When interior designer Diana Weinstein first spied a dilapidated, 1950s-era Cape Cod-style house obscured by overgrown vegetation behind a gated stone wall, she was intrigued.
“According to Glen Ridge lore, the house was built on a former candy-factory lot. As soon as I saw the For-Sale sign, I had to get in there,” she says.
Weinstein wasted no time touring the property with contractor Marlon Roberts of Marcon in Bloomfield, who immediately advised her to grab it. “I agreed because it was a perfect location, very private and so unusual. Unlike many other neighborhood homes, it wasn’t bound by historic-preservation requirements,” she adds.
The project moved forward in 2019 with a dramatic demolition, including jack hammering the foundation. The undertaking was not for the faint of heart, but Weinstein saw the potential. She says, “The property had good energy and was close to schools. I knew it was the right space for us.”
The intrepid designer retained part of the shell, but completely reconfigured the residence into a two-story, modern colonial. Then, she painted the exterior dark charcoal brown and added a front door jazzed up in Benjamin Moore’s Titanic Rose. “My dusty-pink entry is not a common look for my neighborhood, but it’s so me,” she admits. Her reimagined digs are now open and airy, with casual, intentional spaces designated for her two teens, pets, guests and clients.
A diminutive powder room is emboldened by blossomy Cole & Sons wallpaper and a green-and-white marble floor. Photo: Jane Beiles
Weinstein fell into her interior design career after studying art history at New York University, working at the Whitney Museum during college, and later diving into the fashion industry with a stint at Donna Karan. She later studied at the School of Visual Arts and the New York School of Interior Design. Nowadays, she’s especially attracted to random, eclectic objets d’art: paintings, baskets, pottery, sculpture and crystals. And she’s smitten with wallpaper. “My entire home is layered with it,” she says. “I wallpaper the heck out of everything.”
Her sleek living room, awash in monochromatic neutral shades, sports cozy modular furniture by Vanguard, upholstered in mixed tonal fabrics. “It’s a comfy place to plop and hang out together,” she says. A Thomas O’Brien chair was her first designer-furniture acquisition, snagged years ago. To date, it has worn four distinct fabrics in four different rooms. An attention-grabbing wall of built-ins showcases rotating collections of decorative accessories, based on Weinstein’s purchasing whims.
The original 1950s metal kitchen cabinets were gutted, making way for Weinstein’s vision. Luxe cabinets, Tokyo quartzite and a look-at-me range hood complete the opulent but inviting space. Photo: Jane Beiles
The kitchen gleams with a stunning quartzite wall and counters, flanked by Crown Point oak cabinets, a six-burner Thermidor range, and a custom-designed hood by Range Craft of Fairfield. “The hood has a gutsy industrial-metal finish, without being shiny and foofy,” Weinstein says. The island is accentuated with rattan-backed counter stools and fluted-linen pendant lights. “I feel the vibe of this warm and personal kitchen. I like the swirly movement of the stone and dark wood grain juxtaposed with the clean lines of the cabinets,” she says.
The designer’s avant-garde dining room does double duty as a client conference area. Photo: Jane Beiles
Weinstein’s home office (bursting with interior design catalogs and fabric samples) is ingeniously nestled into a space adjacent to the dining room. In fact, the dining room doubles as a conference space for her clientele. Bold, gestural wallpaper by S. Harris, a pendant light by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, a modern Oushak rug, and director’s chairs from Crate & Barrel rejuvenate the space.
Upstairs, a bonus loft area is glammed up with Kelly Wearstler wallpaper and a glass balustrade with metal railing. A petite sofa adorned with luxe pillows, as well as a small art gallery, complete the textural space. The functional loft also is home to a TV, Peloton and washer/dryer.
A bonus hangout loft, decorated with a funky gallery wall, is accessed by climbing stairs embellished with a glass balustrade and metal railing. Photo: Jane Beiles
On the first floor, Weinstein added a spacious bedroom, specially designed to welcome her parents when they visit. The guest suite is warmed up with teal grasscloth wallpaper, a low-profile Design Within Reach bed, Sanderson window treatment fabric, and finds from her travels, all soulfully layered.
“Our home reflects my personality because I threw myself into it,” Weinstein says. “People enjoy being in this house. I like them to be curious and touch things.”
Follow our home & style editor on Instagram (@susanbrierlybush).
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