We know Litchfield County, Connecticut as the land of mallard decoys, worn wicker, and faded chintz. But that bastion of American prep is home to fresher pastures, most recently in the form of a cultured familys home designed by Clive Lonstein. The New York-based designer worked for the legendary William Sofield for 13 years, eventually becoming the design director, before opening his own studio in 2016. When these clients approached him only a few years later, their directive was simple and clear: they wanted bold color, comfort, and an interesting canvas for their burgeoning art collectionsomething bespoke that is just for them, Lonstein says.William Jess LairdRather than renovating the kitchen, Lonstein and his clients chose to give it new life with a sweet pink hue on the cabinets.The house itself offered plenty of possibilities. It was designed in the late 1800s by Ehrick Rossiter, an architect known for his whimsical country homes, and came complete with a turret. For me its really important that a project is contextual, says Lonstein. Every location has something unique about it I love infusing that subtly through the design. "This was a decorating projectand that proved to be very liberating for me.For a house with so much architectural personality, it can be difficult to impose a new perspective. So Lonstein worked with the spaces natural quirks rather than against them. This project was a departure for me, Lonstein says. Most of my projects require more interior architecture and structure, but I didnt make many architectural changes here. This was a decorating projectand that proved to be very liberating for me.Step Inside This Vibrant Connecticut CottageThe fun begins as soon as you step in through the candy apple-red front door. Here, on the lower level, youll encounter an aubergine stair and a bubblegum pink kitchen. In the sitting room, moss-hued paint covers the walls. These clients wanted to have a lot of color, like what you would see in an English country house, explains Lonstein. In fact, the only rooms with a white base are the living and dining rooms, where a wild array of art and furniture took over.Lonstein had the challenge many designers hate: a client with their own collection of furniture, but for him that was an opportunity. The clients had some wonderful furniture. It was my job to incorporate those pieces, reupholstering things, adding things, Lonstein says. In the living room, for instance, paintings by Sophie Larrimore, Caitlin Keogh, and Mary Grigoriadis join a reupholstered 50s-era sofa and chairs by Sergio Rodrigues and a game table and chairs by George Nakashima. William Jess LairdIn the library, vintage Viggo Boesen chair upholstered in sheepskin sits in front of the sofa. The table lamps are from Bitossi. The desk and chair are by Mira Nakashima.Upstairs, the color returns. Lonstein added a chartreuse bathroom and a collegiate blue bedroom (the same hue as an Yves Klein table in the living room downstairs). He then doused the round, turret roomone of the designers favorite spaces in a dusty pink hue that complements the elaborate original moldings that trace the ceiling and floor. The pink acts as a bridge between the flamboyant Colonial Revival architecture and the art, namely a richly-hued photograph by Vik Muniz in the space. I aspire to minimalism, but thats not my work."Working the art collection into the interior design scheme was a collaborative effort. Lonstein conferred with the clients art advisor, Bridget Murphy, on where everything should hang, both parties offering their two cents to charming effect. In the dining room another Muniz photograph after Gustave Courbet enlivens the neutral space, which features sheepskin upholstered vintage Saarinen chairs, a Noguchi light, and a Martin Eisler caned credenza from the 1950s.So many ingredients were already in the pot when Lonstein arrived you would think it impossible to pull it all together as seamlessly as he has, but that talent is integral to his practice. I aspire to minimalism, but thats not my work, he says. What I like is the idiosyncratic.