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MICHAEL J. LEE PHOTOGRAPHY

From the Editor

IT’S SUMMER IN NEW ENGLAND, AND SO WE’RE

MICHAEL FEIN

constantly bombarded with images, visual and written, of seaside style. What, after all, could better capture the spirit of the season than red lobsters, yellow corn, white shells, gray driftwood, navy blue numbers on a taut canvas sail and magenta-pink beach roses? The canonical story is all about casualness and bare feet, gin and tonic.

That these are all wonderful things I’d be the last to deny. But many years in publishing, and maybe just a jot of inborn contrariness, have taught me something: when most of the world is harping on a single tune, there are probably some intriguing overtones and countermelodies out there to be explored. That is the spirit behind this issue of New England Home’s Connecticut.

What about families who prefer to keep a little luxe along with their leisure? There are models to be found.

Think of the Newport cottages: their whole purpose was to provide warm-weather respite for their owners (and their owners’ many, many friends and social connections), but that hardly translated into a lack of elegance. Would every Italian contessa prefer a fishing shack to her breezy but choicely appointed villa overlooking the Adriatic? I don’t think so.

And so it goes in Connecticut. The languorous days of August may be spent in surroundings of pure Belgian taupe with pops of juicier color; they may be whiled away in a sitting room rich with pastels. When it comes to seasonal delights, a carefully composed plateau de crustacés may please just as much as a bucket of steamers. Or maybe you’re the kind who prefers a little silver leaf along with your shingles. As you’ll soon see, even the omnipresent blue-and-white waterfront palette can be finessed with a gutsier hue, a bit of shimmer or an overscale curve.

The main difference between today and earlier centuries is that, now, everyday elegance can be easily sustainable even for very active families with children. Modern fabrics and finishes allow for simple care and hard wear. With good professional planning, summer luxury can be as carefree as old Yankee asceticism. Easy to live with, hard to forget. That’s what I call hot summer style.

Low Maintenance, High Style

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief khoepner@nehomemag.com

14

New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

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SUMMER 2011 VOLUME 2, NUMBER 3

86

40

Featured Homes 54 Lake Effect A family enlists a trusted architect to turn a less-than-perfect Litchfield County

dwelling into the perfect getaway. ARCHITECTURE: ROBERT DEAN • INTERIOR DESIGN: ANNE MILLER • PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL PARTENIO • TEXT: NATHANIEL READE • PRODUCED BY STACY KUNSTEL

64 Beyond The Pale Quiet grays and whites enlivened with vivid accessories define a peaceful

Rowayton home. ARCHITECTURE: LOUISE BROOKS, BROOKS AND FALOTICO • INTERIOR DESIGN: LYNN MORGAN • PHOTOGRAPHY: TRIA GIOVAN • TEXT: JANICE RANDALL ROHLF • PRODUCED BY STACY KUNSTEL

74 Rising Star A renovation overlooking Long Island Sound and the Thimble Islands raises a

house—literally—to new heights. ARCHITECTURE: ANTHONY TERRY, TERRY ARCHITECTURE • INTERIOR DESIGN: SANDRA GOODKIND • PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL PARTENIO • TEXT: PAULA M. BODAH • PRODUCED BY KARIN LIDBECK BRENT

122

86 Family First A Greenwich home gets a kid-friendly but stylish revamping. ARCHITECTURE: DOUGLAS VANDERHORN, HILTON-VANDERHORN ARCHITECTS • INTERIOR DESIGN: CINDY RINFRET • PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL PARTENIO • TEXT: MEGAN FULWEILER • PRODUCED BY STACY KUNSTEL

Departments 14 From the Editor 34 Interview: Michael Whaley The Parish-Hadley alumnus and Francophile talks about histo-

ry, France, antiques and more. BY KYLE HOEPNER • PORTRAITS BY JULIE BIDWELL 40 Artistry: Encore Performance In an inspiring coda to a career as a concert pianist, Robert

Preston makes beautiful music with another instrument—the camera. BY NENA DONOVAN LEVINE 46 Outside Interest: Pure Heaven Nature and man conspire to create a little bit of paradise in

the Berkshires. BY MEGAN FULWEILER • PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HOFFMAN LANDSCAPES 100 Design Life Our candid camera snaps recent gatherings that celebrate architecture and design.

106 Trade Notes New and noteworthy happenings in the Connecticut design business.

108 Calendar Special events for those who are passionate about fine design.

74

114 Perspectives Three area designers dream up a stylish sleeping porch.

Wish List: Robin McGarry shares her favorite products for the home. 122 It’s Personal: Favorite finds from the staff of New England Home. 124

On the cover: Designer Anne Miller marries elegant style with family-friendly materials for a waterfront getaway in Litchfield County. Photograph by Michael Partenio. To see more of this home, turn to page 54.

128 New in the Showrooms Unique, beautiful and now appearing in Connecticut shops and

showrooms. BY KARA LASHLEY 131 Resources A guide to the professionals and products featured in this issue.

134 Advertiser Index 136 Sketch Pad Symbols of New Mexico inspired artist Denyse Schmidt’s 4 Crosses quilt design.

18 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

C H R I S B U I L D E R S

O F

A N D

K E L LY

W R I G H T

H O M E S … B U I L D E R S B U I L D E R S

F O R

O F

D R E A M S …

L I F E

“Construction can be a stressful process for homeowners. Working with Wright Brothers, you know you are dealing with people who are totally honest, committed to the craft of building and who ultimately gauge their success by how happy their clients are years after they move in.”

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Creative Classic Inspired Family Fun Surprising

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kyle Hoepner khoepner@nehomemag.com HOMES EDITOR

Stacy Kunstel skunstel@nehomemag.com SENIOR EDITOR

Paula M. Bodah pbodah@nehomemag.com MANAGING EDITOR

Erin Marvin emarvin@nehomemag.com ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORS

Jared Ainscough jainscough@nehomemag.com Sorae Lee soraelee@nehomemag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kara Lashley klashley@nehomemag.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz candjkatz@nehomemag.com Karin Lidbeck Brent klidbeck@nehomemag.com Louis Postel lpostel@nehomemag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Regina Cole, Janice Randall Rohlf, Megan Fulweiler, Nena Donovan Levine, Nathaniel Reade CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Robert Benson, Bruce Buck, Tria Giovan, Sam Gray, John Gruen, Warren Jagger, Richard Mandelkorn, Laura Moss, Michael Partenio, Greg Premru, Eric Roth, James R. Salomon ••• Subscriptions To subscribe to New England Home’s Connecticut ($15.95 for one year) or for customer service, call (800) 765-1225 or visit our Web site, www.nehomemag.com.

Editorial and Advertising Office 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302 Boston, MA 02118 (617) 938-3991 (800) 609-5154 Editorial Submissions Designers, architects, builders and homeowners are invited to submit projects for editorial consideration. For information about submitting projects, e-mail emarvin @nehomemag.com.

Letters to the Editor We’d love to hear from you! Write to us at the above address, fax us at (617) 663-6377 or e-mail us at letters@nehomemag.com.

Upcoming Events Are you planning an event that we can feature in our Calendar of Events?

E-mail information to calendar@nehome mag.com, or mail to Calendar Editor, New England Home, 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302, Boston, MA 02118.

Parties We welcome photographs from designor architecture-related parties. Send highresolution photos with information about the party and the people pictured to pbodah@nehomemag.com.

22 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

DOTSIE DORAN AMY ANDREWS NANCY ELSBERRY NICOLE LIMBOCKER

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PUBLISHER

Kathy Bush-Dutton kbushdutton@nehomemag.com SALES MANAGER, NEW ENGLAND HOME’S CONNECTICUT

Roberta Thomas Mancuso rmancuso@nehomemag.com SALES MANAGERS

Andrea Kolden akolden@nehomemag.com Jill Korff jkorff@nehomemag.com Kim Sansoucy ksansoucy@nehomemag.com Robin Schubel rschubel@nehomemag.com Angela Stevenson astevenson@nehomemag.com PRODUCTION MANAGER

Glenn Sadin gsadin@nehomemag.com MARKETING AND ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

Kate Koch kkoch@nehomemag.com CIRCULATION MANAGER

Kurt Coey NEWSSTAND MANAGER

Bob Moenster ••• Advertising Information To receive information about advertising in New England Home’s Connecticut, please contact us at (800) 609-5154, ext. 713 or info@nehomemag.com.

Editorial and Advertising OfďŹ ce 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302 Boston, MA 02118 (617) 938-3991 (800) 609-5154

••• NCI Corporate OfďŹ ces 2305 Newpoint Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30043 (800) 972-0189 Home Design Division PRESIDENT

Adam Japko SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS

Stuart Christian DIRECTOR OF PUBLISHING OPERATIONS

Rick Higgins

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26 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

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By Invitation

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The New England Home's Connecticut Spring Networking Event at Rinfret Home & Garden On May 3, New England Home welcomed advertisers to Rinfret Home & Garden in Greenwich, Connecticut, for our spring networking event.

The exquisite store—filled with an eclectic mix of modern and traditional furnishings—set the scene for guests to network, snack on appetizers and sip wine. Along with ample opportunity to network, attendees had the chance to win a pair of gorgeous hurricane lamps that were generously donated by Rinfret Home & Garden.

Doreen Joslow of Scofield Historic Lighting and Organized Design’s Joanne Bruch • Amy Aidinis Hirsch of Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design and New England Home’s Kyle Hoepner • Bethany Fox of Sherwin-Williams and Amabel Chan of Marvin Gardens • Beth Dempsey of Images and Details, Artelier and Mis en Scene’s Claire Maestroni and Linherr Hollingsworth, Hollingsworth Design Associates • Davenport Contracting’s Evelyn Ochsner and Cindy Rinfret, Rinfret, Ltd. • Michael and Kenleigh Larock of The Drawing Room with New England Home’s Roberta Thomas Mancuso • Brooke Beougher of Granoff Architects and Steven Mueller of Mueller Architects • Dan McCarthy of Network Communications, Tami McCarthy of TMG Brand Communications, Cindy Rinfret and Kyle Hoepner

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Interview

Michael Whaley

Editor-in-Chief Kyle Hoepner talks with the Parish-Hadley alumnus and Francophile about history, France, antiques, color and the road ahead. PORTRAITS BY JULIE BIDWELL

K

yle Hoepner: Are you originally from Connecticut, Michael?

Michael Whaley: I’m originally from Racine, Wisconsin, home of invention and innovation: Johnson’s Wax and a small, significant collection of Frank Lloyd Wright houses, one of which my grandparents lived in, on the shore of Lake Michigan.

KH: How did you discover interior design?

MW: When my father was transferred and moved the family to Darien, my parents hired a New York designer, Terry

34 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Brown, to decorate our home. Terry had done the Beverly Hills home of Beverly and Vidal Sassoon, and also Dick Cavett’s New York townhouse and his house in Montauk.

Terry took me to one of the first Kips Bay show houses. It was literally overflowing with the design leaders of the day: Sister Parish, Robert Metzger, Samuel Botero, Ruben de Saavedra—every notable designer of the time had done a room. I had never seen anything like it. It was the most unbelievable group of talent under one roof. It literally blew my mind.

Terry designed an ultra-contemporary family room for our

Builders and Remodelers.

Renovation

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Interview

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house. It was the essence of 1970s iconic design: modern, fresh, alluring. It would have been completely current today: there was a Carl Springer coffee table, chairs from Brueton, banquettes covered in darkbrown mohair. He took a white box of a room and transformed it into an amazingly sexy, inviting space. People came into the house and stopped in their tracks. That’s when I became interested in interior design. I realized that design had the power to change. I wanted to be able to do that to houses, too.

KH: You are one of a small, happy band of American designers who worked with and learned from the great Albert Hadley. How did that come about?

MW: When I had my interview with Mr. Hadley, I brought him photos of a house I had recently done on my own. He hired me on the spot. I was also already accepted and enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology to start their interior design program in the fall, so Parish-Hadley initially only hired me for that first summer. In August Albert pulled me aside and said, “Why don’t you stay on? You’ll learn so much more here than you’ll ever learn at school!”

So, of course, I did. I stayed.

KH: Before you went to work at Parish-Hadley, you had already spent a year in France learning about eighteenth-century style. Is there a story behind that?

MW: By the time I went to college, I already knew I was going to be an interior designer. I was majoring in French and I did my thesis on eighteenth-century interior design. In France I was lucky enough to have access to every back room in every palace, including Versailles, because my thesis adviser was a curator at the Musée Carnavalet, one of the top decorative-arts museums in Paris.

The French are very interested in architecture and interior design. The history of decorative design is highly connected with French national history. Any historian is able to discern and point out subtle changes in design from year to year. That kind of passionate, attentive pursuit of design does not exist today in America, and

36 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

we rarely experience it here in design commentary and conversation.

KH: How does this early affair with the ancien régime continue to inform your work in twenty-first–century America?

MW: Interestingly enough, Kyle, my personal take on the current craze for midcentury modernism is that it works best with eighteenth-century French antiques.

A classic Louis XVI fauteuil pairs beautifully with lacquered walls and contemporary art and mirrored furniture from the ’70s.

French interiors were very minimalist.

