Downsizing doesn’t always mean less. This is the case for Robyn and Ted Smalletz, two business executives who spent 30 years in a large Colonial house in East Greenwich. Suddenly empty nesters, the pair was ready for a new chapter and decided to swap square footage for a State House view. Says Robyn, “Our perfect location turned out to be a corner unit on the 23rd floor of The Residences.”
“A lot of our clients have small children and pets and are looking for designs that are more casual,” begins Kelly Taylor, founder of Kelly Taylor Interior Design, based on Westminster Street. “But Robyn and Ted wanted a luxury hotel situation. They were looking for a quiet, relaxing, spa-like palette, so we gave them lots of layered textures to create depth and interest with no color.” Taylor also relays that the Smalletzes were clear from the start that the second bedroom needed to be a home office, and that cooking wasn’t a priority. Guests would stay at the adjacent Omni and entertaining would be limited to cocktails and apps before dinner out in the city.
Robyn shares that she and Ted had their first meeting with Taylor inside the apartment at sunset. “The lights of the skyline were just becoming alive. I have always said that the timing was serendipitous because this was the dimension we wanted to capture,” says Robyn. “The city was to be the centerpiece of our design.”
Taylor relished this directive and outfitted the 2007-built 1,161-square-foot condo in a style she calls “warm modern glamor.”
Employing elements like dramatic lighting and gauzy drapery to make the most of the skyline views, Taylor selected furnishings at once elegant and artful without being stuffy – there are grandchildren, after all. The palette could be described as “pebble” with shimmering organic accents that combine in a subconscious shoreline aesthetic.
“With limited space and beautiful views we opted for neutral tones and fabulous light fixtures to complement the sparkle of Providence, especially in the night sky,” says Robyn, smiling brightly. “One of my favorite pieces in our home is a crystal starburst chandelier, which appears as an extension of the evening.”
Ideas and resources for making the most of living in the Ocean State.
“We have a gallery wall of paintings in our hallway prominently displaying an original oil painting by artist Maxwell Mays. Max was a Rhode Island treasure, a friend, and we love the piece we commissioned years ago,” says Robyn Smalletz of the RI artist who donated over 295 acres to create the Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge in Coventry.
“We employed Plantasia to do all the indoor and exterior plantings; they not only provide the plants and the pots, but also can also service them. Stock Culinary Goods is just the best store for anything and everything someone needs for the kitchen, whether beautiful, unique things or kitchen staples, and delicious food products and chocolate, too! Jephry Floral Studio is my go-to for flowers, vases, candles, etc. He has an impeccable eye and a collection of beautiful things. I get all my flowers for photoshoots from his store,” says Taylor.
Since 2004, Kelly Taylor has been bringing fresh ideas to residential and commercial spaces. “We specialize in warm, modern, clean, and fresh spaces, whether historic, waterfront, or urban,” says Taylor. Learn more at KTID.net.
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