THREAD™ B Y S T U D I O 8 8 2 ®
THREAD ™
SPRING SUMMER 2019
THE INTERIOR DESIGN MAGAZINE FROM STUDIO 882®
FABRIC & FURNITURE you should be buying now!
6 DESIGN LESSONS from Mary McDonald
VACATION BLISS
on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
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TAKE A PEEK...
inside our favorite homes (like this one at The Barclay on Rittenhouse Square)
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Studio 882 | Luxury Furniture Showroom & Design Services 101 APPLIED BANK BLVD., GLEN MILLS, PA 19342 • 610. 314.8820 • STUDIO-882 .COM
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Home...
designed for you There are no shortcuts when it comes to quality or craftsmanship. Let Studio 882 help you create the home of your dreams with our curated, customizable selection of furniture styles. Whether you’re looking for a few pieces of furniture to complete your home or a full service interior design experience, we offer quick, easy floor planning that takes out the guess work, personal shopping, and white glove delivery. We promise your home will be as fashionable as it is functional.
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Luxury
made to be lived in™ Heirloom-quality furniture for every taste and style Unrivaled customer service
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CONTENTS
Spring/Summer 2019
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High Impact The New Old Farmhouse, Family House Serenity on Sanibel Island Blues Keys Design Queen Big Style, Smaller Space
100 A Place Like Home 108 Tipping the Scales
114 Under the Sycamore Tree
ON THE COVER Modern touches by designers Cate Lownes and Mia Miller of EM Interiors accentuate the architectural details of a condo at The Barclay on Rittenhouse Square.
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CONTENTS
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Spring/Summer 2019
Departments 8
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Welcome Letter By the Yard Old-World Charm Statement Storage Sweet Dreams Designer Spotlight: Mary McDonald Kitchen Confidential
126 Jewels for the Soul
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128 Learning Curves
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THREAD ™
BY STUDIO 882®
101 Applied Bank Blvd., Glen Mills, PA 19342 Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. studio-882.com
Editorial Director
KATIE GROVES Editor in Chief
RITA GUARNA Creative Director
STEPHEN M. VITARBO Senior Editor
DARIA MEOLI Senior Associate Editor
WELCOME TO OUR Six years ago, we started Studio 882 Furniture + Design with a very specific goal in mind—to be one of the only places where designers and consumers alike can shop for heirloom quality furniture from trusted brands across a broad range of styles. Our focus is on “good design,” and at Studio 882 that has always meant well-designed products, quality interior design services and an inspiring furniture showroom. But over the years, this focus on “good design” has broadened and taken on a life of its own. As we’ve grown in the local community, our to-the-trade program has also grown, and we’ve had an up-close-and-personal view of the work done by amazing architects, home builders and interior designers. Most of all, we get to work with customers from all over the area whose rich and diverse styles inspire us on a daily basis. There is good—actually, great—design happening all around us every day, and we think it’s time the greater Philadelphia area has its own home décor and design magazine—one full of local content because local sources are the richest sources for inspiration and information. So, we started THREAD magazine. Our goal is simply to curate great content about interior design that you will want to read.
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PREMIERE ISSUE
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With each issue of THREAD, we’ll share inspiring local home projects, designer interviews, features on local businesses and up-to-date information on the most trustworthy furniture and home décor products. THREAD was developed by the Studio 882 team, but it is not all about Studio 882. Some of the projects and interior designers featured in this issue have nothing to do with us. They are simply designers who do great work with local projects we love. Good content is our priority, just as good design has always been, and we’ll share it with you whatever the source. If you take anything away from our longwinded introduction, let it be this: THREAD is a magazine about great local design. It is by Studio 882, but not all about Studio 882. And it’s because we want to share with readers all of the ways great interior design is reflected in our communities—beautiful homes, the fascinating people who live in them and the talented designers who create them. We hope you enjoy this inaugural issue of THREAD and find some inspiration within these pages. For more information about the projects, products and people featured in this issue, check out our website: thread.studio-882.com Warmly, The Studio 882 Team
DARIUS AMOS Lifestyle Editor
HALEY LONGMAN Contributing Writer
TARA S. SMITH ART Art Director
VICTORIA BEALL Contributing Photographer
REBECCA MCALPIN
PUBLISHING STAFF Group Publisher
SHAE MARCUS Publisher
CHAD GROVES Director of Production and Circulation
CHRISTINE HAMEL
Advertising Services Director
JACQUELYNN FISCHER
Graphic Designer, Ad Services
VIOLETA MULAJ
Production Art Associate
CHRIS FERRANTE Accounting
AGNES ALVES, MEGAN FRANK
BE SOCIAL LIKE us on Facebook: @threadmagazineby882 SEE our photos on Instagram: @threadby882 VIEW our boards on Pinterest: threadmagazineby882
THREAD is published by Wainscot Media, 1 Maynard Dr., Park Ridge, NJ 07656 in association with Studio 882. Editorial Contributions: Write to Editor, THREAD, 1 Maynard Drive, Park Ridge, NJ 07656. The magazine is not responsible for the return or loss of unsolicited submissions. Subscription Services: To change an address or request a subscription, write to Subscriptions, THREAD, 1 Maynard Drive, Park Ridge, NJ 07656, or by telephone at 201.573.5541. Advertising Inquiries: Contact Chad Groves at 610-314-8820 or chad@studio-882.com. Printed In The U.S.A. Volume 1, Issue 1. ©2019 by Studio 882. All rights reserved.
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BY THE YARD Riotous colors or demure neutrals? The right fabrics perk up your space—and your spirits.
TREND 1: Maximalism is making a comeback in both interior design and fashion, with bold statementmaking floral patterns one of the most soughtafter of 2019. Harking back to the traditional, florals, such as chintz and chinoiserie, are breathing new life into monochromatic spaces. “Some of the best designs have a fresh twist to archival prints and patterns,” says Nicole Lembo, interior designer at Studio 882. “Florals are being reinterpreted with fresh color palettes and by experimenting with scale.”
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TREND 2: Neutrals and geometrics are getting an upgrade with embroidery. “Texture brings elements of both cozy comfort and luxury to home décor. We expect our interiors to be very tactile spaces, and embroidery adds dimension to geometric designs and small scale repeats,” says Lembo.
Floral and fauna scenic patterns get a bold update with Anna French’s Manor Collection. This Anna French Villeneuve print features a sophisticated color palette ranging from lavish jewel tones like fuchsia and sapphire to neutral taupes and charcoal grey. WALLPAPER, FABRICS & FURNITURE DESIGNS © THIBAUT INC.
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Inspired by global travel and ancient trade, the Meridian Collection by Anna French explores textural embroideries in soothing color palettes. The collection’s Lock Embroidery gives a modern twist to glamorous gold.
Anna French’s Zoom Embroidery layers a natural color palette with ornate embroidery. It’s a versatile color choice for window treatments.
Thibaut’s Songyue pattern mimics fashionable chinoiserie compositions, like fretwork, in embroidery. For a bold look, try the pattern in blue.
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Thibaut’s Asian Scenic fabric and wallpaper, part of its popular Dynasty Collection, is available in a virtual rainbow of colors, from crisp blue and green (shown) to bold corals. For a softer look, try the pattern in robin’s egg blue.
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* ALL FABRICS AVAILABLE AT STUDIO 882 IN GLEN MILLS, PA. STUD.ss19.bytheyard.indd 13
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Custom furniture maker since 1969
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EASE
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OLD-WORLD CHARM No joke: The subtly distressed look of these cerused oak pieces works well with any décor.
For Chaddock’s Drayton Center Table, cerused oak adds a new twist to classic architectural motifs.
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Cerused oak is a great way to bring a distinctive new texture into your home. It contrasts handsomely with both modern finishes and formal furniture and offers a level of practicality that’s forgiving of everyday wear and tear.
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COUNCILL OXFORD CHEST:
Mid-century and French design elements combine in Councill’s oak Oxford Chest.
VANGUARD BAR CABINET:
Vanguard’s Bar Cabinet is both contemporary and rustic with a cerused oak finish.
COUNCILL GARÇON BUFFET:
Councill’s Garçon Buffet balances the rustic look of cerused oak with the curves of a scalloped front and demilune top.
CHADDOCK GIBBS CONSOLE:
Chaddock’s Gibbs Console in oak gives 19th-century English style a relaxed look.
Chaddock’s Demetria Chaise, part of its Mary McDonald Collection, features a Greek key carving in an oak base.
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CHADDOCK DEMETRIA CHAISE:
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STATEMENT STORAGE
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The best furniture is both functional and beautiful. Fortunately, cabinets, chests and dressers of all sizes are getting a style facelift in 2019. There’s no better way to stay organized than with show-stopping case goods.
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Hickory Chair’s Tuxedo Cabinet (above) is inspired by a 1940s French Modern design. Its beautiful reproduction hardware is a stark contrast to the very architectural doors, but perhaps its most striking features are its versatility and hidden functionality. The piece is available as either an entertainment cabinet with drawers, wooden shelves and a hanging bar or as a bar replete with glass shelves, a mirrored back panel, lighting and spaces for storage.
