Connecticut Celebrating Fine Design, Architecture, and Building
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Summer 2014
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M A N H AT TA N
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In This Issue
Summer 2014 Volume 5, Issue 3
92 66 76
featured homes 66 Master of Understatement This classic Fairfield County beauty keeps an unassuming countenance, but never skimps on luxury or style. TEXT BY SUSAN KLEINMAN EXTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANE BEILES INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL PARTENIO PRODUCED BY STACY KUNSTEL
76 Good Gracious
84 In a Perfect World
A design duo gives a young family’s house the sort of refined elegance that never goes out of style.
Can the ideal ever really be achieved? For the owners of this charming Greenwich home, the answer is an emphatic yes.
TEXT BY DAN SHAW PHOTOGRAPHY by JOHN GRUEN PRODUCED BY STACY KUNSTEL
TEXT BY MEGAN FULWEILER PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRIA GIOVAN PRODUCED BY KARIN LIDBECK BRENT
other features 92 Special Focus: Kitchen Design Four beautiful spaces prove that there are many recipes for the perfect kitchen. TEXT BY PAULA M. BODAH
On the cover: Hand-painted de Gournay wall panels in the dining room are among the touches that make this Greenwich home, designed by Amy Aidinis Hirsch, so special. Photograph by Tria Giovan. To see more of this home, turn to page 84. SUMMER 2014 New England Home Connecticut 11
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In This Issue
36
30 24
departments 16 From the Editor 24 Artistry: Force of Nature In work that ranges from traditional to abstract and covers a multitude of techniques, the one constant is Nancy McTague-Stock’s irrepressible need to make art. BY CHARLES MONAGAN
30 Outside Interest: Natural Selection A simple plan in sync with its surroundings makes for an unencumbered but effective shoreline landscape design. BY MARIA LAPIANA // PHOTOGRAPHY BY STACY BASS 36 In Our Backyard: Simply Perfect Craig Bassam and Scott Fellows indulge their obsession with detail and quality in their beautifully crafted collection of modern furniture and accessories. BY MARIA LAPIANA 103 Perspectives Connecticut designers use the colors of summer to bring a fresh outlook to the home. EDITED BY LYNDA SIMONTON
110 Design Life Our candid camera snaps recent gatherings that celebrate architecture and design. 114 Trade Notes New and noteworthy happenings in the Connecticut design business. BY PAULA M. BODAH
118
118 New in the Showrooms Unique, beautiful, and now appearing in Connecticut shops and showrooms. BY LYNDA SIMONTON
Portfolio of Distinctive Kitchens and Baths 45
122 Resources A guide to the professionals and products featured in this issue. 126 Advertiser Index 128 Sketch Pad High-tech tools and creative inspiration join forces in designing a custom-crafted rug.
12 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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From the Editor
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New England Home Connecticut, and one annual warm-weather issue of New England Home Cape & Islands. Production and sales schedules being what they are, these eleven issues aren’t scattered evenly across the calendar, giving us exactly 33.18 days to create each one. They clump up, sometimes in challenging ways. I’m writing at the end of the biggest such clump, when our Cape & Islands issue, our JulyAugust issue, and our summer Connecticut issue have all gone to press within six weeks (the latter two books on consecutive Thursdays). I and the rest of our small but intrepid staff are very, very, very ready for a break to start enjoying a bit of summer before the solstice has already come and gone. And yet, surveying the resulting 468 pages of concentrated home design, how can we not heave a deep, if weary, sigh of satisfaction? That’s one of the things summer is for: the chance to relax in a patch of leafy shade, down a chilly gulp of gin (or whatever equivalent, alcoholic or not, is your preferred balm), look back on some work well done— and feel smug that you’re not having to do more of it right now. That’s a pleasure I trust many of you will also be enjoying this summer, perhaps even as you read these words. If so, read on at leisure and check out some of the stylish finds that have passed across our desks and into your hands. Maybe one or two will inspire you to begin on a new domestic creation of your own. Should that happen, by all means dive right in. But ... it really won’t hurt to finish your drink first. In sum, I hope the fruits of our hard work help make your experience of not having to be productive—not just right now, at any rate— even richer. —Kyle Hoepner
Well-Earned Enjoyment
O
ne of the great joys of working at New England Home is that the magazine covers six whole states, states whose variety of people—their ideas, their styles, their inventiveness when it comes to living arrangements, their panoply of scenically ravishing selections when it comes to home sites—provides apparently unending fascination and delight for the armchair voyeur. By the same token, though, one of the great burdens this time of year is that New England Home covers six whole states. Since those six states encompass several arguably distinct design regions, we have more than one set of magazine issues to give everyone and everything their due: six core issues of New England Home (the mother hen, as it were, with capacious wings spread over all her geographical chicks), four seasonal issues of
Find more at
nehomemag.com + Our editors and a fascinating lineup of guest bloggers share beautiful photography, design ideas, and advice five days a week on the New England Home Design Blog + The site also features ongoing content updates, where you’ll encounter house tours, interviews and commentary, before-and-after stories, and other special items for lovers of great home design + Sign up for our Design Discoveries editorial e-newsletter and get weekly updates on luxury home style, including the latest products, upcoming events and green ideas /////
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Corrections and Amplifications In our feature “Continental Drift” in the spring edition of New England Home Connecticut we
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incorrectly credited several items. The standing clock face on page 83, as well as the antique armillary, the antique iron column it sits on, and the cast iron urn, all on page 86, come from Marvin Gardens USA, in Wilton, marvingardensusa.com. 16 New England Home Connecticut Summer 2014
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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 Art Director Robert Lesser rlesser@nehomemag.com Online and Market Editor Lynda Simonton lsimonton@nehomemag.com Managing and Copy Editor Susan Kron skron@nehomemag.com
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Contributing Editors Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz candjkatz@nehomemag.com Maria LaPiana mlapiana@nehomemag.com Karin Lidbeck Brent klidbeck@nehomemag.com Louis Postel lpostel@nehomemag.com Contributing Writers Regina Cole, Caroline Cunningham, Megan Fulweiler, Charles Monagan, Allegra Muzzillo, Dan Shaw, Kris Wilton Contributing Photographers Robert Benson, John Gould Bessler, Bruce Buck, Tria Giovan, John Gruen, Laura Moss, Michael Partenio, Nat Rea /////
Subscriptions To subscribe to New England Home Connecticut ($15.95 for one year) or for customer service, call (800) 765-1225 or visit our website, 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, email edit@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 email us at letters@ nehomemag.com. Upcoming Events Are you planning an event that we can feature in our Calendar of Events? Email information to calendar@nehomemag. com, or mail to Calendar Editor, New England Home, 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302, Boston, MA 02118. Parties We welcome photographs from design- or architecture-related parties. Send high-resolution photos with information about the party and the people pictured to lsimonton@ nehomemag.com. 18 New England Home Connecticut Summer 2014
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Publisher Kathy Bush-Dutton kbushdutton@nehomemag.com Associate Publisher, New England Home Connecticut Roberta Thomas Mancuso rmancuso@nehomemag.com Executive Sales Manager Jill Korff jkorff@nehomemag.com Sales Managers Kim Sansoucy ksansoucy@nehomemag.com Robin Schubel rschubel@nehomemag.com David Simone dsimone@nehomemag.com Marketing Designer Jared Ainscough jainscough@nehomemag.com Production Manager Glenn Sadin gsadin@nehomemag.com Marketing and Administrative Manager Kate Koch kkoch@nehomemag.com /////
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ARTISTRY
Force of Nature In work that ranges from traditional to abstract and covers a multitude of techniques, the one constant is Nancy McTague-Stock’s irrepressible need to make art. ///////////
By Charles Monagan
T
he many, many facets of Nancy McTague-Stock’s creative life are arrayed in nearly perfect, businesslike order in her spacious South Norwalk studio. Along one section of wall are drypoint landscapes that have subtly been overlaid with daubs of color and turned into mixed-media prints. Next to them
are her own digital photographs—very close-up images of swirls and eddies in the river that runs by her Wilton property—that she has feathered with colored pencils in blues and greens. Nearby are paintings, several large monochromatic canvases of seeming abstractions taken from nature, but also traditional, sunny plein-air canvases painted in Con-
necticut, Maine, and Florida. There are vibrant solar etchings inspired by her travels in India, and, arrayed on a table, jewelry she has made that harkens back to her earliest interest in art. Creativity, most of it related to the environment, flows like a natural force of its own from McTague-Stock, and has done so since she was a young girl growing up in what she calls “the idyllic mix of forest and shore” in and around Virginia Beach, Virginia. At twelve, she was making jewelry from the shells, seeds, and twigs she combed from the beaches. By fifteen, she was showing mixed-media paintings at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show. “I think of myself as a maker rather than an artist,” she says. “I think my interest began when I got a box of Crayolas—the kind with sixty-four colors and a crayon sharpener—as a birthday present. And then, when I was still a little girl, my grandmother, who lived in New CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Kaleidoscope (2011),
mixed-media on canvas, 52″H × 38″W; Fury (2012), oil on canvas, 48″H × 72″W; Gathered Observations D.R. (2014), diptych from an ongoing series of cyanotypes dealing with found objects in the natural environment, such as pieces of discarded plastic refuse, flowers, and bark
24 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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Artistry
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Breeze (2014), digital
photograph, 19″H × 13″W; Floribunda: Pink (2013), solar etching, 22″H × 15″W; the artist at work on Verdant Blush; Staccato (2011), watercolor on paper, 22″H × 30″W. FACING PAGE: MicroGrasses (2012), solar etching, 30″H × 22″W
“I’m not an environmental guerrilla girl, but there are ways to teach and talk about it.” York, took me to the Brooklyn Museum. There was an Asian exhibit of some kind, and I was fascinated by the textiles, the costumes, the makeup—everything!” McTague-Stock remained focused on arts and crafts through high school (“While other kids were at the beach, I was home painting with my oils,” she says) and undergraduate studies at
Virginia Commonwealth University, where she entered as a would-be painter and graduated as a specialist in textiles and metal-smithing. On the day after graduation, she drove up to New York with a plan to work as a jewelry designer, but discovered that to be an unwelcoming, male-dominated field. Instead, she became a textile designer by day and a
creative sponge by night, studying painting with the Art Students League of New York and jewelry design at the KulickeStark Academy. Her restless search for new techniques and inspiration continues to this day. One of those techniques is solar etching, a relatively new technology that allows the artist to work without
26 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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photo: Barry A. Hyman, 2014
the environmental and health hazards of the acids and fumes associated with traditional etching techniques. To create a solar etching, a plate is covered with a UV coating and then exposed to sunlight, which “etches” into the plate whatever image the artist has supplied. Removing the excess polymer with water, the artist then dries the plate, applies the ink to it, wipes it, and prints it through a traditional intaglio press. The technique fits right in with McTague-Stock’s environment-friendly worldview. As she looks ahead, McTague-Stock says she would love to expand her repertoire even further by working in three dimensions—and to combine it with a concern for the environment that increasingly drives her work. “The idea of doing habitat research and then producing onsite installations based on what
photo: David Heald, 2014
I’ve learned is very appealing to me right now,” she says. “There’s so much crossover between environmental science and art— over the past ten years that’s primarily where my interest has evolved to. I’d like to create art that challenges perceptions.” Such boldness may not be easy for someone who grew up in a place where, she says, “it was thought rude to speak about yourself and sell your wares.” “My tendency has been to take the subtle approach,” she allows. “I may want to combine more writing with my work so people know where I’m coming from. I’m not an environmental guerrilla girl, but there are ways to teach and talk about it. Maybe I can help people take the time to look and see what technology is doing to us all.” •
photo: David Heald, 2014
Editor’s Note: See more of McTague-Stock’s work at
nancymctaguestock.com summer 2014 New England Home Connecticut 27
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Outside Interest
Stone is a theme that flows throughout the project, according to landscape architect Susan Cohen. Stonemason Anthony Luppino worked on the house and built the retaining walls that surround the driveway and define the parking court. “I wanted the landscape to feel soft and welcoming, even with so much stone,” says Cohen. “I think it works because it’s handcrafted and natural.”
Natural Selection A simple plan in sync with its surroundings makes for an unencumbered but effective shoreline landscape design. ///////////
Text By Maria LaPiana // Photography by Stacy Bass
S
ometimes residential landscapes eclipse the very homes they are designed to complement. It may be because of the grandeur of the hardscape, an over-exuberance of plant material, or the sheer number of design elements. It happens more often than you think—but this is most definitely not one of those times. Reinvented by landscape architect Susan Cohen of Greenwich, this waterfront property in the Gold Coast enclave of Belle Haven is understated, proportionate, and exquisitely simple. It’s the only way to properly design a landscape, according to Cohen. “My work tends to be very simple,” she says, “especially when there is a view. You never want to upstage a view.”
