Open storage offers an opportunity to insert color and texture in your kitchen; display cookbooks or interesting serving ware. In this kitchen, the open shelving makes use of a narrow space, breaks up the cabinetry and highlights a 12-foot ceiling.

Want to win a home? You can enter a raffle to win either a $600,000 Norton Commons home on November 18. The fundraiser raises money for Norton Healthcare’s NiCU and you can buy tickets for $100 each.

Even if you don’t win, here are some tips by Leslie Cotter Dorazil, of Leslie Cotter Interiors, who created the interior design for the home. “My philosophy is to enhance functionality while integrating timeless elegance with a thoughtful and creative approach,” says Leslie, who has been in the industry 11 years.

This home will be raffled off for Norton Children’s Hospital. Credits: Interior Design: Leslie Cotter Interiors; Photos: Tim Furlong Jr. Home built by: Ramage Company; Furnishings provided by: Market On National. You can view the home every Saturday and Sunday until Nov. 12, noon-6pm.

1. “When designing for an open floor plan, find a common color, texture, or detail and repeat it thoughtfully in each room. A dose of black in the dining room wallpaper, the foyer lampshade, kitchen island pendants and living room fireplace creates continuity by rhythmically leading your eye through each space.”

2. “Don’t be afraid to mix metals. Chrome, polished, and antique brass marry beautifully. The key is to establish consistency in the application. I chose polished chrome for the kitchen faucet, polished brass for the cabinet hardware, and antique brass for the drapery rods. There has to be a methodology for the effect to be eclectic; not cluttered.”

A child’s room should be a creative space. Built in bunk beds are a sophisticated way to delineate zones for sleeping, playing and homework.

3. “Your home should reflect your personality in a way that can evolve with you. Wallpaper is a great resource to make a not-so-permanent statement. Wall space in this open dining room was limited so I felt going with a bold pattern in Mylar would have just enough impact while a flood of natural light accentuates the wallpaper’s reflective quality.”

This ensuite mixes dramatic patterned porcelain tile, carrara marble and a campaign style vanity equipped with a paneled refrigerator drawer. 






4. “A room’s function is defined by furniture placement; choose flexible seating to maximize space. A swivel chair in a sleek silhouette beside the sofa is inclusive of the leather seating flanking the fireplace, but also affords the option to turn toward the kitchen. Ottomans are another way to create multipurpose seating in a space that suggests more than one conversation grouping.”

A darker wall color creates an intimate feel in this master bedroom. Layers of warm and cool neutrals really pop against it. 


5. 
“The most interesting spaces to me are rooms that crossover style genres and combine unexpected elements. This room is rooted in traditional Victorian architectural detail: mouldings, arched openings, and grand ceilings. Those features are accented by the juxtaposition of modern lighting, moody abstract artwork, and a whimsical foyer console. Don’t let convention confine you.”