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GALAXY BAR CABINET:
A statement piece from any angle, Chaddock’s Galaxy Bar Cabinet shows off a constellation of metal nail trim, which coordinates with striking, faceted round hardware and an angled metal base.
BESS DRESSER:
Inspired by a Gustavian, Swedish antique, Hickory Chair’s Bess Dresser is a study in contrast. It’s a clever mix of city sensibility and country softness, with a combination of geometry and simple prettiness.
REVOLUTION CHEST:
Chaddock’s Revolution Chest makes decorating three dimensional. The architectural details on drawer fronts are accentuated by a gold stripe outline and unique gold drawer pulls for maximum style impact.
CHANDLER CREDENZA:
With four adjustable shelves, Hickory White’s Chandler Credenza is as stylish as it is functional. Personalize it with your choice of wood finish.
* ALL PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT STUDIO 882 IN GLEN MILLS, PA. STUD.ss19.statementstorage.indd 21
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AMERICAN ROOTS
MARIE CHAIR
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SWEET DREAMS You can’t help but sleep well in one of these four-poster beauties.
A mitered inset footboard and headboard add visual interest to Hickory Chair’s Normandy canopy bed (above).
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The fastest way to make a design statement in your bedroom? A stylish four-poster bed. Unlike their ornate predecessors, however, most of today’s four-poster beds know how to stand out without overwhelming a room.
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VANGUARD ANDERKIT BED:
MR. BROWN ALBANINNI BED:
KINDEL LOUIS XVI UPHOLSTERED BED:
KINDEL REGENCY POSTER BED:
Combining clean lines and gracious curves, Vanguard’s Anderkit Bed is a versatile choice.
Mr. Brown’s Albaninni Bed, in stamped brass and velvet, is a fresh take on a four-poster bed.
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Kindel’s Regency Poster Bed stuns with hand-carved posts in a stylized leaf motif, gilded turnings and an upholstered headboard.
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Kindel’s Louis XVI Upholstered Bed is characteristic of the Louis XVI time period but with simpler forms.
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There’s power in designing a home with a neutral backdrop and adding pops of color with art, accessories and pillows. Stephanie Shaw shows how to weave in the wow factor.
INTERIOR DESIGN by
STEPHANIE SHAW OF STEPHANIE SHAW
DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY by RACHEL MCGINN
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HIGH IMPACT
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“I like to create a neutral backdrop to the walls and windows, and then add color with art, accessories, pillows, etc.,ˮ designer Stephanie Shaw explains. “I know this client likes change, so it’s easy to change those things without changing the whole room.ˮ
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When designing homes for clients, “nothing is more satisfying than the final reveal when they walk in and just stare, wide-eyed and amazed that this is the same room they’ve lived in for years and don’t recognize,” says Main Line interior designer Stephanie Shaw. “I live for those moments.” So do her clients, which is why she’s often asked to transform ordinary homes into the extraordinary. In her recent Wayne, PA, project, Shaw teamed up with long-term clients whom she’s worked with for over 15 years on numerous projects, including two shore homes and three commercial spaces. The goal was to transform their new home, built in 2004, into a bright and cheery space, complete with some modern touches and color. “We both love blue, so all of the rooms have some shade of blue in them, but maybe a
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“I’m constantly editing as I go along,” says Shaw. “If it starts feeling too busy, there’s something inside me that needs to calm it down again. It really is all about how it makes me feel.” Shaw used deep shades of blue to create a simultaneously moody and serene vibe in her clients’ living room.
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Shaw balances both practical requirements and style in her designs. By focusing on selecting the right materials, Shaw ensures her finished interiors are both family- and pet-friendly.
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different pop of color as an accent,” says Shaw. Like many newer homes, this one had an open floor plan with views stretching from one room to another. So she kept the color scheme consistent throughout the rooms for a cohesive design. Shaw paid special attention to the two-story foyer. “The foyer is usually the separator of all the adjacent rooms,” she explains. She added millwork to the walls to create visual interest and painted it all white. “Doing this gives your eye a resting place between the living room, dining room and great room, where I wanted to add pattern and color.” Shaw built on her well-established relationship with her clients to plan exactly how color and pattern would be used throughout the home. “I knew this client likes change, so I wanted to make it easy to change the look and feel of a space without changing the whole room.” She created a neutral backdrop with the walls and windows, then added color with art, accessories and pillows. “I like to save the bold looks for a powder room or an office. Usually these rooms are visually separate from the main flow of the house. Bedrooms are also fun rooms to do something unexpected.” In the powder room Shaw went bold with a graphic wallpaper and one-of-a-kind orange vanity mirror. The wallpaper’s neutral colors and Greek key print keep the
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“I love lighting! It’s like a funky necklace with a plain white shirt,” Shaw says. “Alone the shirt is ordinary, but an unexpected necklace draws your eye, makes a statement and gives it a whole new feeling.”
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look classic, not trendy. And in the bedrooms Shaw capitalized on the color scheme with some bold, blue accent walls. A stunning chandelier from RH Modern hangs in the foyer, setting the stage for statement lighting used throughout the home. “I love lighting! It’s like a funky necklace with a plain white shirt. Alone the shirt is ordinary, but an unexpected necklace draws your eye, makes a statement and gives it a whole new feeling,” explains Shaw. Updating your lighting, Shaw adds, is a great way to update a room when you’re not ready to invest in a complete overhaul. “I love a mix of old and new or antique and modern in a room. For example, I’ve updated dining rooms with antique traditional furniture many times. Changing the chandelier and wall sconces to something more transitional makes quite an impact.” Making an impact is a specialty of Shaw’s, and her clients couldn’t be happier. “I’m fortunate that they trust my vision,” she says. “They travel a lot, so I’m often working while they are away. I get the gift of creative freedom, and they get to come home to a new home without any headaches. It’s a win, win.”
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THE NEW OLD
Pros weigh in on “new traditional,” a design style that bridges the gap between classic and modern. We expect a lot out of our home décor. We want classic design blended with practical comfort, family heirlooms mixed with newly curated collections, historical references with room for modern technology. New traditional, an increasingly popular interior design style, bridges the gap between old and new. It’s a version of traditional with a softer side, allowing us to cherish our family heirlooms and appreciate historic architecture while
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“The great thing about today’s interior spaces is that a comfortable room is just as chic as a formal room,” says interior designer Amanda Friend. The sumptuous velvet upholstery in this Hickory Chair living room strikes the perfect balance between elegant, traditional design and practical comfort.
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Because it’s a blend of old and new, new traditional is less focused on following the “rules” per se. Instead, there’s a freedom to mix pieces from different periods and finishes. The easiest way to experiment with mixing styles? Start with a cleaner, lighter backdrop, like the cream walls pictured above and the neutral chinoiserie wallpaper pictured right.
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still creating inviting spaces for family and friends to gather. “Classic styles appeal to us for their timelessness on an emotional level, offering a secure feeling of warmth and history— for raising families and entertaining,” says globally acclaimed interior designer Lillian August. “But there is a new perspective of traditional that emphasizes personal style and empowers us to mix retro forms and color for a curated look.” New traditional is less focused on following the “rules” per se. Instead, balance is important. Time periods, finishes and materials can be layered together in a room in unique combinations, as long as these elements are balanced. Finding the right balance of design elements is made easier by a clean, lighter backdrop, and part of new traditional’s softer approach is a shift toward lighter paint colors. “I start a paint color selection based on the traditional style and types of pieces that are being used,” says Delaware-based interior designer Amanda Friend. “Traditional pieces often have a rich look, heavy details and a patinated surface quality. The goal is to accentuate and highlight those aspects. To complement the rich patinas of most traditional elements, paint colors should have soft undertones and fall into the medium range of intensity. Dark colors used with heavy traditional items can become too heavy and look outdated.” Window treatments, too, are getting a more tailored approach. “We’re seeing people trade in heavy linings for soft, yet structured options,” says Christina Price, owner of Main Line Window Décor. “The most versatile style is a classic drap-
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“Classic styles appeal to us for the timelessness on an emotional level, offering a secure feeling of warmth and history,” Lillian August says. “But there’s a new perspective on traditional that empowers us to mix forms and color for a curated look.”
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ery panel followed by a Roman shade, both of which take on the characteristics of the fabric used.” When it comes to furniture, today’s traditional reflects historic frames but in a more edited way, with fewer decorative moldings and ornamental details. Furniture manufacturers are also more focused than ever on balancing style with comfort. After all, comfort is the ultimate luxury, even for traditional upholstery. “We spend as much time—if not more— engineering comfort as we do the look of a piece,” admits Chaddock’s CEO, Andrew Crone. Upholstery, for example, may use a traditionally inspired frame, with seat depth and cushion that prioritize comfort. Ultimately, the art of designing a room that is timeless yet relevant comes down to editing. “If you begin your design by prioritizing pieces you love, thoughtfully mixing and matching them can lead to a more curated and timeless look,” says Brittany Free, interior designer at Studio 882. “Our mantra is ‘good design goes with good design.’” Friend agrees. “To help you choose what traditional items to keep and use in a space, I offer this advice: If you love something, use it. It doesn’t matter what century it’s from or what design it is. If you love it, then it carries with it the most important element of design, which is authenticity.”