The homeowner commissioned Cohen and architect Ira Grandberg of Mount Kisco, New York, some five years ago,
when she purchased the property and decided to raze the existing house and build new. “The homeowner recognized that landscape design was integral to her home,” says Cohen, who is also a teacher, writer, and coordinator of the landscape architecture program at the New York Botanical Garden. The property sits on a private lane, and the house is perched on high ground overlooking Long Island Sound. Despite some construction challenges, the residence was designed for easy inside-out transi-
30 New England Home Connecticut Summer 2014
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Outside Interest
“My work tends to be very simple,” Cohen says, “especially when there is a view. You never want to upstage a view.”
tions; most doors are just a step or two above grade. The homeowner’s personality had as much to do with the design as the view. “My client is a very open, warm person,” says Cohen. “So we wanted everything to feel welcoming.” While evergreen hollies and spruce were planted for privacy along the road, the gently curved driveway is genuinely inviting. Cohen thinks the drive may be the most important element in her design. The original plan called for a straightaway from the property line to the house, but she proposed a more sinuous way in. By circling slowly around existing plantings, the driveway embraces a grove of pink-flowering magnolia trees that would otherwise have been lost. A stone retaining wall rises up slightly over the driveway. “It was built by the same mason who put stone on the house,” says Cohen, “so it would look as if it were all of a piece.” A parking court sits at the top of the driveway, next to a building ell with a porte cochere. “It helps
to make the house not loom,” she says. The front of the parking court is planted with boxwood and white rhododendron. There are beds for small yellow daffodils in the spring and annuals in the summer. Climbing hydrangea adorns many of the home’s stone walls.
A small orchard of flowering crabapple sits on a slight slope in view of the back door so the homeowner can enjoy its pink and white blooms in May. A small rose garden was planted by the kitchen to satisfy her love of fresh flowers. An enclosed dog run looks for all the world
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FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Ornamental grasses border the sloping path leading from the shoreline to the trellised backyard patio outside the kitchen door. The gazebo perched on a small promontory provides a sense of solitude. At the end of the day, this project is all about the seascape vista. BELOW: An elevated bluestone patio offers one of the site’s best views.
like a lovely, formal courtyard framed by iron gates and hydrangeas. Cohen took cues from the shoreline in back to create several outdoor spaces. Rose fountain grasses sway on the sloping ground to the waterfront. “They wave in the breeze, which is one reason I chose them,” she says. “They also recall the sea grasses that grow at the water’s edge.” There are several patios. One appears to jut out over the water: “It’s a little sitting place with its back to the house,” says Cohen. “It’s rustic, with teak benches and pink geraniums in pots.” Another, just outside French doors to the kitchen, is trellised and paved in bluestone. The wide stone steps that lead up to it are made of native granite. “I wanted it to feel like a subtle yet dramatic transi-
tion to nature,” says Cohen. A gazebo sits on a small promontory. It’s very much a part of the natural environment, says Cohen; a “private place that feels secluded and peaceful and brings you close to the water.” A manicured lawn leading down to the gazebo keeps the landscape looking “civilized,” she says. All told, the project’s plant list is rather short, which is typical of Cohen’s work. “I like to keep things kind of quiet,” she says. “I wanted to create a sense of harmony, a place that feels serene and peaceful, soft and welcoming.” •
Custom drapery workroom to the trade.
U N S U R PA S S E D AT T E N T I O N T O D E TA I L 203-671-5214 | STITCHWITCH1959@AOL.COM
RESOURCES For more information about this project, see page 122. Summer 2014 New England Home Connecticut 33
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A True Living Room Is Never Off Limits
J. NAMNOUN ORIENTAL RUG GALLERY
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New construction/restoration Cultured stone, bluestone, marble, granite (all types of stonework) Patios & chimneys We are a full-service construction company with over fifty years of experience in the residential sector. Our ability to offer a wide array of services ensures a more cost-effective and cohesive outcome, which results in a superior finished product. The fact that our experience profile stretches across all genres of luxury homes ensures that there is no project that is beyond our scope. Homeowners can feel secure in the knowledge that every project detail is managed by one company, from conception to installation. Lastly, we pride ourselves in the fact that we approach each job with the same outstanding service and cutting-edge industry practices, to guarantee that our clients have their visions realized.
Asphalt paving & sealing In-ground pools & custom fire pits Interior remodeling (tile/marble - kitchen/bath)
Design. Install. Delight. VA Solutions Construction Group
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In Our Backyard
Simply Perfect Craig Bassam and Scott Fellows indulge their obsession with detail and quality in their beautifully crafted collection of modern furniture and accessories. ///////////
By Maria LaPiana
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t takes moxie to launch your firstever furniture collection at the world’s most celebrated furniture fair, Salone del Mobile, in Milan. But Craig Bassam and Scott Fellows are nothing if not gutsy—and passionate about the mission that drove them to introduce their now-iconic Tractor Stool at the show in 2003. “At first we thought that a bigger company might come by and be interested in working with us,” remembers Fellows, “but we were surprised at the number of designers who came to us, wanting to design for our brand.” Thus BassamFellows was born. The
cornerstone of this robust company is the men’s shared vision of using the finest materials to artfully craft furniture with a disciplined, architectural aesthetic. Everything they make embodies this philosophy, from stools, benches, and tables CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A simple wood frame
grounds the layered cushions of the reinterpreted Wingback Lounge Chair; the iconic Tractor Stool reaches new heights; a detail from the Museum Bench shows how beauty and utility can coexist; solid wedges of teak form the top of the Circular Dining Table.
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Continuing a 25 Year Tradition of Fine Architectural Design in Greenwich 170 MASON STREET GREENWICH, CT
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In Our Backyard
to upholstered sofas. They use only solid wood with finishes that enhance, rather than mask, its patina. Inspired by their surroundings, Bassam and Fellows live and work in New Canaan, the modernist mecca that they say energizes them. They came to see
he earned an MBA from Harvard and cut his teeth in the fashion industry before becoming a creative director and luxurybrand strategist. They met in 1996 and began collaborating two years later. “We discovered early on that we had similar tastes in what we liked, even in our own spaces,” says Fellows. “We liked modern, classic furniture, pieces by Eames, Mies van der Rohe, but
happy confluence. Born and educated in Sydney, Australia, Bassam is an architect with an affinity for what he calls the “restrained beauty, simple proportions, and rigorous craftsmanship” of early modernism. Fellows grew up in western New York;
LEFT: Because the Stripe Series borrows structural principles from architecture, this solid wood coffee table is surprisingly light. BELOW: The Daybed, shown here in solid Santos Rosewood with leather cushions, was designed to provide flexible seating options. FACING PAGE: Desk and bath accessories from the Sharp Series are carved and sliced from a solid wood block.
the architecture on a beautiful spring weekend in 1998—and never left. “New Canaan is in some ways the perfect town,” says Fellows. “It has incredible balance. It has a highly sophisticated, traveled, and educated population, and it also has incredibly beautiful nature.” The men are of one mind when it comes to modernism and craftsmanship, but they traveled different paths to this
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at the same time we didn’t want our living spaces to be completely vintage. We wanted to mix classic with contemporary, but when we went shopping we found that contemporary pieces were mostly plastic, and they didn’t have the same DNA as classic ones.” Bassam and Fellows set out to fill the void with a style they call craftsman modern: a melding of the modernist aesthetic with honest materials and exceptional workmanship. They hired fine craftsmen and began to build furniture that celebrates both time-honored woodworking techniques and contemporary style. The collaboration was seamless. “Craig is the designer and I’m the storyteller,
trying to build a world and a business around the ideas,” says Fellows. The furniture resonates because of its purity and warmth. “It may be spare, but there are soft edges to our furniture,” says Bassam. “People want to touch it. One thing they appreciate is that it’s very hard to date. There’s something very familiar about it and yet something new. We think that is a very high compliment.” Early this year, the company opened its first dedicated retail space, the BassamFellows Lifestyle Gallery, in Milan, where they showcase furniture and lifestyle products, including shoes, boots, and desk accessories; coming soon are cashmere shirts and leather goods. Bassam
notes they are all afforded the same level of seriousness. “We have experience, a knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes,” he says. “We don’t want people to think we’re just dabbling.” Fellows adds: “From the very beginning we saw our work as being about more than furniture. We’re taking our obsession with quality to other products we love. They’re long-life fashion accessories. It’s what we’ve been doing all along: we take an idea, think of ways that we can make it more relevant, work with the best artisans, and create something that will last fifty-plus years.” “We love products and working with factories and craftsmen,” says Bassam. “There’s nothing more exciting than getting an idea, drawing it up, then seeing it made. And then to have people send a note to say what a lovely piece it is— that’s very satisfying indeed.” • BassamFellows New Canaan (212) 941-5900 bassamfellows.com
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Linda Ruderman Interiors
Design For Modern Day Living
WWW.LINDARUDERMAN.COM 74 GREENWICH AVENUE GREENWICH, CT 06830 2035529700 8777308311
WWW.LINDARUDERMAN.COM 74 GREENWICH AVENUE GREENWICH, CT 06830 2035529700 8777308311
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New England Home Connecticut’s networking events bring the design community together
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Fairfield County Antique and Design Center Unexpectedly warm weather brought a happy crowd to the Fairfield County Antique and Design Center on April 3, as New England Home Connecticut celebrated its spring issue and welcomed the newest multidealer antique and design center to the neighborhood. In addition to networking and snacking on delicious treats from Festivities, guests explored more than 20,000 square feet of antiques, art, and furniture displayed by more than 100 dealers. At the end of the evening, one lucky attendee took home the raffle prize, Interiors Now!, a design compendium from Taschen.
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(1) Kevin Quinlan of Kevin Quinlan Architecture, LLC, with John Williams of Harbor Property Development, LLC (2) Jolley Frank of Jolley Frank Interiors with Jen Giuliani and Connie Giuliani of Connie Giuliani, Inc. (3) Merrilee Ganim, Eva Chiamulera, and Michelle Trainor of Austin Ganim Landscape Design, LLC (4) Michael Smith and Jay Hanseman of Michael Smith Architects (5) Mollie Rhodes of Deane, Inc., with Pat Miller of Patricia M. Miller
Residential Design, LLC (6) Matt Giardina of Front Row Kitchens with New England Home’s Roberta Mancuso and Julie Cromwell of Country Club Homes, Inc. (7) Matt Cohn of Decorative Crafts with Gary Chase of Roch & Chase Interiors, LLC (8) Stephanie Castan of VA Solutions Construction Group with Roberta Mancuso (9) Geoffrey Walsky and Linda Murray of Fairfield County Antique and Design Center
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Roch & Chase Interiors LLC 7 Plum Street, Fairfield | (203) 256-0558 rci-design.com | info@rci-design.com
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Portfolio of Distinctive Kitchens and Baths
BROWN JORDAN OUTDOOR KITCHENS
SHARON MCCORMICK DESIGN
CASA DESIGN BOSTON
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Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens completes your outdoor living with a wide range of cooking and entertaining possibilities that rival interior kitchens. Years ago, outdoor cooking areas were called “grilling stations.” Today, we talk about outdoor living rooms and entertaining areas in which the kitchen is one component. The addition of seating and multiple gathering areas for more formal entertaining spaces has led to the introduction of color and style in the outdoor room’s décor. With outdoor kitchen solutions, storage and organization become more
important. Additional cabinetry affords storage for everything from plates and utensils to paper goods. When the hosts plan a day with family and friends, they don’t want spend the day running back and forth to the interior kitchen. Prep area is also important. Part of the enjoyment of outdoor entertaining is everyone “pitching in to cut this and prepare that.” Specialized cooking appliances come into play to expand outdoor menus. In addition to the grill, even casual cooks want pizza ovens, power burners and ceramic smoker/grills, as well as
entertaining and support appliances like bartender centers, ice makers and refrigerators. Lifestyle products such as pergolas, patio heating and insect control systems actually add value to the overall investment as they extend the season and provide a comfortable environment into the night. With Brown Jordan a homeowner can coordinate their outdoor furnishings with a complete kitchen solution. The kitchen still remains the center for casual entertaining …only today the kitchen has moved outside.
