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Veranda has published a tour of a 1930s neo-Georgian estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, decorated by Ashley Whittaker and previously updated by architect George Knight. The design pairs historic details and formal rooms with playful patterns, modern art and spaces adapted for a family with five sons.
Veranda has published a tour of a 1930s neo-Georgian estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, where interior designer Ashley Whittaker and architect George Knight have balanced the house’s historic character with a more relaxed, family-oriented feel. The residence’s mix of formal architecture, playful decoration and practical changes offers a look at how its owners adapted an expansive old home for everyday life with five active sons.
The house sits on about six acres and has grown over time, with additional wings added in the 1990s, according to Veranda. Its grounds include a swimming pool, pool house and two freestanding garages, one of which has a guest apartment. The owners bought the property about five years before the article, after moving from New York City in search of more room for their family.
Whittaker’s approach is especially visible in the game room, which she identifies as one of her favorite spaces. A wool-clad banquette, brass drinks tables and an antique Russian cabinet stocked with games give it a casual purpose within the stately house. Pierre Frey fabric borders arranged in an unexpected way break up the room’s striped walls.
Other rooms use color and pattern with a similar balance. In the dining room, peacock-blue lacquered paneling contrasts with white chevron bands painted across the dark floor. The long living room has two seating areas and patterned upholstery in blues, greens and taupes. Whittaker says the arrangement was meant to make the 30-foot room comfortable for both large gatherings and smaller, everyday use.
Historic Rooms Made for Family Use
The tour matters as a concrete example of how an old, large residence can retain its architectural identity while adapting to the people living in it. The design does not treat formality and daily comfort as opposites: the house keeps its Georgian moldings and traditional rooms, while its seating, circulation and color choices make those spaces more approachable.
Some of the changes are architectural as well as decorative. Knight reworked the kitchen as a social space and adjusted a back stair so the children could reach it from their bedrooms. He and Whittaker also widened the opening between the kitchen and family room. Those decisions show how a design story can involve the movement and use of a home, not only its finishes.
The article also records a particular approach to decorating: visually lively rooms are balanced by quieter elements, such as creamy Venetian plaster in the living room and a modern landscape photograph against traditional moldings. That contrast gives readers specific examples of how historic details can coexist with contemporary art and energetic patterns.
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A Greenwich Home Reworked Over Time
The property had already changed substantially before its current owners arrived. It dates to the 1930s, but was expanded in later decades, including the addition of wings in the 1990s. The owners called on Knight, whose New Haven firm has experience renovating older Connecticut homes; he had also overseen an earlier update of this same house.
Knight had modernized portions of the interior that once separated service areas from the principal living and entertaining rooms. In the current work, the kitchen was rethought as a visible, usable gathering place, while the connection between it and the family room was opened up. Whittaker then furnished the main rooms to support both family routines and entertaining.
The home’s artwork and furnishings combine antique and contemporary references. The source identifies works by artists including Melinda Hackett, Robert Motherwell and Peter Beard, alongside a photograph by Carol Greenan Bouyoucos. Whittaker also drew on a room by designer Albert Hadley as inspiration for the dining room’s painted floor.
““There’s a playfulness to the space. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but at the same time, feels elegant.””
— Ashley Whittaker, interior designer
Project Details Still Unreported
The source does not provide the homeowners’ names, the estate’s address, its purchase price or the total cost of the design and renovation work. It also does not give a precise publication date or say whether the property is available for sale. The article describes Whittaker’s work as ongoing, but does not specify which rooms or construction tasks remain unfinished.
The account is a design magazine’s house tour, not a property listing or independent assessment of the renovations. Details about permits, project budgets and the full construction timeline are not included.
Whittaker’s Work Remains Ongoing
Whittaker says her work at the estate is ongoing. The source ends while describing a new project she and Knight are creating, so it does not identify what that work involves or give a completion date. Further details about the next phase have not been provided.
For now, the published tour documents the home’s design as it stands: a historic Connecticut property with updated circulation, family-centered rooms and decoration that brings color and pattern into its traditional framework.
Key Questions
Where is the estate featured in the tour?
The estate is in Greenwich, Connecticut, and sits on about six acres, according to Veranda. The article does not publish its street address.
Who designed and updated the house?
Interior designer Ashley Whittaker decorated the residence, and architect George Knight worked on architectural updates. Knight had previously overseen an update of the same property.
What makes the game room distinctive?
The room combines a wool-clad banquette, brass drinks tables and an antique Russian cabinet containing games. Whittaker describes its mood as playful while still elegant.
What changes made the house more family-friendly?
Knight reworked the kitchen as a social space, adjusted a back stair connecting the children’s bedrooms with the kitchen, and widened the opening between the kitchen and family room. Whittaker also arranged the living room for both gatherings and everyday use.
Is the renovation finished?
The article says Whittaker’s work is ongoing and mentions a new project she and Knight are creating, but it does not describe the remaining work or provide a completion date.
Source: veranda.com
