“A DREAM PROJECT. ” That was what Nur Sendur Tosun and Mayra Garza, founders of Casa Vie Interiors, first thought when they were approached by their client, who was looking to redecorate her new home in Raleigh. The homeowner hadn’t moved very far—just a few blocks away from her old home—but she was drawn to the house’s open floor plan and bigger backyard, which was perfect for her two children. “It was more for the kids to be able to run around and play,” the homeowner says.
A new house calls for a new design plan, and the homeowner was looking for a bolder, more modern aesthetic—one that showcased her love of color and her globetrotting lifestyle. One day while scrolling Instagram, Casa Vie Interiors popped up in her feed. She reached out to the designers for a meeting.
Sendur Tosun, who is from Turkey, and Garza, who is from Mexico, jumped at the opportunity. Both designers hail from regions that feature bright, bold colors, graphic patterns, and rich textures; a style that can, at times, differ from the neutral tones that many homeowners favor. “Finding a project like this was a treasure,” she says.
The homeowner had a few cherished pieces that she wanted to incorporate into the home, and those pieces drove much of the design. One item was a traditional wooden swing brought over from India—the basis for the aptly named “swing room.” “The swing is something I grew up with at my parents’ house, and I always wanted one in my house,” says the homeowner. Sendur Tosun and Garza took inspiration from the brass chains, which are made of small peacock figurines, and created three wall panels using peacock wallpaper from Rifle Paper Co. Reupholstered armchairs in bright coral fabric from Mill Outlet Village round out the
high-contrast look.
The designers took a similar approach to the sitting room, where they incorporated a beloved red chinoiserie hutch into an eclectic color scheme. Sendur Tosun and Garza embraced the boldness of the hutch, accenting the space with a blue animal-print rug, geometric blue wallpaper, and diamond-cut blue pillows in a traditional Turkish pattern.
The biggest transformation, though, occurred in the sunroom, where the homeowner had requested a Moroccan look. “It was like being a kid in a candy shop,” says Sendur Tosun. “You can be as creative as you want with that theme.” She and Garza left the original wooden ceilings, painted the walls white, and laid a black-and-ivory porcelain tile for the floor. But the pièce de résistance came in the form of a six-foot-tall handmade mosaic fountain, which was built by a talented artisan at Farah Décor in Morocco before being shipped to the United States. The designers rounded out the room with a colorful daybed and a wicker patio set, which the homeowner uses to have tea.
The project took nearly a year to finish, partly due to the designers’ careful planning. For each room, she and Garza created mood boards for their client, complete with fabric swatches and tile samples. “The result may look spontaneous, but I think on each detail in advance,” says Sendur Tosun. All the hard work paid off. “Every room is special. Having Mayra and Nur understand us was amazing,” says the homeowner. “Everything flows, and we couldn’t be happier.”