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Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens One Grand Street Wallingford, CT 06492 (855) 839-5063 brownjordanoutdoorkitchens.com BROWN JORDAN is a trademark of Brown Jordan International, Inc. and is used under license to CT Acquisitions, LLC. Special Marketing Section 47
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Casa Design Boston Candida L. Berrios, of Casa Design Boston, has had 18-plus years exclusively in kitchen and bath design. It is her passion to help create, plan, and successfully complete beautiful, inspiring spaces in residential and commercial environments. Casa Design Boston is proud to be the exclusive distributor for Arclinea in Massachusetts. Arclinea’s mission is to harmonize creativity and technology, conviviality and functionality, through innovative solutions for spaces that improve our quality of life. The company was set in Caldogno,
Italy, in 1925 with the name of its founder, Silvio Fortuna, and remains with the same family today. Since 1986, Arclinea has been exclusively designed by worldrenowned architect Antonio Citterio Sr., with great emphasis on the ergonomics, environment, and function of the well-designed kitchen. Arclinea is not only known for its cabinetry design but also its integrated electrical appliances, signature hoods and wine storage systems; as well as its abrasion-resistant steel for its professional and outdoor kitchens.
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C A N DI DA L . BE R R I O S
Casa Design Boston 460 Harrison Avenue Boston MA 02118 (617) 654-2974 casadesignboston.com Special Marketing Section 49
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DEANE Inc. For more than 50 years, the DEANE family has enjoyed sharing a family business creating custom rooms that are carefully designed, meticulously handcrafted, and thoughtfully wrought. We know lots of families just like ours with a generation (or two) that grew up in our rooms and who are now enjoying new DEANE rooms of their own. Maybe that’s why we maintain that we’re not simply in the custom cabinetry business, the kitchen business, or even the home design business. We’re in the wishfulfillment business.
Kitchens are where we started. Our Granddad designed custom kitchens; our Dad, too. From those early roots we’ve expanded our offerings into every room of the house. Whatever the unique architectural nuances of your home, our goal is to always create rooms that make the most of your special space and that are in sync with your family’s needs and wishes: rooms to love living in and living with. Rooms everlasting.
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PE T E D E A N E
Stamford, 1267 East Main Street (203) 327-7008 New Canaan, 189 Elm Street (203) 972-8836 deaneinc.com Special Marketing Section 51
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Front Row Kitchens When I established Front Row Kitchens with my sister, Barbara Laughton, in 1985, little did I realize that two-and-a-half decades later we would still be excited to collaborate on memorable and beautiful kitchens. It is hard to say who is happier when one of our projects is recognized by a national publication. Recently, one was selected from top designs nationwide, and featured on the cover of the Plain & Fancy cabinetry catalog. Other key members of our team— the installation crew (twenty years and counting!) and our project
manager, Dick Laughton—are often the part of the experience our customers talk about most, with these words: accessible, expert craftsmen, reliable and trustworthy, considerate, committed, and talented. We’d love to meet you, and find out how we might help you with your projects. We do all types of remodeling and space planning throughout the home, all with the same care and expertise. Stop by and see what’s possible. We have a great showroom, and are delighted for you to use it as an idea generator.
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M AT T G I A R DI N A
Front Row Kitchens 117 New Canaan Avenue Norwalk, CT 06850 (203) 849-0302 frontrowkitchens.com Special Marketing Section 53
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Gault Stone Whether you need a rock wall to enhance your property, a firepit to warm your patio, a built-in barbeque to accentuate your outdoor space, a meandering walkway, a stone deck for your swimming pool, or decorative landscape pebbles to spruce up your driveway or walkway, Gault Stone has one of the largest stone selections for you to explore in either of our Fairfield County showrooms. Our expert sales staff will help lead you down the right path, literally, from the incubation stages of a project through completion.
Our staff is known for unparalleled customer service; our professionals are well-equipped to answer any questions, or even to act as a consultant. Now you can turn to the same professionals you have come to rely on for stone and masonry supplies for all of your fabrication needs. In our state-of-the-art 15,000-square-foot facility, we are able to turn projects around with superior quality, on time, and on budget. No matter the stone, from standard materials to exotic ones, we can bring your ideas to life. Gault
Stone Fabrication is where twenty-firstcentury technology meets the artistry of old-world stone craftsmanship. What’s more, Gault Stone has a proven history of being the premier choice for homeowners and contractors alike. Our materials have been used in thousands of projects throughout Fairfield and Westchester counties; it’s no wonder that our clients keep coming back time and time again, and it is this heritage that has become synonymous with trust for more than 150 years.
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11 Ferry Lane West | PO Box 2030 Westport, CT 06880 (203) 227-5181 1 Paul Street | Bethel, CT 06801 (203) 790-9023 gaultstone.com Special Marketing Section 55
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Huelster Design Studio The studio’s approach focuses on fresh, site speciďŹ c, innovative design encompassing the total residential environment, from architectural and landscape design to custom-designed cabinetry and furniture. Responsibly sourced materials are integrated with traditional methods and new technologies to create dependable, state-of-the-art structures and millwork. Our attention to detail, scale, and proportion are hallmarks of the care we take in design. Drawing upon our collective knowledge of construction,
architectural history, horticulture, and joinery, each design project is evaluated and explored to give it unique experiential and aesthetic qualities. We view our relationship with our clients as partners in design. The character and style of each completed project resolves the particular set of desires, challenges, and circumstances posed by the client and the location. The result are projects that marry our skills and talents with the ideals and spirit of our clients.
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KEVIN HUELSTER
Huelster Design Studio 38 Compo Road North Westport, CT 06880 (203) 227-5334 huelsterdesign.com Special Marketing Section 57
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NuKitchens NuKitchens is a complete kitchen renovation company, offering everything from concept and design to installation and remodeling. At NuKitchens, you’ll meet a team of talented kitchen specialists with decades of experience and know-how. The company has a simple business philosophy‌ to help clients make the best decisions, with their best interest at heart. NuKitchens is a fourth-generation family-owned business started by grandfather Philip Farran, renovating brownstones in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
The company’s owner, Joe Najmy, learned the value of hard work and the importance of creating a homecentered life. Joe believes if simplicity and balance are achieved in the design, then the family and friends will feel calm and connected in the space where they cook, work, and live. NuKitchens embraces creativity, honesty, and integrity as core values.
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G A B R I E L L A , J O E , A N D M A RY N A J M Y
132 Water Street Norwalk, CT 06854 (203) 831-9000 nukitchens.com Special Marketing Section 59
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Rebecca Reynolds New Canaan Kitchens Rebecca Reynolds is a Connecticut designer with an award-winning portfolio of luxury projects throughout New England, the South, California, and a recent project in Europe. Rebecca’s design aesthetic is a mix of modern, traditional, and always comfortable. She balances living well with beautiful things and the need for sensible design and functionality. Rebecca’s personal approach, design process and concierge-style management have won her accolades from both clients and the design community.
Her work has graced the covers and been featured in several national publications and kitchen design books. Rebecca recently teamed up with Los Angeles–based designer Lori Gilder to cofound the Kitchen Design Network, an online resource for designers and consumers for kitchen planning, inspiration, and education. The network holds one-day intensive workshops for interior designers to learn kitchen design and planning, project management, the business of kitchen design, and current trends and materials.
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REBECCA REYNOLDS
P.O. Box 6306 Hamden, Connecticut 06517 (203) 972-8300 designteam@newcanaankitchens.com rebeccareynoldsdesigns.com newcaanankitchens.com Special Marketing Section 61
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Sarah Blank Design Studio At Sarah Blank Design Studio, we create residential interiors that respect the theories of classical proportion and order while reflecting the requirements of twenty-first-century living. Since 1981, we have specialized in kitchens, master bedroom suites, libraries, and bathrooms. We follow principles and beliefs in classicism that were set centuries ago by the finest architects and designers. We honor these masters and strive to use the same levels of detail and craftsmanship in our design and execution.
Our solutions address contemporary design issues around how people live, eat, and move. We believe that every space deserves to function well. We can make existing spaces work better or create new spaces that add to the overall function of your home. Underlying everything we do is our deep commitment to education as a lifetime occupation. Continuous academic achievement enriches our designs and our ability to give homeowners and families the very best interior solutions.
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Sarah Blank Design Studio 1472 Post Road Darien, CT 06820 (203) 655-6900 sarahblankdesignstudio.com Special Marketing Section 63
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Sharon McCormick Design Everything counts, first and foremost our clients! This is how Sharon McCormick Design approaches every project. Each design begins with an extensive interview to discover the client’s needs, wishes, tastes, and intended lifestyle. As a former CPA and CFO, Sharon’s approach is to design to the budget to ensure that her work will be realized. Her philosophy is that thoughtful planning and problemsolving are the most important ingredients to accomplishing a successful transformation. Beautiful
results come from a predictable and professional process. Sharon McCormick Design is unwavering in its commitment to offer a personalized design to each and every client. She and her team respect their clients’ time constraints and are determined to relieve the stress and worry that can come from undertaking new construction or renovation projects.
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SHARON MCCORMICK
Sharon McCormick Design 40 Main St. Durham, CT 06422 (203) 609-1373 (860) 349-1349 sharonmccormickdesign.com Special Marketing Section 65
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The foyer sets the home’s genteel tone with an antique demilune, one of the pair the homeowner and designer Julie Nightingale scored at a French flea market, and an antique Swedish daybed from Circa Antiques in Westport. The ceiling is high but not atrium-like. “I just really didn’t want it to feel like a McMansion,” the wife says.
Master of Understatement THIS CLASSIC FAIRFIELD COUNTY BEAUTY KEEPS AN UNASSUMING COUNTENANCE, BUT NEVER SKIMPS ON LUXURY OR STYLE. Text by Susan Kleinman Ç Exterior photography by Jane Beiles Ç Interior photography by Michael Partenio Ç Architecture: Sean O’Kane Ç Interior design: Julie Nightingale, Nightingale Design Ç Builder: Fox Hill Builders Ç Landscape design: Tim Paterson, Highland Design Ç Produced by Stacy Kunstel 66 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut SUMMER 2014
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Antique chairs surround a custom table that expands with pie-shaped leaves to seat the homeowners’ extended family. FACING PAGE, TOP: The simple landscape plan includes a New England beech tree that offers a shady spot for the family’s two black Labs. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: Pale gray walls lend the living room a calm feeling; an old iron gate topped with glass serves as a coffee table.
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Less than an hour’s commute from New York City, Fairfield County is home to some of Wall Street’s biggest movers, shakers, and market-makers. But nestled as it is in the southwest corner of Connecticut, the region still retains the influence of Yankee modesty
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and understatement. And nowhere is that intersection between high finance and low profile more readily apparent than in this home designed by architect Sean O’Kane and interior designer Julie Nightingale. The house, newly constructed by Fox Hill Builders, replaced the previ-
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The wife’s favorite shade of blue and a soft-underfoot jute rug bring a casual vibe to the family room. FACING PAGE, TOP: Sliding glass doors between the breakfast room and an office let light flow through the house. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: The hand-finished paneling of the library gleams against grasscloth-covered walls.
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ous dwelling, a 4,000-square-foot 1960s colonial on the same two-acre lot. The owners planned just to renovate the existing home, until they learned that redoing a low-ceilinged older structure to the extent they required would cost just as much, take just as long, and never be quite as perfect as a brand-new house. At 12,000 square feet, the new residence is grand, to be sure, but it hardly suffers from delusions of grandeur or haughtiness. “One of the first things we told the architect was that we didn’t want our home to be flashy,” says the wife. And while she and her husband were looking for enough space to entertain his large extended family and host her weekly Bible-study group and the couple’s frequent parties and dinners (not to mention three active teenagers and two
“One of the first things we told the architect was that we didn’t want our home to be flashy,” says the wife. energetic black Labs), they insisted that the profile be kept low and the exterior of the house unassuming. To honor those wishes—and to site the house perfectly on its level, south-facing property—O’Kane configured the floor plan as a T, with only the shortest side of that shape visible from the road. A gabled roof and a series of dormers make the facade appear more modest, and while the stone chimney and wood clapboard siding are of the highest quality, they are humble in origin, the sort frequently seen on sensible New England buildings. The landscaping that surrounds the house, too, was designed to be beautiful but not boastful. “We kept the front of the house simple,” says landscape architect Tim Paterson of Highland Design. “It’s only the family and their guests who see the fullness of the garden in the back when they pass through the gates.” Even that full garden reflects the axiom “less is more,” with simple plantings that don’t require a phalanx of gardeners to keep them healthy. Materials also reflect SUMMER 2014 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut 71
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the home’s location midway between New York and New England. “Heat can be a problem for hydrangeas near New York,” says Paterson, “but because this house is just a mile or so from the coast, the air stays cooler; it’s very similar to the weather on Nantucket.” Hence the fluffy blue masses, so often associated with the Massachusetts island. Inside the house, the New England aesthetic continues, with lots of traditional millwork and plenty of classic blue-andwhite. Ethnic textiles add cosmopolitan New York flair. Oh, and there’s an additional influence: Paris. “I had been to Paris with some friends, and loved the look of the antique furniture sold in the flea markets,” says the wife. “Julie and I analyzed the cost of making a trip over there to source things ourselves, rather than buying them from dealers here in the U.S.”
