After renovating a small home in DC, a couple with three young boys wanted their new build in Falls Church, Virginia, to be a better (read: more fun) reflection of them. “They felt the choices they made in the last house were too safe and boring,” says interior designer Ann Gottlieb, who was tasked with pushing them out of their comfort zone.

“They both work in creative marketing and are interesting people with great style.” The only hitch? The husband and wife weren’t always on the same page aesthetically. A Q&A details how Gottlieb found common ground in their preferences to create a home that’s a harmonious blend of both their styles.

How did your design bridge the couple’s different aesthetic leanings?
He loves the color green and the mid-century modern period and she loves dusty pink and is more of a maximalist. So they had to practice the art of compromise and meet in the middle. For instance, in their bedroom we went with a blush pink, but there are no frills in there. The design is very clean. But she got to pick a crazy wallpaper for her office bathroom. The front living room is a shade of his favorite hue, but then we went bolder by picking a lively fireplace stone and light fixture. It was a combination of balancing things they both liked with bringing out the elements each one of them preferred individually.

The masculine/feminine blend really sings in the kitchen—how did it take shape?
They wanted it to feel very Scandinavian with white oak, flat-panel cabinets, which were a nod to his fondness for minimalism. Again, she likes pink so when I brought over tile samples, she immediately fell in love with that
backsplash tile. She wanted a fun wallpaper, so we ended up with that Kristy Stafford floral.

How do you encourage clients who want to experiment with color?
I get excited when anyone wants any color outside of white or blue, which is what everyone seems to request these days. When someone says they like pink or green, I want them to lean into that. I try to push them to not be afraid and to do something more saturated—even if it’s a grayer version of that color—and use it in as many places as possible.

What inspired the lighting choices?
The husband doesn’t like lights where you can see the light source, so we didn’t want anything with exposed bulbs or a lot of metal details. That’s how we landed on those glowing orbs over the kitchen island. That theme continues with the Graypants custom chandelier in the stairwell and the Foscarini pendants over the dining table.

Name some ways you made this home family-friendly.
The rugs are all wool and stain-treated, and for upholstery we used Crypton fabric or leathers that could be cleaned. We opted for motorized window treatments so the kids couldn’t pull on the chains to open and close them. The dining table has a heavy-duty durable finish. The countertops are stain-resistant quartz. For the breakfast area and powder room we chose Kristy Stafford wallpaper in vinyl because we wanted them to be able to easily wipe down the walls.

What role did art play in these interiors?
The couple used to live in Chicago where a lot of their friends were artists, so they had a big collection. I helped them place pieces in the rooms where I thought they looked best, or we let the art lead the design. For instance, they knew they wanted to put the whale painting in the dining room, so we designed that space around it by bringing out some of those blue/green colors in the bar cabinetry. They had planned for the art in the green living room. I made a collage of their art for the family room gallery wall. The portrait on the stair landing wasn’t planned. That one went up after the fact, but it looked great with the wallpaper.

How would you sum up this project?
I think it’s a perfect example of when you’re faced with a wonderful couple that doesn’t have the same design taste. The challenge is how to successfully marry their styles together. In the end, they were super-happy with how it turned out—they even called me back
to do more work!

Ask ANN

You’re having people over—what’s playing?
My Spotify playlist is full of Chappell Roan and Amy Winehouse.

What are you serving?
I’m really into making elaborately designed charcuterie boards and I love mixing up Manhattans.

Where do you jet to for design inspo?
If I want maximalist pieces, I head to Paris Design Week, but if I’m looking to be inspired by minimalism then I go to Copenhagen. And Milan is great for up-and-coming plumbing fixtures.

Local spot to score mid-century finds?
Daniel Donnelly Modern Design in Alexandria. He’s obsessed with collecting mid-century pieces and reupholsters the classics. I can’t go in there without buying something!