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FARMHOUSE, FAMILY HOUSE
Designer Lisa Furey blends style and function to create a home that’s kid- and pet-friendly—and made for living. INTERIOR DESIGN by LISA FUREY OF LISA FUREY INTERIORS STYLED by KATE PECHINKA OF HARBOR HOUSE INTERIORS PHOTOGRAPHY by REBECCA MCALPIN
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TEXT by TARA S. SMITH
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The Savannah gray brick walls in the kitchen were a design choice that came from designer Lisa Furey’s collaboration with her clients. “People don’t always know why they’re drawn to a space,” says Furey, but through an ongoing dialogue she helps clients identify what they want in a home. While looking through inspiration photos, she noticed that her clients were drawn to rooms with brick walls. “We incorporated brick floors and brick walls into our design based on that,” she says.
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ily,” with plans to build a farmhouse-style home on a beautiful lot complete with a fishing pond and weeping willow tree, approached her. Although the project was a little far away from her base on the Main Line, the client’s brother, Christopher Carrigan, was the architect. “He works for Historical Concepts in Atlanta,” Furey says, “and I’ve admired their work for years.” So she took the job. “The house was custom, and the drawings were just amazing in their level of detail,” she says. “We specified everything—from the floors, windows and roof to the cabinets, counters, paint, wallpaper and tile.” When Furey is designing a home, she considers the exterior first. “I want to discover the architect’s aesthetic, in addition to considering the landscape and surroundings, so I can ensure that the outside and inside of the house work together and that
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“When clients trust the designer, and the process, it’s all a joy,” says award-winning interior designer Lisa Furey. Her Country Farmhouse project, which evolved from just this kind of collaborative trust, embodies a timeless beauty that’s personal, luxurious and livable. Furey’s passion for architecture impacts all of her work, and she enjoys being involved with a project, quite literally, from the ground up. “I love the selections and construction part of the project more than anything,” she says. “The doors, hardware, millwork and cabinetry are all permanent. The flooring, tile and stone selections, and lighting are costly, and all have to be beautiful, functional and timeless.” Her interest was piqued, therefore, when “the nicest young fam-
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the house is a good neighbor with surrounding homes.” In this instance, she was able to be an integral part of that dynamic process. She also commends Erwin Forrest Builders of Allentown, PA, for its superb attention to every aspect of the build.
In the sitting room, Furey used furniture with curves to offset the horizontal lines of the louvered plantation shutters and shiplap walls. The theme of woven textures—in baskets, flooring, chairs and textiles like pillows and throws—lends an air of calm and comfort to the space.
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DESIGN CHALLENGE: SIGHT LINES TO EVERYWHERE From planning and design to the final review, Furey collaborates with her clients every step of the way. She went to school for interior design before attending law school and practicing for 10 years as an attorney, and she says the two disciplines intersect when it comes to fact-finding and problem-solving. She always starts with an extensive Q&A session with her clients. This in-depth interaction enables her to get to know them well and also helps her to identify the challenges that may present so she can solve them before the shovel hits the dirt. Through this ongoing dialogue, Furey helps clients identify and articulate what they want in a home and how they actually will use the spaces within the home. When looking through their inspiration photos, she’ll ask what it is that they like about a particular room. “People don’t always know why they’re drawn to a space,” she says. Although these clients never pointed it out as a feature they liked, she noticed, for example, they showed her lots of pictures with brick walls. “We incorporated brick floors and brick walls into our design based on that,” she says. Because there’s a sight line to almost every key room in this big open house—from the great room, kitchen and dining room to the foyer and front and back porches—one of the major challenges was to ensure there was a visual harmony and design subtexts that all worked together. “Meeting all functionality requirements and keeping everything looking cohesive was a challenge,” Furey says. She accomplished this in many different, and often subtle, ways. Broadstroke decisions, such as the use of whites, wood and neutral tones, accentuated with blues and greens, create a calm, fresh palette. The theme of woven textures—in baskets, flooring, chairs and textiles like pillows and throws— echoes throughout these spaces. Savannah
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[ S LU G H E R E ]
gray brick on the kitchen walls corresponds to the brick flooring in the entryway and mudroom. Clear glass light fixtures, vases, candle holders and a terrarium add to the quality of openness and light. Accents like round tables and a circular tray offset the horizontal lines of the louvered plantation shutters and shiplap wood walls and the clean, shaker angularity of square windowpanes in the porch doors, kitchen cabinets and transoms. A section of open shelving displaying dishes in the kitchen accomplishes a similar function, adding depth and texture to balance and complement the simple lines of the cabinets. These shelves are also a nod to utilitarian farmhouse style and practical elegance in a busy family household where storage and accessibility are both key. DESIGN CHALLENGE: A FAMILY HOME—FOR LIVING The other major challenge with this project (as with all projects) was to ensure that the house would be a livable home for this active young family. “It’s one thing to tie it all together with color and theme, and within budget,” Furey says, “but it also had to be highly functional and durable. There are no rooms that are off-limits to the children—nor should there be.” The lighter floors and distressed finishes, she says, are part of the farmhouse design concept but they’re also practical. The wide-plank, quarter sawn white oak floors with a matte finish don’t show dust or scratches and can be oiled to fill in scratches when they do occur. “I live the way I design, and I only recommend what works,” Furey says. The clients had wantBrick continues into the mudroom flooring (above). A hidden door from the master suite to a second floor office (right) is a unique design detail Furey devised.
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During construction, Furey collaborated with her client’s brother, Christopher Carrigan, who works for Historical Concepts in Atlanta. “The house was custom, and the drawings were just amazing in their level of detail,” she says. “We specified everything—from the floors, windows and roof to the cabinets, counters, paint, wallpaper and tile.”
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toman is commercial-grade vinyl. “Everything looks a little bit worn and is low maintenance—and will improve with age,” she says. Furey says the combination of an amazing architect, a dedicated builder and a team commitment to quality throughout, in terms of both functionality and design, is a recipe for success. “The best result ever is that this endearing family is happy and loves spending time in their home,” she says. As for Furey herself, she’s recently sold the South Carolina home she built and designed that’s featured on the cover of Beautiful Kitchens & Baths and The Cottage Journal magazines and is looking at building sites for her next project. She’s brimming with new ideas and concepts and is eager to watch them take shape—from the ground up.
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ed Carrara marble countertops, for example, but after discussing the inevitable stains that happen when children live in a house or a glass of red wine spills, they decided on the more practical, and still beautiful, quartz. “There are tradeoffs,” Furey says. “It’s important for this wonderful young family to be able to live comfortably in this house. It’s not a museum—it’s a ‘barefoot interior.’” She laughs when she says that part of her job is to advise clients what not to do after she has made the very same mistakes already in her own home. “The great news is that technology is so advanced now that there’s no reason for people to wait until the kids grow up to have a house that’s stylish,” she says. She paid lots of attention to choosing items that would withstand the wear and tear of three young children and pets. The upholstery is easy-clean Crypton, and the ot-
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THE THOMAS PHEASANT COLLECTION
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SERENITY ON SANIBEL ISLAND
INTERIOR DESIGN by STUDIO 882
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Long-time clients trusted Studio 882 with the soup-to-nuts design of their vacation home—and they’re glad they did.
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How do you design a home you’ve never set foot in? For interior designers at Studio 882, this isn’t an unusual question to be asked. “We often get clients who come to us during the early stages of new home construction or who have an out-of-state vacation home. They’re usually looking for soup-to-nuts design and logistical management, starting with floor planning and ending with furniture delivery and accessorizing,” explains Studio 882 owner Chad Groves. So when their Main Line clients asked for help designing their new home in Sanibel Island, FL, Groves and his team jumped at the opportunity. In an unusual twist, the clients themselves had never been to Sanibel Island, and their busy schedules
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Studio 882’s Thomas Pheasant Swag Chandelier hangs above a Baker dining table and chairs. Soft blue and sandy gold-colored fabrics bring in elements of the outdoors.
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this time? What led you to Sanibel Island? What atmosphere are you considering?’” They worked closely with their clients, who had design inspiration and a variety of products already in mind for their beach home. The goal was to create a sophisticated atmosphere that still had an inviting, relaxed vibe. Situated on the Gulf of Mexico, just steps away from the shore line, the four-bedroom, five-bathroom home offers views of the water from every room. Occupying almost two acres of shore line, the home also capitalized on outdoor entertaining with expansive porches and a pool. With such incredible views, the interior décor didn’t need an overt “beach” theme. Instead, the team wanted to draw the eye to the windows and beyond. CAD blueprints, an array of house photos and FaceTime video walk-throughs were enough for Studio 882’s designers to put together a cohesive design plan. “Fortunately, the blueprint dimensions were incredibly accurate. We had to get a few measurements from third parties in the area to confirm
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would keep them from visiting the home until after furniture had been delivered. Providing their clients good design wouldn’t be enough in this case. Good design with good execution, however? That was the winning combination this project needed. Fortunately, Groves has built a comprehensive logistics management process with unique software and a global network of freight companies, receiving warehouses and delivery teams, allowing for total project management at the level their clients require. And, their patent-pending design process helps designers fully understand each client’s goals, style and design needs. Studio 882’s approach to interior design is very collaborative. “Our team recognizes that first and foremost we aren’t designing our own home; we’re designing the client’s home,” says Groves. “Although this was a client we’ve worked with for many years already, we didn’t want to make any assumptions this time around. We started where we always do—asking questions like ‘What are your goals? What do you want to do differently
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Studio 882’s approach to interior design is very collaborative. In the study (above), the team pulled shades of blues and greens from the client’s area rug and repeated them in the upholstery, art and accessories. In the great room (left), streamlined upholstery from Hickory Chair and EJ Victor, upholstered in Crypton velvet, create a durable and comfortable area to lounge and entertain.
