The room was big, awkward and long, so instead of trying to
hide it, we added detail and gave it interest,” she adds.
The dining room is made larger by the horizontal stripes. “It
elongates the room and makes it feel more grand. We also did
simple lighting that didn’t overpower the spaces. Scale is a huge
thing as well. Don’t try to fit a giant sectional in a small room.
Recognize why you want to downsize and scale your furniture
appropriately,” she explains.
As for why townhouses make sense for so many, Christina
says, “I think a lot of people are wanting to do more with less.
People are so global now and wanting to spend more on travels and
experiences than material things. Smaller homes give you the
best of both worlds. I also find people just want less stuff. We all
have so much, and it just gets cluttered; and clutter is a huge
stressor for a lot of people, myself included. People want to sim-
plify and smaller living forces you to do so.”
Incorporating an appealing style for a variety of buyers means
designing the spaces with a little bit of something for everyone
while keeping the design updated. “The Lincoln is definitely a
modern farmhouse style. It is still popular and also a light and
airy look — perfect for smaller homes. The Washington is a bit
more modern eclectic with pops of color. Keeping this one neu-
tral in main elements and adding bold color makes it fun and
young,” she explains.
Unlike a custom build or renovation, there are some limits on
what the designer can do while staying within the package
offerings. “With the new construction townhouses, you pick a
finish package. These are preset packages for flooring, counters,The bold, clean-lined Washington living room features Kichler lighting, Leftbank Art, Jaipur rug and Tov chairs.SPRING | SUMMER 2019 93