Bright and Beautiful
Photography by Dave Bryce
Playing it safe isn’t the only strategy for feathering your nest. Sometimes you just have to banish the beige and live large. Betsy Wentz of Studio B Interior Design loves to help her clients decorate outside of the usual formulas. “Often, when a homeowner isn’t feeling confident, they play it safe and their home ends up all shades of plain neutrals. That’s not for everybody!” Wentz confidently shares with Table readers her ideas on how to take a room to the next level.
Bring on the Color
Wentz says, “One of the most transformational ways to change a room is to add color.” Sometimes she loves to use unexpected juxtapositions of tones of a single color, and sometimes she embraces high-contrast combos. In the dining space shown below, for example, Wentz used shades of green with pink, purple, and orange. While this particular room started with the wallpaper and a suite of vintage plates from her grandmother, she will often begin with a drapery fabric she loves, and then add layers on from there. In the living space shown below, she used bold, modern artwork by Pittsburgher Mia Tarducci, hot pink pillows, and a vintage side table lacquered bright orange by Santom Upholstery and Refinishing to inject color.
Layer in Pairs
“I blend in texture and patterns in pairs – something bold needs an anchor,” Wentz exclaims. In the dining room, she used a feature wall of green mica wallpaper with complementary hand painted tie dye wallpaper to add visual interest and then grounded it with a neutral sideboard and table.
In the living room, modern large scale artwork was anchored by a long sofa and coffee table.
Showcase Your Cool Stuff
Accessories finish a room. Wentz recommends mixing vintage finds with new purchases to make your space look warm and lived in. Wentz adheres to her mother’s mantra, ”If you buy something you love, you’ll find a place for it.” If you have a collection of plates or teacups from your grandmother, give them a whole new life hanging on a beautifully wallpapered wall. Or use your kids’ surfboard as a coffee table. There’s no surf in Pittsburgh, you say? There is in this house!
Bilbo dining table - Walnut wood with mirrored top, 39.5” dia. x 30” h, Roberta Schilling, rscollection.com, $1,295. Tucker Modern sideboard - Two-tone lacquer and walnut, 60"w x 16"d x 29"h, Four Hands, Fourhands.com, $1,500. Vintage lacquered chairs - Santom Upholstery, santomupholstery.com, $325 ea. Green Mica wallpaper - JF Fabrics, jffabrics.com, $238/roll. Hand-painted tie-dye wallpaper - Chez Shea Design, chezsheadesign.com, $495/panel. Petits fours – Kretchmar’s Bakery, kbakery.com
Julian Chichester - Amalfi sofa available through Studio B, 91” l x 37” w x 31” h, julianchichester.com, $6,344.
Artwork - 44”, Mia Tarducci, miatarducci.com, $5400 each. Handmade pottery (large bowl) - Jowdy Studio, jowdystudio.com, $860. Surfboard – album.com, $920. Hand-blown glass vases, bowls and barware - Jarrod Futscher, takttimedesign.com, Prices vary by item $90- $200.
For more about Betsy Wentz Interior Design: studiobpittsburgh.com
Story by Keith Recker // Photography by Dave Bryce
Don’t miss a single colorful thing!