People think of French design as fancy, overdone, crowded, but really the rooms

were very sparingly decorated. A classic French room would have a writing table at the center, six chairs against a wall and a pair of commodes—that is, a pair of chests. I’d point out that the current trend in design is actually very French: enormous rooms with minimal use of furniture to barely fill in the space.

KH: Although you have an office in New York City, you choose to live and also keep a charming studio in North Stamford. Does this part of Connecticut have a special resonance for you?

MW: I grew up in Darien and New Canaan, and I went to school at Choate, so my roots are here. My wife and business partner, K.T., and I wanted to raise our children near family. We found an amazing house adjacent to a nature preserve, which gives us acres of privacy and plenty

of room for gardening and gardens. It’s very picturesque and we think of it as our country house: we have a pond, stone walls, open fields, enclosed parterres, a lilac bower and a generous vegetable and cutting garden. We spend all our free time digging and designing and, I should add, harvesting, entertaining and eating!

But I maintain my office in the city.

After twenty-six years in the business, I do work in Manhattan, the Hamptons, Florida, the Caribbean and Colorado, as well as in Connecticut. I’m all over the place.

If my clients want to see me in New York, I can do that. If they want me to come to their house in Connecticut, that is easy, too—as long as it’s after morning dropoff!

KH: You seem to have an affinity for color. . .

MW: I consider color essential to happiness and well-being. Beige or white rooms leave me a little cold. You have to be a very colorful person to successfully inhabit that kind of room. The colors I am using currently in my designs are aqua, peacock blue, purple, brown and gray. My palette has changed dramatically in the last few years. In the past my wall colors complemented the fabrics and furnishings in a room; now I like to use color to dictate the tone of the room. I bring in fabrics and textures to support and express the various elements of the color palette.

KH: Is there a particular key to your design sensibility?

MW: There is an art to creating understated, edited rooms and making them feel rich—which to me means that much thought and consideration need to go into the backgrounds, that is, the walls, floors, ceilings, architecture.

KH: Has the way you think about your work changed over the years? Where do you see yourself headed from here?

MW: I find that my clients have become more and more discerning, and they come to me for a higher level of design. For me the ideal interior is a mix of lush color, rich finishes and luxurious details, all serving as a background to neoclassical antiques, contemporary art and modern furniture. This combination creates rooms that are dynamic and thoughtful; it demonstrates sophistication, intelligence and culture. A room like that is not static, it doesn’t feel false or artificial—instead it is current, energetic and interesting to be in. That’s the kind of design I see myself creating now and in the years ahead. •

Your Vision...

Our Passion.

Design/Build • Renovations and Restorations • Custom Homes

203.966.3399 www.urbaneconstruction.net New Canaan New York City Southampton Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 37

Photographer/Model: Madeleine

Artistic Impressions

Original Creations

W W W. M AR V I N G AR DE NS US A.CO M

Artistry

Encore Performance

In an inspiring coda to a career as a concert pianist, Robert Preston makes beautiful music with another instrument—the camera. BY NENA DONOVAN LEVINE

I

n 1974, Robert Preston, an award-winning concert pianist, met Paul Caponigro, a renowned photographer. Preston had taken up photography in his teens, entranced by The Eloquent Light, a biography of Ansel Adams, and he had asked Caponigro to comment on his work. The seasoned photographer looked over Preston’s images and said, “Boy, are you in trouble.”

Caponigro recognized Preston’s photographic talent and—because he had also trained as a pianist— knew the demands imposed by the dueling Muses. Relaxing now in his Stamford studio, where his dramatic black-and-white prints grace the walls, Preston recalls his mentor’s wisdom. As Caponigro predicted, balancing two intense passions would prove challenging. Although Preston found deep satisfaction in photography, his grueling practice and performance schedule didn’t allow much time behind the lens.

40 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Eventually, despite his Juilliard training and many awards, including a gold medal in the prestigious Busoni competition, he cast his lot with photography, joining a long line of musicians-turned-visual artists. In fact, Preston’s career took a path not unlike that of Ansel Adams, his earliest role model.

Adams, too, had practiced both arts, pursuing a career as a concert pianist until he was nearly thirty. Alluding to his musical past, the famed photographer once said, “The negative is the score, the print is the performance.”

In a serendipitous moment in 1982, Adams telephoned Preston, whom he didn’t know, to praise his recording of Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in Eflat Major. He invited Preston Clockwise from above: Peony Unfolding (2010), 11" over to play “if you’re ever in the area,” recalls Preston with a × 14" and 16" × 20"; First Light (1999), sizes range grin, saying he found himself from 6" × 8" to 16" × 20"; Double Nautilus (2009), 8" × “in the area”—northern Cali10", 11" × 14" and 16" × 20" fornia—very soon after the call. The friendships he developed with Adams and with Caponigro profoundly influenced his work, which has appeared in galleries across the country and in such publications as Vogue and the New York Times.

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Artistry Preston’s landscapes feature scenes from around the world—from Irish lakes to rock formations on the Oregon coast—but Venice enchants him most of all. “Love at first sight,” he says of his relationship with the city, which he first visited while touring as a pianist. The romantic locale has inspired some of his most striking images, including First Light, whose mysterious ambience typifies his work.

To create the compelling contrasts that he’s known for, Preston studies what he calls “the magic of light,” noting its source and quality, then waiting patiently for just the right moment to get his shot. As Caponigro has said, “One needs to be still enough, observant enough . . . to ‘hear through the eyes.’ ” The shooting window itself is often brief—just ten minutes for Fountains Abbey Ruins, Preston’s shadowy image of the twelfth-century English monastery.

Preston began shooting seriously with a medium-format Mamiya, developing and printing the images in his own darkroom. But rather than lament the fading era of film and negatives, he’s taken advantage of new technology, experimentClockwise from top: Haystack Rock (2002), 11" ing with Nikon and Canon × 14" and 16" × 20"; Orchid digital cameras. His most recent Angel (2009), 5" × 7"; work embraces color: still lifes Celestial Dream (2009), 8" × 10" and 11" × 14" of flowers, shells and stones, often superimposed on a patterned background, so perfect they seem unreal. The abundant flora surrounding his home studio also provides no end of colorful subject matter. His garden designer wife, Victoria, created the lush site, which Preston shot for a 2010 feature in Stamford Magazine.

The photographer’s irrepressible creativity manifests itself in another form as well, linked once again to his musicianship. Early on, he taught piano to a professional chef, and the student returned the favor. Preston learned French, Chinese, Japanese and Moroccan dishes, expanding both his culinary horizons and his waistline, he jokes. Had he not become a photographer, he says, you’d find him playing piano and cooking.

Though he’s been mentored by some of photography’s greats, Preston found the words that inspire him most in an unusual place—a motel room in Flagstaff, Arizona. A mural on the wall of the room bore this inscription, which Preston describes as the anthem of a Navajo painter: “With substance from the earth, beauty I will create, and with that beauty, my soul I do give.”

It’s an apt motto for an artist who, both musically and visually, has brought more than his share of beauty into the world. • Editor’s Note To see more of Preston’s work, visit his Web site at www.robertpreston.com.

42 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

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Outside Interest

Pure Heaven Nature and man conspire to create a little bit of paradise in the Connecticut Berkshires.

BY MEGAN FULWEILER • PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HOFFMAN LANDSCAPES

I

n this breathtaking garden at the foot of the Berkshires, birdsong fills the perfumed air and the landscape is so lush you could almost swear you hear the plants growing. No fantasy of the imagination, the green idyll belies the steady work that transpires behind the scenes. Mother Nature does her part, too, and happy plants grow rapidly, often surprising even the people who tend them. So opulent was the original installation in this Eden, for instance, that about a third of the plantings had to be re-

moved to allow sufficient Clockwise from above: Chaises room for the others. Tucked cozy into a bank of hydrangeas carefully in unobtrusive by the pool; lush plantings, holding areas for now, these including brilliant irises, surplants will be relocated else- round the koi pond; a handsome gate separates the pool where in the garden, as time from the formal lawn. or storms dictate, by landscape architect and design/build sales manager Brian Cossari and landscape designer Matthew Biron, both of Hoffman Landscapes in Wilton, Connecticut.

Their firm religiously sees to the property, which stretches well over an acre, several days a week. Periodic revisions and reorganizations are necessary to keep the garden’s character intact and its plantings healthy. “The challenge,” says Cossari, “is maintaining an element of formality in a woodland setting like this one.”

The original garden was designed in the late 1990s to accompany the owners’ stunning new house. The site’s steep grade changes lent themselves to a plan that includes a 46 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

number of “rooms”—the open main lawn adjacent to the house, the sunny pool area below and, beyond that, the serene koi pond garden with its rose-draped arbor entrance.

A graceful willow, waves of climbing hydrangea and pretty iris soften the pond’s edges and promote its secluded ambience. And not by accident, a classic bench invites visitors to

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Outside Interest nab a moment for quiet contemplation.

As in many of the world’s most beautiful gardens, layers of shrubs and trees are deftly interwoven throughout the ever-evolving flower beds. “Perennial gardens are continually moving as the landscape matures. Things are added or subtracted every season, and that’s how it should be to maintain interest,” says David Schrang, Hoffman’s director of property maintenance. Russian sage, roses, astilbe, peonies, lilies and nepeta may be on the must-have list, but there’s always the anticipation of new arrivals.

Perhaps more familiar with the property than anyone else except the owners—the wife is an avid gardener herself—Schrang has been helping fine-tune the place for years. Moving the garden Landscape architect, successfully into the future design/build sales manager: requires constant corrective Brian Cossari, Hoffman Landscapes, Wilton, Conn., (203) soil work. Each of the dis834-9656, www.hoffman tinct areas has its own milandscapes.com Landscape croclimate and individual designer: Matthew Biron, needs, including yearly Hoffman Landscapes Director of property pruning and shaping. Clasmaintenance: David Schrang, sic boxwood holds its prim Hoffman Landscapes form well, but recruits like

the ruddy-flowered shrub Clockwise from above: A classic roses must be sternly cut bench invites contemplation by the koi pond; hanging baskets back or they’ll overwhelm thrive on the pool house’s perthe bluestone paths. Grass gola; roses bring a touch of rogrowing between a grid of mance to an arbor. bluestone on the upper terrace requires constant coddling to prevent browning during the unavoidable dog-day periods.

Remarkably, for all its subtle glamour, the expansive garden is also personal. Mementos such as a large sculpture unearthed on the owners’ travels underscore their involvement.

So do the many bird feeders and artful planters, which display a changing roster of colors from one year to the next according to the wife’s scheme—one summer jewel tones, say, hot tropical hues the next.

“This is not just a lovely garden, it’s also someone’s home and it’s well used,” Schrang explains. The pool and pool house, 48 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

of course, draw the most summer activity. White dogwood and stands of fluffy white hydrangea parading behind the lounges are as cooling to the eye as the blue water.

But if they crave shade, the owners and their friends need only slip onto the terrace and beneath the pool house pergola. Framed by flowering beds and festooned with hanging baskets, the terrace is a welcoming oasis. Comfortable furnishings only enhance the heavenly plein-air experience. In the evening candles are lit and fireflies appear—so many tiny stars amid the dark flowers and tree branches.

If it’s not heaven, it’s close. Should the owners or their team of helpers begin to rhapsodize about the color of a leaf or the scent of a rose, no one faults them. It’s their passion, after all, that ensures this paradise a sweet future. •

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Designer Anne Miller deliberately chose comfy sofas and low-maintenance materials for this active, young family. Facing page: Asian-inspired fretwork and bracketing on the exterior invoke waterfront cottages from the Victorian era, and the blue-and-white interior reďŹ&#x201A;ects the colors of the water.

Lake Effect

Entranced by the location but not as thrilled with the house, a family enlists a trusted architect to turn a less-than-perfect Litchfield County dwelling into the perfect family getaway—just in time for summer.

Text by Nathaniel Reade • Photography by Michael Partenio • Architecture: Robert Dean • Interior design: Anne Miller • Builder: John W. Dinneen & Son • Landscape design: Martha Baker • Produced by Stacy Kunstel

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 55

R

ob Dean had a problem. This one, however, didn’t involve a demanding client or rotted sills.

It was a problem of design.

Dean is a New Canaan–based architect with graying blond hair, horn-rimmed glasses and a preference for tweed jackets. He had clients in Fairfield County for whom he’d done previous work, an active family with four young kids. They were looking for a vacation retreat not too far away that would provide them with casual relaxation on a lake. They liked what they saw at Lake Waramaug, in Litchfield County. The lake area is so appealing, however—an hour and a half from Greenwich, two hours from Manhattan— that the clients didn’t find many properties for sale, especially with the kind of site they wanted.

It had to be at the water’s edge, secluded, with good exposure to sunsets and water views. At long last, at the tail end of a summer, they found

56 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Clockwise from top left: Two big roofs create a sense of unity and sheltering.

Architect Robert Dean added shallow coffering to create horizontal lines, making the ceiling look higher and helping to hide light fixtures. Miller insisted on new, dark-wood floors.

a spot that met all the natural requirements, though the house itself wasn’t quite what they had hoped for.

“This is the place,” the clients told Dean. “We’d like to be in by the spring.”

