This modern take on a classic detail
– the decorative plaster ceiling
– connects the room to both the
past and present; the room feels elegant
but not old-fashioned, current but not
trendy. This juxtaposition continues into
the adjoining dining room, which features
a tufted banquette, spaced nail heads on
the chairs, and passementerie trimmed
pillows. These embellishments are offset
by more casual navy grasscloth walls.
The dining room also features one
of the more striking art installations – a
quartz and selenite angel wing sculpture
surrounded by stars. The piece is both
decorative and serves to brighten the
windowless room. “It was constructed by
a young artist from Mississippi,” Nikki
says. “She used architectural salvage from
European cathedrals and chateaux to make
up the stars.”
“Art plays a big role in the home’s
decorative story,” Nikki says. A glass
blower from Dayton created colorful glass
platters in a blue and orange palette that
Nikki mounted on the walls of the family
room.
Art and the artistry of decorative
finishes are a unifying theme throughout
the house. Many of the pieces were
commissioned directly by Nikki, from
furnishings to paintings throughout the
ground floor. Nikki says 12 different wall
coverings were used throughout, “from
custom block prints to mica-flecked paper, to mylar, and marbled versions, all adding rich
layers to walls and ceilings.”
These layers, the old-world artistry, and the overall approach are perhaps best
exemplified in the master suite. The master bedroom is highly ornamental with blue,
pearlized Venetian plaster walls and a shimmery silver ceiling.
“My decorative painter applied over 3,000 silver leaves to the vaulted ceiling – an
ancient technique that simply cannot be replicated with paint,” says Nikki. “We tempered
these lustrous finishes with tailored, linen stripe drapery panels in a casual ticking stripe.
My work is a metaphoric teeter-totter, balancing opulent with more casual elements.
Even the entrance to the master suite has fanciful magnolias handprinted on a more
rustic grasscloth.”
A design in this manner, sometimes referred to as “transitional” in that it does not
The master
bedroom is highly
ornamental with
pearlized Venetian
plaster walls and
a shimmery silver
ceiling. Over 3,000
silver leaves were
applied to the
vaulted ceiling.
strictly adhere to restoring a home to its original design but is also not unabashedly
modern, is increasingly seen in Shaker Heights renovations. While there are many
examples of kitchens designed using this approach, extending it throughout a house
is considerably more challenging. This challenge did not daunt Sara Midkiff and
Nikki Pulver, who collaborated to elevate and adapt the style to create a comfortable,
contemporary home that retains its classic Shaker Heights character. SL grand gestures