The Second Time Around

It’s not often that a designer gets to decorate the same home for two different clients, but Randy Snell of Archetype Design Studio had both that opportunity and challenge. The home sits on 100 generous acres with sweeping views in Ligonier. Constructed by the first owners in 2000, it was purchased by the current residents in the middle of COVID.

They were looking for a place to get away from the city and for their family to gather on weekends — a home in the country, with all that implied: quiet, relaxation, natural beauty, peace.

A custom, 10-foot-long, live-edge walnut table from Abner Henry is the centerpiece of the dining room. The chairs are from Hooker Furniture and the rug is by Peyton Webster. The art over the mantel is actually a mirror emblazoned with a map of the world. Motorized Vignette window shades are from Hunter Douglas.

But the previous owners had different ideas. Snell was the project manager for the interior design team from Astorino during the first iteration of the home’s design. The house was quite traditional and formal, with upholstered fabric walls, hand-painted murals and elaborate window treatments. Some rooms were rarely used, and there was an abundance of furniture, none of which stayed with the new owners.

The walnut live edge trestle table has a reclaimed wood beam base. Buffet from Classic Home.

“The architecture was there, but they just wanted it simple and understated,” Snell says. “The new owner said, ‘What the hell were you guys thinking?’ I said, ‘It’s been 20 years and it was their taste. It’s not your style.’ They wanted to totally redo the house. They stripped out everything, painted everything White Dove and simplified, simplified, simplified.”

Or, as the husband quips, “We undecorated the house.”

Structurally, few changes were made. The home was exquisitely built, with soaring ceilings and abundant windows to take in the views.

A custom pine bar and back bar from Kitchen and Bath Concepts echoes the wood throughout the home.
The bar table is from The Phillips Collection and the bar stools are from Arhaus.

“It really goes back to [architect] Tony Stillson. He did an amazing job with the architecture. We kept all the beautiful beam work on the ceiling stained as it was, as well as the original antique chandeliers from Francis Nowalk. A full bar was added in what used to be the formal dining room, and it looks like it was always there. We also took out the grill in the sunroom.”

The wife loved the house in the movie “Something’s Gotta Give,” directed by Nancy Meyers. As in most of Meyers’s films, the décor is the star. In this case, it’s a Hamptons beach house, elegant, cozy and serenely decorated in neutral shades of beige and white. That became the inspiration for the redo.

The light-filled primary bedroom has a bed by Century Furniture and nightstands from Theodore Alexander. An antique desk and a chair by Fairfield Chair Company sit in the bay window next to a lounge chair from Taylor King. The wing chair is by Caracole, the lamp is from Bradburn Gallery and Kravet fabric was used for the window treatments by Decsign. The Saxony rug adds a note of natural texture.

“It takes a lot of restraint, which as a designer does not always come naturally to me,” says Snell with a laugh. “We landed on more of a transitional look that keeps the focus on the outside. There are really no patterns to speak of anywhere, just soft and neutral fabrics and textures. We used the word ‘tailored’ a lot for the upholstery. Window treatments are motorized shades or sheers softening the windows, but not blocking the spectacular views.”

A wall of windows brings the outside into the sunroom. The sofa from Existing and slipcovered chairs by Taylor King provide relaxed seating, while a games table from Hooker Furniture and chairs from The Phillips Collection furnish one end of the large room. The end tables are by Jonathan Charles with lamps from Bradburn Gallery. The cocktail table is by Theodore Alexander and the rug is from Peyton Webster.

Snell wanted to emphasize the beauty that surrounds the home by adding different natural elements inside. For example, whimsical bronze tree trunks used as posts on the master bed, or the spectacular 10-foot-long, live-edge walnut dining table.

“I had to lean on the wife for that,” he jokes. “There was a lot of compromise. I think they respect me enough to realize where I was coming from and hear me out and usually go with my recommendations, but it’s never ‘my way or the highway.’ That’s not the way I operate.”

The study is one of the few rooms left in its original state, with warm pine walls and built-ins.
A Stark carpet sits beneath leather guest chairs by Charleston Forge. The table desk is from the Bramble Co. and the desk chair is by Maitland Smith.

The owners have known Snell for 20 years and worked with him on their city home.

“He’s flexible,” says the wife. “He’ll give you options and if you say, ‘That’s not what I’m looking for,’ he’ll come up with other options. It’s not about him; it’s about the house. He wants the client to be happy.”

The wife has contemporary taste, while the husband is more traditional, and although “he has a major say in anything we do with decorating,” her tastes prevailed.

A curvy steel console table from Hooker Furniture lines the entrance hall. An untitled serigraph by Jack Youngerman hangs above it. The hide wing chair is from Global Views.

“I wanted something different and he likes the change,” she says. “We did it very slowly because it was during COVID, and it took almost three years. The house is gorgeous and has a really unique setting. There is just something relaxing and calming about being there. Because the house is all-white and a blank slate, you look outside and all you see is nature.”

After 35 years as a designer, including 10 with the late Mark Christy and seven with Astorino, Snell has developed a loyal following. His Archetype Design Studio does primarily residential work, though it is also responsible for the recent redesign of many cabins and common spaces at the Lodge at Glendorn, a Relais & Chateaux in Bradford, Pennsylvania.

“Most of my work is traditional, utilizing a lot of color and patterns, so it’s very refreshing to me to do something more tranquil and transitional,” he says. “It’s all about comfort and being lived in. And it’s a blessing to have good clients.”