Minimalism Meets Kid-Friendly Style in This Modern Family Home

The home of Liza and Simon Isaacs is a picture of tranquility by design. They wanted to create a home that would be a restful place to unwind with their two young kids, Kaia and Sage, after work. To create that serenity, friend and interior designer Jacqueline Schmidt relied on a quiet, low-contrast color scheme with lots of natural wood.

She steered the family towards materials that would last, especially for the high-touch spots like countertops and the dining table and chairs, which were made for commercial use. "Contract-grade is more expensive, but worth it because they don't get ruined," Schmidt says. The extra time together at home during Covid put the calming aspect of the design to an extreme test, but Simon and Liza found that their family-friendly and clutter-proof home can handle anything.

Matching wood (oak for the floors, table, chairs, and sideboard) gives the dining room a calm feel on even its messiest day. Walls, ceiling, and trim in Decorator's White (Benjamin Moore CC-20) establish a seamless backdrop.

The position of the L-shape sofa separates the entry area from the rest of the living room. Next to the front door, a slim console table has a drawer to hide the daily clutter of comings and goings, like keys and mail.

Though the palette mostly sticks to pale neutrals, house plants and nature-inspired artwork introduce spots of stronger color. The landscape is by Simon's father, the painter Henry Isaacs.

A low bookcase stores books arranged by color to reduce visual noise. The hand-painted linen tapestry by Conejo & Co. looks organic and echoes the bookcase lines.

Liza and Simon's small bedroom is soothing with an easy-on-the-eyes blush accent wall; the color weaves through the rest of the house. The pale gray outdoor fabric upholstering the bed resists fingerprints and fading.

A corner in the couple's bedroom is ideal for wind-down time. The curvaceous armchair envelops the sitter almost like a hug. The undulating lines of the large wall hanging by artist Sally England represent Liza's love of the ocean and Simon's love of the mountains.

The cloud-pattern wallpaper in Kaia's room is interesting but not overwhelming, and it's sophisticated enough to grow with her. The fiber wall hanging by textile artist Maryanne Moodie brings in soft texture and dimension plus color.

Kid furniture made with zero-VOC finishes ensures healthy air in the playroom.