Design house: A rustic yet refined home in Locust Valley, designed by Jennifer Cohler Mason

A clever mix of modern and traditional elements make this house a home.

Jennifer Cohler Mason creates interior spaces that are a harmonious mix of contemporary and classic elements. Her interiors have a distinctive, comfortable elegance that truly reflect each client's personal aesthetic and lifestyle.

Throughout, Jennifer's approach is highly collaborative, involving not only each client but also an extraordinary group of carefully selected artisans and craftspeople – including lighting designers, cabinet makers, weavers, painters, upholsterers and others who contribute their well-recognized talents to each of Jennifer's unique projects.

Having had a love for design from a young age, Jennifer knew she would pursue a career in the design industry. Her background as a fashion designer informs her eye for fabric, tailoring, and proportion, all of which are integral to creating warm, comfortable living environments for her clients, each with an inescapable attention to detail.

Jennifer's style, both engaging and fluid, is always anchored by the inherent beauty of fine materials, craftsmanship, quality and value. She is passionate and committed to her work and design, finding endless inspiration in art, photography, fashion, and travel.

We talk to Jennifer Cohler Mason about the design project.

THE PROPERTY

The inspiration behind this renovation was taken from the client’s villa in Tuscany, they wanted a rustic yet refined weekend home to entertain family and friends.

My favorite room to design in this house was the living room, this is the first space you walk in to when you enter the home, we wanted it to draw you in and is such a large space with a double height ceiling.

The first piece purchased for and inspiration for the living room was an extremely large Cecily Brown oil painting that had to be brought in prior to the walls being closed up or it would not have fit through the door. Because the living room was such a large room and we delineated the space by creating two seating areas, a cocktail area and a more formal seating area in front of the custom limestone fireplace. We kept the colors to a very neutral, palette so as not to compete or take away from the Cecily brown painting.

The custom monumental light fixture is suspended from the original beams, which we designed in collaboration with lighting designer Mark Figueredo, feels very organic suspended overhead and adds a warm glow to the space.

We are very happy with the finished look of the project, but more importantly our client is thrilled with their new home and continue to thank us for helping to make it a special place for them to retreat to.

EXTERIOR

KITCHEN

LIVING AREA / FAMILY ROOM

DINING ROOM

HALL

HOME OFFICE

BATHROOM

(Image credit: Marco Ricca)

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

Photography/ Marco Ricca

Interior design/ Jennifer Cohler Mason

Jennifer Ebert
Deputy Editor (Digital)

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.