The two women headed across the Atlantic, where they spent three whirlwind days scouring the Clignancourt market for oneof-a-kind finds. Sounding like the sensible, born-andbred New Englander she is, she adds, “It really wasn’t more expensive.” So the two women packed their bags and headed across the Atlantic, where they spent three whirlwind days scouring the Clignancourt market for one-of-a-kind finds with the help of Nightingale’s brother, an antiques dealer in the City of Light. The trip paid off not only financially, but also aesthetically, yielding some of the homeowners’ favorite objects in the house: a set of fourteen dining chairs still wearing their original century-old leather, a pair of demilune tables that grace the foyer, and a garden gate now used as a coffee table in the living room. Throughout the house, several new lighting fixtures by Niermann Weeks have a rich patina that works well with the older pieces, while simple, contemporary 72 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut SUMMER 2014
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Bold textiles and a contemporary coffee table from Jonathan Adler add energy to the “teen room,” where the family’s three children can do homework or hang out with friends. FACING PAGE, TOP: The house’s T shape gives the rear elevation architectural interest. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: Architect Sean O’Kane stumbled upon the kitchen’s vintage pendant lamps in nearby Ridgefield.
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Dark-blue walls and a mix of textiles create an upscale “man cave” for the son. FACING PAGE, TOP: Though cool to the eye, the master bath is warm to the touch, thanks to a heated towel bar and a sheepskin rug. The peaceful master bedroom sports the homeowners’ favorite hues.
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The sun is important here not just for appearance and mood; it’s also responsible for heating and cooling the house. upholstery and drapery fabrics keep the space looking young and fresh. To create the perfect backdrop for these standout furnishings, Nightingale chose simple materials and neutral fabrics. She used soft jute rugs on the floors to keep things casual and dog-friendly, kept art on the wall to a minimum, and painted most of the rooms in muted tones. The few exceptions to that pale palette include the dining room, in which she installed a gorgeous botanical wallpaper, and a teenage boy’s room painted Farrow & Ball’s dark Drawing Room Blue, “because boys really like the whole cave thing,” she says with a chuckle. Their mother, on the other hand, prefers airy, open spaces, and she has that in the much paler blue master bedroom, in her open kitchen designed by Sabine Godden, and indeed throughout the house, thanks to nine-and-a-half-foot ceilings in the public rooms and eightand-a-half-foot ceilings in the bedrooms. Large windows at the front of the house let in lots of southern sun, and the eastwest orientation of the longer part of the T ensures that every room gets light throughout the day. The sun is important here not just for appearance and mood; it’s also responsible for heating and cooling the house through a geothermal HVAC system so effective that even in the bitter-cold winter of 2014, the house never had to fall back on its gas-powered backup heat. The system occupies much of the basement, but there was room left over for morefanciful additions—including a golf room and a wine cellar. Gas-free heating and indoor golf? Call it “Yankee efficiency meets Big-Apple elegance.” You could also call it the very best of Fairfield County. • RESOURCES For more information about this home, see page 122. SUMMER 2014 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut 75
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Good Gracious A DESIGN DUO GIVES A YOUNG FAMILY’S HOUSE THE SORT OF REFINED ELEGANCE THAT NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE. TEXT BY DAN sHAW ® PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN GRUEN ® INTERIOR DEsIGN: JOHN ROCH AND GARY CHAsE, ROCH 76 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut sUMMER 2014
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The stone-and-shingle Arts and Crafts–style residence holds a medley of historical references, along with quirky details that make it seem like a century-old home rather than a contemporary spec house.
& CHAsE INTERIORs ® LANDsCAPE DEsIGN: sUsAN ROBINsON & AssOCIATEs ® PRODUCED BY sTACY KUNsTEL sUMMER 2014 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut 77
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W
hen the clients called interior designers Gary Chase and John Roch, they had just purchased a 10,000-square-foot spec house on a picturesque site overlooking a reservoir in Fairfield County. They loved the Arts and Crafts– style residence, but they needed assistance to make it their dream home. Now, two years later, visitors are greeted in the double-height foyer—de rigueur in today’s fine homes and a familiar challenge for these designers. “There is so much Sheetrock in new construction, which is why we like to use wallpaper,” explains Chase. The designers chose the graphic Moss Trellis print from Cole & Son, the venerable English wallpaper company, but in a contemporary palette of silver, blue, and white. “We wanted to play on the idea of traditional style with a modern color sense, which became the theme of the house,” Chase says. The clients wanted the residence to be gracious, genteel, and family friendly. “We wanted every room to be welcoming and to be used,” says the wife. The designers satisfied these requirements by layering comfortable furniture in no-nonsense fabrics with antiques and first-rate reproductions or custom pieces. “Antiques really complement the crispness of a new house,” says Chase, pointing to the gigantic early-twentieth-century lantern in the foyer and the William and Mary chest used as a coffee table in the living room. “They take the edge off.” The dining room illustrates the way Chase and Roch braided various elements to create a space that is fresh but familiar, elegant yet easygoing. “It’s formal without the standard crystal chandelier and polished wood table,” says Roch. Instead, there is a custom round walnut table by New England Historical Connection in Wilton, which was inspired by one the designers found in a book on the history of English furniture. “We like to do custom dining tables so the proportions are exactly right for the room,” says Roch. The designers chose an antique Dutch brass chandelier to hang from the pale-blue ceiling that lightens the mood. The antique William and Mary–style TOP: The designers tamed the double-height foyer, bringing warmth and drama with a Cole & Son wallpaper and oversize antique lantern. BOTTOM: A mix of antiques, high-quality reproductions, and new upholstered pieces give the living room its comfortable, traditional feel. FACING PAGE: William and Mary–style chairs encircle the table in the dining room, where a collection of Blue Willow china purchased on eBay adds a colorful punch to the antique hutch. SUMMER 2014 New England Home Connecticut 79
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chairs are upholstered in a sophisticated, subdued cotton damask from Rogers & Goffigon. Like many young couples, the clients didn’t have a set of fine china for entertaining, so the designers simultaneously solved two problems by putting together a collection of classic Blue Willow china from eBay; the colorful dishes, displayed on the hutch, provide graphic punch to the room and can also be used for dinner parties. “It’s a vintage pattern that they can continue to collect,” says Roch. “And it isn’t fragile, so it’s great for family dinners, too.” The living room has the same well-bred spirit and foundational elements as the dining room—silvery gray walls, cream-colored trim, and sisal carpet. The club chairs wear a traditional English floral from Brunschwig & Fils that’s undeniably chic in black, white, and gray. The classic vignettes that flank the fireplace—porcelain lamps and jade horses on demilune tables in front of mirrors with frames of inlaid wood in a Greek key pattern—will stand the test of time. “We don’t like to be trendy,” says Chase. “We believe that clients should invest in good furniture and objects. If they feel like updating in the future, they can change fabrics or wallpaper without having to start from scratch.” The designers’ measured approach is evident in
Both the landscape and house were designed to get better with age. “That’s the enduring secret of traditional style,” says Roch. the kitchen and billiard room, where they chose furnishings that would complement the architectural elements. In front of the handsome stone fireplace wall in the kitchen, they placed an antique French farmhouse table surrounded by high-quality reproduction Windsor chairs. An early-twentieth-century landscape painting flanked by custom tole sconces complement the colors of the stone. For the paneled billiard room, the designers chose a camel-colored felt for the table that’s as unconventional as it is understated. The bold cotton-and-linen floral fabric on the armchairs is zippy without being out of sync with the soothing ambience. “Everything is calm, nothing is startling,” says Chase. The master suite represents the designers’ knack for giving suburban homes a touch of urbane glamABOVE: Chinoiserie lamps lend whimsy to a porch outfitted
in rattan furniture dressed with practical Sunbrella-covered cushions. LEFT: The kitchen’s reproduction Windsor chairs are in keeping with the clients’ desire for a home with tradition; the tole sconces were custom-designed to complement the stone fireplace wall. FACING PAGE: Landscape designer Susan Robinson created a sustainable meadow, leaving a path to the reservoir. 80 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut sUMMER 2014
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The master suite “is a very comfortable room. In fact, in the evening, it’s where the kids like to hang out,” says the wife. they were fine pieces of furniture. They painted them, as well as the paneled dado, in a shade of green that matches the wallpaper in the bedroom. “We installed checkerboard limestone floors that offer subtle contrast as well as a sense of luxury,” says Roch. Every decorating choice was informed by the views of the reservoir. After the swimming pool was put in, the owners called in the landscape design firm of Susan Robinson & Associates. “It was a wetlands restoration project,” says Robinson, who planted a meadow with appropriate native plants and ecological cisterns underneath to catch storm-water runoff that can be reused for irrigation. “The idea was to make it look natural, with a mowed path for strolling, as well as environmentally sound,” she says. Both the landscape and house were designed to get better with age. “That’s the enduring secret of traditional style,” says Roch. • Resources For more information about this home, see page 122.
our appropriate for a sylvan setting. They papered the walls in a Cole & Son wisteria pattern with white blooms and camel-toned leaves on a soft-green background. In the sitting area, a pair of Louis XVI– style chairs upholstered in lavender linen flank a love seat in a Rogers & Goffigon stripe that was also used for the custom headboard. “It’s a very comfortable room,” says the wife. “In fact, in the evening, it’s where the kids like to hang out.” With their trademark restraint, the designers opted for linen damask shades instead of curtains, which might have made the large bedroom too grand. They purchased heirloom-quality pieces, like the Chinese lacquer end table with mother-of-pearl inlays that holds family photos. And they hung eighteenthcentury French bird prints in both the bedroom and adjacent bath as a refined country leitmotif. “John and Gary’s approach is so classic,” says the wife. “We can tweak it with accessories if we feel like trying something trendy, but we wanted a backdrop that would seem ageless.” The master bath, too, was conceived to be timeless. Chase and Roch designed his-and-hers marbletopped vanities—separated by a stall shower—as if
ABOVE: A marble-topped vanity, one of two in the master bath, is designed to look like a piece of furniture. BELOW: Rocking chairs line up on a porch that overlooks the pool. FACING PAGE:
The refined country motif of the master bedroom includes a Cole & Son wallpaper, linen damask shades, and heirloomquality furniture. SUMMER 2014 New England Home Connecticut 83
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Text by Megan Fulweiler Photography by Tria Giovan Architect: David Beckwith and Samuel Fitzgerald, BD Design Group Interior design: Amy Aidinis Hirsch Builder: Julio DiBiase, Dibico Construction Landscape design: Kate Reid Landscape Design Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent
Hand-painted de Gournay wall panels make a dramatic backdrop for the dining room’s Reagan Hayes chairs and a chandelier from Niermann Weeks. FACING PAGE: A spectacular tapestry by Pae White is displayed above the living room sofa. To the right of the sofa hangs the intriguing Proposal 15, a painting by Los Angeles artist Alex Olson.
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In a Perfect World Can the ideal ever really be achieved? For the owners of this charming Greenwich home, the answer is an emphatic yes.
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BD Design Group recast the home’s exterior with a new portico and cedar roof shingles. FACING PAGE, TOP: Designer Amy Aidinis Hirsch gave the living room a more spacious feel by adding the white paneling. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: The homeowners’ art collection includes this painting, by the Brazilian artist Vic Muniz, that hangs in the foyer.
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After you’ve successfully renovated a tony duplex in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park neighborhood, you’re confident you can tackle the challenges any future remodel might present—particularly when you find a house that fulfills your must-have list for character, location, and acreage. Case in point: this 1920 gem with a venerable weeping cherry guarding the front path. Not only was the place a ten-minute walk from downtown Greenwich, but one-and-a-half acres meant more than enough room for two young boys to play. True, the couple didn’t really know the scope of what lay ahead. But even if they had known, it wouldn’t have deterred them. After much searching, they sensed this was a family home they’d love forever. So brimming with charm was their new address, it seemed an update of the kitchen and mudroom might be all the improvements required. But as work progressed, myriad problems arose. “Over the years, different owners had remodeled, and the infrastructure was suffering,” explains Julio DiBiase, owner and president of Dibico Construction. Yesterday’s systems had to be replaced or upgraded and, as so often happens, one thing led to another. In the end, the only solution SUMMER 2014 New England Home Connecticut 87
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The sunroom’s custom chairs and ottoman wear sturdy, but pretty, fabric by Perennials. FACING PAGE: To accommodate additional seating, one end of the great room was bumped out to create a niche for a second sofa. The tiered chandelier from Restoration Hardware and Pheasant Feather table lamps by Bunny Williams complement the room’s scale.
for bringing the lovely lady up to today’s standards was to gut her right to the studs and put her tenderly back together. DiBiase and Greenwich interior designer Amy Aidinis Hirsch went to work. “We interviewed a number of designers, but we hit it off right from the start with Amy,” says the husband happily. “She’s a young designer with a fresh approach. As a parent of small children herself, she was the only one who grasped our vision.”
