The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1285484
G rochowski's objective for this project was to create a sophisticated, contemporary sanctuary to support the transitions of life. "When your environment is calm, tension is released in your body, and you become more relaxed," she says, "and healing starts to take hold." To accomplish this, RHG A+D loves to use handcraed elements from artisans the firm personally knows. e simple, yet elegant light fixture over the dining room table, for example, is handmade from paper; the metal stair rail leading all the way up to the third floor is custom designed by an artist and friend; and the use of stone on the kitchen island brings a grand sense of nature. at human connection between the maker and homeowner lends an "understanding that there is someone on the other side of what is made in your home," Grochowski says. "Wellness is about our connections to others and to the natural world around us." Grochowski certainly put many personal touches into her design of this home, displaying her passion for materiality and cohesion. One of her favorite parts was the development of a double-sided steel-encased fireplace, which was originally two separate fireplaces in the living room and study. e metal used for the fireplace surreptitiously connects to the metal on the kitchen's sleek cabinetry, which has hidden doors and a walk-in pantry. e handcraed stair railing continues the theme to the second and third floors and even in the lower level bar, metal makes a subtle appearance, both in the shelving and a repurposed window used as a door. Grochowski says as materials repeat themselves throughout a house, "it might not be used exactly the same, but it creates that thread throughout so that it feels unified." V U E N J . C O M 84