Chuck and Sharon Sabatos were in the middle of remodeling their Arlington home when they had to head to Russia to complete an overseas adoption. A month later they arrived back home with sibling toddlers to find a house that was once devoid of color and character now delightfully cozy.
The Sabatos bought their 1940s farm-style Colonial nearly 12 years ago in the Williamsburg section of Arlington. Only the second owners of the home, they immediately doubled its size to nearly 2,200 square feet, adding a second bath, larger kitchen and master bedroom suite.
While the remodel was about space, the next step was creating a welcoming family home with the interior design. After years of living with white walls, the Sabatos indulged themselves with airy colors throughout. They chose corn silk yellow for the dining room, powder blue for the living room and sweet pea green for the family room.
The dining room is furnished with furniture hand-made by the Amish in Holmes County, Ohio. Above the round dining table is a Victorian four-armed brass antique chandelier bought at a Falls Church antique shop. Burgundy and gold striped valances, made by Calico Corners, complement the dining room’s soft walls.
In the living room, a deep blue Persian rug, with hints of yellow, covers the floor and inspired the decor.
“I built the room around the rug,” Sharon Sabatos said. She loves traditional furnishings, but wanted a nontraditional-colored Persian rug. “You usually see the deep reds. I thought the blue was beautiful,” she added.
Wispy white sheer drapery panels float along the blue walls. A pair of Louis XV-inspired blue and gold curved-back settees add a stately air to the space. Across from the settees sits a pair of blue and yellow French-style camel-back occasional chairs.
To give the children their own bedrooms upstairs, the study was moved downstairs to occupy what was a porch. A French door now separates the living room from the new study, which has warm oak hardwoods and skylights. Converting the porch proved to be a challenge because of strict city ordinances. And the floor, which sloped to the yard, needed to be leveled for an interior space, said April Underwood, a designer for Case Remodeling Inc.
For their luxurious master bath. they chose beige Silestone countertops. Oil-rubbed bronze bathroom fixtures add Old World charm to an otherwise Arts and Craftsstyle bath. Warm shades of green, brown and gray porcelain slate were selected for the tile in the shower, around the soaking tub and for the floors.
“It’s my dream bath,” Sharon Sabatos said. “They did such a beautiful job.”
