Courtney Hanig began her design career at Brunschwig & Fils in Boston, MA, before she relocated, with her family, to the suburbs of Chicago, IL. There, she opened her own design firm Courtney Hanig Interiors. As her clientele base grew, she started branching out to projects throughout the country. In 2015, she and her family moved again, this time to New Canaan, CTโand they loved the area. After an extensive search, she found the perfect house, which became their home. โWe fell in love with the house,โ says Hanig. The colonial architecture was reminiscent of Nantucket, a place Hanigโs family has been vacationing for decades. Hanigโs goal for the house was to take the predominantly white home and create a warm and inviting space for her family by adding color, texture, wallpaper, rugs and draperies. โI am drawn to fresh and bright colors that are impactful, but not overpowering,โ she says. โMy personal taste falls to blues and greens with pops of color in art, pillows and accessories.โ
And Hanigโs design philosophy is all about thoughtful decorating. โEverything has a purpose and a job to do,โ she says. โThe fabrics, color, art and drapes all have to come together in a cohesive way. The term I use is โthreadingโโI thread things throughout a room and a house to create a unified flow.โ Her eye for detail ensures a harmonious meeting of form, function and style to create spaces that are truly memorable.
The 11-foot island in the kitchen has four custom barstools. โI made the barstools with a swivel so we could pivot to easily see the big screen TV over the fireplace in the family room,โ says Hanig.
The sitting room attached to the master bedroom is deemed the โserenity suiteโ and itโs everyoneโs favorite.
When she works with clients, she suggests that they start by finding something they absolutely loveโa rug, piece of art, an heirloom, or even their favorite color. By starting this way, it leads to a more personal end result.
She followed her own advice at home. For example: โMy younger daughter chose this stunning navy and lavender Ikat for her headboards and the room evolved from there,โ says Hanig.
The navy bedding and blanket in her older daughterโs room is Matouk. The pink ottoman was selected especially for Cooper (pictured) and Oliver, the familyโs two corgis. The master bedroom and connected sitting room are all in Jane Churchill ivory linen fabric, while the ivory bedding is from Home Treasures.
For her older daughterโs room, Hanig started with a navy rug that her daughter chose. She then picked a warm, fun peony color to compliment it. โI used it on only one wall and repeated the pink on throw pillows and on the corgi-sized ottoman,โ she saysโwhich was made especially for their corgi, Cooper.
The breakfast nook has chunky green grasscloth wallpaper and simple white drapery is banded in aqua and green zebra fabric. The dining room has a
chocolate brown linen wrapped console; three Imari pieces from Found & Design in New Canaan; and mother of pearl boxes from England.
Her marriage between comfort and style extends to the dining room. โI believe that a successful dining room is both beautiful and so comfortable that guests want to linger for conversation and wine when dinner is over.โ
The outdoor furniture is Kingsley Bate, the collection is Paris.
One of her favorite spots in the house? The sun-drenched sitting room off the main bedroom. โI turned it into a relaxing retreat using ivory linen everywhere and adding pops of color with pillows,โ says Hanig. โWe call it the โserenity suiteโ and it quickly became everyoneโs favorite getaway spot.โ
Photography by Jane Beiles