Hirsch’s timing was also fateful. By arriving on the project in its earliest stages, she was able to influence the innumerable decisions that invariably arose. Take today’s glorious entry. Everything that wows visitors is new, including the handsome herringbone-patterned floor, detailed moldings, and staircase with its glossy black newel post—all of which Hirsch designed and DiBiase’s shop crafted. “It’s important that you get the architecture and spatial plan—the foundation—right first,” Hirsch
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We gave the room a “slightly sophisticated but casual barnlike feel that would complement Amy’s great decorating,” says Fitzgerald. cautions. “Make the investment and focus on the elements before you put on the paint.” In her view, not all the fabulous fabrics and accoutrements in the world will ever set it right otherwise. Slowly and carefully, the team reassembled the rooms, making each even more beautiful than it was
decades ago. Under Hirsch’s guidance, the kitchen was relocated and given a bounty of custom storage and Calacatta Gold marble counters, along with a string of windows to overlook the emerald-green lawn behind the house. Hirsch also cleverly had the window mullions painted black to allow the eye to SUMMER 2014 New England Home Connecticut 89
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pass through more readily. The basic shell of the living room was maintained, but the paneling, which, according to Hirsch, “enhances the room’s height and elongates the space,” is new. Nancy Corzine slipper chairs and a Jerry Pair sofa dressed in angora mohair in a deep, night-is-falling blue are elegant partners for a steel-and-glass coffee table the owners picked out, much to the joy of their interior designer, who encourages clients to get involved. In this instance, however, encouragement was hardly necessary. The husband and wife share a passion for design. They’re the sort of dedicated owners who expend the extra effort and time needed to make each detail telling. As a present, for example,
The bedroom has an “Old World feel,” featuring a geometricpatterned painted floor and dazzling Ochre chandelier. the husband gave his wife the exquisite handpainted de Gournay wall panels in the dining room. Designs whipped back and forth between France and Greenwich until every bird, bee, and blossom was positioned just so. It’s the one room where the couple won’t place a piece of art, because the walls themselves are works of art. Art is everywhere else, though. Working with a New York–based art consultant and curatorial firm, the couple has traveled the globe to find established and emerging artists. “Each of them is part of a story we’re trying to tell,” says the husband. “We believe art makes for a better world.” Hirsch is as thrilled with the owners’ acquisitions as they are, from Pae White’s spectacular tapestry in the living room to Günther Förg’s abstract in the great room. Really, Förg’s colorful work couldn’t have a finer showcase, due to phase two of the house transformation. The great room—originally a 1980s post-andbeam addition—underwent the same therapy as the main living spaces. In order to develop what project architect Samuel Fitzgerald, of BD Design Group, calls a “slightly sophisticated but casual barnlike feel that would complement Amy’s great decorating,” the addition was gutted and recreated. The space was recharged with oak beams (tumbled for an aged look) and walls custom-stained a butternut hue. To flank the entrance to the adjoining sunroom, massive barn doors were crafted of reclaimed wood. When it was all complete, Hirsch devised two inviting seating areas chock-full of the kind of upholstered furnishings that foster relaxation and comfort. One glimpse of the master suite and it’s more than 90 New England Home Connecticut sUMMER 2014
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A custom bench from Chelsea Editions cozies up to the master bed. For the drapes, Hirsch chose a wool flannel in keeping with the soothing palette. The wife isn’t fond of carpeting, so Hirsch added a sense of texture by hand-stenciling the floor. FACING PAGE, TOP: Polished metal light fixtures from Urban Archaeology illuminate the kitchen island. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: A fixture from Vaughan Designs lends glamour to the pristine master bath.
apparent that the comfort level in this beautifully conceived home never falters. “The owners’ room has an Old World feel,” Hirsch says. But that’s far too modest a description for the sumptuous lair, with its luminous palette, dazzling Ochre chandelier, and geometric-patterned painted floor—a savvy solution for the wife, who doesn’t care for carpets. The jewel-like master bath, with its chandelier and marble shower,
fits the sanctuary’s mood like the proverbial glove. When quizzed as to what he might do differently should they start over, the husband is emphatic. “There’s not one thing in this house I’d change,” he says. And there’s no reason to doubt his conviction. It’s obvious that everything is perfect—just the way it is. • Resources For more information about this home, see page 122. SUMMER 2014 New England Home Connecticut 91
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Special Focus:
Kitchen Design
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Resources
For information about the professionals, see page 122.
Today’s kitchens may have much in common, from the popularity of islands to the appeal of white cabinetry. But as these four spaces show, there are many recipes for the perfect kitchen. text By Paula M. Bodah
///// Kitchen design:
Veronica Campbell, Deane Interior design:
Karen Perry, Karen Perry Designs Architect:
Robert A. Cardello Architects Builder:
Robert Liesegang, Liesegang Building & Remodeling
Classic, With a Twist Blue and white are classic kitchen colors, but the way Karen Perry and Veronica Campbell incorporated them in Perry’s Darien kitchen is anything but ordinary. Here, the smoky blue-gray glass tile that forms the backsplash and frames the long window above the sink acts as a dramatic anchor for the creamy white cabinets and white marble countertops. The warmth and dimension in the space come from the designers’ use of a variety of materials, from the leather that wraps the cabinet pulls to the walnut that trims the stainless steel of the range hood to the glass inserts at the top of the ceiling-high cabinets. The island serves for both dining and prepping, thanks to the oiled butcherblock slab at one end. In the adjacent dining area, Perry added a cozy note by introducing beige drapes and a taupe-and-cream patterned rug. Photography by Paul Johnson
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Special Focus:
Kitchen Design
Continental Appeal The island—that all-important element in the modern-day kitchen—takes on a new look in this house in Stamford’s Shippan Point neighborhood. Designer Rebecca Reynolds of New Canaan Kitchens came up with the curvaceous design for clients who wanted a kitchen with the feel of old Europe and the efficiency of twenty-first-century America. The mahogany top gives the island a more formal, furniturelike look, and the curved dining edge means better access to the home’s lovely views of Long Island Sound. Warm tones—the buttercream hue of the painted cabinetry, the brown and gold veining in the marble, and the brass of the range hood and the light fixtures—predominate. And sharp edges are eschewed for more feminine, shapely lines. A three-sided fireplace built into a column of layered stone provides further warmth, both visually and literally.
///// Kitchen design:
Rebecca Reynolds, New Canaan Kitchens Architect: Andrew Nuzzi Builder: Construction Management Group
Photography by Laura Moss Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent Summer 2014 New England Home Connecticut 95
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Special Focus:
Kitchen Design
///// Design and construction:
NuKitchens
Let There Be Light The owners of this Westport house loved their spacious familyroom addition, but the adjacent kitchen then needed attention. Joseph Najmy and his team at NuKitchens devised a plan to turn the dark, confined, U-shaped cooking area into a bright, open space that looks like a natural extension of the family room. Now, a six-burner stainless-steel range sits against one long wall, recessed between oak cabinets and flanked by a sleek stainlesssteel refrigerator on one side and a matching freezer on the other. Prep work and dishwashing take place at the new island, where a slab of durable quartzite sits atop oak cabinets and drawers. In an inspired bit of design, most of the oak is set horizontally, giving the wood added visual interest. Opening the space gave the designers enough room to add a desk and TV area as well as a handsome wet bar that sits just outside the dining room. Photography by Kyle Norton
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Special Focus:
Kitchen Design
Functional and Fabulous Jan Hiltz’s client loves to cook. When the two women talked about how to modernize the dated kitchen in her Fairfield house, the homeowner was determined to make the space superefficient as well as beautiful. Working with kitchen designer Rami Afifi, Hiltz placed a generous island at the room’s center, just steps away from the stove, sink, and refrigerator. At first blush it may seem inconvenient to place the stove and fridge on opposite walls, but two pullout refrigerators
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/////
in the island mean the homeowner can keep the ingredients she uses regularly at the ready. Classic elements (a farmer’s sink and a French country–style range hood) and contemporary elements (stainlesssteel drawer faces and pulls) coexist peacefully. Marble counters with gray veining bring warmth and energy to the mostly white kitchen, as do the stainless-steel diamond-patterned insets in the island.
Interior design:
Jan Hiltz, Jan Hiltz Interiors Kitchen design:
Rami Afifi Home Architecture and construction:
Raymond Design Builders
Photography by Laura Moss Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent
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Timeless Elegance
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Connecticut designers share their favorite resources EDITED BY LYNDA SIMONTON
Perspectives The Colors of Summer Grass Greens
SUZANNE EHRLICH
1960s Saarinen Executive Chair ///
“Bring instant street cred to your home by adding an authentic midcentury-modern piece. This Saarinen chair is a fantastic investment piece and will brighten your kitchen or home office.” Montage Modern Home, Westport, (203) 349-5859, montagemodern.com
MARIANNE DONAHUE
Bamboo Mirror ///
DINA SPAIDAL
Fern Green Metro Luxe Three-Drawer Chest ///
“I love the warm tropical breezes of summer and the sound of bamboo stalks blowing in the wind. The lime-green paint on this bamboo frame adds whimsy to the mirror and can brighten up any spot. Thinking of margaritas on the porch?” DesignSourceCT, Hartford, (860) 951-3145, designsourcect.com
“This lively chest would make a wonderful statement piece. We picture it in an entry with a great mirror and a lamp.” Century Furniture, The New York Design Center, (212) 479-0107, centuryfurniture.com SUMMER 2014 NEW ENGLAND HOME CONNECTICUT 103
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PERSPECTIVES
The Colors of Summer Sunny Yellows
DINA SPAIDAL
No. 9 Chana Fabric in Yellow from Jim Thompson ///
“We love this cotton fabric for its happy color. It would be fun used on accent pillows, drapery, or upholstery to bring a little sunshine into any setting.”
MARIANNE DONAHUE
Halie Circle in Yellow by Thibaut Design ///
“In the depths of a New England winter, this bright yellow paper will warm up any room. It evokes sunshine and happiness on the most dreary of days. The brilliant yellow medallions are uplifting and work with so many color combinations to boost the spirit.” Ring’s End,
Jerry Pair Showroom, New York City, (212) 546-9001, jerrypair.com
locations throughout Connecticut, (203) 655-2525, ringsend.com
SUZANNE EHRLICH
Bamileke Feather Headdress ///
“These authentic handmade hats from Cameroon make such an impact whether hung above a mantel or clustered in groups on a wall. They cheer up a space instantly and add a pop of color.” Wade Ehrlich Studio,
ZOE EHRLICH
New Canaan, (203) 226-5667, westudiodesign.com
Suzanne Ehrlich is a Southern girl at heart; she was raised in Louisiana and worked in New Orleans for fifteen years. Art-filled, eclectic spaces with a sense of family history and “must have” pieces are her trademark. Wade Ehrlich Studio, New Canaan, (203) 226-5667, westudiodesign.com
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AUSTIN GANIM LANDSCAPE DESIGN, LLC Confined only by our imagination & your property lines, let us transform your landscape dreams to reality.
