![Tonia sourced this rattan headboard from Wayfair. “I’ve used that headboard so many times [in homes] because it has texture in the rattan, and I love the scallop detail,” she says.](https://bravamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Crary-59-387x580.jpg)
By Shayna Mace | Photography by Shanna Wolf
When Joe and Tonia Crary, co-owners of Crary Construction, built their 2023 Parade of Homes model in Sun Prairie’s Windsor Gardens neighborhood, Tonia was eager to weave in her signature mix of blending a vintage vibe with new design.
“I could do all of the things that my heart loves, which is modern, yet soft — and a flair for vintage,” says Tonia, who is Crary’s interior designer. “With the transitional style of this home, I wanted to use that as a springboard in designing [it] with modern amenities, but with a nod to vintage.”
The kitchen embodies this sense of old mixed with new.
Gorgeous marble tilework is used on an entire corner wall of the kitchen, and custom-stained oak cabinetry (designed to look like a built-in hutch) lends gravitas to the space. Soapstone counters outfit the perimeter of the kitchen. The show-stopping dairy table island was purposefully chosen for its furniture-like look (notice the legs).
“[The island] is deep and long, and it’s great for entertaining,” notes Tonia. “And it’s [ideal] for a baker as you can spread [ingredients] out on it, and you have plenty of room.”
A custom circular table outfits the eat-in kitchen as the home doesn’t have a formal dining room, says Tonia. The table’s circular top mimics the organic curves throughout the home — including in the home’s arched doorways.
In the great room, the same marble tile used in the kitchen rims the fireplace to create cohesiveness between the spaces.
The stone surrounding the fireplace is also used in the sunroom’s dry bar. Tonia’s father-in-law, an excellent woodworker, crafted the fireplace mantel.
With myriad modern conveniences and purposeful design details, the home has a special place in Tonia’s heart.
“When [I] designed this home, I called it trending, but timeless,” she says.
And the current homeowners, McKenzee Murdock and Deven Holmes, now love their home, too.
“The thoughtful design details and spacious layout make it feel both upscale and cozy. Every day, waking up here feels more special,” says Murdock.
TONIA’S TIPS
Use these designer-approved pointers from Tonia to elevate your home.
- Embrace mixed metals. Much of the lighting, knobs and pulls throughout the home are brass and the Kohler fixtures are vibrant stainless, a silver with a warm undertone. “[The fixtures] mesh really well with brass. Don’t be afraid to mix metals,” she says.
- Design the room around a special piece. “Most [homeowners] have an antique furniture piece [like] their grandmother’s hutch or a comfy leather chair that meant something to somebody. I just love to embrace that [in design],” says Tonia.
She often incorporates homeowners’ treasured pieces into a room’s design — or commissions custom furnishings to echo a vintage look, such as the hutch on P. 33. - Totally tile. The use of show-stopping tile in rooms beyond the bathroom and kitchen is here to stay. Tiling a wall up to the ceiling adds a chic, designer element to any room.
This home masterfully mixes in glitzy, iridescent tile in the sunroom’s dry bar; marble tile in an entire corner wall of the kitchen; and glossy, moody tiled walls in the primary bathroom.
