Interior Designer: Liz Caan
Massachusetts based interior designer Liz Caan creates liveable, comfortable interiors for a life well lived, SPaces that are made to be enjoyed.
Seascape Wallpaper in the bar area in a Cape Cod beach house. Interior Design Liz Caan & Co.
Despite always being artistic and having a degree in art, Liz didn’t know that interior design would be her destiny, her early career path, focused on media sales and marketing and she planned to be a graphic designer. “In all honesty I wasn’t that great at it. But, I was always obsessed with re-arranging my room as a child. And then decorating my dorm rooms and apartments and houses. I made every mistake, lost every security deposit, and learned quite a bit on my own,” she says.
About 20 years ago, when she moved to Boston, Liz knew she was ready to make the change to interiors, but wanted to learn more so she went to work with a designer who also owned an antique shop. “I learnt a tremendous amount about the design process from this job, working with vendors, artisans, subcontractors and from styling the shop. It was an excellent education and honestly, you never stop learning in this industry which is why I love it so much.”
In 2005 Liz set up Liz Caan & Co, specialising in interior design that honours tradition but with a modern sensibility. She describes her style as “Fearless Traditional. Rooted in tradition, but a little bolder, or more colourful, unexpected, and sometimes a bit moody.” Liz has a keen curatorial eye, merging decorative arts with luxe architectural finishes. Travel is an ongoing source of inspiration, this worldly approach, combined with an appreciation of colour and pattern, results in homes that live and grow with her clients.
Seascape Wallpaper in a basement living room in a Cape Cod beach house. Interior Design Liz Caan & Co.
Liz’s clients for this beach house in Cape Cod are well-travelled and adventurous, with a deep appreciation for beautiful, well-crafted things, and Liz describes them as her decorating soul mates. “We envisioned a home that went beyond the quintessential blue and white New England beach house. We wanted the home to feel elevated yet approachable, collected yet meaningful, and just a little quirky, like the clients themselves,” she says.
Liz used Seascape Wallpaper in this particular space, which is in the lower level of the seaside home and is a connected area with a large family room and bar, so is for both kids and adults. “Seascape is such a perfect pattern because it is not only timeless, but also ageless, it works anywhere. We are big fans!” she says.
The living area of the space features a mixture of patterns. The bold green sofa is the hero of the room, it is layered with varied patterned fabrics in cushion covers and there are green leafy cushions echoing the green of the sofa on the hanging egg chairs.
“I usually look for a pattern that supports the overall feeling or narrative I am working with, it could be a time period, a shape, a colour, or a general theme,” says Liz. “When I am mixing patterns, I keep all this in mind, as well as scale, which is important when mixing patterns. They should vary and be different, yet also speak to one another at the same time. Large and small, organic, and geometric, coordinating and opposing colours… all these are important factors to consider when mixing patterns. Overall, the mix should be harmonious and there are many ways to get there!” she says. The gentle monochrome waves of Seascape Wallpaper act as a background in this space, grounding all the elements together. “We love Seascape because it is such a simple, organic pattern that has movement and feels timeless. I love that it reminds me of a simple line drawing.”
Architect: Archi-Tech Associates, Inc.
Liz Caan