Tour a Stylish Empty-Nester Home Outside Philly

Naomi Stein is the head of Design Manifest, a family-owned design and construction firm in Philadelphia's affluent Main Line area. The company was founded by Naomi's father, Andrew, in the late 1980s. Naomi's tenure at the helm began in 2016 with her father's retirement. Two years later she was joined by her sister Megan as the company continued its transition from construction to a noted interior design firm in the Philadelphia suburb. When a pair of newly minted empty-nesters in Malvern, Pennsylvania, needed help re-envisioning their family home, they called on Naomi, for her expertise in designing one-of-a-kind spaces, to make it happen.

“We really love wallpaper,” Naomi confesses about her firm. This dining room lets her express that love to great effect. As the major source of color and pattern in the space, the wallpaper is the undisputed star of the dining room. “Each room has a distinct personality,” Naomi says. In the dining room, a floral aesthetic reigns. Floral designs are brought in with the wallpaper and echoed in the artwork and lighting in the dining room.

Botanical themes abound in this dining room. The plant silhouette in the wallpaper design is accented by the floral motif on the metallic lamp base, a photograph of a flower and a potted plant. The mirrored credenza on which the lamp and plant are resting deserves special mention. "That was a special vintage piece that we picked up at a furniture auction," Naomi says.

Nature motifs continue in the master bedroom, where leaves appear on the curtains and rug. Their presence creates a palpable connection between the first and second floors, but with a different effect. Here, it helps evoke the feeling of a charming bungalow and escape far from the city. The room is one of the designer's favorites. "There is a great mix of color and pattern while still feeling light and serene," Naomi says. "The tailored aesthetics transport you into a feeling of calm and relaxation right away."