Quiet Time

Warm tones and natural textures took this Indiana home from cavernous to cozy.

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The office doubles as a serene hangout where the vinyl record collection is kept. Sofa: custom, Community MFG. Chairs and side table: Four Hands. Lamp: Visual Comfort & Co. Coffee table and rug: vintage.

EVERY HOME IN A STORYBOOK setting deserves equally enchanting interiors. So when a young family moved into a house nestled on an idyllic wooded lot spanning more than four acres in Williams Creek, Indiana, they knew it needed a renovation.

"It felt like a time warp," says interior designer Amy Knerr, who was brought on to give the Georgian-style residence a welcoming yet sophisticated upgrade.

Previously remodeled in 1987, the property suffered from a nonsensical layout, oversize scale, and "cosmetic craziness" marked by layers of heavy upholstery, explains Knerr, who founded Of Place Studio. The worst offender: a terra-cotta kitchen with brownish granite and one long, wide island.

"I'd never seen anything so big, honestly," Knerr says.