Dean now had to figure out what to do with an existing structure that posed a host of problems. It had a sort of Z-shaped footprint, the result of many additions. The original structure, a simple ranch probably built in the 1930s, had been variously enlarged and added to: a second floor, ells, a semidetached combination garage and office. The main house had a small porch and Doric columns made of aluminum. It was, Dean explains, essentially two separate buildings: the main house, and the officecum-garage, with no aesthetic link between them.

“They were like two separate thoughts,” he says.

The buildings had been sited well, however, facing the water and the dock, with a nice pathway to the lake and high-quality plantings. Dean decided he could keep the foundation and much of the origi-

nal house. Beyond that, though, he says everyone involved—clients, architect, interior designer and builder—recognized that this house was “an opportunity.”

Dean’s design problem stemmed from the many demands he would now have to satisfy. He had to respect the existing site, trying not to disturb the

“We wanted to tie into the tradition of lake houses that are informal and fanciful.” mature trees, stone walls and plantings. “We didn’t want to have to wait twenty years for this to look like part of the landscape,” he says.

He also had to meet the clients’ requirements about the home’s size and number of rooms—and he had to get it all done in time for them to enjoy the following summer in their new place. Having worked at bigSummer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 57

Clockwise from this page: Big porches create outdoor rooms and transitions between interior and exterior space. Dean turned the dock area into a place to entertain, with a fire pit and hidden storage. Miller chose the blue porcelain stove as a “piece of furniture to draw the eye.” The banister is original to the oldest part of the house.

name firms in New York—Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, Philip Johnson, and Robert A.M. Stern—Dean is both practical and an “academic architect,” someone who considers the historical context of the site. He doesn’t slavishly reproduce old styles, but he under-

For the porches, Miller chose what she calls “old-style, Teddy Roosevelt wicker.” stands and respects what’s come before. The finished house shouldn’t necessarily mimic the architecture around it, but he did want it to look like it fit.

Litchfield County, however, like most of Connecticut, never had much of a lakefront architectural style. Lake Waramaug’s built history consisted of Federal or Greek Revival farmhouses, which would not translate into an easy, open house for a sportsloving family. Dean and his clients instead looked to the waterfront architecture of other New England areas during the Victorian era, some in the Shingle style, some in the chalet style inspired by Swiss and Scandinavian cottages. “We wanted to tie into the 58 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

tradition of lake houses that are informal and fanciful,” he says, “but also respect the Connecticut landscape of white frame houses.”

The big design problem, he says, boiled down to, “How do I tie all this together?” If his clients were going to feel calm and peaceful here, he would have to take what seemed like seventeen scattered and conflicting elements, from the dock to the garage, respect the site and the heritage, and somehow create a sense of simplicity. How could he combine all those different elements and turn them into calm?

First he thought, “Porches.” These would create a transition between the interior and the exterior, bringing the outside in and creating semi-outdoor rooms.

And big porches fit the architectural style. At present the porches, which are made of red cedar, fir and mahogany, have been treated but not painted, something that Dean says was much discussed. The intent is to let them weather to a silvery gray, he says, connecting the house with the “imperfect natural world.”

The second part of the solution is what he calls “the big roof.” Rather than a lot of gables and eaves, he put one big lid over the main house and something similar over the adjoining one. Then he adorned the out-

Summer 2011 New England Homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Connecticut 59

side with just the right amount of Victorian-inspired details: brackets, gable boards and Asian-inspired fretwork on the railings. That big roof tied the two structures together and gave a sense of mass.

Anne Miller, a snappy, funny designer from Greenwich, shares Dean’s philosophy: she’s committed not to imposing her particular style, but to

The designer picked materials that are practical, kid-friendly and easy to care for. making a dwelling that works for the client. She mimicked the water for much of her color palette, and because this was a young, active family, she ensured that the materials she picked are practical, kidfriendly and easy to care for—cotton rugs, big, comfy sofas, nickel finishes and a minimum of accessories.

For the porches she chose what she calls “old-style, Teddy Roosevelt wicker.”

60 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Dean’s office handled all the kitchen and lighting design, which he thinks makes the finished product more cohesive. The clients were brave, willing to take the leap of faith necessary to obey the timeline. And the two disparate buildings, now linked, became an advantage: those active kids and their friends have boys’ and girls’ “barracks” (the boys’ room has five twin beds and connects to a mudroom that opens directly out to the lake), as well as a rec room with a pool table. This setup accommodates the constant tide of commotion in and out of the water, while keeping the main house a calm, quiet retreat for adults.

When he looks at the house today, Dean sees a problem solved. It’s a spot full of activity, from the kids and their friends splashing in the water to adults enjoying cocktails and conversation. And over it all, he says, “You get a sense that the house is reaching out of the environment and sheltering it all. It creates a sense of peace.” • Resources For more information about this home, see page 131.

The master bedroom (far left) is in the main part of the house, connected to but separate from the kids’ area, where the boys have a “barracks” with five twin beds and (below left) the girls share a room outfitted in lavender. Windows toward the water (below right) provide all the rooms with excellent views.

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 61

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A gray-and-white striped country Swedish rug in the living room sets the tone for the calm, coastal color palette that flows from room to room.

Pillows and other accent pieces from the homeowner’s own decor collection, Oomph, add punches of color.

64 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Beyond the

PALE Quiet grays and whites enlivened with vivid accessories define the peaceful seaside home a Rowayton architect and real estate developer built for themselves.

Text by Janice Randall Rohlf • Photography by Tria Giovan • Architecture: Louise Brooks, Brooks and Falotico • Interior design: Lynn Morgan • Builder: Artisans Home Builders • Produced by Stacy Kunstel

D

raped on an armchair in the kitchen sitting area of Louise and Ned Brooks’s Rowayton home, a stunning, not-yet-framed needlepoint canvas catches the eye. Judging by its size and the precision of its stitches, the picture was painstaking to craft. Its dark greens and browns stand out against the pale palette of the rest of the room. The canvas, depicting a seventy-five-year-old brick Georgian Colonial house tucked among leafy old trees, is a Mother’s Day present to Louise Brooks from her daughter. The house is where Louise and her husband raised their three children, and for that reason it is very special to her. So is the house they live in now, but for different reasons. • When it

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 65

came time for the empty nesters to consider downsizing, Louise, founder of the Fairfield County architectural firm Brooks and Falotico, and her real estate developer husband put their heads together. They purchased a large parcel of seaside acreage and donated part of it to the town of Norwalk as conservation land. On what remained, they contracted Artisans Home Builders to

Coastal grays and whites KICK-START a theme that carries throughout the home. construct a dozen homes with a certain owner profile in mind: “the empty nester who wants to downsize but still wants four or five bedrooms,” as Ned puts it. Design-wise, Louise wanted the new homes to be “in keeping with the casual, seaside spirit” of the quaint village and “to take advantage of the water views whenever possible.”

“We work on all kinds of houses and bring together a lot of different sensibilities . . . no one particular style,” says Louise of her firm, whose portfolio of elegant residential homes, from compounds to cottages, showcases Greek Revivals and classic Colonials, among others.

Their own pale-yellow Shingle-style home has black shutters and whimsical gambrel rooflines. Although built less than six years ago, it looks like it’s been here as long as its historic counterparts on neighboring streets, houses in a wide range of styles from farmhouse to Tudor, Victorian to Cape. A peek through the mullioned pane of a huge arched window near the front door reveals a portion of an elegant, curved staircase inside. The shutters of the window have cutouts in the shape of scallop shells, which are a distinguishing feature of the Brooks family crest.

“I grew up in New England, and I’m a traditionalist at heart,” says Louise, who has a penchant for fireplaces (there are four in the house) and old limestone flooring. But she also appreciates simple, modern design. Blending old and new, she used wide crown molding and decorative trim detail, such as roping on a fireplace surround and mantel, but painted it with high-gloss white lacquer. Interior designer 66 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

A sunny nook for playing backgammon commands a seaside view in the living room. Facing page top: Adjacent to the living room, a dining alcove invites frequent entertaining. Facing page bottom: Irregular fenestration is a hallmark of Louise Brooksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architectural designs.

The architect/homeowner has a passion for ďŹ replaces, natural stone ďŹ&#x201A;oors and Vineyard landscape paintings by Ray Ellis. Facing page top: The kitchen island was designed to conceal a TV behind cupboard doors. Facing page bottom: Accessed through French doors and with Bermuda shutters for privacy, an outdoor patio alcove extends the dining area.

Lynn Morgan, who says her role was only “to give a little guidance,” explains that the two women chose coastal grays and whites for the living room, including the country Swedish rug, to kick-start a theme that’s carried out in various ways throughout the home. You see it in the chalky limestone floors, for example, the gray-veined white

The morning sun streams into rooms that flow GRACEFULLY into one another.

marble kitchen countertops, the silverplated bathroom and kitchen hardware, the limed oak–paneled walls in Louise’s office and the pantry’s classy brushed aluminum backsplash.

Elsewhere, pillows patterned in yellow, orange and turquoise add a touch of pizzazz to the prevailing whites and grays. The vibrant-colored cushions are from Oomph, an ever-growing home decor collection founded by Louise, who designs all the pieces, and her friends Amy Rice and Patty Hopple. In 2009 “when the world was caving in,” says Louise, the trio conceived Oomph to bring some color and fun to life. With the idea that “three simple elements of great design can totally transform any room,” they launched the line with pillows, accent chairs and tables just big enough to hold one cocktail—their signature Tini tables. To these basics they’ve added mirrors, lamps and other accessories in sumptuous colors like Parakeet (bright green), Fireworks (lively coral) and Turkish Coffee (rich brown). The richly lacquered pieces are made by Connecticut craftsmen.

In the Brooks house, which faces directly east on a ledge that overlooks Long Island Sound, the morning sun streams through ceiling-high, custom-designed windows into main-floor rooms that flow gracefully into one another. Classical architectural elements, like molding and pilasters, are deftly integrated into the modern layout of the rooms to bring coziness to their nine-and-a-half-foot height. These tall ceilings and the arched doorways Louise tends to favor give the otherwise casual space a feeling of grandeur. Nautical touches are restrained and sophisticated, like original paintings by Ray Ellis, the preeminent landSummer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 69

Limed oak-paneled walls and an arched doorway lend coziness to Louise Brooks’s office. Facing page top: Identical washstands and mirrors face each other in the master bathroom. Facing page bottom: Louise’s spacious dressing room is her favorite spot in the house.

scape painter of Martha’s Vineyard and a longtime friend of Ned’s family.

“The house works very well for the two of us or everyone together,” says Louise. She confesses that her spacious dressing room is her favorite spot in the house: “I spend a lot of time there; it’s where I have my coffee and get

“I grew up in New England, and I’m a TRADITIONALIST at heart,” says Louise.

ready for the day.” She designed the open closets and glass-front cupboards so that her clothes are where she can see them.

Ned, who as a boy vacationed on the Vineyard, where the family still summers, likes the view from his second-floor office, where he can keep an eye on his moored twenty-four–foot catboat while he works. In the evening, husband and wife often relax together in the kitchen, where the counter height accommodates Ned, the de facto chef in the family.

Louise’s passions for design and her family are matched by a love of entertaining. For the couple’s frequent dinner parties, she says, “It was important to be able to seat twenty-five.”

Eschewing a formal dining room, she designed an alcove off the living room for dining, with French doors that open onto an outdoor patio alcove that has Bermuda shutters for privacy. She stores serving dishes, trays and other party paraphernalia in closets built into the sides of an arched doorway that echoes the curve of the big bow window in front of it. With a similar sleight of hand, Louise designed the kitchen island to conceal a TV behind cupboard doors, and another TV in the master bedroom rises out of a vintage blanket chest at the touch of a button. There’s also a little brick-walled room where Ned can chop wood without going outside, a lower-level gym and a project room where Louise paints and wraps presents.

Comparing her new house to her beloved Georgian Colonial, Louise observes, “It has all the same bells and whistles . . . plus the view.” • Resources For more information about this home, see page 131.

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 71

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RISING STAR

A renovation overlooking Long Island Sound and the Thimble Islands raises a house—literally—to new heights.

Text by Paula M. Bodah • Photography by Michael Partenio • Architecture: Anthony Terry, Terry Architecture • Interior design: Sandra Goodkind • Landscape design: Rick Bette, Silent Wind Consulting • Builder: Al Rose Construction • Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent

74 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Designer and homeowner Sandy Goodkind chose a restful palette that lets the open floor plan flow and keeps the emphasis on the plentiful outdoor views. Top right: The living room’s design started with the blueand-white toile fabric on the Ralph Lauren chairs. Bottom right: A bit of coral is a nod to the home’s waterfront location.

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 75

T

he Goodkinds had summered in Stony Creek for some years before they decided it was time to make it their year-round home.

Who can blame them for wanting to enjoy the quaint seaside village that hugs the Connecticut shore where it meets Long Island Sound? A water view is grand enough, but Stony Creek has the distinction of looking out over the Thimble Islands, a jumble of glacial rocks ranging in size from acres across to not much bigger than a stepping stone. “This is what’s special about this part of Connecticut,” says Tony Terry, the architect who worked with Sandy

76 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

and David Goodkind on their home. “It’s not just a blank horizon; the islands give you something to focus on. There’s always something interesting to look at, and any time there’s any change in the light it affects the water, the islands, the houses, shadows, reflections.”

