Creating Cashmere

A beautiful townhouse with great bones gets a makeover by the design firm Wells and & Fox that has me swooning!  As soon as the present owners bought this Victorian beauty, bringing it back to its grand majesty was their first priority.  It had been broken down into apartments.  It was neglected, shorn of its magnificent moldings, trim, and the original details that that made this home so special in the first place.

From the moment you walk through the vestibule, you know tradition and modernity create the perfect marriage of past and present.  I am captured by the juxtaposition of contemporary pieces resting comfortably next to and within the traditional elements.

The five stories revolve around a skylit atrium.  The dialogue between the old and the new leaves you questioning what was here and what was added?  The architect, Dell Mitchell, describes the challenges of renovating a 1861 home in the accompanying article in Architectural Digest.  It takes on an almost surreal quality if you study the moldings, stairway, and layout.  It's not exactly period perfect.  Liberties were taken when playing with scale and proportion.  Plenty of wall space for large ''robust" art was a  goal, as well as the desire to find a unique voice for all elements to co exist comfortably.

Warmth is exuded by the neutral, tactile palette throughout the home, but brights do make an appearance when least expected.  I am seriously attracted to everything about the house.  The lighting is especially captivating.  The antique oak floors throughout lend more authenticity to the space.  The Jean de Merry sunburst fixture in the foyer radiates excitement, the Lindsey Adelman branching globe in the library is absolutely one of my favorite fixtures of all time!  Seeing it (anywhere) puts me over the edge!  Not to be overlooked ~ the interplay of venetian glass chandeliers along side modern classics is designed with a delft hand.  The David Weeks fixture in the upstairs den is a marvelous choice also!

Taupe, tan, ivory, and touches of blue and black make up the color palette with art being the focal point.

A vintage Milo Baughman chaise and the Arne Jacobson egg chairs are iconic for  a reason, but never take attention away from other important players within each room.

The intricate scroll ironwork balustrade is a nice counterpart to the plain panes of encased glass that make up the railings above the first floor.  The dance between the formal and informal, ornate and plain is what has me transfixed!

The wife explained that she wanted an environment that she described, "like cashmere," meaning soft, refined, warm and beautiful.  I think she got what she was looking for and more, don't you?  Add this to the list of places I could be happy in!




Phs: Josuha McHugh for AD magazine

Trendspotting ~ The Bare Bulb

Rejuvenation

Have you noticed? ~ The bare bulb has become the de rigueur design element of late.

Lindsey Adelman

First of all, if you have been reading my blog, you know I love Linsey Adelman's lighting.
Every fixture she creates wreaks of style.  I love her blown glass globes, but the fixtures sans globes are pretty spectacular as well

Alvhem

They tend to look best in clusters; anything for a little added drama.  They can stand on their own as a design element in a room.

The Novogratz's

 They also tend to look a little cold, so I would make sure the room inherently has a lot of warmth in it.

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pinterest

Minimalist or Maximalist?

House of Brinson

Jessop AIA via Houzz

Restoration Hardware

Filament bulbs are becoming super popular.  They often reference an industrial look, but not in this streamlined bath where they just look sleek!

CG & S Design Build via Houzz

To take it one step further (and far be it from me to stop short of extravagant) ~ This crystal carved bulb is to die for.  If you like the bare bulbs but don't want to skip the luxe look, here you go

Lee Broom

If you like the look, put a dimmer on it.

I'm Lovin ~ Lindsay Adelman's Lighting

I don't know what it is about lighting that has me so enamored these days.  I gravitate to it like a moth to a flame.  There hasn't been a shortage of magnificent lighting and Lindsey Adelman's creations are no exception.

The handblown glass globes and assorted hardware can be configured into many different sizes, colors and shapes.  Each design is beautifully executed and visually exciting

Dufner Heighes, ph: Tom Sibley

Grant Gibson ph: Kathryn MacDonald

via the189.com

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Rounded globes or the more sword like fixtures; they work equally well gracing a contemporary or more traditional home.

Dufner Heighes, ph: Tom Sibley

On Lindsey's website, she shares with you directions to make your own light, the parts needed, and where to get them.  That is very generous!  Buying the parts is easy, but blowing the glass might be problematic ~ and that's where most of the beauty lies.

ph: Lindsey Adelman unless otherwise noted

Corralling Collectables

Philip Gorrivan

So often, the first thing I do when redoing a client's home is to gather all the collectables they have amassed and scattered about the house into some kind of a cohesive grouping.  It's so simple, yet it is often not a common practice.  The impact is immediate!  Talk about instant drama!

Dan Carithers via Heirloom Philosophy

Several collections can cohabitate nicely if scale, balance, and restraint are practiced.  Dorothy Draper said, "Repetition is a form of emphasis."  I concur.

via Realsimple

via Inspire bohemia

Collections are interesting things.  They are intimate glimpses into who each of us is.  They speak to what we prize or find interesting, what we are reflecting about ourselves to others.

Using different planes really gives an added punch.  Don't just think in terms of the horizontal surfaces, hang things on the walls in creative ways, wrap them around corners. I once saw a collection of vintage mirrors arranged on a ceiling and it looked great.  Incorporating lighting to highlight the collection gives added visual appeal.

Carolyn Roehm

Even if you are not using like objects, color in this case, is the unifying factor.  Nothing suffers as the  disparate objects all have the bond of malachite ~ it's never black and white; color unifies too!

Kelly Wearstler

via House of Turquoise

It doesn't matter how unusual the collection is.  As long as it is displayed en masse, it works!

via Homelook

Vicente Wolf

Beware, however ~ collect with caution.  The minute your friends get wind of a collection, you can expect that cow milk pitcher, porcelain pig, or other tchotchke for your next hostess gift.  Everything in moderation, and keep it together man!