Design team (and married couple) Heather and Matt French never thought they would leave the home they had built from the ground up. But when their only child, Isla, switched schools and the commute ballooned to nearly an hour each way, the Frenches knew they needed new place. What they found was a house that was well over their budget and "very 1950s, but not in a good way." It was, however, only three minutes from school. The couple's lowball offer was swiftly declinedand then, three weeks later, accepted, giving them a budget for a remodel. "We were like, 'Oh shit, we've got to figure this out,'" Heather says. Jenna PeffleyHeather French collects flowers with Birdie, her two-year-old Bernedoodle.With Matt's construction expertise and Heather's joyful design instincts, the duo set out to reconfigure the house as a comfortable space for their family, where they could also entertain their "Friday night crew" of friends. "For the first time in our lives, we were able to do everything we wanted for our familyand to play with color and pattern without limitations," Heather says.The Frenches started demoing without a plan, removing nearly every wall downstairs and relocating a whopping 26 plumbing fixtures to create a blank slate. "We did all the things we tell our clients not to do," Heather says. They kept the home's original eight-foot-high ceilings, preserved the kitchen as a separate space (though otherwise overhauled its design), and left intact the step-down living room with its cavernous 16-foot ceiling. Once Matt was done putting the walls back up, Heather brought her signature style to the reconfigured rooms.We really wanted to put the soul back into this home.In the formal dining area, the couple carved out space for a large three-sided banquette wrapped in an espresso floral tapestry, with mustard-colored mohair cushions. The space is complemented by a beautiful arched entry and is now "where the adults hang out," Heather says. Their daughter's favorite spot is the Red Room, the entry and library lovingly named for its striking built-ins. The ceiling is covered in a rich, Venetian-inspired marbleized paper and it has become the homework-to-hangout zone. "I feel like houses have souls, and its important to honor that," Heather says. "This home felt dead before, but now its taken care of."GatewayJenna PeffleyFramed by potted flowers and mature greenery, a custom gate designed by the Frenches welcomes guests to their midcentury, Territorial Revivalstyle home.The EntryJenna Peffley"I love a red library, and I wanted drama when you enter our home," Heather says. "We spread out at the table: I research design books, and Isla studies." Wallcovering: Centered by Design x Isidore Leroy (ceiling). Dining chairs: Coley Home. Paint: Carriage Red (built-ins), Benjamin Moore. Rug: Pelican House. Mirror: Cooper Classics.Jenna PeffleyA view to past the dining area and into the living room.Living RoomJenna PeffleyHeather used 80 yards of fabric for the drapes, placing the valances and blinds below the beams to bring down the scale of the lofty space. "It makes it cozier and quieter," she says. Pendant: Visual Comfort & Co. Chairs: Hickory Chair.The DenJenna PeffleyBathed in blues, this room is the gathering spot for family time and informal TV-watching dinners. Roman shade fabric: Soane Britain. Wallpaper: Elizabeth Eakins (ceiling). Paint: Admiral Blue, Benjamin Moore. Art: Slim Aarons.KitchenJenna Peffley"I wanted an eat-in kitchen, but it wasn't until we made the call to delete a window and put the range on that wall that everything fell into place," Heather says. Island: vintage, with Soane Britain skirt fabric. Hardware: Modern Matter. Flush mounts: Visual Comfort & Co. Rails: Devol. Wallpaper: Sister Parish (ceiling).Dining RoomJenna Peffley"For me, this room is all about togetherness and showing that you're making an effort. I always try to make it pretty," Heather says. "If we order takeout, I still put it on our nice china." Pendants: Beata Heuman. Banquette fabric: Schumacher (back, skirt) and Clarence House (cushions). Chairs: Hickory Chair.Powder RoomJenna PeffleyA not-so-petite privy is wrapped in a whimsical blush-colored mural from Kravet. Sink: Etsy. Faucet: Waterworks. Mirror: Cooper Classics. Wallcovering: Elizabeth Eakins (stairwell). Pendant: Visual Comfort & Co.Primary SuiteJenna PeffleyA Coley Home bed is tucked into a nook between custom closets. The diamond cutouts use leftover drapery from a client. I stapled it in myself, Heather says. Bed pillow fabric: Soane Britain (throw) and Schumacher (lumbar). Drapery fabric: Beata Heuman.Daughter's RoomJenna Peffley"Isla wanted it to feel like a sunset and a sunrise," Heather says. Her daughter created a Pinterest board of florals, peaches, and yellows, and a muralist painted a ceiling border based on Isla's sketches. Bed: vintage. Drapery fabric: Schumacher and Pierre Frey (valance). Lamp: Arteriors. Nightstand: Ralph Lauren.Guest BedroomJenna PeffleySubdued yellow and sky blue are a soothing palette for guests. When unoccupied, the space doubles as Isla's sewing room. Wallpaper: Galbraith & Paul. Paint: Lemon Freeze, Benjamin Moore.Primary BathroomJenna PeffleyJenna Peffley"I love checks and stripes mixed with florals, so I just went for it," Heather says. Tile: Country Floors. Wallpaper: Soane Britain. Paint: Nantucket Gray, Benjamin Moore (cabinetry). Hardware: Modern Matter.Daughter's BathroomJenna PeffleyThe ceiling mural and the star-studded tile on her bathroom floor echo her bedroom's sunrise/sunset celestial theme.The GardenJenna PeffleySurrounded by a year-round vegetable patch, this relaxed, grassy dining area is where everyone gathers when the party is outdoors. Plates and vases: Mrs. Alice. Tablecloth: Sister Parish.Chairs: vintage, Chairish.PatioJenna PeffleyThe brick-floored outdoor area off the kitchen and great room was original to the home. Today "it's kind of like the hub of the house" says Heather. "When it's really, really hot in the summer, that's where a lot of people will hang out."Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.