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some things, but we made it work,” explains Groves. “It’s almost the future, so virtual design is achievable today in ways that were a pipe dream just a few years ago.” Furniture and décor selections kept close to their client’s traditional roots while taking some calculated design risks, guaranteeing the design plan felt comfortable and familiar enough yet still giving the home its own unique flair. Wood-paneled walls in the study served as a rich backdrop for Baker Furniture and Ralph Lauren fabrics. “It’s a smaller room, so we wanted each piece to be something special,” says Groves. The writing desk, from Studio 882, features a cast metal panel with a brass geometric lattice on its side, which can be seen as you enter the room. The great room was kept more neutral than the study. Because family and friends would visit frequently, durable fabrics were a must, and the team used Crypton velvets on the Studio 882 sofas. Pops of blues and greens, the same colors reflected in the gulf
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In the master bedroom (right), neutral and low-profile furniture maximizes the view to the home’s beautiful beach setting. Studio 882’s designers used Schumacher’s textured Acanthus Stripe wallpaper in the guest bedroom (below) to create a whimsical oasis.
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can’t control the weather, but we can absolutely prepare for it,” says Groves. With the warehouse untouched and the furniture still in perfect condition, the Studio 882 team flew down to Florida to coordinate the delivery of more than 100 pieces. “We appreciated the trust our clients placed in us—not just on the design itself(we collaborated with them on it throughout the process and that was a blast) but when we flew down without them just to do the installation, they trusted everything was to-scale and fit as we said it would,” acknowledges Groves. It took four trucks but only one day for the team to install the home’s furniture. The result was a beautiful new vacation home where the clients, when they arrived for the first time, could truly relax and enjoy. After all, the client is always top-of-mind for Groves. “Nobody particularly likes the moving process! So, the experience was intentionally designed to make everything more fun for them too!”
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views, were added through accents, such as throw pillows, area rugs and accessories. This tied together the interior and exterior spaces. The master bedroom was given a more contemporary, yet elegant, look with a low-profile upholstered bed and clean-lined nightstands. The neutral color scheme is restful and relaxing, while a Studio 882 Blossom Mirror hangs above the headboard and brings a touch of unexpected glamour. Hurricane Irma hit southwest Florida not long after all of the client’s furniture arrived at the receiving warehouse in Tampa to be inspected before delivery. As Irma battered the state’s lower half, leaving a trail of tornadoes and storm-surge flooding during its journey inland, the clients worried about the fate of their notyet-delivered furniture. Fortunately, Studio 882 requires all of its warehousing and delivery partners to maintain enough insurance for these types of emergencies. “We
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Available at Studio 882
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Hickory Chair is a registered trademark of the Heritage Home Group, LLC family of brands. Š2018
Explore. Discover. Imagine. AVAIL ABL E AT STUD IO 882
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6 MARY McDONALD DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
STYLE LESSONS FROM
Sure, form and function come first when creating a great space—but remember to incorporate the things you love. Learn about this tenet and more.
Award-winning interior designer and bestselling author Mary McDonald recently spoke to a crowd of more than 200 at Studio 882’s showroom in Glen Mills, PA. She opined about all things design—from her favorite sources for antiques to her biggest design challenges. Here are six life and design lessons from McDonald’s inspiring and encouraging conversation. Be Fearless. In her book, Interiors: The Allure of Style, McDonald reminds us that we all deserve to feel like a star in our own home. “I like rooms that resonate wit and self-assurance and unapologetically say, ‘This is who I am—take it or leave it,’” she explains. So McDonald advises her clients not to hide their personality and style behind current trends.
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Don’t save your best pieces for special occasions. Life is busy, unpredictable and, frankly, messy, but McDonald reassures clients we still can add an element of “fancy” to our everyday routine. For example, in her home office, McDonald uses silver for everyday items like paper clips and rubber bands to dress up the space.
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“Comfort and chic should be synonymous,” declares McDonald. After all, a well-designed room is one you want to spend a lot of time in. While McDonald has earned a reputation for glamour and drama, at the heart of her designs is the principle that form follows function. Her rooms are just as inviting and luscious as they are dramatic. TV’s Million-Dollar Decorators and Property Envy star Mary McDonald mixes periods, balances color and defies conventions in her designs. Her furniture collection for Chaddock is available at Studio 882 in Glen Mills, PA.
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Always be curating. You’ll never be dazzled by your home unless you display the things you love. The key, says McDonald, is not to arrange your room and then leave things to collect dust. “You must begin with wonderful things, but the magic happens when you arrange and rearrange…and then curate it again,” she explains. “Restraint is the sister of chic. It should feel like you’re pulling the reins on a bridle when the horse wants to gallop,” explains McDonald. This tension between drama and restraint is what creates allure. It’s what draws you into a great room design. Have fun. “Design is like theater: The better the sets, the better the play. As in life, if the play isn’t good, you might as well like the set,” according to McDonald. She advises all of her clients not to take design and fashion so seriously that they forget to enjoy the process. McDonald draws inspiration from Greco-Roman and Louis XVI forms and Château de Malmaison, the country house of Napoleon and Josephine. The result is designs that are traditionally rooted with luxe-glam influences.
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DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
TIMELESS CLASSICS Mary McDonald’s dramatic style plus Chaddock’s expert craftsmanship equals a sophisticated and vibrant furniture line unlike any other.
Neo-classic designs are back en vogue, but you don’t have to tell the furniture designers at Chaddock that. They’ve been ahead of the curve, partnering in 2014 with internationally recognized and award-winning interior designer, Mary McDonald, on her own furniture collection for the brand. The 70-piece collection reflects McDonald’s hallmark style of boldly reimagining neo-classic and French-inspired forms for discerning modern consumers. “Chaddock was inspired by Mary’s timeless designs and saw an opportunity to introduce a unique line that’s traditionally rooted, but elevated with luxe-glam influences. Mary’s collection offers a vibrancy and feminine sophistication that seamlessly aligns with our mission to offer fine furniture, made-in-America quality and great style,” explains Andrew Crone, CEO of Chaddock, which is based in Morganton, NC. McDonald was drawn to Chaddock’s unparalleled American craftsmanship. While many furniture companies have exported aspects of their manufacturing, nearly 90 percent of Chaddock products are made in their Morganton workroom. Guy Chaddock, who started his eponymous furniture brand in the 1950s, was known as a rebel and an innovator in the world of luxury furniture and interior design. Today, the Interior designer Mary McDonald began her design career as a milliner and leverages her fashion background in the design of upholstery pieces for Chaddock. Her designs incorporate the kind of tailoring usually reserved for the fortunate clients of high-end interior designers. Inset trim on her Maison chair is a well-thought-out design detail McDonald brings to her collection.
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Chaddock company remains just as dedicated to innovation as it did then. Other furniture manufacturers may be looking for ways to outsource some of their production, but Chaddock continues to invest in its skilled craftspeople, artisan techniques and state-of-the-art technologies to make the finest furniture available. This continued investment gives Chaddock broad customization abilities and allowed McDonald to use a variety of luxurious materials and finishes in her collection, ranging from finely wrought hardware to faux bois techniques. “Mary puts as much thought into the details of her pieces as the designs themselves. Greek key accents, faux shagreen and brass detailing all play a part in her luxe aesthetic,” says Crone. Guy Chaddock had a passion for finished wood, and the Chaddock workroom still uses a 20-step finish process to enhance wood’s natural beauty and add unbelievable depth to their finished pieces. “We have always been known for beautiful finishes but wanted to expand our offering to bring Mary’s holistic vision to life,” says Crone. “Paying homage to Guy Chaddock’s passion for finished wood, but through Mary’s sense of timeless style, we were able to develop fresh, modern finishes to accompany her pieces.”
