How to Personalize Your Space With Pattern and Color

With a few key investment pieces, punchy prints, and personal touches, designer Angela Belt turned her rental home into a hub for family fun.

Author:: Danielle Blundell
Publish date:: Aug 28, 2018

Mother and Daughter laughing in living room — Angela and her daughter, Brooklyn, goof around in their living room in West Hartford, Connecticut. “Darker grays are a good choice for sofas and chairs because they’re kid- and stain-proof,” says Angela.
Photography by David A. Land/Otto

Angela Belt makes design decisions fast. It’s an occupational hazard when you’re a pro decorator working with tight client deadlines. So right after signing the lease on a 1940s row house in West Hartford, Connecticut, she already had paint colors picked out and a furniture layout in mind.

Her plan? Highlight the old house’s charm—original wood floors and crown moldings—with a quiet blue-gray palette and neutral furniture, much of which Angela and her husband, Leon, already owned. A charcoal Room & Board sectional, purchased at a discount during Angela’s stint as a stylist for the company, anchors the main living area, while a prized Paul McCobb desk bought on eBay turns a corner of the dining room into a makeshift home office. Just a few feet away, a farmhouse table, snagged secondhand for only $300, is a hub for homework and family dinners.

Living Room with Grey Couch and Teal Chair — Angela retrofit an old ikat rug to the new space by layering it over a larger nubby style. Printed pillows riff off the colors underfoot.
Photography by David A. Land/Otto

But the real magic lies in Angela’s mash-up of styles, textures, and patterns. Although she gravitates toward a tranquil base, she adds a riot of color with throw pillows, linens, rugs, and artwork, which can be changed easily. “Decorating is a balancing act,” says Angela. “Our home is part mid-century modern with a pinch of industrial chic and African infusion. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

dining room office with old blue rug — Photography by David A. Land/Otto

"This place reflects all of us,” says Angela. “Brooklyn picked out photos for framing. and Leon helped with DIY projects. that Chewbacca head on our desk is all him.”