Inside a 20000SquareFoot Greenwich Estate That Blends California Cool With East Coast Tradition.At first, the Brentwood, California–based couple, who were in the process of relocating to Greenwich, Connecticut, requested “bright and white” for their new East Coast home. But their interior designer, Mike Moser, who works bicoastally, set them straight: “It’s a traditional Greenwich house,” he explains. “You can’t leave it white or it’ll feel unfinished. It requires more layers.”

Considering the size of the property—20,000 square feet in total—that meant a lot more layers, albeit with an eye toward the homeowners’ initial interest in crafting an abode with a limited, and refined, palette. The home needed a few updates for its new tenants—hedge fund owner Alicia Tranen, her husband, and their three children.Case in point is the“Mary Poppins–like” over-scaled pendant in the dining room. Another example is the den. 

Moser preserved the integrity of the architecture throughout the home by redoing the floors, installing new windows, and updating the moldings. He added wallpaper in rooms like the den and powder bath for extra coziness, mixed contemporary decor with found furnishings (including lots of ’70s French rattan), and relied on more carefree touches (think alabaster shell sconces and braided molding) to ensure the property felt one-of-a-kind for the family.

Although the stately facade was left untouched, the large entry proved to be a challenge, thanks to its low ceilings and wide expanse. The primary bath proved to be another trickily cavernous space. The solution? Make it smaller and, therefore, more intimate. And perhaps it’s just that sort of subtle yet surprising shift that makes the house truly stand out.The home is grand but still feels warm and youthful.