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With McDonald’s collection, Chaddock introduced a broad range of unique grey and white finishes. Her Hellenia Media Cabinet, for example, features elaborate, decorative Greek key motifs and unique brass hardware that are beautifully highlighted by a lighter wood finish. McDonald also personally designed the hardware for each piece in her line. She considers these details to be the “jewelry” of her furniture collection. And for customers who want to take customization even further, Chaddock offers more than 20 additional mix-and-match hardware options that can be interchanged on any casegood. “From antique brass to polished nickel, delicate knobs to sturdy pulls, you are able to completely change the style of a piece by simply swapping the hardware,” Crone explains. McDonald began her design career as a milliner and leverages her fashion background in the design of exquisitely detailed upholstery pieces for Chaddock. Her designs incorporate the kind of tailoring usually reserved for the fortunate clients of high-end interior designers. Inset trim and contrasting banding on the Maison Chairs and Lavinia sofa are just two well-thought-out design details McDonald brings to her collection. There are many references to historical forms in
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her Chaddock collection, but these references are given a fresh twist so nothing feels too nostalgic. She’s able to bridge the gap between old and new by experimenting with elements, such as scale and shape, through smaller-scale upholstery items and her use of unexpected silhouettes. It’s this touch of whimsy and the leveraging of drama that defines McDonald’s designs and has attracted such a strong following to her work. Studio 882 in Glen Mills, PA, was one of the first showrooms in the country to display McDonald’s Chaddock collection. The line quickly has become one of its bestsellers. “Our goal at Studio 882 is to bring the level of sophistication, quality and inspiration from the high-end design industry into a retail environment, so customers and interior designers can experience and interact directly with furniture from the top brands and the most inspired lines,” explains Studio 882 owner Chad Groves. “When it comes to creativity, vision and flawless attention to detail, Mary is unrivaled. Her work reminds us daily that we should be dazzled by our environment and that design is above all, fun,” concludes Studio 882 designer Brittany Free. McDonald’s many followers, throughout Philadelphia and beyond, can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. And you can bet it will be on display at Studio 882.
Many of the pieces in McDonald’s collection were conceived to be adaptable in multiple settings. The Josephine cabinet (above) can be customized to serve as a wardrobe, a TV cabinet or a bar. Matching inset rows of taupe trim embellish the Lavinia Sofa (below).
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BLUES KEYS
Green and cobalt accents make a colonial in Malvern sing. Larina Kase shares her notes for a home that’s perfect for entertaining (plus three kids and a 70-pound pup)!
INTERIOR DESIGN by LARINA KASE OF
LARINA KASE INTERIOR DESIGN
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PHOTOGRAPHY by JON FRIEDRICH
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Larina Kase is a New York Times best-selling author with a doctorate in psychology and a master’s degree in business. But it’s interior design that has been her lifelong passion. Maybe it’s because she grew up surrounded by the arts; her father is an art and antique dealer, while her mother is a gallery docent and artist herself. Kase graduated with distinction from Cornell University with a degree in interior design, but pursued other higher-education interests before returning to the design industry in 2013. “I missed the visual world,” she explains. “My background and passion is fine art and design.” So Kase established her eponymous design firm, combining her unique background, education and skills to create beautiful spaces that, to her clients, feel just like “home.” “Our mission is simple—to create beautiful spaces that make people happy. We want our clients to have their dream homes in which to enjoy Designer Larina Kase retained open sight lines from the kitchen to the family room and kept the upholstery practical and stylish by using performance fabrics on the Hancock & Moore and Baker upholstery from Studio 882.
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“To create a timeless look, we went with a neutral palette with colorful accents and patterns,” explains Kase. Colors in the living room (above) flow cohesively with rooms throughout the house. Dining chairs (right) from Studio 882 are upholstered in a virtually stain-proof, bleachable performance velvet. The Little Hampton Dining Table is part of the Chaddock collection at Studio 882.
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each moment and make treasured memories,” says Kase. In her recent project in Malvern, Kase was brought in to design a vibrant, timeless and inviting home for a busy family of five. “When we saw the home for the first time, we fell in love with it and its possibilities. We love to entertain and this house functions wonderfully for that. The open sight lines and layout give it a really comfortable, ‘homey’ feeling,” her clients explained. From the start, Kase’s goal was to bring her clients’ updated traditional style to the beautiful colonial home built in 2007. Because they have three young children and a 70-pound dog, a functional design plan was just as important as a stylish one. Fortunately, with three children of her own, Kase is well versed at balancing these seemingly contradictory requirements. Her process begins by getting to know her clients and their lifestyle. As Kase explains it, “Our main goal is to listen and understand each client’s style and needs to design spaces uniquely suited to them.” To create the timeless look her Malvern clients craved, Kase began with a neutral palette accentuated by both pattern and pops of color. Neutrals and shades of blue and green flow from room to room, and the classic herringbone pattern was repeated in varying scales throughout the home. When it came to furniture, both Kase and her clients knew that prioritizing child- and pet-friendly options was a must. They also required a furniture plan that functioned for the immediate family on a daily basis and also accommodated extended family and friends when entertaining. “We were on the same page with the goal of selecting great quality, beautiful furniture
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lected for their comfort and durability. High-performance fabrics like Sunbrella, Revolution and Crypton make sure they stay looking new without much maintenance. The team visited Knots & Weaves in Malvern to select rugs that coordinated with their fabric selections. Kase and her clients focused on updated versions of traditional rug styles. “The family room rug is like the ocean; it changes colors in different lights and from different angles,” she says. Using her background in psychology, Kase is adept at encouraging her clients to move beyond their comfort zones when they’re ready. Both the powder room wallpaper and the dining room rug were design risks for the clients. “It felt a little risky, but they were great choices that added so much vibrancy and depth to the home,” she says. Vibrant, timeless and inviting. These three words perfectly summarize this Malvern home.
A custom settee from Studio 882 (above) welcomes guests into the foyer. An English arm sofa and Chartwell chairs, also from Studio 882 (right), all upholstered in Sunbrella and Revolution performance fabrics, are elegant yet practical for the formal living room. Custom window treatments by Urban Loft Window Treatments, in an Anna French fabric, add softness and elegance to the living room.
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pieces and rugs that will stand the test of time. They didn’t want to redo their selections in the near future, and there is no reason that they should have to,” explains Kase. To keep their upholstery looking new for years to come, Kase selected stain-resistant, easy-to-clean and durable performance fabrics from Studio 882 in a range of textures from linens to velvets. Studio 882 dining chairs are upholstered in a virtually stain-proof, bleach-cleanable Crypton velvet, and the upholstery in the formal living room uses Sunbrella and Revolution fabrics. This guarantees that these more formal spaces, used frequently for entertaining, are as practical as they are elegant. Custom drapery panels by Urban Loft Window Treatments add even more softness and elegance to the rooms. Naturally, this practical approach to fabric choices was just as important in the family room. Pieces were se-
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WoodbridgeFurniture.com
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DESIGN QUEEN Lillian August shares her insight on color, her three sons and launching a furniture collection.
You grew up in Merion and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. Do you think your Pennsylvania roots influence your design approach? I loved growing up in Philadelphia. I was raised in a pretty English Tudor home in Merion. In those days it was
the beginning of interior design as a profession, and my mother had a wonderful decorator named Amy Barth. She painted all of her renderings and elevations by hand in watercolor. She was a brilliant artist, and this was my first exposure to interior design. I was
As a trained artist from Philadelphia, Lillian August (pictured right) is known worldwide for her fresh take on color and classic forms, but her products can be seen locally at Studio 882’s furniture showroom in Glen Mills, PA.
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Since launching her textile and interior design business in the early 1980s, Lillian August has earned a global reputation as a trend-setting designer and entrepreneur. Today, she operates five furniture and design showrooms and develops some of the industry’s most in-demand furniture and accessory collections. Her flagship furniture collection with Hickory White is available at Studio 882, where August and her team helped create a unique gallery. We sat down with August to discuss everything from her Philly roots to her design approach.
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August understands that a truly well-appointed room requires self-expression with custom details. The Karl chest (above) is available in a variety of colors, and the upholstery options for her Glen side chairs (right) are virtually endless.
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amazed by Amy’s level of commitment to her designs, and that has stuck with me. You’re known for your courage with color. Where do you think this boldness comes from? I’m a trained artist and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy and the Tyler School in Elkins Park. We knew Dr. Barnes, and I more or less grew up at the Barnes Foundation. Dr. Barnes would meet us at the door of his foundation, and I was mesmerized by the Matisse hanging in the foyer. You applied your art background to a career in textile design. How did this come about? When my husband and I divorced, I was doing a fellowship and finishing my graduate work. I was going to teach, and then I couldn’t afford it. So I started a quilt company with an American Country look—I was raising my boys in Kentucky at the time. It was successful, and this launched me as a textile and wallcovering designer in the early 1980s. Your sons really got behind your business and helped you open your first brick-and-mortar store in 1987. Now, it’s grown into five showrooms. Tell us about those early days. I became this entrepreneurial woman working 100-hour weeks, and my oldest son Dan wrote his college senior thesis in economics on my company. After he graduated, he went to work on Wall Street. I used to visit from Kentucky, and we’d go racing down Fifth Avenue in
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and personal story through design. I focus on what I call “personal decorating style,” which allows the customer to pick and choose furniture from different periods. This “collected over time” mentality is important to people. Modern style, which is very minimal and can be cold, is not where people are at right now. They want design to be more complex. Why did you choose Hickory White for your furniture collection? I was familiar with Hickory White’s facilities and factories, and it really came down to their strong customization abilities. Customization always has been the mainstay for interior designers; a truly wellappointed room requires self-expression with custom details, and through Hickory White we can offer customization for the most discerning clients. We’ve also been able to respond to some emerging market needs with our new line of quick-ship options and performance fabrics.
