This Vibrant Virginia Home’s Design Embraces Color

A kitchen with royal blue cabinets.
Photography by Robert Radifera, Interiors by Carrie Miller, Styling by Charlotte Safavi

Text by Charlotte Safavi

Both Lauren and Chip Seeger grew up in rural communities, so when it was time to start a family of their own, they decided to build a home in a thriving suburb of Arlington, Virginia. They wanted to raise their two elementary-age children in a place surrounded by schoolmates and friendly neighbors.

An entry way with a staircase.
Photography by Robert Radifera, Interiors by Carrie Miller, Styling by Charlotte Safavi

“My childhood home was on a tobacco farm in Maryland’s countryside, a good 30 minutes from the nearest grocery store; Chip grew up in once-rural Vienna,” says Lauren. “We really wanted our kids to experience growing up in an area with a vibrant sense of community.”

The couple had been living in Arlington—and loving it—when the opportunity arose to build their dream home a few blocks over on a quiet tree-lined street. “I had helped them furnish their prior home, so they brought me on board early on to help,” says designer Carrie Miller of Lapis Ray Interior Design.

A living room with blue and kelly green accents.
Photography by Robert Radifera, Interiors by Carrie Miller, Styling by Charlotte Safavi

Having a design that incorporated the Seegers’ heirlooms, collections, and some existing furnishings was important, but the couple was also open to a fresh new look, hence the fun color palette of green, blue, and pops of blush. These bold hues are layered into the neutral background, along with hints of high-contrast black and white.

A library painted forest green.
Photography by Robert Radifera, Interiors by Carrie Miller, Styling by Charlotte Safavi

“The library became our jumping-off ground,” says Carrie. “Chip had set his mind on a saturated color for the space, and we came up with that statement-making green.” Washed in forest green with an unexpected matte black ceiling, the library is a masculine yet inviting room furnished with a saddle brown leather chesterfield sofa and a pair of comfortable mismatched armchairs. The bookshelves hold keepsakes from Chip’s years at West Point and other items from the family’s travels, including a horse sculpture from Israel.

A dining room with a muted pastel palette.
Photography by Robert Radifera, Interiors by Carrie Miller, Styling by Charlotte Safavi

In contrast, the adjacent dining room is all light and feminine with notes of blush complementing the rug. A crystal chandelier and touches of gold add abundant formality to the space, which is used for gatherings with family and friends. “The front of the house is definitely more formal,” says Carrie, who paired the Seegers’ existing dining chairs with a new table and heirloom furniture.

A family room with two navy armchairs facing a tv mounted over the fireplace.
Photography by Robert Radifera, Interiors by Carrie Miller, Styling by Charlotte Safavi

In the family room and kitchen at the back of the home, the colors become bold again, with playful punches of green and blue. The family room has a pair of mismatched sofas, a choice to give the home a curated feel, and plenty of additional seating, including a pair of built-in window seats with green custom bench cushions. “We did royal blue cabinets in the kitchen,” says Carrie, noting the lively choice. “Adding oversize black above-island pendants and those black-and-white curtains in the eat-in really brought the space together.”

A breakfast nook with a blue velvet bench and black-and-white curtains.
Photography by Robert Radifera, Interiors by Carrie Miller, Styling by Charlotte Safavi

The Seegers are now comfortably settled in their beautiful new home and very content with its ideal location. “It was important for us to have our house be vibrant and different, with our personal history and antiques layered in,” says Lauren. “Above all, we love that we can live in this neighborhood and raise our children here.”

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