The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1426217
M annarino is not just an award-winning interior designer and creator of rug, pillow, and lighting lines but also founder of the non-profit Your Home Collaboration, event coordinator, and a jazz performer. She provides entertaining spaces, but also entertainment, and her enthusiasm for all she does is endless. Her design skills come from 22 years of experience and span every type of space from residential to commercial to healthcare. "I get to do what I love. I'm creative. I do interiors, but also themed events from weddings to high end corporate parties to a big annual Halloween party. I draw from my music and really everything else I do comes into play," Mannarino said. Her most recent project, a home in Lincoln Park, tapped her creativity to convert a traditional interior into a futuristic and highly functional home, and to transform an outdoor space to take full advantage of the mountain views and rocky surroundings. Mannarino was first hired to simply address the living room where the client felt new furniture and paint were needed. Mannarino and her team encouraged the owners to take the plan further. "Once we got to know each other, their personal lives and lifestyle, I had a good sense of where I wanted to go," she said. The space was modified with the addition of a custom designed modern fireplace, refaced cabinets, and a built-in bar. Mannarino's rug line were also incorporated in the living room, and then again in the foyer. The owners were so thrilled with the results that they hired Mannarino to tackle more spaces, starting with a wine room that sat right off the living room. Originally the space had likely been an office or library, but the owners had started to transform it into a wine room. Mannarino took their idea for the fully refrigerated space a few steps further by adding space for wooden crates to add interest to the walls of wine. Three different types of tiles-carved tile behind the racks, porcelain flooring, and mosaics for the shelving--add visual appeal and keep it from looking too boxy. The tiles are tied together with copper and steel. Strategic lighting, including V U E N J .C O M 51