Inside the Colorful, Art-Filled Apartment of Framebridge's CEO
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When designer Zoe Feldman received a project inquiry from Framebridge CEO Susan Tynan, “I was so stoked,” gushes the Washington, D.C.-based interior designer. “I was already a big fan of Framebridge—we use it often with our clients. So I was really excited to work with her!”
Tynan was looking to refresh the dated interiors of the Maryland residence where she lives with her husband, Peter, and their two children. “I’d been working at a startup pace for seven years and really hadn’t dedicated any time to my own home," she says. So she tapped Feldman to help her transform the space into a "fun, beautiful, and elevated" place "where we could entertain," she explains. “But I also have kids, and during the design process I got a dog—so it had to be functional, too.”
The business powerhouse—who sits at the helm of the custom-framing company that she founded in 2014 (and sold to Graham Holdings last year)—also wanted to highlight “items I had collected and artists that I liked,” she notes. That includes everything from the Josh Young portraits hanging in the dining room to framed pieces above the breakfast nook done by her own kids.
"I thought there were a lot of opportunities to showcase how you display art—and they didn't all have to be on a white wall," Feldman adds. "Not every frame has to match—you don’t have to overthink the art. You can just frame the things you love and think about scale and proportion, but not get hung up on micro details."
Though Tynan had some nonnegotiables (including the addition of a Brooklyn brownstone mantel in the living room), she encouraged Feldman to take the lead in revamping the lively sprawl. "If you sign up for someone’s vision, it'll be more successful if you just go with it," Tynan says. "This was the first time I worked with a designer for my own home, so it made it more fun to commit to the process."
While Feldman had ample say in the creative decision-making, she made sure the homeowners still felt heard. "All good design is collaborative, and my team and I feel that it's important that the client have a hand on where we land," she says. "Susan and Peter gave us enough direction to make sure we weren’t creating a space for ourselves, but a space for them."
Despite taking place amid the pandemic, the project unfolded quite smoothly. "The good part about working from home was that we really got to live in our house and understand exactly how we wanted the space to feel," Tynan says. "Being at home made the project more fun, since we got to see it as it came along and make sure that it really made sense for how we were living. We kept adding things in since we thought, 'if we’re going to be home, let’s make it great,'" she enthuses. "I really wanted it to be a happy space, and it definitely is!”
See the entire home below.
Entryway
“The entry hall is so much fun,” Feldman says of the vibrant space, which features a peach-colored gallery wall. At first, Tynan and her husband were unsure about the bright hue—but in the end, they came around. “It showcases the art so beautifully and has such a powerful and impactful moment when you walk in," the designer says. "It feels really fresh, but also classic. It’s amazing what a great background it is for all of the frames!"
Side table and mirror: Chairish. Rug: Old New House. Baseboard and wall paint: Georgia Peach, Benjamin Moore.
Living Room
"Without Zoe, I would’ve never put the antique mirror above the fireplace," Tynan reveals. It was also the designer's idea to flank the glass-paned doors leading to the backyard with custom built-in bookshelves. "They’re a light blue and a darker blue on the inside, and that looks great," Tynan says. "I would’ve never done that without her."
Mantel: 1stdibs. Cabinetry paint: Brittany Blue, Benjamin Moore. Wallpaint: Blackened, Farrow & Ball,
Family Room
"Susan wanted the family room to feel more textural than colorful—and simpler, to make it more of a reprieve from the rest of the house," Feldman says. "It made sense because it’s more modern in its composition and architecture, and gives a nice flow through the house."
Dining table: Ethnicraft. Sofa: Clad Home. Chair and side table: Noir Trading Co. Wool rug: Akara Rugs. Cabinetry: custom, Charles Gibbons. Coffee table: CB2. Wall paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore.
Kitchen
The cabinets hide everything going on in the kitchen, making the space look really clean and calm," Tynan notes.
Dining Room
Without Feldman's guidance, "there were several things I would’ve never done," Tynan confesses. "I would’ve never had a light fixture that large, and I would’ve never had wallpaper on the ceiling. And the yellow on the inside of the cabinet is really fun," she says of the formal dining area, which was arguably the most challenging space to update.
"We thought we had to do more work to get there than we ended up doing," Feldman reveals. "It was an important room because we wanted to showcase how art could be layered onto wallpaper. I just think it came together so magically."
"The Josh Young portraits are sort of a fun nod to what the room is, which is both formal and not at the same time," Tynan adds.
Pendant lamp: Monologue London. Dining table: Modern Hill Furniture. Drapes: The Shade Store.
Powder Room
"It was Zoe’s vision to go with that sink," Tynan says, referring to the punchy mint-green vessel in the whimsical powder room. "But she did give us a few hues to choose from, and my twelve-year-old daughter helped me pick that color!"
Sink: Consolidated Plumbing. Sconce: In Common With. Mirror: Etsy. Faucet: Studio Ore. Wallpaper: Red Dragon Indigo, Carleton V.
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