The summer house the Goodkinds had enjoyed over the years wasn’t quite big enough for yearround living, Sandy says. What’s more, she’d grown tired of their other home, a large colonial that she says was “dark, dark, dark.” The solution was clear: it was time to move.

David heard about a house for sale, so the couple stopped in for a look. “I walked in and said, ‘There’s no question,’ ” Sandy recalls. “The bones of the house, the lot, the view—I was never so excited in my life.”

Of course, nothing’s ever perfect, and the Goodkinds quickly realized the house needed some major renovations. Both client and architect describe it as a 1970s ranch that had been added on

Texture—in the grasscloth wallpaper, linen dining chairs and oxidized zinc table top—plays a big role in the design. Facing page left: Stone steps lead to the front door, which opens to the home’s second level. Facing page right: A faux-antique mirror is a focal point in the foyer.

to over the years until it became a two-story house with lots of smallish rooms. “It was one of those houses that are common on the shoreline,” Terry says. “It started out modest, then people would do

tions that didn’t exist back when the house was built. Terry’s plan involved lifting the structure and setting it on a slab. “In this climate, slabs must be supported by frost walls, foundation walls that carry the weight that they support down to a level of the earth that is not affected by freezing temperatures,” he explains. “We had to design, structurally, for conditions that include a tidal surge and winds of a high velocity—simultaneously. This foundation is strong enough to protect the entire city of

Sandy filled the space with furniture and accessories that run the gamut from contemporary to antique to somewhere in between. a little here and a little there. No one ever started from scratch, so by the time the Goodkinds bought it, it was kind of patchy.”

Part of what makes this house special is what you don’t see. Because it sits in a floodplain, renovations had to conform to governmental regula78 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

New Orleans. The Army Corps of Engineers would take their hats off.”

The basement level became the home’s first floor and now holds a family room, a study, a bathroom and a bedroom. The second level holds the living spaces—dining and living rooms, kitchen, another

An old ceiling tile Sandy found at the BrimďŹ eld Antique Show has a place of honor behind the Lacanche stove. Facing page left: An antique dental table from Paris is part of the mix in the family room.

Facing page right: The wet bar was crafted from old barn ďŹ&#x201A;oorboards and a set of Victorian leaded-glass windows.

The covered porch on the ďŹ rst level is a second family room in the warm months. Facing page top: Stone walls give the porch its cozy feel. Facing page bottom: The porchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stone pillars anchor the home to the site.

family room—as well as the couple’s daughter’s bedroom. The third floor belongs to Sandy and David alone, with its spacious master bedroom and bath.

The first-floor family room opens onto a large covered porch with interior walls and pillars clad in stone.

The stone mimics the Stony Creek granite walls that line the lawn at the water’s edge and anchors the house firmly to the lot. “The ground floor is basically a stone pedestal for a two-story house,” Terry explains.

“We sort of hid the ground floor behind the porch.”

At the front of the house, a walkway leads from the driveway to the front door—which opens to the second level of the house—via a gentle rise up wide stone steps bordered by welcoming landscaping.

Both inside and out, clients and architect sought to balance the traditional with the contemporary. Shingles, stone, multiple gables and white trim give the exterior a classic look.

Windows, though, have fewer panes than a traditional house would have.

“I wanted lots of light,” Sandy says. “I wanted windows everywhere—not mullioned windows but not too contemporary. My main requirement was lots of light.”

For the main living area, Sandy and Terry struck the balance by creating an open floor plan embellished with pilasters and ceiling beams that define

“The ground floor is basically a stone pedestal for a two-story house.” spaces and add a classic touch. “I wanted it to be open but cozy,” Sandy says.

Most of the space is painted white, but Sandy took advantage of the minimal wall space, painting it a soft sky-blue in some places and covering it with grasscloth in others. “Because it’s so open and Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 81

A freestanding tub is the focal point of the third-floor master suite’s bath.

Top right: The house looks out over the Thimble Islands. Bottom right: The master bedroom’s pewter-colored walls are hand-painted to look like damask.

has so many views, I didn’t want too much color,” she says. “It needed to flow. Too much color would bombard you with sensory overload. I wanted it to be soothing and calming.”

Sandy filled the space with furniture and accessories that run the gamut from contemporary to an-

a clean-lined sofa in the living room. And in the stair hall a wet bar crafted of old barn floorboards has cabinet doors made from a set of antique diamondpaned leaded-glass windows Sandy had been saving for just the right use.

When she’s not helping people design their living

“Everything—what I wear, my jewelry, what I surround myself with— I like it all to have a little age, a history.” tique to somewhere in between. Sleek dining chairs covered in beige linen surround a table composed of a slab of oxidized zinc nailed to an old trestle. An antique dentist’s cabinet she found in Paris sits next to 82 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

spaces, Sandy designs jewelry that she sells at her Branford shop, Crowning Glory. Her house is a reflection of her design sensibilities in every area.

“Everything—what I wear, my jewelry, what I sur-

round myself with—I like it all to have a little age, a history,” she says.

Their new home is everything the Goodkinds hoped for. “In the winter, there’s nothing like looking out to the islands covered in snow,” Sandy says. “They look like little marshmallows plopped in the water.”

Then of course, there’s spring and summer when the gardens are in full bloom, and autumn when both trees and water glisten golden.

“With Tony’s help, I think we got it right,” says Sandy. “I walk around every day saying, ‘I love my house.’ ” • Resources For more information about this home, see page 131.

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 83

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FAMILY FIRST

A stylish and colorful revamping of a gracious home gives a happy Greenwich couple just the environment they imagined for raising their three youngsters. TEXT BY MEGAN FULWEILER • PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL PARTENIO • ARCHITECTURE: DOUGLAS VANDERHORN, HILTON-VANDERHORN ARCHITECTS • INTERIOR DESIGN: CINDY RINFRET, RINFRET, LTD. • LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: PETER CUMMINS, CUMMINS ASSOCIATES • BUILDER: WRIGHT BROTHERS BUILDERS • PRODUCED BY STACY KUNSTEL 86 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

The living room’s stylish grasscloth wallcovering has a subtle silvery sheen that makes it a perfect backdrop for everything from the Greek key–patterned sofa pillows to the moldings and fluted mantel to the chic coffee table with its faux bamboo base.

I

f, as they say, a beautiful woman lights up a room, the reverse is true as well—a beautiful room lights up those lucky enough to stand within its walls. Down through the ages, savvy women have used their surroundings to enhance their own charms. Still, when told that her designer describes her as a lovely blonde and says, “These settings complement her coloring,” the owner of this Greenwich home simply laughs. She and her husband have a far more compelling reason for adoring their Greenwich house. It’s the home they’d always envisioned for raising their three young children.

“Family is important to us,” says the homeowner. “It’s a pretty house, but it’s not showcase-y. It’s a home where people feel

comfortable. Rather than have our kids go visit elsewhere, we want their friends to come here. That’s really why we bought this place.”

Two hundred and fifty acres of breathtaking land owned by the Boy Scouts of America couldn’t be a more perfect neighbor. The wealth of green provides a sense of privacy and gives the property a bucolic, “we’re removed from everything” feeling. Curtains—except in the kids’ rooms— are unnecessary. It’s a good thing, too, because even the cremone bolts on the casement windows deserve highlighting.

Fortunately, by the time the owners took possession, the house had already undergone an extensive renovation led by 88 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

A trellis-patterned rug warms the dining room. Facing page clockwise from top: The graceful staircase is reďŹ&#x201A;ected in the entryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-eye mirror. Whimsical chinoiserie directs attention to the dining room mirror. A generous courtyard complements the house.

This pretty auxiliary space just off the kitchen serves for breakfast or kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; craft time. Facing page top: Decorative lanterns and a copper hood boost the kitchenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charm. Facing page bottom: A window-lined addition encompasses the workout room.

Greenwich architect Douglas VanderHorn of Hilton-VanderHorn Architects. “The house was built in the 1950s in a fairly modest French style,” VanderHorn explains. “Our client considered it a tear-down. But there was enough house to save and so, staying in the French vein, we did a complete gut, renovated, replanned and added the third floor.”

Almost nothing you see today is original. The old brick exterior was stripped and new brick installed, along with a distinctive slate roof. The original front door was nixed for an Indiana limestone surround and a glass door dressed with an ornate iron grille designed by VanderHorn.

At night, lit from within, the entry glows like a lantern.

To elevate the interior, the architect added beautiful details, including moldings, trim and delicate transoms above the doorways. It was a glorious rebirth, but the owner at that time had a penchant for all-white rooms, with one notable exception—a plum sitting room! Such a noncommittal palette, as pleasing as it was, downplayed the home’s character.

The current owners engaged Greenwich designer Cindy Rinfret to enliven the architecture with colorful new interiors.

“Cindy has an amazing way with color,” says the happy wife. And if proof of that is needed, she has only to initiate a tour. The sun-drenched rooms—all dreamy blues and beiges—unfold one after another in an appealing scheme that underscores the home’s attributes. Teamed with a barelyblue Kravet wallcovering, for instance, the entry’s creamy paneling gains prominence. And a shimmery Donghia grasscloth catapults the living room’s moldings and fluted mantel to the forefront. Accents of red and coral—like a sweep of

The architect added beautiful details, including moldings and delicate transoms above doorways.

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 91

Rinfret designed an ultra-feminine sofa for the guest suiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plum-colored sitting room. Facing page top: The paneled library exudes a masculine tone. Facing page bottom: A new outdoor hearth and pergola frame the pool-side sitting area.

rouge on the cheeks— give it all a lively kick.

“That’s the great thing about this house,” says Rinfret. “It’s elegant but not stuffy. With children and dogs all about, my clients craved rooms that were also practical.”

Rinfret’s take on family living means mixing old but not overly precious pieces with newer items.

Many of the furnishings were transferred from the owners’ last home (also a Rinfret project) and revamped. About 75 percent of the accessories, Rinfret estimates, were culled from her own Greenwich shop. Custom rugs made in Nepal cozy up wood floors for kids who sometimes prefer to shed their shoes.

As user-friendly as they are, the interiors are also chic. If Mom and Dad don formal attire for dinner, they won’t look out of step in the dining room, resplendent with a custom-colored Gracie wallcovering. An antique gilded chandelier dripping crystal prisms is the kind of fixture that inspires toasts. And while guests are admiring its silhouette, they’ll notice the blue-as-sky ceiling. “It’s one-sixth of the room,” says Rinfret. “Never leave a ceiling white.” A set of cheery pagodas—a bit of whimsical chinoiserie—sits atop the marble mantel.

The stunning library, paneled in butternut and sporting a gold ceiling, would do as well for cocktails as it does for reading.

Through an open door, a lick of purple appears. “It was such a cool color, we kept it,” says the wife of the sitting room. Rinfret piled on more color, wallpapering the ceiling and designing a luscious sorbethued sofa.

The kitchen—the family hub—exhibits the same delicious balance of functionality and sophistication. VanderHorn had seen to the kitchen in his renovation, and then Rinfret gave it her fabulous stamp, lightening the dark cabinets and cleverly swap-

Rinfret’s take on family living means mixing old but not overly precious pieces with new items.

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 93

Antique botanicals bring the garden into the wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dressing room.

Facing page clockwise from left: Robert Allen pillows suit the master bedroom. A sweet settee sits at the foot of the elegant bed with its gilded canopy. The gazebo holds faux bois concrete furnishings.

ping out their doors for new models with bamboo trim. She also tucked the fridge behind mirrored doors—just another of the designer’s ingenious, why-didn’t-wethink-of-that moves.

An adjacent breakfast room, one of two casual dining areas, is frequently commandeered by the children for projects. Rinfret devised a corner cabinet, also with mirrored doors, just for arts and crafts supplies. Steel chairs—“a link to the kitchen’s stainless appliances,” says Rinfret—with leopard seats are reminders that it’s good to think outside the box.

The parents’ Rinfret-designed canopy bed came along from their old home, as did the sweet heirloom settee at its foot.

Tiptoe into the wife’s dressing room and the feminine ambience escalates with a

pretty wallcovering and a dainty blue chaise. Her bath (the husband has his own across the way) holds a bowfront tub and an antique Venetian mirror.

As soon as fair weather arrives, of course, the family zips outdoors to make good use of the pool and tennis court.

Twin pool pavilions with romantic bellshaped roofs contain a kitchenette and bath, respectively. The property’s little pond is amazing, too, claims the wife. “The children get to watch tadpoles grow into frogs,” she says. No doubt they’ll remember that miraculous event—and all their days in this welcoming house—forever. • Resources For more information about this home, see page 131.

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 95

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Design Life Out and about in celebration of design and architecture in Connecticut BARTLETT ARBORETUM THE GREENWICH CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS’S

annual RED AND WHITE BALL is the very definition of a glamorous event, and this year was certainly no exception.

Some 400 guests dined at tables adorned with fantasy tablescapes by the area’s best designers. Actor Stephen Baldwin hosted the gala.

Not all great parties are evening soirees. Case in point: the breakfast that kicked off NEAR AND FAR AID’s house tour, an annual event that raises money to address poverty in Fairfield County. Designer Jamie Drake, the breakfast’s featured speaker, let listeners in on a few of his design secrets.