August’s furniture collection for Hickory White celebrates the return of classicism. “Modern style, which is very minimal and can be cold,” August says, “is not where people are at right now. They want design to be more complex.”
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a cab to show my portfolio to fabric houses, and finally one day he said, “Mom, you’ve got to move here. My boss thinks I’m having an affair because I’m taking these long lunches to show your portfolio.” So I moved to New York, and we opened our first retail store in Westport, CT. Now, I think I’m very interested in encouraging women to take the giant leap of being entrepreneurial. Any advice for going into business with your children? [Laughing] Teach them how to clean their rooms and empty their waste baskets. I remember when I went to work with my three sons. I used to clean their offices, and the women would say, “Don’t do that!” and I’d say, “Well, I know what’s going to happen. It’s going to pile up!” How would you describe your design approach? It’s always been about storytelling. And I think customers appreciate that. We try to tell their unique
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BIG STYLE, SMALLER SPACE In the capable hands of Cate Lownes and Mia Miller, downsizing to The Barclay on Rittenhouse Square didn’t feel like a compromise—just a chance to reinvent. INTERIOR DESIGN by EM INTERIORS
ARCHITECTURE by KASS & ASSOCIATES
PROJECT MANAGEMENT by SHAY CONSTRUCTION
Downsizing from a sprawling Main Line home to a city condo is an adjustment, even if that condo happens to be 5,000 square feet and located at The Barclay on Rittenhouse Square. Originally built in 1929 as The Barclay Hotel, this stately prewar-style building was once home to many of Philadelphia’s most glamorous parties and celebrity guests. Although the building was converted into condos in the 1990s, the building maintains much of its original character. Cate Lownes and Mia Miller, of EM Interiors, believe the interior design of any space should respect the architecture
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Designers Cate Lownes and Mia Miller created a plan that incorporated some of their clients’ existing furniture with new pieces. Then they layered in art and accessories. “Color and scale play a big part in determining the art that is selected. We love mixing styles. It makes for a more interesting space.” says Miller.
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of the property. So when their long-standing clients decided to downsize, Lownes and Miller set out to create a fresh, updated residence that also celebrated its traditional features. “We wanted the interiors to feel like a prewar NYC Upper East Side apartment,” explains Miller. The duo began by assessing the home’s interior details. “In this case, the ‘great bones’ of the condominium were intact. It has beautiful moldings, high ceilings and handsome woodwork. All of the doors are solid wood with heavy brass hardware. We were very lucky to have had so many great details to build on,” recalls Lownes. Only a few architectural changes were needed. And since storage space is always an issue when downsizing from a larger home, closets were reconfigured to maximize storage. The master suite walk-in closets received full makeovers, and a custom jewelry console was designed for the bathroom.
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Lownes and Miller’s clients frequently host fundraising events in their home and have six children that visit for the holidays and special occasions. With so much entertaining that happens in the condo, the flow between all of the public spaces was as important as the furniture selections.
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One of the most overwhelming parts of downsizing is deciding what furniture and décor to keep and what to let go of. But Lownes and Miller know exactly how to guide their clients through the process. “We started with an inventory of all the existing furniture and decided which pieces felt right in an urban setting. We then incorporated them into the new design scheme,” says Miller. Fortunately, Lownes and Miller were working simultaneously on a Nantucket home with their clients, and some of the more casual pieces went there. The condo’s color palette was developed keeping the existing furniture in mind. The walls received new paint, and Lownes and Miller added a Maharam paper-backed textile wall covering to the master suite and a silk and abacá Lori Weitzner wall covering in the dining room. When the design plan called for new furniture, “we selected items from bespoke manufacturers that handcraft each piece,” says Lownes. A foyer console
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table, for example, is from Formations. “They forged the base, and we selected a marble top from a local stone supplier.” The art collection was curated by one of the clients, who is herself an artist. Some of the art was from the previous home, while many new pieces came from artists affiliated with the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and local galleries. “Color and scale play a big part in determining the art that is selected. We love mixing styles. It makes for a more interesting space,” says Miller. Ultimately, the condo design integrates old and new in unique and interesting ways that are perfect for their clients. “We wanted to honor the past while updating the spaces for the present,” explains Lownes. And their clients couldn’t be happier with the results.
The art (far left) is an eclectic mix of pieces the clients picked up on their travels out West and artwork from local galleries. The condo’s color palette (left) was developed keeping the existing furniture in mind. A Maharam paper-backed textile wall covering is a soothing backdrop in the master bedroom (above).
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KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL When tackling a reno of the heart of the home, it pays to heed the advice of an accomplished pro. Meet Lisa Walsh.
This kitchen has 10-foot-high ceilings, and designer Lisa Walsh utilized this vertical space by extending the cabinetry all the way to the ceiling. “The scale is quite dramatic,” explains Walsh, “but the playful color palette and pattern deformalize the space.”
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Whether you’re moving into a new home or planning a renovation, kitchen design is often fraught with some of the most complicated challenges a homeowner can face. Lisa Walsh, owner of Pennsylvania-based Walsh Hill Design, knows this all too well. She’s been transforming some of the most difficult spaces into exceptional kitchens throughout the East Coast for over a decade. Having just completed two challenging but unique projects, Walsh offers some advice to homeowners looking to create a beautiful, functional and “trend-proof” kitchen.
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Walsh’s Glenwood clients found their dream home in their dream location, but there was one problem. The kitchen, located in an interior space, was dark and not well-functioning. The kitchen space itself couldn’t be expanded, and there was no focal point, so Walsh created one with a Moroccan-style backsplash and French range. “The concept for this kitchen,” says Walsh, “began with the tile.”
Walsh’s Baltimore clients wanted a “light, bright, traditional and functional kitchen” with plenty of storage and a way to display their collection of blue and white transfer ware. So Walsh and her team added built-ins and a banquette to the bare space around a window to create an inviting and comfortable dining area.
The colors and tones from the kitchen (above) flow into the family room. Walsh painted the walls a dark blue, which camouflages the TV so it’s not the focal point of the space. Walsh also recommends “another way to hide the television is to hang a gallery of art around it to divert attention. There are also televisions out there, like the Samsung Frame, that look like art. You download from a wide selection of art that replaces the black screen.”
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color and tone. The design develops parallel to the way the spaces function, such as prep, dine, relax. Materials are layered to reflect that progression accordingly—from sturdy woods, marbles and leather graduating to velvets, linens and soft wools. Designers often talk about how important creating a focal point is to design. Is it important to identify a focal point early on in the kitchen design process? It’s very important to identify a focal point early in the process, although if the renovation is extensive that focal point can adapt through the placement of furnishings and architecture. In our most recent projects, the focal points weren’t obvious as we began, so we created them. Any advice for a timeless “trendproof” kitchen design? Respect the architecture and work to get that right. Shiplap is all the rage these days. But if you live in a Georgian-style house, shiplap walls are not going to work. You may want to enhance the existing architecture and experiment with scale or color, but it should be relevant. Fads and trends can be brought in as accents, as small or inexpensive items that can be replaced when you tire of them. Quality of material is something that will never go out of style. When choosing hardware for the kitchen, I pay as much attention to the way something feels as the way it looks. It will be one of the most frequently touched items in the kitchen and not a place to skimp on quality. One last question: kitchen island vs. kitchen table? Do you have a preference? I actually prefer a kitchen table over an island with seating. In an ideal world, every meal would be served at a table with comfortable seating, preferably a banquette.
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Tell us about your design process. Where do you begin? I strive for harmonious, well-balanced spaces that are pleasing to inhabit. Every space should function, but none so much as the kitchen. My approach first addresses the problems that need to be solved, typically in terms of layout. My intention is always to be respectful of the architecture and environment and the clients. I’m mindful to inject their personality into the design. It’s easy to get caught up in the appearance of a kitchen, but as you mention, they’re functional rooms at their core. How do you balance aesthetics with functional needs? I find that it’s often possible to maximize storage and function with thoughtful cabinetry design. In terms of design, nothing should be in a kitchen that doesn’t have a reason to be. In recent projects, I’ve designed cabinetry that’s full of furniture-like details. Dishes and flatware are housed in a glass-front china cabinet built into the run of cabinets. Brass feet on the island legs, character grade woods, curved mullions, cremone bolt hardware—all lend to the uniqueness and aesthetics of functional pieces, such as cabinetry and kitchen islands. Each element in our kitchens was selected for its quality. The spaces should be very tactile, balanced with sturdy metals, cool marbles, warm woods, leathers and linens. This mixture lends to the collected and comfortable feeling of those rooms. With open floor plans becoming a key feature of many home layouts, the transition from kitchen to family and living spaces must be seamless. What’s your process for making sure there’s a natural flow between the spaces? With open floor plans, I treated the spaces as one with regard to
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A PLACE LIKE HOME Thanks to designer Amanda Friend, familiar creature comforts make this beloved beachside resort a favorite destination. INTERIOR DESIGN by AMANDA FRIEND OF AMANDA FRIEND INTERIORS
STYLED by CHARLOTTE SAFAVI
PHOTOGRAPHY by ROBERT RADIFERA
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“A home away from home” is how many guests think of the Bellmoor Inn and Spa in Rehoboth Beach, DE. The historic property incorporates the renovated 1930s-era Dinner Bell Inn, where guests would convene in the courtyard each evening when the matriarch rang the bell to signal that dinner was ready, as well as a new four-story addition built by the Moore family in 1999. “It was all beautifully done,” says award-winning designer Amanda Friend, “but this well-loved holiday destination was in need of a refresh and an update.” Perhaps the most daunting aspect of the project was the need to create a design that would appeal to young families and also be well received by established clientele who loved the Bellmoor just the way it was. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, Friend needed to source materials and furnishings that were not only beautiful but also would hold up to the hard knocks of hotel use and meet commercial regulations. Continued
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Designer Amanda Friend used Sunbrella fabrics throughout the Bellmoor Inn and Spa. “They’re solution-dyed, completely stain resistant and extremely durable, but they’re made with a soft hand so they can be used for upholstery,” Friend says. “And a kid’s wet bathing suit on a sofa is not a problem.”
