Before & After: How An Interior Designer Transformed a Barn into Her Office

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Makeover by:Denise Davies, founder of D2 Interieurs
Location:Westport, Connecticut

Working remotely is well on its way to becoming the new normal; however, it still has its fair share of challenges. Especially when you’re trying to launch your own businessandraise a family. That’s exactly how Denise Davies felt when she started her design firm, D2 Interieurs, out of her living room in 2011.

“I had two younger children at the time, and there was this empty barn on my property,” she says. “Instead of renting a space for my design studio, we renovated the barn and added onto the second level.”

Today, the studio serves not only as a workspace but as a living testament to D2 Interieurs’ quality of design and workmanship. Davies’ enlisted her contracting team to create the space and finished it with her custom fabrics and whimsical style. Near the entry, a seating vignette is highlighted by a bright art installation created by D2 Artistic Director Linda Colletta. “It truly is the world of D2,” Davies adds.

In the main studio space, Davies restrained her signature use of color for a neutral palette of white with natural woods to keep the focus on client projects. A custom floating staircase leads up to the new addition where the firm holds design presentations. A six-by-12-foot table anchors the room, which is lit by ample LED bulbs. “It’s Broadway in there, and that’s how I like it,” Davies laughs.

Built-in cubbies hold D2 Interieurs’ fabric and wallpaper samples, and an array of hidden storage is tucked underneath. The idea was to maximize space in a challenging layout. “The building was pre-existing,” Davies notes. “We had that odd space, so I designed around it. There’s so much storage in this studio, but you don’t see it the way it’s built into the walls.”

With the studio serving as a blank canvas, Davies was able to inject the rest of the office with her famous pops of color. The D2 kitchen features a glass backsplash painted in the firm’s signature Sunporch Yellow.

The sunny hue extends onto a 1970s steel-case sofa. Davies found the piece on a buying trip in Miami, but learned it started its life in Westport, where she lives. “I’ve always wanted one, and it was perfect for the studio,” she says. “That’s where I wanted the color.”

分散在其他个人触摸,我ncluding a mod Flavor Paper wallcovering in the bathroom that looks like the letter D. And in the entryway, you can’t miss Davies’ cheeky blue Vespa. “I got it the year I started my business and it’s my good luck charm, and I think it looks so cool in the studio,” she adds.

Thanks,Denise!

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