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B rooke Roberson's University Park house is a contradiction of dark and light. The chiaro- scuro effect not only makes a design state- ment, but opens the door to her own com- plicated psyche. An ink-black library, where she and husband Rod decompress and sip a martini or glass of Scotch together after work, is moody and cerebral. Other rooms are sunny spots, such as the kitchen with its communal farmhouse table where children Lily, 4, and Jack, 7, do homework and make art. The living room — light- drenched and filled with potted tropical plants — is a cheerful alter ego to the brooding nooks scattered throughout the house that are styled with curious objects and mysterious photographs and art. A visual representation of Roberson's personality, the house is a paradox of emotions that we all experience throughout a single day, if we're willing to acknowledge them. "A lot of people are afraid to get to know their dark side," she says, "but it's healthy to know yourself on both levels." The 38-year-old interior designer and former professional photographer cites decorator Dorothy Draper who put American baroque-style on the map in the '30s, '40s and '50s, and the store Grange Hall as her biggest design influences. Despite their contradictory styles, Draper and Grange Hall are both known for pushing conventional boundaries. "Some people want their house to be out of a catalog," Roberson says. "I like to shake things up a bit, to do things people are not comfortable with." T he Robersons bought their circa-1978 house near Snider Plaza five years ago. When her parents first saw it, they tried to talk their daughter out of it. It had dark brick and wood everywhere, including the floors. "They were shocked," Roberson says. "They couldn't understand what I could see in it. It was from a totally different generation, and the tone was so different from what I like. But it had great bones, and I had a vision for it." After updating and renovating inside and out, she drenched the 81 (continued on page 84) In the library, vintage swivel chairs from Antiques Moderne in Designer's Guild velvet. Round side table by Worlds Away. Wisteria coffee table. Arteriors lamp. French theater sconces from Found Antiques. Chesterfield leather sofa from Restoration Hardware. In the dining room, antique French settee with original upholstery. Nic Nicosia's Real Pictures #6, 1991, from Lisa Brown Consulting.