A very light touch was needed for the renovation of this 1920s colonial revival home – here's how the designer made the original features work for modern family life

Built in 1926, this family home in Dallas, Texas, is a fine example of colonial revival architecture. The original house features beautiful traditional elements, including arched entrances and columns framing a patio located off of a glass-enclosed sunroom.

These were among the details interior designer Noel Pittman was keen to preserve as she updated the property's interior design for a close friend who was expecting her first child. A specialist in timeless, traditional, sophisticated interiors, Noel curated antiques, existing artwork, and custom upholstery to bring a fresh new perspective to this colonial style home.

Take the tour to discover how Noel's targeted updates created a homey and stylish new look in a matter of months.

'The house didn't require any extensive renovations,' says Noel. 'We painted, decorated and made minor alterations like adding the breakfast banquette. The owner was pregnant with her first daughter so we were in a bit of a time crunch.'

This space had built-in bookcases that Noel removed to create a breakfast nook adjacent to the kitchen. 'I wanted this to be a casual, comfortable area for family breakfasts and dinners,' she says. 'The client, Cristina, has an artisan clothing line named Mi Golondrina, which means “my bird” in Spanish, so the fabric with a bird pattern, from Lisa Fine Textiles, seemed fitting and special.'

The chairs have removable cushions for ease of cleaning. The table was specially painted to suit the blue and white theme. The ceramics hanging over the breakfast bench are the client’s own antique Mexican pieces.

The existing kitchen cabinets and countertops were in good condition, but the room still felt a little dated, so designer Noel looked for ways to modernize the kitchen without totally replacing it. She added new hardware from Rejuvenation Hardware, and lanterns by Mark Sikes for Hudson Valley Lighting.

Don't underestimate the power of decorative accessories to add character and instantly elevate the space. Here, the bright ceramics also play their part – all vintage Mexican pieces.

This bright and uplifting space was once an overlooked pass-through from the living room to the exterior without a clear function.

'My vision was to create a sunroom that felt like it was an exterior space that was later enclosed,' says Noel. 'The clients trusted me to paint a wood floor with porch paint, the brick walls ivory, and the ceiling pale blue in reference to the tradition of painting porch ceilings “haint blue” in the Southern United States.'

Unlined linen curtains, wicker seating and a fern print fabric, Belle Grove from Cowtan & Tout, completed the cheerful space, which is now one of the designer's favorite rooms in the home.

Directly off of the sunroom is the back porch, a patio sitting area by the pool that the clients use for cocktails or summer entertaining with neighboring families. The area is covered so it doesn’t get exposed to too much sunlight.

'We used greens and natural colors to relate to the trees surrounding the home and keep a cool color palette,' explains Noel. 'The wicker seating features a small green and white pinstripe outdoor fabric by Perennials. I like to avoid dark or bright colors in very warm climates as these look hot in the bright, Texas sun.'

Noel's living room ideas for this more formal space were partly shaped by the home's floor plan, where the ground floor features rooms connected to adjoining spaces on at least two sides.

'This layout posed the challenge of establishing distinct color palettes for each space while maintaining a cohesive flow,' explains Noel. 'After considering the distribution and transition of colors, I went more colorful in the rooms at each end of the house, with the central passage rooms remaining more neutral. My aim was to create visual interest in each room, infusing color throughout while ensuring transitions between rooms remain smooth with cohesive elements throughout.'

Although at first glance this room has a largely neutral decor, there are many striking elements and bespoke pieces that help to create a lasting impression. The area rugs are from Annie Selke, the iron and leather chairs are vintage Spanish director’s chairs called Savonarola chairs that Noel found at a local antiques dealer.

'The upholstered armless chairs are Billy Baldwin style slipper chairs I had made. I also designed the coffee table which was handmade and lacquered by a furniture maker in Los Angeles,' says Noel. 'The art above the sofa is a series painted by the client’s aunt. They saw something similar together on a family trip, and she later painted a set for her niece.'

When you're designing a home for a family with young children, dining room ideas often involve some soul searching. With its new eat-in kitchen did this property really need a dedicated dining room? That's the question designer Noel was asking herself. In the end, since this is a couple that likes to entertain friends and family, she felt a second entertaining space was justified.

'Dining rooms often feel too formal for modern day lifestyle, I liked finding something that was refined but not delicate,' she says. 'The rustic oak table is an antique. The chairs are from Ballard Designs a local upholstery workroom re-covered them with leather. I avoided antique chairs as I thought sturdier seating would be helpful with young kids.'

The walls are covered in grasscloth and the sideboard is a 19th century English piece that a decorative painter painted green 'so that the room wouldn’t be dominated by two large pieces of brown furniture' adds Noel.

This home's interior design is best described as a fresh take on traditional style, with a focus on layered textures, colors, and patterns. The family living room off the kitchen features custom sofas and chairs with English rolled arms, an antique wool rug, and a mix of accent pillows to create a comfortable space for family gatherings.

The room showcases a stronger color palette, a practical choice for family living and the upholstery is all custom. The accent pillows on the sofa and chairs are Zak & Fox fabric.

'The antique armchairs were the client’s mom's, covered in black leather with a dark stain,' says Noel. 'We wanted to use them but they were dark for the room, so we had them bleached and recovered with a small stripe to lighten them.'

The primary bedroom scheme was the result of a close collaboration with her client, as Noel explains. 'Cristina and I both cherish romantic, tranquil bedrooms, which inspired the calming palette of blues, browns, and creams in the primary suite. We chose Jasper Textile's Kashmir fabric for the curtains and that set the tone for the room. An antique Suzani layered on the bed pays tribute to her love for hand embroidery and artisanal craftsmanship.'

The nightstands are antique Spanish pieces sourced on Chairish. The lamps are from Vaughan, with custom lampshades in Robert Kime fabric. The red throw pillow is also a Robert Kime fabric. The artwork is from the client’s collection.

Designing and decorating this home came with extra time pressure – the imminent arrival of the client's first baby. Naturally, as with all new parents, the nursery ideas were a priority.

'Cristina wanted her young daughter’s room to feel sweet and old-fashioned,' says Noel. 'We achieved this with Swiss dot sheers and small-scale floral fabric on the windows, both from Schumacher. The crib was the client’s own that I painted white and the small green side table is from Chelsea Textiles.

Noel's simple decorative adjustments to the powder room have made a world of difference.

'There was a small contemporary wall-hung sink and no tile or wainscot on the walls,' says Noel. 'To give the small space a finished feel, I added the beadboard wainscot and a pedestal sink. The beadboard was painted dark green to coordinate with the Hinson's Spatter wallpaper.'

Artwork from the client’s collection was given a more cohesive look framed in small gilt wood frames to coordinate with the 19th century regency water gilded mirror.

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Interior design: Noel Pittman
Photography: Amy Neunsinger