Landscape Landscape Architecture Architecture •• Garden Garden Design Design •• Installation Installation •• Maintenance Maintenance •• Site Site Furniture Furniture •• Container Container Plantings Plantings
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Eva Eva Chiamulera, Chiamulera, Landscape Landscape Architect Architect •• Austin Austin Ganim, Ganim, Horticulturalist Horticulturalist & & Designer Designer •• 203.333.2003 203.333.2003 Licensed & Insured: B-2036, HIC.0602611, HIC.0602612, S4820, WC-25835-H13
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HAEP24NEH
6/12/14 5:32 PM
PERSPECTIVES
The Colors of Summer Shell Pinks
SUZANNE EHRLICH
Artwork by Loren Rubino ///
“I can’t imagine a home without artwork! This piece is strong, bold, and modern, and would truly be the star of a room.” Westport, (203) 506-4616, rubinodecor.com
MARIANNE DONAHUE
Seafan in Hibiscus from the Lee Jofa Lilly Pulitzer Collection ///
“When Lilly Pulitzer started making those fabulous print dresses in the 1960s, my entire family was wearing them. The designs still represent the beaches of Cape Cod and all the wonderful times we had. This beautiful embroidered fabric is one of my favorites.” DesignSourceCT
DINA SPAIDAL
Coastal Artwork by Tracey Kafka ANDREA TOPALIAN
/// Dina Spaidal and business partner Deb LaBella are known for creating classically chic interiors. Their clients look to them to bring a little of the unexpected and a “wow” factor to their homes. Dina prides herself on finding the best value for her clients. LaBella Spaidal, Fairfield, (203) 659-0402, labellaspaidal.com
“Calming colors with a pop of brightness are what we love about these paintings. Since they are only five inches square, we’d use several together in a sunroom, bedroom, or maybe a powder room.” Tracey Kafka Art, Hamden, (203) 215-2022, tkafka.com
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Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence The First Thing We Build Is Trust 1 8 R E Y N O L D S S T R E E T | N O RWA L K , C T | ( 2 0 3 ) 8 3 1 - 8 3 0 0 | W W W. S W B U I L D I N G R E M O D E L I N G . C O M
LUXURIOUS LINENS F O R B E D , B AT H & TA B L E EXCEPTIONAL HOME ACCESSORIES BESPOKE CUSTOM FA B R I C AT I O N S
21 ELM STREET NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT 203.972.0433
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6/13/14 5:23 PM
PERSPECTIVES
The Colors of Summer Sea Blues
MARIANNE DONAHUE
Persian Hand-Knotted Gabbeh Carpet ///
“When I see this rug, I think of a deep swimming pool. It has gentle waves and reflections of the sky. The border reminds me of hand-set tile coping.” J. Namnoun Oriental Rug Gallery, Hartford, (860) 522-6368, jnamnoun.com
SUZANNE EHRLICH
Malibu Coke-Bottle Chandelier ///
“This sea-glass-like hanging light screams sophisticated beach house. I love the hemp-wrapped steel frame and tassel. Makes me want to pack my bags for Bali!” Fig Linens, Westport, (203) 227-8669, figlinens.com
DINA SPAIDAL FRANK MARCHESE
Melia Mirror by Made Goods Marianne Donahue is the principal of Marianne Donahue Interiors and a partner at J. Namnoun Oriental Rug Gallery. Her signature look is a combination of Old-World design in rich, classic colors with a surprising touch of modernism. Marianne Donahue Interiors, Hartford, (860) 550-1876, mariannedonahueinteriors.com
///
“With its bold, yet delicate, coral-blue border, this mirror would look fantastic reflecting greenery, a fabulous painting, or, of course, the sea.” Through LaBella Spaidal Interiors, (203) 659-0402, labellaspaidal.com
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21 Bridge Square, Westport, CT 06880 t: 203.331.5578 f: 203.557.4321 jan@janhiltzinteriorsllc.com www.janhiltzinteriorsllc.com
DANIEL CONLON ARCHITECTS Daniel Conlon AIA LEED AP PO Box 418 Georgetown, CT 06829 (203) 544 7988 www.dconlonarchitects.com
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6/10/14 5:29 PM
Design Life
Out and about in celebration of design and architecture in Connecticut 1
2
3
4
5
Billy Farrell Agency (1,4); Patrick McMullin (2,3,5)
We’ll bet the historic post office that now holds Restoration Hardware’s new RH Greenwich has never seen the sort of star power that turned up for the gala celebrating the launch of the new showroom. Guests enjoyed a festive atmosphere, with catering by Per Se and music from New York pop duo The Brixtons and celebrity DJ Alexandra Richards. The event benefited the Greenwich International Film Festival.
RESTORATION HARDWARE GREENWICH LAUNCH PARTY
(1) Uma Thurman, Gary Friedman, and Bella Hunter (2) Carina Crain, Wendy
Stapleton Reyes, Ginger Stickel, and Brooke Sheldon (3) Muffy Fox and Becky Hughes (4) Tommy Mottola, Gary Friedman, Jennifer Bruno, Uma Thurman, and Jay Fielden (5) Jenny Ristau, Suzanne Eason, Riann Smith, and Betsy Protta
Day gave designers the opportunity to learn about new product introductions, design trends, and ways to build their business. Thom Filicia and Thomas O’Brien were on hand to sign their latest books and share their wealth of experience with the appreciative group.
Christian Gillis (1,3,4,6,7)
Wakefield Design Center’s Market
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5
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7
Wakefield Design Center’s Market Day
(1) Sarina Galu and Thomas O’Brien (2) Stacey Bewkes, Thom Filicia, New England Home’s Kyle Hoepner, George Snead, Christina Juarez, and Beth Dempsey (3) Jennifer Mehditash, Tiffany Eastman, and Kerri Rosenthal (4) New England Home’s Stacy Kunstel and Susan Glick (5) Elisa Billings, Heidi Holzer, and Peggy Kebabian (6) New England Home’s Kathy Bush Dutton
and Roberta Thomas Mancuso flank Sarah Shaw (7) Kyle Hoepner and Ann Fitzgerald
Should your party be here? Send photographs or high-resolution images, with information about the event and the people in the photos, to New England Home, 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302, Boston, MA 02118, or e-mail images and information to lsimonton@nehomemag.com. 110 New England Home Connecticut summer 2014
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www.tiefenthaler.com 203-857-0055
creating distinctive landscapes ARTEMIS landscape architects, inc. | 203.683.1808 | www.artemisLA.com
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6/10/14 3:37 PM
Design Life
1
2
3
4
SUSANnA SALK BOOK SIGNING
(1) David Whitman, Susanna Salk, and John Truex (2) Ashley Goodale and Toni Goodale (3) Susanna Salk and Jane Scott Hodges (4) Suzanne
DECORATIVE CRAFTS
Decorative Crafts’s fourth-generation owner, Matt Cohn, gave leading Connecticut interior designers a private tour of the Greenwich company’s showroom and warehouse, treating guests to a look at the company’s latest collections of beautiful lighting and handcrafted furniture.
Cassano and Dana Schulman
(1) Jan Hiltz and Michael Popowitz (2) Amy Aidinis Hirsch and New
England Home’s Stacy Kunstel (3) Connie Cooper, Victoria
Vandamm, and Carey Karlan 1
2
3
1
2
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4
5
Heidi Holzer Garden Party
Lily & Camelia Photography
Heidi Holzer opened her beautiful Redding home for a cocktail party in her gardens that doubled as a networking event and the chance to learn about the decorative painting artistry Holzer and her team create.
Lily & Camelia Photography
Privet House, in New Preston, Connecticut, made a lovely backdrop for a book signing by Susanna Salk. Salk signed copies of her new book, Decorate Fearlessly: Using Whimsy, Confidence, and a Dash of Surprise to Create Deeply Personal Spaces. The book focuses on creating a home that celebrates personal style.
(1) John Kebabian, Maria Sanders, and Connie Giuliani (2) Jon Brodeur and Kevin Huelster (3) Sharon McCormick and Jan Hiltz (4) Dotsie
Doran, Heidi Holzer, and Nicole Charney (5) Susan Thompson, Patricia Miller, and Scott Dunphy
Guests at NuKitchens’s private concert series enjoyed cocktails and mingling with local designers, architects, and builders while acclaimed pianist Mark Naftalin entertained the crowd.
1
2
3
NuKitchens Concert Series
(1) Mark Naftalin and Joe Najmy (2) Victoria Vandamm and Lynn Garelick (3) Tegan Conlon
and David Newcomb
112 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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S I M P L I F I E D
W I N D O W
E L E G A N C E
• Superior craftsmanship of all custom drapery and soft window shade styles • Access to Premier manufacturers of wood and textile window shades, blinds & shutters • Ultimate source for iron and wood drapery hardware at exceptional prices • Expert Complimentary Consultations • Professional Installation & Measurement Services • Full-line of Upholstery Services
CUSTOM DRAPERIES AND SHADES LLC Stamford | 203.724.9500 | AJDraperies@gmail.com
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6/13/14 5:30 PM
Trade Notes
New and noteworthy happenings in the Connecticut design business
by paula M. Bodah
CHARLES HILTON ARCHITECTS
After several fun and successful years as a partner in La Grange de Silvermine, Sybille Campbell has branched off on her own to form La Grange de S., an interiordesign boutique and online shop. Campbell specializes in refurbishing furniture, and also offers design consulting and staging services. And her new online boutique offers a wide range of furniture, art, accessories, and more for the home. New Canaan, (917) 678-3861, lagrangeds.com
We all remember the powerful and moving “Towers of Light” memorial that pierced the sky on the site that had once held the twin towers of the World Trade Center. To honor the thirty-two people with ties to Greenwich who died in the attacks of September 11, 2001, the town plans to open and dedicate a September 11th memorial early next year. Designed by Charles Hilton Architects, the new memorial uses glass towers to represent those beams of light, capturing their spirit in permanent form. The memorial will stand in a new Cos Cob park designed by Doyle Herman Design Associates. To find out how you can help with the project, call David Rabin. Greenwich,
Greenwich’s historic post office, a neoclassical beauty built in 1917, has a new life as the home of Restoration Hardware’s RH Greenwich gallery. Architect Frank J. Prial Jr., an associate partner at Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, a firm with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C., spearheaded the renovation and conversion of the lovely old building. The building’s exterior has been completely restored, while the interior has been re-imagined and a second-story conservatory and rooftop park have been added. Even the old loading dock has been reconceived, now serving as a garden courtyard and entrance. Greenwich, (203)
(203) 253-1192, sept11memorialgreenwich.org
552-1040, restorationhardware.com
Drew Clark
New in Darien is Post Modern Home, a retail shop opened by former adman Drew Clark. A collaborative of artisans who specialize in lacquered furniture and restoration serves as the in-house supply chain for the 5,000-square-foot showroom filled with vintage pieces that have been restored. Clark’s own apt description of his place? “Cool stuff nobody else has.”
If anyone is qualified to teach us how to decorate our homes with abandon, it’s Susanna Salk. The creative and prolific interior designer and author is at it again in her latest book, Decorate Fearlessly: Using Whimsy, Confidence, and a Dash of Surprise to Create Deeply Personal Spaces. Salk, whose own home in Roxbury was featured in New England Home last fall, believes it’s important to have a solid foundation in design—from traditional to bohemian—but it’s self-expression that moves her. This book celebrates the element of surprise in some of her favorite designers’ rooms. It’s both beautiful and personal. $45, through Rizzoli, rizzoliusa.com
Darien, (203) 202-9647, postmodernhome.com keep in touch Help us keep our fingers on the pulse of Connecticut’s design community. Send your news to pbodah@nehomemag.com. 114 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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Mid Century Modern Antiques Furniture Décor
Fleur De Lis Antiques and Decor
4 Long Ridge Rd Redding CT 06896 203-664-1673 www.1stdibs.com/ dealers/fleur-de-lis/ www.fleurdelisct.com Thursday-Saturday 11-5
G L O BA L C H IC 203.221.2411 | WESTPORT W W W. O L G A A D L E R I N T E R I O R S . C O M by appointment only
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6/13/14 12:59 PM
Trade Notes
If you’ve thought of joining the growing legions of people who keep honeybees, Homefront Farmers can get you started. The company, which designs, constructs, and maintains organic vegetable gardens for homeowners who want to live a bit closer to the land, now offers hive setup and beekeeping services. They’ll train you to take care of your own bees, or do it for you, even extracting the honey when it’s time. Ridgefield, (203) 470-3655, homefrontfarmers.com
Designer Gilles Clement of House of Clement is having a busy year. He recently renovated a midcentury commercial building in Fairfield to serve as a warehouse and as the corporate offices of one of the company’s upcoming ventures, an e-commerce website. Meanwhile, Gilles Clement Gallery is slated to open in Westport sometime this summer. Clement describes it as a pop-art and urban-art gallery featuring original works by new artists from the U.S. and around the world. As if that’s not enough to keep him and his staff busy, plans are afoot clement for House of Clement Boutique Concept, a 2,500-squarefoot Fairfield showroom of furniture, vintage pieces, and unique accessories. Westport, (203) 349-5300, hocparis.com
Designer Terri Ricci has decided to put her two decades of experience in interior architecture, decorative arts, and detailing to work in a new venture: her own interior design business, Terri Ricci Interiors. Ricci, a former senior interior design associate at Ike Kligerman Barkley Architects, in New York City, also worked with the late, legendary designer Naomi Leff and New York designer Samuel Botero. Her design portfolio includes the interiors of homes for a number of high-profile folks in entertainment and business all over the U.S., and her work has been featured several times in Architectural Digest.
