Cozy by the Coast

Local interior designer blends lighting, colors and textures to create inviting spaces

By Judy Royal

“Cozy” may not be the first word that comes to mind when you picture a coastal home, but Wilmington designers are proving that warmth and shoreline simplicity can live harmoniously under the same roof. Using lighting, colors and textures, they are redefining what comfort looks like on the Cape Fear coast.

For nearly 30 years, Jennifer Kraner, president and principal interior designer at Wilmington’s Big Sky Interior Design, has helped homeowners transform their spaces to reflect their unique style. Creating cozy interiors that impart comfort, warmth and happiness is a big part of that, she says.

“Feeling cozy is so personal as to what makes each of us feel that way, so from an interior design standpoint, we always aim to understand what makes each of our clients feel enriched and inspired by their surroundings,” Kraner says. “A cozy room is like your favorite sweater — the colors and textures resonate with you and make you happy, and they are your favorites that you don’t tire of.”

She likes to begin with lighting and texture, often through wallcoverings, when introducing warmth into a home. The first things that tell her whether a space is cozy, she says, are “soft lighting with variable controls and warmth through colors, textures and patterns.”

“Lighter paint colors are often a part of coastal interiors, so adding warmth through other textural woven elements can help an interior feel cozier,” Kraner says. “Cozy interiors do not need to feel dark and heavy; they just need to speak to the homeowner.”

When a client came to Big Sky wanting to upgrade her living room for family events surrounding her daughter’s wedding, Kraner was up for the challenge, despite a tight deadline. Her first step was to warm up the room, making it feel more intimate by adding textural grasscloth where there had previously been paint. Next, the team installed two decorative light fixtures that softened the lighting while adding a decorative touch.

“The defining element we worked with was the client’s gorgeous rug,” Kraner says. “It had soft greens and golds that were brought out by the grass cloth wallcovering and introduced cream, rusty red and blue as well. That really opened the door to interesting fabrics, and we had so much fun selecting them.”

The client wanted to reupholster her large, curvaceous sofa and wingback chair, the main furniture pieces in the room.

“Her cats were also very important members of the household, and so when I found the Cheetah Emerald upholstery fabric for her sofa and the Bengal Jungle printed linen for her wingback chair, she was thrilled,” Kraner says. “The result was a room that made her so happy — and the cats, too — with colors, imagery and textures that all made the space her version of cozy. It is a special room in the house, with details that are appreciated each time it is used.”

While the interior of a home should be the focal point when creating inviting spaces, it is crucial to consider what is outside as well, Kraner says.

“Our outdoors are spectacular, whether you have live oak trees or a water view,” she says. “Allowing those views to influence your interior experience is important.”

While many homeowners opt to completely revamp a space, there are simple changes that can instantly create warmth, Kraner says.

“Turn down the lights, and have dimmers on all ceiling lighting,” she says. “I also recommend a timeworn rug, one that is loved for many years.”

For those looking to go a step further, natural wood is a major cozy-focused design trend, appearing in furniture, accent walls and light fixtures, she adds.

Big Sky’s services run the gamut from commercial to residential, new construction to renovation, and whole-home projects to single rooms. Appointments are recommended for extensive design services, but immediate help is available for smaller projects.

“Our firm has always felt strongly that we can help everybody with interior design at any budget,” Kraner says. “We don’t have a niche style or price point. We try to be accessible to all budgets and styles and encourage people to find what truly inspires them to help create their own personalized style.”

bigskydesignonline.com