. Faux Bois

Made Goods metal faux bois chair with ‘Fritillery’ upholstery by Hunt Slonem for Groundworks. Photo by Erica Moffitt/Naki Studios

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 Sense of Calm

Potted plants and a tree from Opiary’s Terrain Collection flank a water feature.

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.

6. 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.

More Design Details

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Hand-painted metal botanical sculpture by Tommy Mitchell. Photo by Erica Moffitt/Naki Studios
Butterflies are a common motif among the fabrics. Photo 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. Photo by Erica Moffitt/Naki Studios
Detail of ceramic flowers installed above the water feature. Photo by Erica Moffitt/Naki Studios
Detail of a stitched butterfly in the 'Fritillery' print by Hunt Slonem for Groundworks. Photo by Erica Moffitt/Naki Studios
Detail of gilt butterflies on the light fixture. Photo by Erica Moffitt/Naki Studios
Detail of tall wicker chair back. Photo by Erica Moffitt/Naki Studios
Decorative artist Ariana Hoffman and Julie Liepold of Liepold Design Group collaborated to create more than 400 hand-painted butterflies for the project. Photo by Wing Wong

By Terri Robertson | Interior design by Liepold Design Group | Photography by Wing Wong and Erica Moffitt/Naki Studios