How do you make a home feel cozy when it spans 18,000 sq ft?

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For Expert Alex Adamson, an array of wallcoverings was the answer. Her clients—a couple with six (six!) children—were initially averse to patterns and bold colors, but “having white drywall in a home this large would feel cold,” explains the designer, who favored a backdrop of warm whites and pops of yellow to help warm things up. “They worried they might tire of daring choices, so over time we educated them with great reference imagery and they eventually embraced the idea.”

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Today, the Colonial-style new-build in Utah is adorned with painted tongue-and-groove in the bathrooms, white oak paneling in the library, grasscloth in the living room, and muted stripes in the entry. Alex also leaned into pretty, pinch-pleat counter skirts to soften the cabinetry’s hard edges. Still, every finish feels soft enough not to overpower the family’s desire for timelessness.

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“Having white drywall in a home this large would feel cold. They worried they might tire of daring choices, so over time we educated them with great reference imagery and they eventually embraced the idea.”

—Alex Adamson

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Not every wall got the embellishment treatment: the kids’ rooms were left plain to ensure a more “casual” feel than in the communal areas downstairs. Instead, paint created drama. “It’s a great, affordable way to add personality, and it’s changeable as they grow,” says Alex, who has a soft spot for the boys’ room with the ceiling in Farrow & Ball’s De Nimes. In one girl’s room, the exception to that rule is Robert Kime’s Grille Biscuit paper on the ceiling. “It’s so subtle but adds so much texture and interest,” says the designer.

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This is a forever home cleverly optimized for the future, with each bedroom boasting a king-size bed and closets large enough to stash a pack-and-play crib for when the children eventually come back with their own brood. “It’s very much designed to host for the holidays with all their kids in tow,” says Alex. Even the laundry room has four washers and dryers and perhaps, surprisingly, marble countertops. “It was important that nothing feels too precious,” justifies Alex of the natural materials favored.

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“Most people would be terrified of hardwood underneath a bathtub because of potential water damage and how it might age, but this client was in the camp of: ‘That's how it used to be done, so let's give it a go.’”

—Alex Adamson

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The client was keen for authentic Colonial references to be honored throughout the house, meaning historically accurate baseboards and crown moldings. It even meant hardwood flooring under the primary bathtub. “Most people would be terrified because of potential water damage and how it might age, but this client was in the camp of: ‘That's how it used to be done, so let's give it a go,’” says Alex. The designer also loved geeking out over small touches, like the exposed hinges on the cabinets.

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Considered imperfections were in the back of Alex’s mind: a shield-shaped vanity mirror hanging in front of a window and the way the worktops cut across the long windows in the laundry “adds charm which can often be lacking in new builds, and makes the house feel older,” she says. And there’s no shortage of character: working with the family on their previous home and this project for four years meant Alex got to know the family inside out. The hand-painted Delft tiles in one of the kids’ walk-in showers are a nod to the daughter named after her Dutch grandmother, and the glass uppers above the range hood are calling out to be accessorized with heirloom plates.

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The fireplaces throughout are antique, and while vintage furniture would have been everyone’s preference, the petite proportions of older pieces wouldn’t have made an impact in the vast rooms. Instead, Alex commissioned custom reproductions and had the scale bumped up a little. The result? A 12-foot dining table and a 20-foot kitchen island with a dozen stools means there’s a seat for everyone, always.

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