Commercial and Residential Interior Design

A STRONG DESIGN STATEMENT—there’s no doubt the home in Holmdel, New Jersey, made one. Problem was, it was as dated as disco. Built in the 1970s, the interior featured a Brady Bunch staircase, orange shag rug and zigzag fabrics throughout the living room. Its exterior wasn’t in great shape either following a bank foreclosure on the neglected property. Seemingly destined to remain an eyesore in its upscale neighborhood, the house was in need of someone who could see its essential merit amid the chaos.

It found such an owner in Jana Manning, principal of Ocean Grove–based Manning Design Group. Her intuition told her the 5,000-square-foot home’s potential was attainable if it reconnected with its natural spirit—the surrounding environment. Drawing on her fascination with Asian cultures and intense devotion to yoga, Manning did just that.

In the living room, 19-foot-tall windows are framed in dark cherry molding. The wood is also featured in the sunken seating area.

A natural quartzite fireplace provides a dramatic focal point, reaching through the second floor, where a skywalk preserves the open feel of the space.

“This home is harmonious with the land,” she says. “The neighborhood, with its mature trees and hills, lets nature be the star. The house was beautifully planned to go with its surroundings. And I saw a calming spirit within the architecture—despite the riotous colors inside the space.”

And so Manning poured her soul into creating a Zen masterpiece, which took two and a half years to complete. The design incorporates serene color palettes, clean lines, repetition of materials and dramatic minimalist features.

She replaced all of the floors, cabinetry and other traces of the 1970s. The only remaining interior feature: a recurring stucco theme in each room, an extension of the home’s exterior. Asian influences such as oversize plants, bamboo art and corkscrew willows are subtly woven throughout each room, and there’s lots of red, which is Thailand’s national color.

A taste of Asia abounds, right down to the place settings in the dining room. Red, the national color of Thailand, figures prominently throughout the home.

A recurring stucco theme, such as on the eating area walls, is an extension of the home’s exterior and a nod to its 1970s roots. Many original elements, like the kitchen cabinetry and floors, opposite, were replaced.

The home’s main attraction is a sunken living room that frames a natural quartzite fireplace. The room is dominated by floor-to-ceiling rectangular windows, tall ceilings, prominent beams, dark cherry moldings, white walls and beige upholstery and window treatments. During the day, natural light filters into the living room through 19-foot-high windows. At night, warm lighting blends seamlessly into grazed cherry-wood texture themes.Manning enhanced the openness of the home by eliminating claustrophobic hallways in favor of accessibility. The upstairs “hallway” is a skywalk with wide-open views of the living room below and the trees outside.

Many original elements, like the kitchen cabinetry and floors, were replaced.

There’s a strong Thai flavor, with hand-woven silk fabrics and handcrafted furniture, including living room tables from Nandhana Borisoothi, a renowned dealer in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Manning purchased the furniture on travels to Thailand, which were frequent in her previous career as a senior fashion executive for Givenchy, Ralph Lauren and Kenneth Cole. (She passed time on the long flights by practicing yoga and meditating for up to 18 hours.)

“I’d seen it all in the fashion world, so I wanted to switch to a career that touched people’s lives directly,” says Manning. “I believe interior design spaces should nurture people’s souls and replenish their spirit for what they may face the next day.”