Dynamic design duo

If there’s one thing that the families who work with D2 Interieurs come to know about the Weston-based interior-design firm’s approach, it’s the proverbial expect the unexpected.

Clients aren’t, for example, going to come away with a house filled with subtle, safe surroundings.

D2 doesn’t do, as creative director Kerri Rosenthal says, “the grays, the beiges, the greiges” so long associated with traditional — and many might say boring — design.

No, D2 Interieurs is about bold strokes, bursts of color and plenty of sophisticated shine.

As founder and owner Denise Davies says, “If this is what you want, buckle your seatbelt because this is what you’ll get.”

And D2, which marks its fifth anniversary in May, has found a ready audience for its work, which while daring is strongly rooted in functionality and livability.

“What we specialize in is moving young families from the city,” Davies says.

Those families, headed often by couples in their 30s, are bringing a fresh perspective to life after the city.

“They want to move here but they don’t want a traditional home,” referring to what’s inside as opposed to the physical structure.

FAMILY MATTERS

Davies and Rosenthal, both longtime Weston residents with children, know what’s needed.

Stairways need runners. Fabrics should not only look good but also hold up to rough wear. Carpets can be lush but must also be durable.

It was, Davies and Rosenthal say, their second project that showed them precisely how their work could make life easier for families.

They went into a home where they were, literally, stepping on Legos. The result? Creating a “Lego Room” for the family’s children, an award-winning design that proved as stylish as it was practical.

They also keep in mind that rooms need to grow with families.

“We’re designing kids’ rooms for the long haul,” Davies says, showing how a recent room designed for a child under age 3, with surface tweaks such as new bedding, can carry them through their teenage years.

When it comes to trends, they say it’s more about creating an inviting backdrop for family life.

“I think the modern is coming into play more,” Rosenthal says, clarifying that she means not the design movement but rather the “contemporary, now” sensibility.

Mix prints. Embrace color.

It’s about, she adds, “being a little fearless with your design.”

TEAMWORK

At D2, there’s a palpable synergy in place. Davies and Rosenthal finish each other’s sentences. Their styles complement each other, while also reinforcing their sophisticated-with-an-edge approach.

Davies calls on her interior-design background while also serving as the company’s official photographer, while Rosenthal contributes both her artist’s eye — and her work.

Many projects either include a Rosenthal painting, which are also sold in galleries, as an element or feature rooms built around a particular work.

Both agree that what has propelled D2 ever forward is the way they work, including the actual nuts and bolts that allow them to keep a pace that in 2015 alone included more than a dozen full-house projects.

“Our process is very unique,” says Davies.

“We have such a very tight process,” Rosenthal agrees. And it’s one they’ve fine-tuned to perfection. “That’s what gets us through.”

In brief, Davies and Rosenthal meet with a client in their impressive headquarters, new space on Davies’ home property. From the first steps in the door, where a Vespa is jauntily parked, and up the stairs to the light-filled white space lined with fabric samples, one can sense the creativity that underlies every move.

There, the team conducts an intense conversation that touches on both likes and needs to help them craft an incredibly detailed plan. Three months later, the family sees its new space, down to the last detail.

“This is our signature, which is something called ‘the last layer,’” Davies says of the way they bring a van full of finishing touches.

“We curated a lot of items,” she adds, whether its one-of-a-kind lamps or vintage details. “We’re constantly looking for new resources. We don’t like to repeat.”

As Rosenthal adds, “It’s constantly trying to be fresh and new.”

It is that final tying together that reflects the people who will live and grow within the rooms.

“We treat the house as a whole because every room has to flow,” Davies says. “You never want to work on a house and feel ‘Oh, the decorator just left.’”

A FUTURE, BY DESIGN

While projects take up the day-to-day work, D2 is always looking ahead. Two years ago, the company began designing and manufacturing its own rug line.

“It’s the next natural step,” Davies says. Called RODA, its name is a play on both the beloved television character of Rhoda Morgenstern as well as the first two initials of their own last names.

Next up is Happy Walls wallpaper featuring Rosenthal’s artwork, plus a collection of custom lacquered and Lucite mirrors.

“Down the road we could be doing tabletops,” Rosenthal adds.

D2 is also testing the commercial waters, having recently worked on the Westport flagship of JoyRide Cycling Studio.

“We’d love to do a restaurant,” Rosenthal says. “Give us an inn in the Hamptons.”

Davies says there are many rewards to the work of D2.

“Our goal is, of course, to get our name out there and make money,” but it’s also to help create “artful, thoughtful homes.”

As she says, “What we do is we give the clients homes they can live in.”

And really, that’s all a family wants, Rosenthal agrees.

“In the end, we leave — and it’s their home.”

For more, visit d2interieurs.com.

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