Although many of Jess Cooney’s clients are owners of second homes who seek respite in the Berkshires, the designer ensures the interiors are equipped for everyday, all-season living. In freshening a 1980s-era ski house for a family of four, she added practical storage along with plenty of earthy appeal. The color scheme feels Berkshires-appropriate year-round. “People want clean and modern, but not cold or cosmopolitan,” she says. “We used warm rust tones that tie to the foliage; it’s what the area is known for.”
1 Cooney painted the stone fireplace and unremarkable wood mantel white so they would recede. “We refocused attention from the fireplace to the center of the room,” the designer says. She also swapped the elevated hearth for a slab of bluestone set into the floor, which opened circulation space.
2 Installing vertical shiplap on the walls painted in the same soft white as the fireplace lends modern farmhouse detailing to otherwise empty expanses.
3 The Arteriors pendant with microfiber banding that hangs from the peak of the 25-foot ceiling casts soft, linear shadows at night.
4 There was no place to create closets in the open concept plan, so Cooney designed decorative built-ins with closed storage and bookshelves. The live edge oak slab offers a woodsy moment.
5 Vintage 1970s leather lounge chairs by Arne Norell imbue the room with age and balance the light upholstery. “The chairs bring out a rustic warmth that makes this feel like a country home,” Cooney says.
Marni Elyse Katz is a regular contributor to the Globe Magazine. Send comments to [email protected].