From the beginning, the design was shaped not just by Shannon’s personal aesthetic, but by his family history. His grandmother had amassed a rich collection of antique rugs and objects from around the world during a stint living in Turkey. Newell, whose own design background includes a decade with ABC Carpet & Home and global textile sourcing, immediately recognized the significance. “When I saw these rugs, I geeked out,” she recalls. “They weren’t just beautiful—they were part of his story.”
Layered Persian Mahal and Afghan Tekke rugs became a foundational element of the space, grounding a sitting area where a vintage Percival Lafer leather sofa with a near-perfect patina offers a place to sink in. “The patina, the presence—it tells stories. You’re not getting surface level. You’re getting the real deal,” Newell explains in a way that the sofa could be interchanged with descriptions of Shannon. “The wear, the scale, the soul of it—it’s Mike.”
The tension between softness and structure plays out in every room. In the kitchen, Newell introduced clean-lined stainless-steel surfaces and floating shelving to balance the ornate patterns and layered vintage finds elsewhere. “You expect steel to feel harsh, but when it’s done right, it reflects light in this mineral-like, soft way,” she notes. Venetian plaster on the walls adds a quiet luster and warmth. “I also really love the Venetian plaster treatment in the living room and on the stairs,” says Shannon. “I’d never had that in any place I’ve lived before. It’s really cool. Just…