Ricci
Westport, (203) 979-0707, terriricci.com
RESIDENTIAL
COMMERCIAL
RENOVATIONS
design .inspired. KATHL EEN MORRONE , IDS, HIC INTE RIOR DE SIGN 203.267.6209 | morronestudioindesign.com | southbury, ct 116 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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8TH ANNUAL
NEW ENGLAND
DESIGN
Jeremy Bittermann
Berkshire Wilton_CT-FAL13_.5v_v1:BerkshireWilton-CTWIN13
HALL OF FAME Awards & Gala
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday, November 5, 2014 See the September–October issue of New England Home for more information or visit nehomemag.com/nedhof
GOLD SPONSOR
H O S P I TA L I T Y S P O N S O R
BESPOKE SPONSOR
ARCHITECTURAL WOODWORKERS
T H E G R E AT G I V E AWAY S P O N S O R
PHOTOGRAPHY SPONSOR
COCKTAIL SPONSOR
BRONZE SPONSOR
2014 Record House JONATHAN WALLEN PHOTOGRAPHY
HOSTED BY
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A portion of ticket proceeds will go to the New England Design Hall of Fame Scholarship Fund
15 River Road, Suite 225 | Wilton, CT 203.761.9943 | www.berkshireconstruction.com
6/11/14 12:52 PM
9/12
New in the Showrooms
Unique, beautiful, and now appearing in Connecticut’s shops and showrooms
The Right Angle Multiple rectangles in varying sizes are combined to create the stunning Metro Rectangular Chandelier from Currey & Company, at Connecticut Lighting Center. The gold finish is right on trend, and the contemporary yet timeless design means this lighting works in spaces classic to modern. Hartford, (860) 249-7631, ctlighting.com
Sculptural Simplicity The latest result of a ten-year collaboration between Waterworks and Shelton, Mindel & Associates is Formwork. The line takes the most functional of objects and reduces them to their simplest, most beautiful forms. The washbasin, shown here, appears to float on air. Greenwich, (203) 869-7766, waterworks.com
Snaking Along Animals—whether real or decorative—continue to be desirable additions to the home. We’re guessing that the snake trend will remain ornamental. The beautiful movement of the snake depicted on this simple white pitcher is created by Vermont artist Laura Zindel and is exclusive in Litchfield County to J. Seitz. New Preston, (860) 868-0119, jseitz.com
Vintage Modern Midcentury modern is the girl everyone wants at the party these days. This beautiful rosewood dresser designed by Edmund J. Spence is worthy of the grandest gala. Unusual exposed frames and curved drawer fronts make this piece, at Stamford Modern, a standout. Stamford, (203) 550-5949, stamfordmodern.com
Handcrafted Charmer The Climbing Vine serving bowl from Terrain in Westport is handcrafted exclusively for the luxe home-andgardening lifestyle retailer by a South African design collective. Adorned with sweet persimmon-colored flowers, the bowl will add a cheery note to your summer buffet. Westport, (203) 226-2750, shopterrain.com
Shell Seeker The beautiful doors of the Serena Cabinet from Oly, available at Pimlico, are fabricated from buffed and polished capiz shells framed in antique gold. Storage has never looked so good! New Canaan, (203) 972-8166, pimlicohome.com 118 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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To The Trade Only 652 Glenbrook Road, Stamford, CT 06906 | T: (203) 358-0818 F: (203) 602-7738 E: info@wakefielddesigncenter.com | wakefielddesigncenter.com
Save the Date
November 13, 2014
To The Trade Only Day Featuring the latest trends in home furnishings, new product introductions, lectures, CEU’s, book signings, portfolio reviews and more‌
PRESENTE D BY:
CONNECTICUT
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FO R M O R E I N FO R M ATI O N :
Wakefield Design Center 652 Glenbrook Road | Stamford, CT 203-358-0818 wakefielddesigncenter.com
6/13/14 12:35 PM
New in the Showrooms
Go Greek It’s Greek to Me, one of the latest patterns from Phillip Jeffries available at the Darien Design Center, is a fresh take on the timeless Greek key design. Printed on natural fibers, the paper is delightfully textural. Darien, (203) 6558739, dariendesigncenter.com
Absolutely Alluring AKDO Allure brings glamour to your kitchen backsplash or your bathroom. Natural stone is adorned with mirror and blends of bronze, silver, or pewter to create a mosaic that is simply stunning. Bridgeport, (203) 336-5199, akdo.com
Garden Party Pretty and feminine, the Parsons desk in Jardin Bleu from Corbett Wright envelops the standard Parsons desk in birds and blooms. The desk is a lovely spot to pen a note, or use it in the dressing room as a vanity. Available to the trade, (203) 247-2455, corbettwright.com
Nesting Instincts Viscosity’s Birds Nest Bubble Bowls are just one of the many unique finds at Axel Interiors. The handcrafted bowls are a stand-alone work of art but can certainly be pressed into service to display treasured objects. Norwalk, (203) 299-3155, axelinteriors.com
Hopping Along Roberta Roller Rabbit, known for its spirited textiles, has just opened a shop in Greenwich. We have our eye on the vast selection of colorful, lightweight quilts. Hand-quilted and made of 100 percent cotton, these are the perfect topper for a summer bed. Greenwich, (203) 869-1969, robertarollerrabbit.com
Cool by the Pool Boldly graphic and striking in appearance, Vista from Gloster makes an ultra-chic style statement. The crisp white outdoor furniture, found at The Patio Shoppe, has a powder-coated aluminum frame and is topped with comfy weatherproof cushions. Looks like the perfect spot for enjoying a summer cocktail! Wilton, (203) 5447022, patioshoppe.net
—Lynda Simonton 120 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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Bring the Seaside Inside
Eco-Elegant interiors by Dujardin Design. Creating rooms as crisp and natural as the ocean breeze that inspires them. Trudy Dujardin, ASID, LEED Accredited Professional +ID + C
The 81st A nnuAl
508.228.1120 Nantucket, MA. | 203.838.8100 Westport, CT. | dujardindesign.com
Craftsmen’s
August 2-10, 2014
Mount Sunapee Resort Newbury, NH
Craftsmen’s Fair Hours 10AM - 5PM Daily, August 2-10
fair
Where design and passion inspire our lives. Over 200 Exhibitors | Demonstrations Workshops | Exhibitions | Activities for kids Free Parking and more!
Late Night Thursday Open until 8 pm, August 7 Special Event Collectors’ Sprint! Special ticket 9-10 am Opening Day, August 2 For details and tickets
www.nhcrafts.org Visit our Fine Craft Galleries: Center Sandwich | Concord | Hanover | Littleton | Meredith | Nashua | North Conway
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Rings by Rick Elkin
6/10/14 3:38 PM
com, through Lee Jofa, leejofa.com; sconce by
Page 74: Drawing Room Blue wall paint by Farrow
Circa lighting, circalighting.com; rug by Ruggles
& Ball; bed from Serena and Lily serenaandlily.com;
Workroom.
bedside tables from Bungalow 5, bungalow5.com;
Page 69: Nineteenth-century Oushak carpet from
marble base lamps from Design Within Reach;
Beauvais Carpets, beauvaiscarpets.com; sofas
bedding from John Robshaw; white leather poufs
OUTSIDE INTEREST: NATURAL SELECTION PAGES 30–33
by Verellen verellenhc.com; paisley pillow fabric
from John Derian, johnderian.com; carpet from
by Muriel Brandolini through Holland & Sherry,
Ruggles Workroom.
hollandandsherry.com; silk drapery fabric from
Page 75: Headboard fabric from Elizabeth Eakins,
Cowtan & Tout, cowtan.com, with trim by Samuel
elizabetheakins.com; bedding from Fig Linens,
Landscape architect:
& Sons, samuelandsons.com; lamp from Dovecote,
figlinens.com; side table from Mecox Gardens,
Susan Cohen, Susan
dovecote-westport.com.
mecoxgardens.com; ottoman fabric from Rogers &
Cohen Landscape
Page 70: Grasscloth wallcovering from Stark,
Goffigon through Delany & Long; silk carpet from
Architect, Riverside,
starkcarpet.com; Elephant’s Breath ceiling paint
Patterson, Flynn & Martin, pattersonflynnmartin.
(203) 637-4225, susancohenlandscapes.com
by Farrow & Ball; window-seat paisley fabric by
com; Palest Pistachio wall paint by Benjamin
Architect: Ira Grandberg, Grandberg & Associates
Plumwich/J.A Design Studio, jadesignstudio.
Moore; master bath Bunny Gray wall paint
Architects, Mt. Kisco, N.Y., (914) 242-0033,
com; silk woven ikat chair fabric by Andrew
from Benjamin Moore; heated towel bar from
grandbergarchitects.com
Martin, andrewmartin.co.uk; sofa fabric by Raoul
Waterworks, waterworks.com; pendant light fixture
Landscape contractor: Sam Bridge Nursery
Textiles, raoultextiles.com, through John Rosselli,
from Circa Lighting; vintage marble-top bench from
& Greenhouses, Greenwich, (203) 869-3418,
johnrosselli.com; teak cocktail table by Central
Hiden Galleries, hidengalleries.com; sheepskin rug
sambridge.com
Station, centralstationinteriors.com; bronze and
from Savavieh Home, savaviehhome.com.
Mason: Anthony Luppino, Luppino Landscaping,
stone pedestal side table from Circa Antiques;
Pound Ridge, N.Y., (914) 764-9333,
vintage upholstered benches by Townhouse
luppinolandscape.com
Finds and Designs; pillows by John Robshaw,
GOOD GRACIOUS PAGES 76–83
Resources A guide to the products and professionals in this issue’s featured homes
johnrobshaw.com; blanket by Hermes, hermes.
Interior designers: John
MASTER OF UNDERSTATEMENT PAGES 66–75
com; jute rug by Ruggles Workroom.
Roch and Gary Chase,
Page 71: Cherry parquet-top breakfast table,
Roch & Chase Interiors,
pair of tufted dining benches, and Gainsborough
Fairfield, (203) 256-
Architect: Sean O’Kane,
side chairs all through Alton House by Mark
0558, rci-design.com
Sean O’Kane Architects,
Williams, markjwilliamsdesign.com/altonhouse;
Landscape designer:
Ridgefield, (203) 438-
Jasper by Michael S Smith chair fabric through
Susan Robinson, Susan Robinson & Associates,
4208, sokaia.com
John Rosselli; Limoges bench fabric by Classic
Georgetown, (203) 544-9879
Cloth through Dessin Fournir, dessinfournir.com;
Upholstery/drapery workroom: Custom Interiors
Julie Nightingale, Rowayton, (203) 246-9235,
Serena drum pendant light fixture by Oly Studio,
Shops, Stamford, (203) 975-9927
julienightingaledesign.com
olystudio.com; Simply White wall and trim paint
Kitchen designer: Sabine Godden, SKS
and Decorator’s White ceiling paint from Benjamin
Page 78: Grey Owl wall color, Monterey White
Design, Lakeville, Mass., (508) 947-4427,
Moore, benjaminmoore.com; library Madagascar
trim, and Sweet Bluette ceiling color by Benjamin
skskitchendesignstudio.com
grasscloth wallcovering by Hinson, hinsonco.com;
Moore, benjaminmoore.com; chandelier from
Builder: Fox Hill Builders, Darien, (203) 655-9046,
ceiling light fixture and sconces by Circa Lighting;
Martell & Suffin Antiques, (203) 263-1913; custom
foxhillbuilders.com
sofa by George Smith in Rogers & Goffigon velvet
table from New England Historical Connection,
Landscape designer: Tim Paterson, Highland
through Delany & Long, delanyandlong.com;
nehistoricalconnection.com; dining chairs from
Design, Pound Ridge, N.Y., (914) 764-5480,
George Smith club chairs covered in Fez by China
Black Swan Antiques, dutchantiquetiles.com, with
highlanddesigngardens.com
Seas, quadrille.com; suede ottoman cocktail table
fabric from Rogers & Goffigon, (203) 532-8068; rug
Window treatments and bedding: Petrone’s
by Oly Studio; vintage corner chair by Townhouse
from Stark, starkcarpet.com; hutch from Millhouse
Custom Windows, Shelton, (203) 926-8483
Finds and Designs; diamond-patterned sisal carpet
Antiques, millhouseantiquesandgardens.com.
Upholstery workroom: Giorgio’s Upholstery,
from Stark.