SIMON PEARCE just gets bigger and better, and we were happy to help celebrate the grand opening of their new, expanded Greenwich shop, where we sipped on Simon Pearce reserve wines in the Should your party be company’s iconic stemware. here? Send photographs ASID Connecticut and New or high-resolution images, England Home’s Connecticut cowith information about the event and the people in the sponsored a presentation at the photos, to New England Home, Stamford showrooms of DEANE 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302, ROOMS EVERLASTING. Guest Boston, MA 02118, or e-mail images and information to speaker Adam Japko, president of pbodah@nehome DigitalSherpa, talked about the value mag.com. of social networking in helping designers build business.

All those spring rains only made things at the BARTLETT ARBORETUM even more beautiful for kicking off the organization’s annual Spring Garden Tour.

A little rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm at LILLIAN AUGUST’s flagship store in Norwalk for an education event and party that brought the area’s leading architects and builders together with people thinking about remodeling or renovating.

SIMON PEARCE From left to right: Ed Lent, Chuck Hilton, Kristin Ohnmacht and Regina Bilotta • Laird Morgan Tolan, Chuck Hilton and Sandra Morgan • Linherr Hollingsworth and Ed Lent

100 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

From left to right: Catherine Avery, Peter Severine and Victoria Vandamm • Nancy Pelz Paget and Dennis Paget

NEAR AND FAR AID New England Home’s Stacy Kunstel, Jamie Drake and Nance Vigneau

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Farmington, CT $9,999,999 MLS#G578791, Lisa Hall, 203.829.1115 & Heidi Picard Ramsay, 860.307.0039

Westport, CT $8,100,000 MLS#98489471, Jillian Klaff Homes, 203.247.0964

Westport, CT $11,998,000 MLS#98502129, Michelle&Company, 203.454.4663

Fairfield, CT $7,500,000 MLS#98495611, Michelle&Company, 203.454.4663

New Canaan, CT $6,895,000 MLS#98488857, Sharon Rosano, 203.962.1264

Westport, CT $6,850,000 MLS#98493553, Michelle&Company, 203.454.4663

New Canaan, CT $4,595,000 MLS#98488850, Sharon Rosano, 203.962.1264

Stamford, CT $4,500,000 MLS#98499913, Kaye Lewis, 203.249.9603

Westport, CT $4,450,000 MLS#98495081, Michelle&Company, 203.454.4663

Wilton/New Canaan, CT $3,950,000 MLS#98495685, Julie Carney, 203.451.9966

Rowayton, CT $2,300,000 MLS#98498643, Kristi Law, 917.576.6638

For more information on these and other luxury homes or to speak to an Exceptional Properties Specialist, call 877.298.2780.

Design Life

LILLIAN AUGUST

MELANI LUST PHOTOGRAPHY (4)

From left to right: Angela Camarda, Skye Kirby, Bruce Beinfield, Michele Scotto, Andrew Bartolotta and Colin Grotheer • Brian O’Connor, Nena Donovan Levine and Neil Hauck • Erin Kelly, Michael Greenberg and Lindsey Rundle • Marlon Dale, Gina Schapiro and Ashley Schapiro

RED AND WHITE BALL From top, left to right: Olga Adler and Bethany Armstrong • Beth Dempsey, Lauren Michelle and New England Home’s Stacy Kunstel • Carey Karlan and Stacy Kunstel • Rachel McAree, Barclay Butera and Stephen Baldwin • Cynthia James, Diane James and Carolyn James

DEANE ROOMS EVERLASTING

BOB CAPAZZO

From top to bottom: Edward Mortimer, Barry Cohen and New England Home’s Kyle Hoepner • Jason Landau, New England Home’s Roberta Thomas Mancuso and Susanne Mordoh • Stephen Desloge, Betsy Biddle Lange and Nena Donovan Levine

102 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

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11 Riverfield Drive, Weston, CT 06883

Robin McGarryASID Interior Design

203 454 1825

www.RobinMcGarry.com

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Custom Home of the Year- HOBI Awards 2009 At Home A-List Award Winner 2010 Residential Architect Design Award Winner 2010

9 7 WA S H I N G T O N S T R E E T

S O U T H N O R WA L K , C T 0 6 8 5 4 W W W. C A R D E L L O A R C H I T E C T S . C O M 203.853.2524 FAX: 203.853.0234

Trade Notes New and noteworthy happenings in the Connecticut design business

Hilton-VanderHorn Architects are celebrating

their twentieth year in business. Growing out of a student friendship between partners Charles Hilton and Douglas VanderHorn, the firm was founded in 1991 to produce new home designs and renovations grounded in the classic Greenwich tradition.

Hilton-VanderHorn Architects, Greenwich, (203) 862-9011, www.hilton-vanderhorn.com

Another anniversary—number ten—is being observed this year by Hemingway Custom Cabinetry, where George Krawiec and his team have now been handcrafting custom kitchens, architectural millwork and built-in furniture since 2001.

Hemingway Custom Cabinetry and Architectural Millwork, Black Rock, (203) 382-0300, www.hemingwaycustom.com

Claire Maestroni of Mis en Scene has teamed up with Frenchborn sculptor and metalsmith Franck Areno to open a new Greenwich space called Artelier. It is part gallery, part art studio, part metalworking shop, part design showroom, part retail location— and it may also, according to Areno, eventually include a bronze foundry.

Patrons tired out from browsing the selection of paintings, sculptures and one-of-a-kind furniture and lighting creations can refresh their spirits with a sip of coffee or a tot of wine in a salon space fully kitted out with vintage bar and piano.

Artelier, Greenwich, (203) 532-2929, www.artelier-creations.com

A new 10,000-square-foot woodworking and furniture design facility has been opened by Bridgeport’s ClearGroup International (which last year completed some 6,000 hours of interior refinishing on the 155-foot sailing yacht MariCha III). In addition to expanded capabilities for creating custom marine and residential interiors, owner Joyce Clear says the new space will also allow for more creative collaborations with other architects, designers and furniture makers.

ClearGroup International, Bridgeport, (203) 293-4087, www.cleargroupintl.com

The Wakefield Design Center makes things easier for area designers with its new Finishing Touches program. The design center helps with that last layer of design, suggesting accessories from the showroom floor and delivering the designer’s selections free of charge. They not only help the designer choose art, they even hang it on the walls. No wonder designers like Carey Karlan from Last Detail Interior Design swear by Finishing Touches, who says she uses the program for nearly every job.

Designer Kristin Gallipoli may be closing the doors of Mason, her New Canaan retail store, on July 16, but she’s already got her new company up and running. Along with a treasure trove of stunning midcentury furniture and fine art tucked into her new Curate Design space (booth 248) at the Hamptons Antique Galleries in Stamford, Gallipoli plans to focus on her real passion: finding and acquiring specific pieces for fellow members of the trade. “I’m sad to see the store go,” she says. “But if I hadn’t had the store then I wouldn’t have known that this is what I ought to be doing.”

Wakefield Design Center, Stamford, (203) 912-1438

Curate Design, Stamford, (203) 219-9598

106 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

DANIEL CONLON

Daniel Conlon, AIA | LEED AP 4 Old Mill Road | P.O. Box 418 | Georgetown, CT 06829 (203) 544-7988 | www.dconlonarchitects.com

ARCHITECTS

ESSEX, CT Stunning architecturally designed Contemporary Colonial on 1.4 acres. This 4000 s.f. residence offers 8 rooms and 3 bedrooms. New Kitchen/Great Room has been perfectly designed and is flooded with natural light. Entertain with an easy, open floor plan. Impeccable. $849,000.

ESSEX, CT “The Lord Essex” c1857, an iconic village estate on over 3 lush acres. Stunning 6,598 s.f interior features dramatic 50’ center hall with soaring 12 ft. ceilings and a tap room, perfect for entertaining.

Exquisite original detailing includes carved marble fireplace surrounds and unique moldings. 7 bedrooms, 5.2 baths, every amenity. $2,200,000.

Ct River Properties Team www.CtRiverProperties.com Chip Frost Kathy Shannehan Linda Freedman

860-388-7848 203-247-0020 860-395-7303

Page Taft Real Living 35 Main Street Essex, CT 06426 860-767-5390 WWW.PAGETAFT.COM

Calendar Special events for people who are passionate about design

Now in the Galleries

JUNE 1

Norwalk Quilt Trail

Through September 18

Through November 16

This exhibit of forty American landscape paintings from the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, New York, will trace the evolution of American art from its roots in an emerging national landscape tradition to the liberating influences of European modernism. Artists represented include William Merritt Chase, William Stanley Haseltine, Theodore Robinson, John Marin, Fairfield Porter and Lyme Art Colony painter Childe Hassam, whose Church at Old Lyme (1906) will be featured. Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme; (860) 434-5542; www.flogris.org; 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tues.–Sat., 1–5 p.m. Sun.; $9

Exhibits, lectures, workshops, quilting bees and gallery talks all help create awareness and appreciation for a form of Americana that combines elements of art, local history and culture. Approximately forty quilts will be on display at diverse cultural heritage and tourism sites around Norwalk, including the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, Norwalk City Hall, Norwalk Historical Society, Norwalk Museum and the Stepping Stones Museum for Children. For more information visit www.norwalkquilttrail.org

2

Saddle Up! Horsing Around at the Bruce Museum Through September 25

26 Chelpa Ferro: Visual Sound Through January 8, 2012

Chelpa Ferro is a Brazilian collective comprised of renowned visual artists Barrão, Luiz Zerbini and Sergio Mekler; this exhibition at The Aldrich marks the artists’ American debut. For Chelpa Ferro (Portuguese slang for “old money”), any object can simultaneously be an instrument and an artwork. The artists’ soundcreating devices use bricolage and digital technology to explore the interdisciplinary possibilities of exchange between the visual, sculptural and acoustic qualities of objects. The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield; (203) 438-4519; www.aldrichart.org; noon–5 p.m. Tues.– Sun.; $7

JULY 1

American Landscapes: Treasures from the Parrish Art Museum

While the exhibit’s title may seem a bit irreverent, the approximately thirty works of art on display are more than sheer whimsy. The pieces cover several centuries and encompass a wide range of media, from a Tang dynasty (618–907 CE) tomb sculpture to a twentieth-century photograph by Garry Winogrand. The exhibit is organized into four sections that will highlight race horses, work horses, sport horses and resting and wild horses. Bruce Museum, Greenwich; (203) 869-0376; www.brucemuseum.org; 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tues.–Sat., 1–5 p.m. Sun.; $7

16 Lavender & Lyme: Lyme Art

Association’s Fourth Annual Summer Fundraiser The relaxed yet elegant French Country theme of this year’s event pays tribute to the Impressionist movement that inspired the association’s founding members. The honorary chair is artist and designer Camomile Hixon. Hors d’oeuvres and serving stations for dinner will feature French fare, and live bands will serenade guests. Ticket and auction proceeds benefit the Charles A. Platt Restoration Fund.

Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme; (860) 434-7802; www.lymeartassociation.org; 6:30–10 p.m.; $65

Send notice of events and gallery shows to Calendar Editor, New England Home, 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302, Boston, MA 02118, or by e-mail to calendar@nehomemag.com. Photos and slides are welcome. Please submit information at least three months in advance of your event.

108 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Diane Birdsall Gallery Old Lyme • (860) 434-3209 www.dianebirdsallgallery.com June 10, July 8, August 12 A Summer of Art & Cocktails Cocktails accompany artwork by Frances Ashforth, Sky Hoyt, Brian Keith Stephens and Camomile Hixon

Zorya Fine Art Greenwich • (203) 869-9898 www.zoryafineart.com June 1–August 8 Mykola Zhuravel Mykola Zhuravel turns to nature to create thriving monuments to man’s links to the Earth

Gregory James Gallery New Milford • (860) 354-3436 www.gregoryjamesgallery.com June 18–July 24 Art of the Housatonic Artists include Frank Federico, Christopher Magadini, James Coe, Sheila Tintera and Henry Klein

Kehler Liddell Gallery New Haven • (203) 389-9555 www.kehlerliddell.com June 23–July 31 Hank Paper: Cuba: Arrested Splendor Jason Friedes: Domi-Cells This exhibition explores the philosophical fences, lines and cages that we build around ourselves as nations, societies and individuals

Silvermine Galleries New Canaan • (203) 966-9700 www.silvermineart.org July 31–September 17 Crossroads Guild group show

The UCONN Stamford Art Gallery Stamford • (203) 251-8400 www.stamford.uconn.edu/artgallery August 4–September 10 Faster than a Speeding Bullet An exploration of funnies, superheroes and comic book art

203.655.8739 | 523 post

road, darien

www.dariendesigncenter.com Public/Trade

Pamela Jimenez Interior Design

Pamela Jimenez Design 203-570-1444 www.pamelajimenezdesign.com

Please visit my collection of 18th Century English antiques and Mid-Century Modern at Hamptons Antique Gallery, 441 Canal Street, in Stamford

Calendar

21 Conversations in Context

© HARF ZIMMERMANN

Conversations in Context at Philip Johnson’s Glass House will offer visitors the opportunity to explore the site through a contemporary lens, accompanied by leading minds in architecture, art, design, landscape and preservation. On July 21, join Theodore H.M. Prudon, of DOCOMOMO US, and Shashi Caan, of the International Federation of Interior Architects/ Designers. Other upcoming guest hosts include architecture critic Paul Goldberger (September 8), architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien (September 15) and architect Gregg Pasquarelli with critic Philip Nobel (September 22). Each event features a walk on the property, a dialogue and an on-site reception. The Glass House, New Canaan; (866) 811-4111; www.philipjohnsonglass house.org; 5:30–7:30 p.m.; $150

29 Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival Through July 30

Celebrate Old Lyme’s artistic heritage with two days of festivities across four sites on Lyme Street: the Florence Griswold Museum, the Lyme Art Association, Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts and the Bee and Thistle Inn & Spa. Activities include art exhibitions, musical performances, book signings and more. Various locations throughout Old Lyme; (860) 434-1684; www.old lymemidsummerfestival.com; check Web site for full schedule of events and ticket information

AUGUST 13

110 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Mystic Outdoor Art Festival Stroll the streets of downtown Mystic and peruse artistic wares from more than 250 fine artists and crafters at this annual professionally juried art show.

