Peak of Perfection
DESIGNER KELLEY LENTINI FINDS HER FOREVER HOME
Kelley Lentini and her husband, Brad, were going stir-crazy stuck inside their small townhome. “It was the start of Covid in 2020 and we were both working from home, feeling like the walls were caving in on us,” she laughs of their tiny two-bedroom. “We were so cramped that I found myself on Zillow every day searching for a bigger home.”
To get some fresh air and quell their curiosity, the couple hopped in the car and went for a drive around town. That’s when they saw it: a midcentury-modern A-frame with a black-and-white wood accent on the exterior. “When I saw it, I was like ‘that’s my dream home,’” says the designer with House of Nomad. “I called the Realtor, and the rest, [as] they say, is history.”
The home checked all the boxes for the designer: concrete and white-oak floors, a sunken living room, an open floor plan, ample natural light, and plenty of space for her family of three. “The home is modern but warm and inviting,” says Lentini. “It was the perfect style for us and our taste.” That taste is what the designer calls Morocco meets Palm Springs: a little boho with some midcentury-modern touches. “Our aesthetic at House of Nomad is constantly inspired by our travels around the world,” says Lentini, who co-owns the design firm with designer Berkeley Minkhorst. “And my house is no different.”
Aware that a black-and-white palette with organic wood accents could feel cold, Lentini layered varied textures to keep the home warm and inviting. “I think things can go a little too modern, so I’m always trying to balance how can we keep it approachable,” she explains. A pair of rattan pendants from her travels to Bali illuminate the kitchen island; vintage burl-wood mirrors hang in the upstairs bathroom; and a variety of Moroccan and Turkish rugs also from her trips abroad soften the concrete floors. Even the transition from kitchen to dining room offers a softer moment with a grasscloth wallcovering from House of Nomad’s line for Anthropologie, bringing interest to an otherwise nondescript space.
The home was a lesson in texture: how to take advantage of it to make modern warm, and Lentini hit the mark. “When you’re in a more neutral palette, sometimes taking things that are more refined and mixing them with things that feel rawer and rustic make it cozier, more intimate,” the designer adds. “It makes this neutral color story that much more interesting.”
New Neutral
Designers Berkeley Minkhorst and Kelley Lentini of House of Nomad weigh in on how to make neutral interesting.
Layering is everything with neutrals. “This is how you keep it fresh and interesting,” says Minkhorst. “Textures like a boucle or other chunky fabrics are great for this. Pair them with a leather or even linen to create even more contrast.”
Adding a few vintage pieces is key. “Items like a more neutral Moroccan rug from the ’70s, these types of pieces tell a story and keep things interesting and still timeless,” explains Lentini.
Introducing mixed materials is a must. “For House of Nomad, the more mixed materials in a design the better!” says Minkhorst. “Mixing in different materials like woods, metals, stones, [or] woven rattan is our secret to how you give life to a space.”
Going neutral doesn’t mean boring. “There is still plenty of opportunity to have fun with the space through art and pattern,” says Minkhorst. “A neutral pattern pop on a pillow or art with some dimension takes everything to the next level.”
The kitchen island pendants found in Bali are one of Lentini’s favorite items. “They bring in all the colors,” she says. The designers collect accessories on sourcing trips to Bali, Morocco, South Africa, and more. Lentini wrapped the bar area in a black-and-white patterned wallpaper from a line she and Minkhorst collaborated on with Anthropologie.