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“‘Fire retardant’ usually means ugly,” she says with a laugh. Friend, who grew up with sketchpad in hand and was creating floor plans when her childhood peers were drawing stick figures, has spent decades designing thoughtful and visually stunning spaces that reflect the passions and personalities of her clients. She studied fine art and studio art as well as French and classical music, and all of these disciplines tie together and inform her work. At the Bellmoor, she began by observing the way guests used the common areas—the lobby, the library, the sunroom and the breakfast room. She spent time in every room, assessing how she’d need to redesign the spaces to accommodate the guests and bring fresh life in a way that would stand the test of time. And then she set her guiding principle. “I didn’t ask, ‘What’s available that would meet these stringent criteria for durability?’” she says. “Instead, I asked, ‘How do I make what I want available?’” That critical distinction led Friend to find companies that were willing to work with her to make the seemingly impossible possible. Ultimately, her determination resulted in a design that sacrificed nothing and earned accolades from House Beautiful magazine, which voted the Bellmoor the Best Designed Hotel in Delaware in 2018.
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Friend was contracted to do the design work and renovation for the inn by Bountiful Interiors. Her attention to detail and the thoughtfulness of design earned accolades from House Beautiful magazine, which voted the Bellmoor the Best Designed Hotel in Delaware in 2018.
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A PLEASING PALETTE “With lots of hunter green, reds, and golds the rooms were quite dark,” Friend says. “It didn’t feel like the beach. But it’s possible to convey that subtly, almost subconsciously—without resorting to shells or seahorse motifs.” She chose a fresh palette of varying shades of blues, sea mist colors, ivories, and taupes, and hand-mixed the colors herself. A custom finisher sprayed the paint on the dark-stained wall panels. “It brought such wonderful light to the rooms,” Friend says. The paint color in the elegant and inviting library is Porcini, a deeper tone of taupe that gives the warmth of the “library feeling.” When Friend started talking to fabric companies about what she needed, she found an invaluable partner in Kravet Fabrics. “They were wonderful,” she says. She selected the patterns she wanted for the drapes in the guestrooms and common rooms, and they custom printed them on fire-retardant fabrics for the entire hotel. She used lots of Sunbrella fabrics as well. “They’re solution-dyed, completely stain resistant and extremely durable,” Friend says, “but they’re made with a soft hand so they can be used for upholstery. And a kid’s wet bathing suit on a sofa is not a problem.” Continued
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[ S LU G H E R E ]
Pieces of blue and white porcelain in various shapes, sizes and patterns, as well as gorgeous brass light fixtures by Visual Comfort that are a sleek, modern take on the traditional chandelier, harmonize and balance the rooms and also bridge the historic with the more contemporary aesthetic.
“With lots of hunter green, reds and golds, the rooms were quite dark,” Friend says. “It didn’t feel like the beach. But it’s possible to convey that subtly, almost subconsciously—without resorting to shells or seahorse motifs.” So, Friend designed with a fresh palette of varying shades of blues, sea mist colors, ivories and taupes, and hand-mixed the colors herself.
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SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW It was important to Friend to preserve as many original elements from these rooms as she could make work with the overall theme. She knew that guests enjoyed doing puzzles at the large table in the sunroom, for example, so she integrated this table into the newly designed space. She also hired a carpenter to build shelves out of crown molding so the puzzle boxes could be propped up, face out. The narrow shelves fit well in the light, airy room. The Bellmoor’s impressive collection of Audubon prints, which is the largest on the East Coast, used to be on display everywhere throughout the hotel. “While there are fewer on the walls now, we’ve kept some, along with some bird carvings, as well as familiar pieces like the old globe so kids can find where they are,” says general manager Benjamin Gray. These elements preserve the history of the Bellmoor and are at home in a space that’s modern and inviting. Guests can still play chess or checkers in the lobby—and they can also watch movies on large, state-of-the-art flat-screen TVs in their rooms. Whether they choose a cozy guestroom in the older part of the hotel or one of the luxurious 1,000-square-foot suites, the goal, say both Friend and Gray, is to make people feel at home.
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Designer Maria Viola knows a thing or two (or more) about proportion, and as this Bryn Mawr living room illustrates, using her techniques turns a good room into a great one.
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INTERIOR DESIGN by MARIA VIOLA OF VIOLA INTERIOR DESIGN
PHOTOGRAPHY by TOM CRANE PHOTOGRAPHY
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Maria Viola is known for bringing elegance and serenity into interior spaces. In Bryn Mawr, she transformed her clients’ living room into an elegant and classic yet current space for entertaining.
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“Design changes people’s lives,” says Maria Viola, principal of the award-winning Viola Interior Design firm. “It creates an interior space that you are glad you’re coming home to every day. It gives you peace and organization.” Viola’s clients feel a sense of peace that she’s designing spaces they will love not just on day one but for decades to come. Viola’s eye for scale and proportion, and innate ability to gracefully balance traditional and modern styles, make her a highly sought-after interior designer throughout the greater Philadelphia area. When a young couple approached her to design their new home in Bryn Mawr, Viola appreciated their longrange view of interior design. Her clients’ first priority was the living room and foyer, but they weren’t just thinking about their immediate needs for these spaces. “Since they were recently married, they knew they would have a growing family and that the family room was going to be for everyday use. They needed an additional space that was more sophisticated and special,” Viola explains. The goal was to create an inviting and elegant living room so they wouldn’t have to rely on the family room for entertaining guests. Viola and her clients approached the project with three words in mind: “classic, stylish and current.” Her clients liked traditional lines, but didn’t want the living room to be fussy or “old world” traditional with dark woods and tasseled fabrics. One of the biggest challenges was the set of large windows flanking both sides of the room. The windows were different sizes and not centered within the walls, and Viola knew she’d have to address this asymmetry in her design using a thoughtful furniture layout and window treatments. Furniture selections beautifully relate to the existing ar-
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With a keen eye for detail, Viola reshaped her clients’ living room by carefully layering different textures, patterns and materials. Custom throw pillows (above) are the finishing touches to a new London arm sofa, while a custom upholstered arm chair (left) makes a statement by the fireplace.
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but they detracted from neutral upholstery. Viola played with scale, but diminutive lamps seemed to disappear in the space. She ultimately landed on the perfect artistic and shapely table lamps that are larger in scale. “We love the way they turned out!” says Viola. She also utilized a mix of materials and finishes in the space. In fact, Viola explains that “in order for a space to look cultivated, there has to be a mix of different textures, tones and finishes. Otherwise a room has the potential to look sterile or devoid of any creativity and unique attributes.” Her clients welcomed Viola’s introduction of unique elements, such as patterns, metals and saturated pops of color. These distinctive touches elevated the design and kept it from being too mundane. For Viola, a project isn’t a success unless her clients feel comfortable using the space. “We create homes that our clients want to be in, that they enjoy being in,” she says. In Bryn Mawr, her clients are enjoying their elegant and serene living room to host family and friends. It’s a warm, inviting space that looks as beautiful as it functions. Success, indeed.
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chitecture of the older Main Line home, but in a fresh and current color palette. It’s this balance between historical references and new ways of thinking that inspires Viola’s work. Viola holds a master’s degree in Interior Architecture and Design from Drexel University, and she also teaches at the university’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. This helps her remain grounded in academia and design history but alive to new trends. Viola also looked for a lighter and “fresher” twist on a traditional rug for the living room. She found exactly what she was looking for at Beatrice & Martin in the Design Center Philadelphia. “Once I saw this rug, I knew it was the one,” she recalls. “It met all of the design requirements—good quality, all wool and hand-knotted.” Finding the right lighting for the space proved to be more of a challenge. “The table lamps actually became one of the more challenging aspects of the room design. Since we wanted to create this serene, elegant space, I didn’t want lamps that were screaming for attention, yet they needed to be special,” Viola recalls. She considered lamps in muted colors pulled from the rug’s palette,
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UNDER THE SYCAMORE TREE
Kate Parkhill turned this historic house into the vacation home of her dreams. INTERIOR DESIGN by KATE PARKHILL
PHOTOGRAPHY by REBECCA MCALPIN
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Designer Kate Parkhill wanted her bay-front home to have a coastal/nautical feel, “but not hit-you-over-the-head coastal. To me, that meant creating a space that is light and airy, but not void of color,� she says. To bring a splash of nautical color to her family room, she upholstered a pair of Bradstreet Chairs from CR Laine in a statement-making blue fabric.