Page 79: Moss Trellis foyer wallpaper from Cole
Norwalk, (203) 846-1112, giorgiosupholstery.com
Page 72: Wicker sofa and chairs from Restoration
& Son through Lee Jofa, leejofa.com; lantern
Hardware, with textured linen cushion fabric by
chandelier from RTfacts, rtfacts.com; planter from
Pages 66–67: Antique Swedish daybed by
Perennials, perennialsfabrics.com; teak cocktail
Jennings & Rohn, jenningsandrohnantiques.com;
Circa Antiques. circaantiques.com; wall sconces
table from Restoration Hardware; iron lanterns
sofa and lounge chairs from Baker, bakerfurniture.
by Niermann Weeks, niermannweeks.com;
from English Country Antiques, ecantiques.com;
com; sofa fabric from Brunschwig & Fils,
bench in alcove from Antique & Artisan Center,
sconces from Bevolo, bevolo.com; kitchen counter
brunschwig.com; white and floral lounge chair
stamfordantiques.com, covered in Celerie Kemble
stools by Holly Hunt, hollyhunt.com; wall paint by
fabrics from Lee Jofa; rug from Stark; demilunes,
fabric by Schumacher, fschumacher.com; stair
Farrow & Ball, farrow-ball.com; Silver Cloud ceiling
table lamps, and chandelier from Millhouse
carpet by Ruggles Workroom, Stamford, (203)
paint by Benjamin Moore; cabinet hardware from
Antiques; coffee table/chest from Black Swan
357-1928; upholstered X bench from Restoration
Nanz, nanz.com.
Antiques.
Hardware, restorationhardware.com; upholstered
Page 73: Skimming Stone wall paint by Farrow
Page 80: Porch furniture from Palecek,
vintage bergere chair from Townhouse Finds and
& Ball; pendant light fixture from Design Within
palecek.com, with Kravet fabric, kravet.
Designs, Darien, (203) 807-2060; Thistle ceiling
Reach, dwr.com; Lee Industries sofa from
com; hanging lantern and sconces from New
light fixture by Niermann Weeks.
Lillian August, lillianaugust.com; teak coffee
England Historical Connection; table lamps from
Page 68: Eleanora wallpaper by Zoffany, zoffany.
table and bronze side table from Jonathan
Millhouse Antiques; dining table and chairs from
com; Light Gray ceiling paint by Farrow & Ball,
Adler, jonathanadler.com; custom slipper chairs
Millhouse Antiques; dining bench from New
farrow-ball.com; chandelier by Niermann Weeks;
upholstered in Muriel Brandolini fabric through
England Historical Connection; French Vanilla
Belgrave mahogany radial-leaf dining table
Holland & Sherry; wool dhurrie carpet from West
countertop marble from Ann Sacks, annsacks.
by Holland & Company, hollandandcompany.
Elm, westelm.com.
com; sconces from Greenwich Metal Finishing,
Interior designer:
122 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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Custom Homes Renovations Estate Care FAIRFIELD & WESTCHESTER COUNTIES
203-227-4134
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Resources
greenwichmetalfinishing.com; art over fireplace from Millhouse Antiques.
nehomemag.com The destination for design inspiration
Page 81: Poolside furniture from Country Casual, countrycasual.com. Page 82: Egerton wallpaper from Cole & Son through Lee Jofa; roman-shade fabric from Rogers & Goffigon; chairs from Baker with fabric by Lee Jofa; sofa from Billy Baldwin Studio, billybaldwinstudio.com, with fabric from Rogers & Goffigon; vintage table lamps from Martell & Suffin Antiques; bird prints from The Old Print Shop, oldprintshop.com; rug from Stark; headboard fabric from Rogers & Goffigon; night table from Country Swedish, countryswedish.com; sofa side table from Black Swan Antiques. Page 83: Acadia White wall color and Prescott Green trim from Benjamin Moore; limestone floor from Ann Sacks; Calacatta marble vanity counter
TRENT BELL
from Ann Sacks; sconces from Circa Lighting, circalighting.com. IN A PERFECT WORLD PAGES 84–91 Interior designer: Amy Aidinis Hirsch, Greenwich, (203) 6611266, aahirsch.com Architect: David Beckwith and Samuel Fitzgerald, BD Design Group, Greenwich, (203) 983-6083; bddesigngroup.com Builder/millworker/cabinetmaker: Julio DiBiase, Dibico Construction, Greenwich, (203) 618-1219 Page 84: Danieli light from Niermann Weeks, niermannweeks.com; James dining chairs from Reagan Hayes, reaganhayes.com, with fabric from Lee Jofa, leejofa.com; Napoli table by Nancy Corzine, nancycorzine.com; custom Earlham handpainted wall panels from de Gournay, degournay. com. Page 85, 87: Toledo light fixture from Vaughan Designs, vaughandesigns.com; double-arm bobble-bracket sconces from Charles Edwards, charlesedwards.com; Stanton sofa from Jerry Pair, jerrypair.com; slipper chairs from Nancy Corzine; sofa and chair fabric from Clarence House, clarencehouse.com; window treatment fabric from Claremont, claremontfurnishing.com; small William Kent armchair from Jasper, jasperchair.com, in leather from Cortina, cortinaleathers.com; hand-
• Keep up with the editors of New England Home on their blog as they report on the latest happenings in the New England design community.
knotted area rug from J.D. Staron, jdstaron.com; foyer light fixture from Ochre, ochre.net; Nelson bench from Dessin Fournir, dessinfournir.com. Pages 88–89: Area rug from Shyam Ahuja, shyamahuja.com; Wine Barrel two-tier chandelier
• Our exclusive “Online Design Center” service lets you connect with the very best interior designers, landscape professionals, builders and more.
from Restoration Hardware, restorationhardware. com; custom sofa, ottoman, and window seat by Amy Aidinis Hirsch; sofa fabric from Browning & Chandler, browningandchandler.com; ottoman fabric from Jasper; wing chair from Lee Industries, leeindustries.com, with fabric from Zoffany,
124 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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“I love my work because it is so personal. Designing a house means creating a warm, gracious, and inviting home for my clients, combining function and exciting design with that elusive quality—charm— so rare in today’s homes.”
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Ad Index
Resources
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zoffany.com; Pheasant Feather lamps from Bunny Williams, bunnywilliams.com; sunroom chairs and ottoman by Amy Aidinis Hirsch; chair and ottoman fabrics from Perennials perennialsfabric.com. Page 90: Light fixtures from Urban Archaeology, urbanarchaeology.com; custom St. Cloud Bistro bar stool from TK Collections, tkcollections.com; Saturn light in master bath from Vaughan Designs; tile from Greenwich Tile, greenwichtileandmarblect. com; fixtures by Waterworks, waterworks.com. Page 91: Three-tier Arctic Pear chandelier from Ochre; custom Gustavian bench from Chelsea Editions, chelseatextiles.com, in fabric by C&C, cec-milano.com; chair fabric from Creation Baumann, creationbaumann.com; window treatment fabric from Holland & Sherry, hollandandsherry.com; custom stencil floor by Amy Aidinis Hirsch. SPECIAL FOCUS: KITCHEN DESIGN PAGES 92–99 Pages 92–93: Kitchen designer: Veronica Campbell, Deane, Stamford, (203) 3277008, and New Canaan,
A YEAR OF LUXURY AND STYLE FOR ONLY $15.95!
(203) 972-8836, kitchensbydeane.com; interior designer: Karen Perry, Karen Perry Designs, Darien, (203) 912-0173; architect: Robert A. Cardello Architects, South Norwalk, (203) 853-2524, cardelloarchitects.com; builder: Robert Liesegang, Liesegang Building & Remodeling, Ridgefield, (203) 438-4634, liesegangbuilding.com; tile consultant: Kate Donofree, AKDO, Bridgeport, (203) 336-5199, akdo.com. Pages 94–95: Kitchen designer: Rebecca Reynolds, New Canaan Kitchens, Hamden, (203) 972-8300, newcanaankitchens.com; architect: Andrew Nuzzi, Andrew Nuzzi Architects, Stamford, (203) 327-7950; builder: Construction Management Group, New Canaan, (203) 966-
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3388, cmgbuilders.com. Pages 96–97: Design and construction: NuKitchens, Norwalk, (203) 831-9000, nukitchens. com. Pages 98–99: Interior designer: Jan Hiltz, Jan Hiltz Interiors, Westport, (203) 331-5578, janhilzinteriorsllc.com; kitchen design consultant: Rami Afifi Home, New York City, (888) 426-8188, ramiafifihome.com; architecture and construction: Raymond Design Builders, Fairfield, (203) 2561246, raymonddesignbuilders.com. • /////// New England Home Connecticut, Summer 2014 © 2014 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., 2 Sun Court NW, Suite 300, Norcross, GA 30092, (678) 346–9300.
A helpful resource for finding the advertisers featured in this issue A&J Custom Draperies and Shades 113 Advanced Home Audio 10 Amy Aidinis Hirsch 2–3 Artemis Landscape Architects 111 Austin Ganim Landscape Design, LLC 105 Axel Interiors 44 Back Bay Shutter Co., Inc. 8 Berkshire Wilton Partners 117 Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens 46–47 Casa Design 48–49 Charles Hilton Architects 37 Coldwell Banker Previews International 101 Connie Giuliani, Inc. 33 Construction Management Group 9 Cote Est Decor 102 Country Club Homes 20 Daniel Conlon Architects 109 DEANE–Rooms Everlasting 50–51 Douglas VanderHorn Architects 28 The Drawing Room 25 Dujardin Design Associates, Inc. 121 Emme inside back cover Erskine Middeleer Associates 27 Fairfield County Antique and Design Center 43 Finished in Fabric, LLC 123 Fleur De Lis 115 Fox Hill Builders 19 Freddy’s Landscape Company 113 Front Row Kitchens 52–53 Gault Stone and Energy 54–55 Heidi Holzer Design and Decorative Work 38 Homefront Farmers 4–5 Huelster Design Studio, LLC 56–57 InnerSpace Electronics 39 J. Namnoun Oriental Rug Gallery inside front cover Jan Hiltz Interiors 109 Kebabian’s 13 Klaff’s back cover League of N.H. Craftsmen 121 Lillian August 21 Linda Ruderman Interiors 41 The Linen Shop 107 Mar Silver Design 6–7 Marianne Donahue Interiors 34 Marvin Gardens 29 Michael Smith Architects 15 Morrone Studio Indesign 116 Mr. Showerdoor 40 NuKitchens 58–59 Olga Adler Interiors 115 Patricia M. Miller Residential Design, LLC 125 Post Modern Home 102 Rebecca Reynolds—New Canaan Kitchens 60–61 Rinfret Design Limited 17 Robert Cardello Architects 22 Robert Dean Architects 18 Roch & Chase Interiors 43 Rowayton Seafood 100 Runtal North America 23 S&W Building and Remodeling 107 Sarah Blank Design Studio 62–63 Seventy Acres Landscape Architecture and Design 125 Sharon McCormick Design, LLC 64 Shope Reno Wharton 1 Tiefenthaler, Inc. 111 The Ultimate Bath Store 14 United Illuminating 105 VA Solutions Construction Group 35 Wakefield Design Center 119 Woodmeister Master Builders 31 Wright Building Company 123
126 New England Home Connecticut SUMMER 2014
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5under40-CTSUM13:5under40-JA12
6/5/14
6:05 PM
Page 1
CELEBRATE THE NEXT GENERATION IN DESIGN
September 11, 2014
GREGORY H. EHRMAN architecture
ALEC TESA architecture
JILL GOLDBERG interiors
J. BRANDON JONES landscape design
PAULINE CURTISS specialty design
AWARDS
Join us as we honor tomorrow's design stars at the fifth annual 5UNDER40 awards! Great food, fun and cocktails will make it a night you won't want to miss, and rugs designed by the winners will be auctioned off for charity. The Galleria at 333 Stuart Street, Boston | Event starts at 6:30pm Tickets $45 in advance | $55 at the door (cash only) Tickets now on sale at nehomemag.com/5UNDER40
Presenting Sponsor
Photography Sponsor
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Sketch Pad
Design ideas in the making
The living room of an apartment I worked on recently needed a rug that expanded the boundaries of the narrow space and complemented the streamlined art deco style we were striving for. Research into period rugs resulted in a rectilinear pattern, rich textures, high-contrast colors, and bold geometric shapes—all typical of the time. The key was avoiding a symmetrical border, in order to expand the space rather than define it. We worked closely with Jakub Staron, owner of J.D. Staron in Stamford, who was able to tinker with the rug’s dimensions, using a stylus to draw on the computer and help us visualize the effect of even small changes in scale and dimension. We then had several strike-offs made to perfect the colors and the ratio of wool to silk. Such a collaborative process ensured that there were no surprises, and the result was exactly what we hoped for! The modern sketch pad is often a computer, but that doesn’t take away from the artistry or input of designers. In this case, the computer helped us translate the dimensions of the rug into a completely different scale. Carey Karlan, Last Detail Interior Design, Darien, (203) 921-5151, careykarlan.com
128 New England Home Connecticut Summer 2014
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