Look Inside the Wild and Wonderful Home of Interior Designer Barette Widell

The lounge in designer Barette Widell’s house. Photograph by Julia Lehman

As co-founder of interior design firm Widell + Boschetti, Barette Widell is used to creating dreamy spaces for people. But when it came to the gut renovation of her own home, an 8,000-square-foot estate in Moorestown bought mere weeks before the pandemic shutdown, she finally had a designer’s dream: an empty slate — and carte blanche to do whatever she fancied. “I wanted to showcase what we can do and really push the envelope for myself personally,” she says.

After opening up the floor plan to best suit her family — she and her husband have two young boys — Widell began layering in a thoughtful blend of textures, patterns and shapes. (“I love a curved element,” she says.) The home’s whisper-soft color palette includes a lot of pink, inspired by Widell’s background as a professional ballerina. In the end, her home is a perfectly choreographed mix of playful eclecticism (a “ladies’ lounge” presided over by a neon sign), subtle refinement (perfectly patinaed brass elements), and luxe artisanship (hand-painted Venetian plaster walls). “This is forever,” Widell says. “I am never leaving this house.”

“We call the house Casa Alpaca because it came with a barn and three alpacas. We have goats, donkeys, geese — it’s like farm life, but in a very posh way.” — Barette Widell

Lounge

Inspired by a lounge she saw in London, Widell created a similarly sexy space next to the home’s media room. Dubbed the “ladies’ lounge,” it features a custom-made sofa and walls hand-painted by New York artist Heather Jozak. “Kids are not allowed here,” Widell says.

The dining room. Photograph by Julia Lehman

Dining Room

A custom light fixture by Anna Karlin was Widell’s first—and favorite—buy for the home. Venetian plaster walls hand-painted by local artist Katie DuBree set the stage for the room’s standout stars: pink Arc chairs by Cuff Studio.

The powder room. Photograph by Julia Lehman

Powder Room

“I wanted to make this feel like a jewel box,” says Widell. Faux pony-hair wallpaper, a jewel-like mirror, and a custom wall-hung vanity give the small space big impact.

The kitchen. Photograph by Julia Lehman

Kitchen

Widell opted for a Scandinavian feel here: flat-paneled white oak cabinetry with integrated hardware, antiqued stone countertops and backsplash, and a custom brass hood.

Published as “Passion Project” in the August 2021 issue of Philadelphia magazine.