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Stately sycamore trees follow a long circular driveway to Kate Parkhill’s idyllic, neo-classic colonial home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The home, built in 1892, is perched on the edge of the Chesapeake Bay and retains all of its historic charm. The house, and its picturesque setting, are exactly what Parkhill was looking for when she researched Eastern Shore vacation homes for sale. “I found this place named ‘Osprey’s Reach’ the day the listing went live, and we went to see it the next day,” recalls Parkhill, founder of influential lifestyle brand Wynn & Roo. “My dream has always been to have a sycamore-tree-lined driveway, and that was one of the first things I noticed about this property. The circular driveway leads up to the white-pillar-covered front porch, and that felt like a warm southern welcome,” she explains. Continued
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In the kitchen, Parkhill added a marble backsplash, changed the countertop from granite to a thick mitered quartzite and installed a new white fireclay sink in the island. She extended the length of the new countertop to accommodate a few stools for seating. Striped Roman shades, new brass pendant lighting and new gold hardware finish off the space.
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But what really sold Parkhill on the home was the view. Nearly every room of its 4,000 square feet provides expansive views of the water. The back of the house is almost entirely windows and French doors, and with the pocket doors open, you can see all the way through to the bay from the front of the house. “Almost every room on the first floor, including the master bedroom, leads to the pool and patio,” she says. “For three seasons, it is truly indoor/outdoor living.” Eager to turn this majestic property into a comfortable home for herself, her husband and two dogs, Wynn and Roo, for which her lifestyle brand was named, Parkhill started gathering design inspiration in the area before they even moved in. “I took trips to Annapolis and Washington, D.C., and picked up on the very traditional and nautical themes in many of the stores, hotels and restaurants of the area,” she explains. Due to the setting, Parkhill knew she wanted a coastal/nautical feel, “but not hit-you-
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over-the-head coastal,” she clarifies. With the home’s history and period architectural details, she also knew it was important to keep a timeless feel to the décor. Blending these design elements required a careful approach by Parkhill, who ultimately wanted the home to be welcoming and livable while maintaining a luxurious vibe. “I picked a few key style elements and continued them throughout the home. For example, I love the preppy, chinoiserie feel. So I have loads of ginger jars, Greek key and bamboo trellis patterns, and blue and white throughout. I also love traditional styles, so floral and fauna wallpaper, Windsor chairs, antique furniture and accessories and Oriental rugs are features of the design plan,” Parkhill says. In the dining room, Parkhill started with an antique hutch and Windsor chairs and added a dining table with carved shell embellishments as a subtle nod to the nautical. But the focal point of the room is a mural she found at Anthropologie that harkens back to traditional floral scenic patterns. In the butler’s pantry, Parkhill also carefully selected wallpaper with a chinoiserieinspired pattern in an updated blue color scheme from York Wallcoverings. “What drew me to this was its combination of a structured pattern repeat and whimsy,” Parkhill recalls. The wallpaper and the pantry’s coordinating blue cabinetry perfectly showcase her vintage glassware and grandmother’s antique silver champagne bucket.
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“I love layering pieces with history or sentimental value in with new purchases. This way, each time I walk into a room, I’m greeted with something that is tied to a memory—it has a soul,” Parkhill says. In the butler’s pantry (right), new Dwell Studio Wallpaper in blue and white is the perfect backdrop for Parkhill’s vintage glassware. For the dining room (above), she selected a traditional-inspired mural for the wall to complement heirloom furniture.
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Indoor/outdoor living is the central theme to Parkhill’s home. The doors from the master bedroom (right) lead directly to the pool and patio. The mudroom (below) is the perfect space to transition from the outdoors to the home’s main indoor living space.
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“I love layering pieces with history or sentimental value in with new purchases,” she continues. “This way, each time I walk into a room, I’m greeted with something that is tied to a memory—it has a soul.” By mixing different materials and layering various textures, Parkhill’s designs achieve an open and airy feel that is also full of color. Different wood tones, rattan and linen are complemented by antique oil paintings, woven rugs and brass lighting. Parkhill even layered in driftwood found on her shoreline. Naturally, Parkhill uses her home for frequent entertaining. “The way that you plan to use your house will inform how it should look as well,” she advises. “We bought this house with the intentions of using it for entertaining, so priorities were a good kitchen, plenty of guest rooms, indoor/ outdoor living areas and lots of seating!” When making updates to the kitchen, she extended the length of the new countertop to accommodate a few stools, creating a comfortable area for perching, eating and keeping the cook company. What Parkhill loves most about her new home, though, is “the joy of being on the water and being able to see water from almost every window! My dogs love it, and so do I. You can never feel lonely when you’re on the water with all of the boats and wildlife it brings.”
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Configurable Chest and Credenza program with multiple options.
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JEWELS FOR THE SOUL
The Alexis Kletjian collection goes beyond the ornamental—each meaningful piece tells a story about the one who wears it. PHOTOGRAPHY by
REBECCA MCALPIN TEXT by
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Alexis Kletjian’s bespoke gallery has quickly become a destination for custom fine jewelry, heirloom redesigns and her signature awardwinning pieces. Visit the gallery at 130 East State St. in Kennett Square.
“Your jewelry,” says Alexis Kletjian, “tells your story.” The award-winning jewelry designer is passionate about helping women to tell their stories, and she’s inspired by her collectors, their stories, conversations and secrets. “We leave behind our stories in small treasures,” she says, “in pieces that commemorate important moments in our lives, our loved ones, who we are and where we’ve been.” When Kletjian couldn’t find a bracelet to fit her wrist, her background in fashion design enabled her to design, scale and create the perfect bangle. This signature design unleashed an intuitive surge of creativity. Though the pieces she began to create were very different, every one was in harmony with the others. A friend encouraged her to show her work, so she laid out everything she had on her rug, then designed pieces to fill in. The first time she saw her entire collection together, in New York, was also the first time the judges of the Mort Abelson Award caught a glimpse of her work—and they awarded her this prestigious honor. Kletjian continued to create inspired collections of award-winning jewelry and soon established an international network of collectors, including celebrity clientele. All of Kletjian’s designs—necklaces, rings and bracelets—naturally lend themselves to layering. “Women wear more than one note,” she says. But each individual piece also holds layers of meaning. As a mother, Kletjian wanted to create a talisman necklace that would represent and protect her children. An exhibit of medieval armor at The Met inspired her to design her own shield. Today, Kletjian’s trademark SHIELD YOURSELF® shields are customized and shipped all over the world. Her design aesthetic is simple and elegant so that the shields, and all of her pieces, enhance and complement the collections of women of all ages and from all walks of life. “I love to create talismans, inspired by people and their stories and what’s going on in the world,” she says. “We wear them to adorn and protect ourselves.”
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Kletjian finds joy in creating beautiful jewelry to tell the stories of women everywhere. “Your jewelry tells your story,” she says, and the pieces we wear “commemorate important moments in our lives, our loved ones, who we are and where we’ve been.”
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homes for the pieces in her gallery, but she’ll turn away an unsure client so a piece doesn’t go unworn, abandoned in a jewelry box. Her collectors trust her, and she’s known for her excellent customer service and attention to detail. The one thing she won’t do, she says, is rush a piece. “Jewelry is a luxury, and the finished piece should be everything you want it to be. We work to exceed your expectations. “I’m in love with what I do,” she says. Every day will find her connecting with her collectors around the world, buying gems and discovering inspiration in seasonal color, pattern, texture, people, places and things. Her love for people and their stories also is reflected in her philanthropy. She enjoys collaborations that involve ongoing conversations and outside-the-box thinking. Kletjian is an empath who believes deeply in the truth that all of our surroundings affect us. “The pieces we own hold our emotions,” she says. As a friend, a confidant and a true designer in every sense of the word, she finds joy in creating beautiful jewelry to tell and preserve the stories of women everywhere.
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When Kletjian relocated to Pennsylvania from Boston a few years ago, she began plans to expand what she could offer her collectors by opening her first gallery. Her namesake gallery in Kennett Square has become a destination for fine jewelry and for inspiration for women to style the jewelry they already own. In this cozy, elegant space, Kletjian curates “luxuries for your soul,” a multi-sensory collection of soft and beautiful treasures from around the world. She loves to showcase vintage and antique jewelry as well as the work of other designers alongside her own creations. The gallery offers an oasis of beauty, style and inspiration. In the coming months, visitors to the gallery will find new additions to Kletjian’s collections, including her new Seaside Collection and zodiac pieces as well as some surprises. Although Kletjian has a knack for anticipating trends, she only takes on projects for which she feels a deep connection. “It has to be meaningful,” she says. Each season, her permanent collections continue to evolve with one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces. She’s passionate about finding
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