June 2009

Comfort & Joy
By Kim Orr


It isn’t a design of grand proportions, nor lavish upholstery, nor modern genius, but Debra Appel Weinrich absolutely adores the new look of her home. In fact, the novelty lies less in the aesthetics than in the mere practicality of it all.

And designer Debbie Wiener wouldn’t have it any other way. As the author of Slob Proof: Real-Life Design Solutions and the mother of two kids, she makes it a point to infuse her designs with practicality rather than glamour.

So Appel Weinrich’s home, which often takes a beating from her son and daughter, ages 15 and 13, respectively, was the perfect forum for the two to express their love of visually interesting design fit for a modern family.

The two began working together two years ago and have since redesigned nearly every room in Appel Weinrich’s 2,000-square-foot house. While each room has a unique character, they all share bursts of color, lots of light and, most important, washable furniture.

“I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on the stuff I knew was going to get trashed,” says Appel Weinrich, who discovered Wiener in a magazine article and instantly appreciated her methodical yet vibrant design aesthetic. “But all the fabrics are washable, so I’m not always worrying about the kids spilling stuff on them.”

The rooms also belie much of the character and personality of their inhabitants. The living room is an open, bright and inviting space where much of the attention is focused on the soft yellow wall color, which leads into a deep red hallway.

The basement, which used to be a playroom for the kids, Spencer and Daniela, is now an entertainment center and a study with library shelves, two desks where the kids can do homework and a couple of television sets – one for PlayStation games and another for favorite TV shows like “Gilmore Girls,” which Appel Weinrich and her daughter used to watch every week.......

Click here to download the complete article with over 15 color photos.
(PDF format)

Back to In The News