Mediums include oils, watercolors, photography, pastels, sculpture, acrylics and more. Downtown Mystic; (860) 572-9578; www.mysticchamber .org; 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; free

20 Town Hall Green Walking Tour

Learn more about Fairfield’s rich history, including the establishment of the town’s “four squares” back in the seventeenth century and the 1779 British invasion. You’ll also hear stories about the “witch dunking experiment” at Edward’s Pond and the legacy of the Sun Tavern. Fairfield Museum and History Center, Fairfield; (203) 259-1598; www .fairfieldhs.org; 2 p.m.; $7

Shell Decor

LIVING WELL WITH ST YLE

20 Moonlight Serenade

Visit the beautiful Hollister House Garden for a romantic evening of dining and dancing with honorary hosts Bunny Williams, celebrated interior designer, gardener and author, and John Rosselli, noted New York antiques dealer and connoisseur. Hollister House Garden, Washington; (860) 868-2200; www.hollisterhousegarden.org; 6 p.m.; call for ticket prices

27 40th Annual Madison Historical

Society Antiques Fair Peruse the antique and vintage wares from nearly ninety dealers during this annual antiques fair. Throughout the day, “booth chats” will cover such interesting subjects as antique bottles, vintage wrought-iron furniture restoration and period artwork. Ticket proceeds benefit the Madison Historical Society. Village Green, Madison; (914) 273-4667; www.cordshows.com; 9 a.m.– 4 p.m.; $7

SEPTEMBER 17

The Autumn Hartford Antiques Show Through September 18

Experience the finest in eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American and English antiques and accessories. Connecticut Expo Center, Hartford; (845) 876-0616; www.barnstar .com; 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Sun.; $10 •

See more @ nehomemag.com Find additional and expanded listings of events and gallery shows. Click on “The Design Life” and then “Calendar of Events.”

WWW.SHELL-DECOR .COM Greenwich, CT 203-422-2034

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Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 111

COLDWELL BANKER

I N T E R N A T I O N A L®

The Luxury Div ision of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

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New six-bedroom classic Shingle-style waterfront home features water views from nearly every room.

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Offering access to the Connecticut River and beyond this 13-room home features an eat-in kitchen, spacious first-floor master and a freeform heated pool.

JOE RHODES III $3,495,000

DEEP RIVER, CT

This architecturally-renovated 1905 Shingle-style riverfront home offers 2.5 acres of land, chef’s kitchen, five bedrooms, a private beach and 820 feet of waterfront with a deep-water dock.

CONSTANCE M. O’BRIEN $2,395,000

WASHINGTON, CT

12,000-square-foot 23-room French country estate with consummate views features six en suite bedrooms, nine fireplaces, a cinema, guest wing, outdoor kitchen and fireplace, and pool.

LUCILLE FILOUS/TERRY MORGAN $4,970,000

NORWALK, CT

Canfield Crossing is a luxury gated community on the shores of Long Island Sound. 6,300-square-foot home features a gourmet kitchen, large windows, oak floors, a pool with spa and waterfall.

CYNTHIA GELETKA $3,195,000

NEWTOWN, CT

Masterfully-renovated 1940’s home on 11 acres features 12 rooms, five bedrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and breathtaking views of the rolling countryside throughout.

DARLENE LETERSKY $1,995,000

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GREENWICH, CT

Contemporary home on a lake and stream abutting conservation land features a 27-foot domed entry, lavish first-floor master, separate apartment, and pool on 4.89 private acres.

SUZAN F. ROSE $3,950,000

REDDING, CT

Custom 9,000-square-foot masterwork featuring a family room with floor-to-ceiling stone hearth, designer kitchen, wine-tasting room, pool, cabana, and smart-house technology.

GAIL LILLEY ZAWACKI $2,999,000

LYME, CT

Dramatic custom country retreat on 12.5 acres features 3,200 square feet, five fireplaces, a first-floor master suite, stunning kitchen and beautiful water views.

ROGER PARKMAN/DIANE GREGORY $1,195,000

800.767.0078

©2011 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.

DESIGNER TAG SALE Saturday, October 29, 2011, 10 am – 4 pm.

Christ Church, 216 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT SPONSORED BY

It’s not as easy as it looks on TV.

Great interior design takes hard work – and the skills of a qualified designer.

Let us help you find someone with the education, experience and commitment to get it done right.

View portfolios for professional interior designers in your area at:

www.asidct.org AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS

Perspectives Fresh outlooks on design and resources

The Sleeping Porch: Daybeds

• Three area designers dream up a stylish sleeping porch • Wish List: Designer Robin McGarry’s favorite things for the home • It’s Personal: Finds from the staff of New England Home

PAMELA JIMENEZ

Daydream Daybed from Dedon “The Daydream’s elegant lines and dreamy canopy create a quiet and peaceful sanctuary all their own. I see it surrounded by lush greenery for an exotic outdoor bedroom feeling.” LILLIAN AUGUST, NORWALK, (203) 847-3314, WWW.LILLIANAUGUST.COM

DONNA SEXTON AND VICKI TAYLOR-BLOCH

Sorrento Daybed “Handwoven natural sea grass adds rich texture to the clean lines of this piece, a choice that works equally well in a traditional, transitional or modern room. By mixing and matching pillows and a great throw, you can easily change the look of this daybed.” WILLIAMS-SONOMA HOME, (800) 922-4108, WWW.WSHOME.COM

JEAN MARIE MCLAUGHLIN

Bond Street Daybed “Crisp and tailored, this is not your average daybed. I especially love the low, undulating curve, which invites ‘floating’ it in a space. It reads both masculine and feminine, with a touch of sophistication. Bonne nuit!”

DONGHIA, BOSTON DESIGN CENTER, (617) 574-9292, WWW.DONGHIA.COM

114 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Ma r bl e | G r a n i t e | L i mest on e Ti l es | Ta bl es | C ou n t er Top s Va n i t y Top s | F i r ep l a ces

34 Riverside Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06850 tel (203) 847-6880, fax (203) 847-3902 www.casatellimarbleandtile.com Custom fabrication of marble and granite since 1988

IMAGES BY LAURA MOSS PHOTOGRAPHY

greenwich ct | 203-302-1086 | www.shorelinepaintingct.com green options available

Perspectives

Pillows

JEAN MARIE MCLAUGHLIN

Lattice Velvet Pillow from Dransfield & Ross “Rich and luxurious, this velvet pillow in celadon adds an elegant touch to what could otherwise be viewed as a less formal space. The soft interlocking pattern creates a sense of complete and utter peace in a sleeping porch sanctuary.” THROUGH JMAC INTERIORS

PAMELA JIMENEZ

DONNA SEXTON AND VICKI TAYLOR-BLOCH

Batik Embroidery Pillows by Sachin & Babi for Ankasa “Ankasa is one of our favorite resources for gorgeous pillows.

Known for combining classic fabrics with beautifully outrageous designs and details, they have reinvented the decorative pillow. These fabulous pillows from the Seaside collection are an investment that will always be admired.” LILLIAN AUGUST

Calypso Outdoor Fabric from Manuel Canovas “This fabric would make the most exuberant and contemporary pillows for a daybed. The vivid color and bold pattern are both sophisticated and fun. I’d pair these custom pillows with David Oliver’s high-gloss outdoor paint in either Oyster Lily or Confetti—the perfect backdrop for a beautiful sleeping porch.”

THE MARTIN GROUP, BOSTON DESIGN CENTER, (617) 951-2526, WWW.MARTINGROUPINC.COM

Donna Sexton and Vicki TaylorBloch joined forces in 2004 to bring their fashion background to the interior design industry.

“We hope our picks for a sleeping porch will inspire you to carve out a special space to relax and enjoy a warm evening breeze,” the designers say. AT HOME DESIGN, GREENWICH, (203) 253-4083, (203) 788-2177, WWW.ATHOMEDESIGNLLC.COM

116 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Photo by Eric Roth. Painting by Bart Gulley, courtesy of art+interiors.

FROM TRADITIONAL TO MODERN

26 Arcadia Rd., Suite 6 | Old Greenwich, CT | (203) 540-5350 | www.VictoriaLyonInteriors.com

Three generations of experience are behind our expertise and quality service. Family-owned and operated since 1952, we work with architects, designers, cabinetmakers and individual homeowners to supply major kitchen appliances from leading manufacturers.

In addition to our knowledgeable sales staff, we also offer installation of the appliances we sell. And, if we install Miele and Viking products, customers enjoy an additional year on the warranty for free.

We even have a resident chef who conducts our continuing education program, which includes cooking classes, free manufacturer demonstrations as well as personal and in-home instruction on how to maximize appliance performance.

albanoappliance.com â&#x20AC;˘ 914.764.4051 â&#x20AC;˘ 83 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY Showroom hours: Monday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm

Perspectives

Window Shades

PAMELA JIMENEZ

Starlight Weave Shades by Conrad “I’m crazy about Conrad’s Starlight Weave shades. A twist of silvery thread through the nubby ramie fibers gives this ivory weave an understated glamour—an elegant, sheer solution for privacy in your oasis.”

M-GEOUGH, BOSTON DESIGN CENTER, (617) 451-1412, WWW.M-GEOUGH.COM

JEAN MARIE MCLAUGHLIN

DONNA SEXTON AND VICKI TAYLOR-BLOCH

Highland Court’s Courtyard Raffia Fabric “Beautiful and durable, this versatile fabric was created for outdoor use. A small woven pattern keeps the room calm and relaxing, and we love the subtle texture and the pop of melon color in the design. It can be used on a large screened area as a classic roller shade, or as a tailored Roman shade for windows.” DESIGNSOURCECT, HARTFORD, (860) 951-3145, WWW.DESIGNSOURCECT.COM

Helix Fabric by Travers “I love the bright and cheerful pattern of this Roman shade made with Helix printed linen fabric by Travers. The graphic pattern is a natural with the scallop design of the shade and effectively softens the window it adorns.” ZIMMER & ROHDE, STAMFORD, (203) 327-1400, WWW.ZIMMER-ROHDE.COM

Inspired by her travels to more than fifty countries, Pamela Jimenez infuses her projects with a worldly flair and a passion for fine materials. According to the globetrotting designer, a beautiful sleeping porch “brings a rare note of accord and calm to a busy household.” PAMELA JIMENEZ DESIGN, RIVERSIDE, (203) 570-1444, WWW.PAMELAJIMENEZDESIGN.COM

118 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

MONDAY – SATURDAY 10:30 – 5:30 | SUNDAY 11:00 – 3:00

CONTEMPORARY ART CUSTOM FRAMING ART CONSULTATION

378 Greenwich Avenue | Greenwich, CT 06830 203.422.6500 | www.samuelowengallery.com

The only work room you will ever need...

CUSTOM INTERIORS SHOP, Inc. Hand-Crafted Horsehair Furniture & Re-Upholstery 7 Gleason Avenue Stamford, CT 06902 p. 203-975-9927 f. 203-975-9968 TO THE TRADE ONLY

• Custom-made Furniture • Furniture Re-upholstery • Fabric Wall Coverings Website: www.CustomInteriorsShops.com Email: CustomShops@optonline.net

Call for an appointment to visit our expansive showroom

Perspectives

Side Tables

DONNA SEXTON AND VICKI TAYLOR-BLOCH

Carroll Wood Table by Arteriors Home “This whimsical and innovative little walnut side table makes you smile. You can rearrange the wooden discs to create two separate tables, changing the design when you feel like it. It’s just the right size to accompany a daybed, and can also work in a variety of other settings throughout the home.” KLAFF’S, DANBURY, (800) 552-3371, WWW.KLAFFS.COM

PAMELA JIMENEZ

Two Cloud Drumstool by Robert Kuo for McGuire “I love all of Robert Kuo’s sculptural pieces, especially this stool, which doubles as a side table. The organic shape makes for a fresh twist on the standard ceramic garden pot. It’s perfect for holding your Moroccan mint tea and a stack of favorite books.” M-GEOUGH

JEAN MARIE MCLAUGHLIN

A graduate of the New York School of Interior Design, Jean Marie McLaughlin has spent the past ten years creating comfortable, richly detailed interiors. Her selections reflect her belief that a home—and especially a sleeping porch— ought to be a stylish sanctuary. JMAC INTERIORS, NEW CANAAN, (203) 966-0828, WWW.JMACINTERIORS.NET

120 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Edgartown Side Table “With clean lines and a subtle reference to chinoiserie form, this versatile side table from Oomph is perfect on any porch. It’s available in a variety of colors and custom finishes and, best of all, can be ordered with a fabulous washed raffia top.” OOMPH, NEW CANAAN, (203) 216-9848, WWW.OOMPHONLINE.COM

I N T E R I O R A R C H I T E C T U R E & D E S I G N | C U S T O M M I L LW O R K Jean Marie McLaughlin, ASID jm@jmacinteriors.net | blog.jmacinteriors.net 203.966.0828 | www.jmacinteriors.net

PAVIL I O N T E N T C O M PA N Y

203.698.7860 | www.pavil iontentcompany.com

Perspectives • Wish List

LARA TOMLIN

What are some things you’d love to use in a project?

