WHEN NELIA AND MICHAEL Verano bought their first home, a townhouse located in Dilworth, they were newlyweds and smitten with the charming historic neighborhood. The couple would often take alks throughout their neighborhood and admire the beautifully designed homes with their large, wooded lots. Despite so many catching their eye, there was always one that stood out to the couple. "We'd walk by this home around the corner from us and just marvel at it," says Nelia, "It had this unique global feel to it, with the Spanish tile roof and yellow facade. It had this majestic vibe about it. It was our favorite home in Dilworth, and we thought that if we could ever live in a home like that we’d jump at the opportunity. Never in a million years did we imagine we’d live in that home, though.” But life has a funny way of bringing things to fruition once you put them out into the Universe. “One of my closest friends called me and said, ‘Your house is for sale. You have to go see it’,” says Nelia. “I told Michael, but he said he didn’t want to see it because once he’s inside he’s going to want to buy it.”
They ended up walking through the circa-1934 home three times, falling in love more and more each time, as they took in the home’s rich architectural details and unique European inspired courtyard. Their guts told them that the home was their home and that despite the eyesores in the interiors— dated, dark paints and finishes—they had to have it. “The moment we walked in it was sort of like a lightning strike,”explains Nelia. “We felt strongly that this was the house we wanted to raise our babies in and live out our parenting days.”
It was the fall of 2020, and while it was not an ideal time to make a major move due to the ongoing pandemic, the Veranos took the leap and purchased the home. It required major renovations on the interior plaster—“That was a huge undertaking,” says Nelia—as well as refinishing the pine floors with a darker stain and painting the walls throughout.
But then it came time for Nelia to put her creative wheels into motion. As an art consultant with her own eponymous firm Nelia Verano Art Advisory, Nelia has an innate passion and talent for interior design—how things work spatially in a room, how to effortlessly mix-and-match patterns and textures to create optimal interest, and, of course, how to incorporate art into every space. And now with her personal home to fill, she was eager to display the artwork she and Michael had collected over the years. One criteria for the art expert: bold doses of color. “I knew that with this house I wanted a lot of color but with a comfortable sophistication,” she says. “I wanted it to reflect our varied taste in art, and that can lead to a very eclectic design and decor, which I feel like I’ve accomplished.”
While the facade is decidedly Italianate, the interiors are a sophisticated balance between modern and transitional. The home’s traditional architectural details balance the more modern and colorful accessories and artwork. Such is the case in the living room, where a hand-carved wooden fireplace mantle, which the previous owners imported from Italy, frames a stunning contemporary piece by Barry Nelson. The French doors and oversized windows are flanked by two bird artworks by Iruka Maria Toro, the latter of which creates “a sense of calm and tranquility, while maintaining an air of sophistication with bolder pops of color in the drapes and pillows,” says Nelia. Even the tall wooden doors, also imported from Italy by the previous owners and marking the threshold between the living room and the den, balance traditional with modern, neutrals with colors.
While the living room is more subdued with pops of color, the adjacent den is bathed in it. From the custom silk velvet ikat and House of Scalamandré leopard throw pillows to the pair of custom Gabby ikat chairs, color abounds in this space. The one item uniting them all is the artwork, with the silk panel above the fireplace by artist Jackie Milad pulling everything together. “I do try to let the art guide me as much as possible, and that was the case here in the den,” says Nelia.
Looking back, Nelia and Michael almost can’t believe that the home they loved for so long finally became theirs. “There were a few times where we were like, ‘Should we be doing this right now,’ because things were so uncertain with the pandemic,” says Nelia. “But we felt strongly that this was the house we wanted to raise our family in, and we did it, and I’m so happy every time I walk in the door. I have this sense of gratitude that we get to live in this house that we absolutely love and that brings us so much joy.”