Classical Meets Deco

KNOF Design created an elegant and layered interiors scheme which merges classic French interiors with the geometry of Art Deco for a six bedroomed property in New Jersey for a couple, one half of which was designer, Susan Knof’s, long-term friend

Photographs by Sean Litchfield

In the informal and intimate family room, there is a comfortable Poliform Bristol sofa designed by Jean-Marie Massaud upholstered in Paris Avorio fabric

Knof Design has recently created an elegant, colourful and layered interiors scheme for a family home merging a recently-married couple’s tastes - classic French interiors and the geometry of art deco. The six-bed property in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey is part of a lakeside community located in the Manhattan commuter belt.

The project also had an emotional element for founder and creative director Susan Knof, as one half of the client couple is a long-time friend. In addition, the scheme wasn’t just an interior for the couple, but also their six children from their first marriages, as well their newborn baby son.

The interiors brief was fairly minimal, with the couple entrusting Susan to work with the property’s scale and dimensions while combining their personal tastes, including her preference for French furniture and his for the lines and geometry of art deco. ‘The answer was to treat both influences with a light touch,’ Susan says, ‘so that the scheme avoided clashes of style or any kind of obvious, themed look and maintained a cohesive feel throughout. The two preferences are present instead in material choices, such as the use of slick mirrored furniture, particularly in the master bedroom, strong geometric framed-furniture in some instances, glamorous chandeliers and distressed timber finishes.’

Both formal receiving rooms feature highly-polished existing timber flooring, with new overlaid rugs and stunning woven silk wall coverings from Philip Jeffries. A circular coffee table with a polished-brass frame and black marble top is the Camilla by OKL, whilst a narrow, Margo Scalloped Console against the back wall is in hand-forged steel with a gold leaf coating and mirrored glass top and was manufactured to bespoke dimensions to fit the wall recess perfectly.

Elsewhere there are personal touches from the clients. The portrait of the reclining lady above the console in the living room couldn’t have been a better choice. Her green and blue outfit fits perfectly with the scheme and the antique frame adds contrast to the room’s contemporary furnishings.

The formal dining room has at its centre a Torano marble rectangular dining table with a white marble top and burnished brass base from Restoration Hardware. The eye is also drawn to the back of the room and its standout piece of furniture: a backlit, gold-leafed Preview - a gilt display cabinet with an LED-lit, ivory painted interior and four framed and glass-inset adjustable shelves, plus a striking scalloped gold pattern to the glass doors.

London interior designer and Founder and Creative Director of Knof Design, Susan Knof, is a long-term friend of one half of this couple client

The third major living space is a more intimate family room, which looks out onto the back lawns. The plan here had to be very functional to encompass all the family at leisure time and is centred around an enormous sofa - the Poliform Bristol Sofa designed by Jean-Marie Massaud and upholstered in Paris Avorio with integrated table in Cenere oak. ‘The slightly rustic flavour to this room was a conscious decision’, Susan explains, ‘so that it would work with the stone-framed fireplace, which was inherited and deemed too costly to replace.’

Finally, while in the children’s bedrooms the theme is fun, with film posters, toy baskets and playful letters and patterns, it is in the master bedroom that the nods to the couple’s influences are most strongly evident. There is mirrored-accent furniture including an Amelie Mirrored Console in hardwood with mirrored veneers, as well as mirrored bedside tables from Z Galleries. These feature hand-applied silver leaf and silver beaded trim, whilst the drawers are accented with brushed silver hardware. The diamond-patterned rug over the polished timber flooring was custom-made by Stark Carpets, whilst the linen-upholstered Bed Blanka has an antique whitewashed finish and a grey velvet RH Lous Bench ottoman at its foot.

In the formal living room, a floor-standing screen by Argento features four panels and is decorated sans traverse with Japanese flying cranes.

The master bedroom has a distinct deco feel with mirrored-accent furniture including an Amelie Mirrored Console in hardwood with mirrored veneers.

A grand piano is positioned next to the fireplace in the formal living room.

The young daughter’s room features a textured purple and pink colourway