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Robin McGarry, Weston One thing an interior design client should never do, says Robin McGarry, is ask friends and family for their opinions. “A house loses its personality when a client lets someone else influence the decisions,” the designer says. “You have to make decisions based on who you are.” With thirty years in the industry, McGarry has mastered the art of translating her clients’ personalities and dreams to their living spaces, with beautiful results. A prime example: the pale upholstered wall she created for a New York City residence (shown here).

“There’s so much you can do with an upholstered wall, whether it’s stitching, nailheads, leather wainscoting or one of those wonderful faux animal skins,” she notes. “When something’s customized to fit like a glove, the final result is just so spectacular.” In addition to homes across the country, McGarry often lends her sophisticated aesthetic to commercial projects—most recently, the executive level of the Richard Meier–designed People’s United Bank in Bridgeport.

In any space, she advises, “you should have one really nice piece of artwork. It’s the artwork that makes a house a home.” ROBIN MCGARRY ASID INTERIOR DESIGN, WESTON, (203) 454-1825, WWW.ROBINMCGARRY.COM

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1 Orange Crush Arrangement from Diane James Home “Nobody makes more beautiful silk flowers and assembles them in such sophisticated arrangements. Even people who say they don’t believe in silk flowers have to admit these are amazing.” NORWALK, (877) 434-2635, WWW.DIANEJAMESHOME.COM

2 Claudia Mengel Paintings “From her impressionist landscapes to her figure studies, Claudia’s work has wonderful karma and can be used in modern or more traditional homes. I wish more clients would spend as much on artwork as they would a rug or piece of furniture.” WESTPORT, (203) 807-1611, WWW.CLAUDIAMENGELART.COM 3 Upholstered Wall by Classic Upholstery “At the top of my list of secret sources, Classic Upholstery can make anything upholstered, including furniture, banquettes, headboards—even this upholstered wall with concealed built-in chairs!” NORWALK, (203) 845-8776 4 Ribbed Sconce from Chameleon Fine Lighting “I love the fact that these high-quality fixtures are available in many beautiful finishes. Modern yet graceful, they can be used in a room that wants to mix both modern and traditional.” THROUGH ROBIN MCGARRY INTERIOR DESIGN 5 Grass Rug by Michaelian & Kohlberg “Like so many of Michaelian & Kohlberg’s creations, this rug is a piece of artwork that you have to see in person to feel its beauty. The design is understated, unpredictable and makes a strong statement in any room.”

APADANA FINE RUGS, COS COB, (203) 422-0700, WWW.APADANAFINERUGS.COM

6 Donghia’s Carosello Lamp “This sexy lamp has such style and grace, but who doesn’t love most everything that Donghia produces? Any Donghia piece makes a room seem more elegant.” BOSTON DESIGN CENTER, (617) 574-9292, WWW.DONGHIA.COM 122 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

Residential Design & Build Renovations & New Construction 203.972.1409 www. GardinerLarson .com

&

G ardiner L a r s o n Comfort + Beauty + Quality

• CONNECTICUT • WESTCHESTER • • THE HAMPTONS • VERMONT •

HOMES

Perspectives • It’s Personal Favorite finds from the staff of New England Home’s Connecticut

Stacy Kunstel, Homes Editor Polycarbonate and natural shapes intertwine beautifully in the Amber Branches chair I spotted not long ago in the New Preston store Pergola. Nestled among the Ben Wolff pottery, vibrant green plants and wrought-iron accessories, the gleaming piece served as a modern foil for the shop’s more rustic wares. The perfect addition to an outdoor patio space, its shapely silhouette recalls the wintry shadows of trees, but this is a chair best enjoyed by the pool on a hot day, cold drink in hand. And when winter does come, they’re stackable and easy to store. Durability shouldn’t be a concern, either: as co-owner David Whitman explains, polycarbonate is what’s used to make bulletproof glass. $465. NEW PRESTON, (860) 868-4769, WWW.PERGOLAHOME.COM

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief I happened recently on this fetching little sea-grass cube, from Roost, in the showroom at Sheridan Interiors in Wilton.

There’s something very compact and tailored about it, and yet the textured weave gives it a wonderfully relaxed, casual vibe. And the simple form seems potentially so versatile: perch your feet on it when an ottoman is called for, pull it up as a low stool when extra seating is required. Or, as the folks at Sheridan did, turn it on end to become a small occasional table. What could be more perfect for summer, topped, perhaps, with a few shells and one of these charming burlap-wrapped hurricane lanterns from HomArt? CALL FOR PRICES. AVAILABLE THROUGH SHERIDAN INTERIORS, WILTON, (203) 762-2888, WWW.SHERIDANINTERIORS.COM.

Jared Ainscough, Assistant Art Director When I saw the new Pure Artisan collection from Simon Pearce I was reminded of something that I learned in science class years ago: glass is a liquid. It’s a funny thought, but if you’ve ever seen the windows in a centuries-old home you will notice that over time they’ve become wavy and rippled. Some even develop tiny bubbles. The different pieces in the Pure Artisan collection reflect this amazing property. The handcrafted glass works seem to flow in front of your eyes. The pieces almost look liquid. It’s easy for me to imagine the craftsmen at work, sculpting molten glass in a fiery furnace. I can see the glowing, moving glass flowing and falling under gravity’s pull, and then, as it cools, freezing in mid-air.

Solid and permanent but, slowly and imperceptibly, still moving over the decades. $600. GREENWICH, (203) 861-0780, WWW.SIMONPEARCE.COM

124 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

JMKA

architects

www.jmkarchitects.com

North Street Greenwich, CT 06830 203.698.8888

17 Kings Highway North Westport, CT 06880 203.222.1222

The Vanderbilt Harvest table - created using traditional hand tools with Southern Yellow Pine rafters carefully reclaimed from the Vanderbilt family stable circa 1800. Sandy Point Farm - Portsmouth, RI - limited edition of 12

For 22 years, the finest harvest tables available anywhere

Jeffsoderbergh.com custom made sustainable furnishings studio ph (401)845-9087

PARDO PHOTOGRAPHY

20 CHURCH STREET GREENWICH, CT 203.625.0491 WWW.RIDARCH.COM

RIDBERG+Associates Architects

New in the Showrooms Unique, beautiful and now appearing in Connecticut shops and showrooms

BY KARA LASHLEY

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1 Love letters, beloved books, bathing suits? No matter what treasures you stow in its shapely drawers, the Martha’s Vineyard chest by Somerset Bay is full of cottage charm. Crafted of solid plantationgrown mahogany, this shipshape chest is available from the Darien Design Center in seventeen colors, including luscious Cotton Candy (shown). DARIEN, (203) 655-

3 Among the many fabulous rugs in Lillian August’s showroom, the bold pattern of this unique cowhide creation recently caught our eye. Lime-green circles and ovals play against a dark-gray backdrop, giving this rug from the store’s Moderne collection a fun, yet sophisticated, feel.

Hide rugs with striped, square and zigzag motifs are also on offer. NORWALK, (203)

8739, WWW.DARIENDESIGNCENTER.COM

2 Mis en Scene’s Claire Maestroni has launched an exciting new business: Artelier, a metalworking studio and shop offering one-of-a-kind furnishings and accessories. This impressive lamp, which stands 63½ inches high and 32 inches wide, was created in the Artelier studio from a salvaged factory gear mounted on an iron base. GREENWICH, (203) 532-2929,

847-3314, WWW.LILLIANAUGUST.COM

4 Paradise found: whimsical birds and fish frolic amid tropical flowers on this bright and cheery bedding by Lulu DK for Matouk. A scalloped edge adds an extraspecial touch to the 500-thread-count linens, which are sure to delight any summer houseguest. Find them at Lynnens, along with plenty of other luxuries for your linen closet. GREENWICH, (203) 629-

WWW.ARTELIER-CREATIONS.COM

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3659, WWW.LYNNENS.COM

5 Now available through Klaff’s, the Onto series from Duravit takes a fresh look at the bathroom sink. In this innovative design by Italian architect Matteo Thun, the washbasin supports the sleek, curving wooden console, rather than vice versa.

Clean and understated, the new series also features a Japanese-style soaking tub clad in wood. NORWALK, (800) 5523371, WWW.KLAFFS.COM

6 This delicately carved Swedish side chair from The Drawing Room would be a most welcome guest at any summer tea party. Standing prettily on curved, tapered legs, its rounded upholstered back and seat invite a leisurely afternoon of conversation. The chair’s slightly distressed painted finish only enhances its genteel good looks. COS COB, (203) 6613406, WWW.THEDRAWINGROOM.CC

Ceramic Turtle by Glen MacInnis

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Shop year-round online or at one of the Leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eight New Hampshire retail galleries in: Center Sandwich Concord Hanover Littleton Meredith Nashua North Conway Wolfeboro

New in the Showrooms

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7 Samuel Owen Gallery just celebrated the opening of its Greenwich location with a show by photographer Roberto Dutesco.

Also on display: James Rieck’s cheeky Home of the Brave. The large-format painting depicts a provocative Pocahontas and Uncle Sam against the backdrop of Benjamin West’s 1771 work The Death of General Wolfe. GREENWICH, (203) 4226500, WWW.SAMUELOWENGALLERY.COM

8 Want to go retro? Then get thee to Get Back for an eclectic array of vintage industrial furnishings. Recent finds include metal stools galore, an extra-large drafting table on cast-iron legs and this glasstopped coffee table fashioned from an old factory cart—an excellent way to get the good times rolling at your next party.

OAKVILLE, (860) 274-9991, WWW.GETBACK

9 We can’t wait to get our hands on Andalusia, Rogers & Goffigon’s new collection of full-grain, chrome-tanned leathers.

A pure aniline leather available in ten colorways, Andalusia retains the hide’s natural markings, developing a rich patina over time. For those who prefer a more polished surface, the company has also introduced Picardie, a collection of semi-aniline leathers. GREENWICH, (203) 532-8068

11 Cocktails, anyone? We’ll be sipping our summer beverages from Teroforma’s luxe crystal glasses. The pieces are mouthblown in the Czech Republic, then machine-cut in a diamond pattern. Part of the CRAFTED series, a new collaboration with Urbancase, the made-to-order glasses complement an equally stylish liquor cabinet. SOUTH NORWALK, (203) 899-9950,

10In her latest series of photographs, Sermo per Equus, Ridgefield-based artist Bonnie Edelman records the beauty and power of Uruguayan horses, capturing her equine subjects in moments both peaceful and playful. See a selection of Edelman’s striking black-and-white images, as well as her gorgeous limited-edition coffee table book, at Trovare Home. COS COB, (203)

12 Cool summer nights just got a little bit cozier thanks to Coyuchi’s rustic linen blankets, now available at Fine Linen and Bath. Woven with yarn-dyed stripes, the linen front is lined with supremely soft organic cotton flannel. Versatile and breathable, this go-to throw is ideal for breezy evenings by the beach or aboard a boat.

INC.COM

130 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

869-5512, WWW.TROVAREATHOME.COM

WWW.CRAFTEDPROJECTS.COM

BRANFORD, (866) 352-4522, WWW.FINE LINENANDBATH.COM

Resources A guide to the products and professionals in this issue’s featured homes

LAKE EFFECT PAGES 54–61 Architect: Robert Dean, Robert Dean Architects, New Canaan, (203) 966-8333, www.robertdeanarchitects.com Interior designer: Anne Miller, Anne Miller Interiors, Greenwich, (203) 861-2134 Builder: John W. Dinneen, Dinneen & Son, Gaylordsville, (860) 355-4277 Landscape designer: Martha Baker, Martha Baker Landscape Design, Greenwich, (203) 661-7393, www.marthabaker.com Audio/video design: David Freda, Audio Video Systems, Plainview, N.Y., (516) 739-1010, www.audiovideosystems.com Cabinets and casework: Century Woodworking, Pleasant Valley, (860) 379-7538, www.centurywoodworking.com Pages 54–54: Mirror and chairs from John Rosselli & Associates, www.johnrosselliassociates .com; table by J. Seitz & Co., www.jseitz.com; lamps from Vaughan, www.vaughandesigns.com; rug by Madeleine Weinrib, www.madeleine weinrib.com; china from Crate & Barrel, www.crateandbarrel.com; sofa and fabric from Lee Industries, www.leeindustries.com; pillows from Lillian August, www.lillianaugust.com.

