Georgia-born Elizabeth Bolognino knows a thing or two about high-end and fabulous. After getting her master's in interior design from the Pratt Institute, Bolognino went to work for luxury-loving hospitality firm Yabu Pushelberg, collaborating on high-end international retail and hotel projects. From there, she went to to the king of classic American prep, Ralph Lauren, as part of the design team of international and domestic flagships.
"My design aesthetic sits right at the intersection between Yabu and Ralph Lauren. I want homes to be comfortable but at the same time succinct and very tailored," says Bolognino.
She launched Elizabeth Bolognino Interiors in 2011 and ever since has been creating interiors with her fresh take on contemporary and edgy, layered minimalism for clients that are much like her: young, downtown creative types.
In the ongoing series Dyson Design House, we've made it our mission to find the most beautiful and innovative rooms across the country. In this installation, writer and decorator Alexa Stevenson goes into the field to document the edgy interiors of Elizabeth Bolognino.
In Denver, Bolognino designed a modern concept house from the ground up for artist Laura Krudener. "It's a completely green house. I worked with the developer and builder on ensuring it was completely energy efficient and sustainable," she says. "Good sustainable design shouldn't look it; it just is." On the inside, Bolognino exercised quiet restraint creating a luxe but minimal backdrop to showcase the client's artwork. "If you take away the art and the light fixture, it's basically a white space," says the designer. "It can change its look depending on the type of art she is making."
On the staircase stringer, which is seen from the front door, Bolognino had Krudener commission a piece for her very own house. So the artist created a extremely vertical piece using a variation of her signature dripping technique to match that with the cant of the staircase. "It turned what is typically an eyesore into a focal point," she says.
In the open living/eat/dine space, like the rest of the house, strong lines and spare but elegant furnishings reference the artist's work as well as let it shine. Black molding frames the living space, distinguishing it from the kitchen. A sleek and angular Roll & Hill light fixture zones out the dining space and adds a little oomph to the monochromatic, open floor plan.
In the kitchen, mason jars filled with neutral colored grains and fired ceramics on open shelving add warmth to the cool surfaces: a Carrara porcelain on the wall that stretches from cabinets to ceiling and a Caesarstone waterfall island. Its elegance is in its extreme simplicity. "You don't need a lot of stuff for a space to look complete and lived in, just the right stuff," says Bolognino. "I love how this is sensual and simple at the same time. It's the the kind of kitchen you imagine yourself coming down in your man's white oxford and nothing else."
· [Elizabeth Bolognino Interiors]