Heritage In Every Detail

Home By Design

Some of Morozoff’s favorite vintage finds include the pair of chairs in the living room, transformed from a gaudy chrome into an aged brass and finished with velvet upholstery. U-shaped, low-profile seating, inspired by Turkish tea- and coffeehouses, feels effortlessly cool against the backdrop of a custom mural spanning the entire basement.

Although physically located an ocean away, the heart of this remodeled home lies close to designer Helena Morozoff’s roots. Good naturedly self-described as a “Mediterranean mutt,” the design director of cityhomeCOLLECTIVE connected with the homeowner over similar backgrounds.

The client had a deep desire to incorporate heirlooms from her tight-knit Greek family into the remodel. “She wanted this to be a personalized project in the sense that it nods to that heritage and highlights it, but not in a way that feels cheesy,” explains Morozoff.

The end goal was an update that felt timeless, without altering too much of the home’s original architecture. Working with Kyzer Construction, Morozoff made the few architectural changes count. Redirecting a stair-case that once split the kitchen and living room in two opened up much of the shared living space and allowed room for a custom kitchen island.

Throughout the home, a common thread keeps the design feeling cohesive; Morozoff describes it as a “narrative.” It’s the story of the homeowner’s heritage, told through the subtle incorporations of her Greek roots.

New fluted glass and fresh paint elevated the inherited cabinetry, while handmade plumed tile (a subtle nod to Greek mythology) and stone countertops add sophisticated warmth to the kitchen. The nearby dining area—Morozoff’s favorite spot of the remodel—adds to the lived-in feeling of coziness. A midcentury table and cistern-style chandelier, handmade in France, fit seamlessly with the reclaimed bench, black-and-white prints of the Greek islands, and framed family recipes.

The color palette of the dining and living rooms pulls from the Baker floral velvet found on pillows in each room.Vintage lace from the client’s family’s island of origin sneaks in a chic touch of sentimentality.

Downstairs, Morozoff and her team remodeled the basement from the studs up. “The vibe the client essentially wanted to have was a . . . very comfortable, almost Turkish- or Moroccan-inspired floor seating that’s very ample and really allows for a lot of people to congregate,” she says. An expansive mural ties the basement to the levels above, incorporating the same palette of earthy beiges and mustards with muted navies and salmons.

From playful prints to textured tiles and fabrics, each element of the home was carefully curated to spark interest and honor a rich history, steeped in tradition with a warmth evident even through photographs.

rooted, not rote

Helena Morozoff’s nods to her client’s Greek-island heritage are a masterclass in subtlety. Take notes of the designer’s methods to pay homage to cultural roots without sliding into kitsch.

Source intentionally. Raw materials and textiles are a great way to incorporate traditional elements into your home and create a sense of place. The stone Morozoff used for the countertops is common in the islands, while the walls of the basement bathroom were treated with a high-gloss paint in a style popular to the area.

Play with pattern. Colors and patterns don’t have to be bold to tell an important story. Look closely at the tile in the primary bathroom for another appearance of the vintage lace important to the client’s heritage. Also popular in the islands? The style of bed cover found in the primary bedroom.

Create variety. Mix heirloom pieces with contemporary counterparts for a look that feels curated but lived in. In the basement, for example, Morozoff paired the family piano with simpler art and light fixtures that are Greek inspired, but with a modern touch.

Morozoff intentionally chose an “almost monochromatic” base palette of muted almond and powdery, blush beige, inspired by Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon. “Although every single room has its own identity,” she says, “it was important to have a cohesiveness in terms of the general color palettes so that everything flows.”