Pages 56–57: Dining table from Englishman’s Fine Furnishings, www.englishmansfurinture .com; chairs from John Rosselli & Associates; lantern from Urban Electric, www.urbanelectric co.com; sofas from Verellen Home Collection, www.verellenhc.com, with linen from F. Schumacher & Co., www.fschumacher.com; coffee table from J. Seitz & Co.; rug from Madeleine Weinrib; stools from Lillian August.

Pages 58–59: Porch furniture from Palacek, www.palecek.com, with fabric from Ralph Lauren Home, www.ralphlaurenhome.com; mirror from J. Seitz & Co.; lanterns from Urban Electric; firepit umbrella, furniture and fabrics from Weatherend Estate Furniture, www.weatherend.com; kitchen lamps from Circa Lighting, www.circa lighting.com; chairs from Wisteria, www.wisteria .com; Ilve stove, www.ilve.com.au.

Pages 60–61: Beds from P.B. Teen, www.pbteen .com; benches from Classic Upholstery, Norwalk; linens from Ralph Lauren Home; antique flag from J. Seitz & Co.

VI Vandamm Interiors

BEYOND THE PALE PAGES 64–71 Architect: Louise Brooks, Brooks and Falotico, New Canaan, (203) 966-8440, www.brooks andfalotico.com Interior designer: Lynn Morgan, Lynn Morgan Design, Rowayton, (203) 866-1940, www.lynn morgandesign.com Builder: Artisans Home Builders, Norwalk, (203) 831-9716, www.artisanshomebuilders.com Pages 64–65: Sofa and chairs by Lynn Morgan Design, with Rogers & Goffigon fabric, Greenwich; Siamese chair and Rowayton coffee table from Oomph, www.oomphonline.com; rug from Elizabeth Eakins, www.elizabetheakins.com.

Page 66: Dining table from Parc Monceau, www.parcmonceauwestport.com; Newport console table from Oomph; sconces from

Interior Design for the Home and Office V.Vandamm@VandammInteriors.com (203) 622-9070 Studio • (917) 864-4279 Mobile

www.VandammInteriors.com

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 131

Resources Vaughan, www.vaughandesigns.com.

Page 67: Backgammon table from Oomph; rug from Elizabeth Eakins.

Page 68: Sofa and chairs by Lynn Morgan Design; pillows, coffee table and Tini table from Oomph; lamps from Ann Morris, www.annmorris .com; antique flagstones from Paris Ceramics, www.parisceramics.com.

Page 69: Barstools from Pottery Barn, www .potterybarn.com; pillow from Oomph; chandeliers from Michael Amato through Urban Electric, www.urbanelectricco.com; ceramic plates from Treillage, www.bunnywilliams.com/treillage.

Page 70: Whitewashed elm desk from Jayson Home & Garden, www.jaysonhomeandgarden .com; coffee table, Tini tables and pillows from Oomph.

Page 71: Silver hardware from Canaan Distributors, www.canaandistributors.com; pendant lighting from Restoration Hardware, www .restorationhardware.com.

RISING STAR PAGES 74–83

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D a v i d D. H a r l a n A r c h i t e c t s, l l c

A. Defne Veral

I N T E R I O R S , L L C

new haven, connecticut

132 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

www.ddharch.com

Architect: Anthony Terry, Terry Architecture, Branford, (203) 481-6424, www.terry architecture.com Interior designer: Sandra Goodkind, Crowning Glory, Branford, (203) 208-0306, www.crowning gloryshop.com Builder: Al Rose Construction, North Branford, (203) 488-5101 Landscape designer: Rick Bette, Silent Wind Consulting, Bridgewater, (860) 350-3449 Pages 74–75: Coffee table from EJ Victor, www.ejvictor.com; sunroom armchair from Ralph Lauren Home, www.ralphlaurenhome.com, with fabric from Vervain, www.vervain.com.

Page 76: Mirror from Lillian August, www.lillian august.com.

Page 77: Dining table from North Star Antiques, www.northstarantiques.com; dining chairs from Lee Industries, www.leeindustries.com, with Romo linen, www.romo.com; Gulfshore Collection chandelier from Mariana Lighting, www .marianaimports.com.

Page 79: Lacanche stove, www.lacancheusa .com; backsplash decorative tile inset from Brimfield Antique Show, www.brimfieldshow.com; antique ship pendant lights from Avant Garden, www.avantgardenltd.com.

Page 80: Outdoor furniture and lanterns from Restoration Hardware, www.restoration hardware.com.

Page 82–83: Bath chair fabric by Ralph Lauren Home; tub by Victoria and Albert, www.vanda baths.com; chairs from Brunschwig & Fils, www .brunschwig.com, with Robert Allen fabric, www .robertallendesign.com; vintage Baccarat chandelier, www.baccarat.com; Ingrid bed from Oly, www.olystudio.com.

FAMILY FIRST PAGES 86–95 Architect: Douglas VanderHorn, Hilton-VanderHorn Architects, Greenwich, (203) 862-9011, www.hilton-vanderhorn.com Interior designer: Cindy Rinfret, Rinfret, Ltd., Greenwich, (203) 622-0000, www.rinfretltd.com Builder: Wright Brothers Builders, Westport,

(203) 227-8215, www.wrightbuild.com Brickwork and masonry: Gregori Kulinsky, Kulinsky Construction, Stratford, (203) 2535788, www.wemasons.com Landscape architect: Peter Cummin, Cummin Associates, Stonington, (860) 535-4224, www.cumminassociates.com Landscaping and plantings: David Gindek, Young’s Nurseries, Wilton, (203) 762-5511, and Woodbury, (203) 266-9136, www.youngs nurseries.com Pages 86–87: Wallcovering by Donghia, www .donghia.com; rug by J.D. Staron Galleries, www .jdstaron.com; coffee table by Woodland Furniture, www.woodlandfurniture.com; sconces by Vaughan, www.vaughandesigns.com; sofas, lamps and accessories from Rinfret Home & Garden, www.rinfretltd.com.

Page 88: Wallcovering by Kravet, www.kravet .com; console and accessories from Rinfret Home & Garden; rug by J.D. Staron Galleries.

Page 89: Wallcovering by Gracie, www.gracie studio.com; rug by J.D. Staron Galleries; mirror from Rinfret Home & Garden; chairs from Althorpe Living History, www.theodorealexander.com; fabric by Clarence House, www.clarencehouse .com; table from Trosby, www.trosbyfurniture .com; accessories from Rinfret Home & Garden.

Page 90: Table by Hickory Chair, www.hickory chair.com; chairs from Design Workshop, www .designworkshop.us; fabric by Lee Jofa, www.lee jofa.com; wallcovering by William Switzer & Associates, www.williamswitzercollection.com.

Page 91: Custom wallcovering by William Switzer & Associates; lighting above island from Rinfret Home & Garden; stools by Fauld, www .fauld.com; fabric by Clarence House; cabinetry designed by Rinfret Ltd.; Wolf appliances, www .wolfappliance.com; hardware by Fixtures Bath & Kitchen, www.fixturesetc.com.

Page 92: Custom sofa for Rinfret Ltd. with Malabar fabric, www.malabarusa.com; welt by Robert Allen, www.robertallendesign.com; ceiling wallpaper by Zoffany, www.zoffany.com; stools from Rinfret Home & Garden.

Page 93: Tables from Althorpe Living History; accent chair from John Rosselli & Associates, www.johnrosselliassociates.com; fabric by Osborne & Little, www.osborneandlittle.com; rug by Merida Meridian, www.meridameridian.com; chandeliers from Crystal Farm, www.crystalfarm .com.

Pages 94–95: Chaise from Lee Industries, www.leeindustries.com; fabric and wallpaper by Kravet; carpet by J.D. Staron Galleries; accessories from Rinfret Home & Garden; love seat fabric by Zimmer + Rohde, www.zimmerrohde.com; carpet by Patterson, Flynn & Martin, www.pattersonflynnmartin.com; wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries, www.phillipjeffries.com; slipper chair fabric by Zimmer + Rohde; custom bed for Rinfret Ltd. from Two Worlds Art, www.two worldsarts.com; canopy and valance fabric by Zimmer + Rohde, with lining by Hines and Company, New York City, and fringe from Lee Jofa; duvet cover from Lynnen’s, www.lynnens.com; pillow and embroidery by Haute Home, www .hautehome.net; throw pillow from Robert Allen; gazebo benches and table from Currey & Company, www.curreycodealers.com. •

SHARON MC CORMICK DESIGN, LLC

FINE INTERIOR DESIGN 888-498-5988 | info@sharonmccormickdesign.com W W W. S H A R O N M C C O R M I C K D E S I G N . C O M

Summer 2011 New England Home’s Connecticut 133

Advertiser Index A helpful resource for finding the advertisers featured in this issue

Hilton-VanderHorn Architects 33

Putnam Kitchens 99

Albano Appliances 117

Hollingsworth Design 32

Ridberg & Associates 127

Amy Aidinis Hirsch 53

iH Design Studio 16–17

Rinfret, Ltd. 15

Apadana Fine Rugs 110

Jeff Soderbergh 126

Robert Cardello Architects 105

Artelier 43

Jenn-Air 8–9

Robert Dean Architects 73

ASID CT 113

Jmac Interiors 121

Ellsworth Ford 63

Back Bay Shutter Co., Inc. 84

JMKA Architects 125

Brooks and Falotico Associates, Inc. 85

Karp Associates 35

Casatelli Marble and Tile Imports 115

Katherine Cowdin 23

Catherine Cleare Interiors, LLC 44

Klaff ’s Back cover

Coldwell Banker Previews International 112

Kristin Gallipoli’s Curate 51

Colony Rug Company 45

The LaurelRock Company 125

Connecticut Stone 41

League of N.H. Craftsmen 129

Cottage and Bungalow 135

Linda Ruderman Interiors 1

Country Club Homes 49

Mar Silver Design 6–7, 98

Custom Interiors 119

Marble and Granite, Inc. 31

Daniel Conlon Architects 107

Marvin Gardens 38

Robin McGarry 103 Samuel Owen Gallery 119 SB Long Interiors 50 Sharon McCormick Design LLC 133 Shell Decor 111 Sheridan Interiors 24–25 Shoreline Painting Contractors, Inc. 115 Stirling Design Associates 27 Sudbury Design Group 12–13 Total Care 123 TR Design 20–21 Urbane Construction 37

Darien Design Center 109

Michael Smith Architects 29

David D. Harlan Architects 132

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams 28

Deane THX Inside front cover

MJM Construction 62

Vandamm Interiors 131 Vicente-Burin Architects 129 Victoria Lyon Interiors 117 DesignSourceCT 10–11

Neil Hauck Architects LLC 22

The Drawing Room 4–5

NuKitchens 26

Wadia Associates Inside back cover Wainscot Solutions 72 Earthscapes, Inc. 2–3

Orrick & Company 135 William Raveis Real Estate 101

Fovama Oriental Rugs, Ltd. 52

Page Taft Real Living—Essex 107 Wright Brothers Builders 19

Gardiner & Larson Homes 123

Pamela Jimenez Design 109

Grandberg and Associates 97

Parc Monceau 96

The Granite Group 104

Pavilion Tent Company 121

Granoff Architects 39

Preferred Properties 47

134 New England Home’s Connecticut Summer 2011

New England Home’s Connecticut, Summer 2011 © 2011 by Network Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted by written request only. Editorial and advertising office: New England Home, 530 Harrison Avenue, Suite 302, Boston, MA 02118, (617) 938-3991, (800) 609-5154. Corporate office: Network Communications, Inc. 2305 Newpoint Parkway, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, (770) 962-7220.

Inspired Coastal Decor...

www.CottageandBungalow.com

Sketch Pad Design ideas in the making

THE 4 CROSSES QUILT was added to my Works Cotton Collection in preparation for a gallery show in Santa Fe,

New Mexico. The design is inspired by the bold linear features of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s native adobe pueblos and the cross shape that is prevalent there. I enjoy building on the principle of theme and variation; this was an ideal design approach for 4 Crosses. Creating a new quilt design begins with my sketches. In this case I had a pretty clear idea of what I was after, so the initial sketch was the right one. I then scanned the sketch and used it as a template to draw the design to scale, fine-tune the shape and try out various colorations. Once a design is finalized, someone in the studio creates full-size templates from the digital file and documents the construction details. (The drawing with the Q labels shows the templates for a queen-size 4 Crosses and illustrates the order in which the fabric pieces are sewn together.) I love the challenge of translating my sketches into patterns that are production-friendly and efficient. 4 Crosses feels modern yet idiosyncratic, and works well on a bed. The figure-eight machine quilting adds warmth and texture with an industrial aesthetic.

DENYSE SCHMIDT, DENYSE SCHMIDT QUILTS, BRIDGEPORT, (203) 335-2719, WWW.DSQUILTS.COM

136 New England Homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Connecticut Summer 2011

THE LIVING ROOM OF A NEW FAMILY HOME DESIGNED BY WADIA ASSOCIATES

RESIDENTIAL DESIGN ~ INTERIOR DESIGN AND DECORATION ~ CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT (203) 966-0048 ~ WADIAASSOCIATES.COM

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