Art Department
Anne-Laure Martyn, owner of Cote Est Decor.
Bringing together the best of nature and art Story by Lisa Gant
At first glance, interior designer and furniture collector Anne-Laure Martyn and contemporary abstract artist Julia Contacessi appear to have little in common. Martyn is a native of France who worked in the fashion industry in Paris and London before entering her current career; Contacessi is a graduate of the Pratt Institute in New York City with 15 years of experience as a marketing professional. Both of them, however, share an indisputable love of interior design, along with the ability to create stunning works of art for the home. Although she enjoyed working in fashion, Martyn says she always knew that her true passion lay elsewhere. After moving to the U.S. in 2004, she discovered an interest in interior design while redecorating her 18th-century Parisian apartment and, later, during the renovation and refinishing of her home in Connecticut. Inspired by her love of European and American style, Martyn established the design firm Cote Est Decor, with the goal of bringing a sense of “timeless elegance” to home design. Her design philosophy combines natural fabrics and a neutral color palette with salvaged architectural features and reclaimed materials that she collects and restores. The result is a series of furniture pieces and accessories that perfectly blend modern and vintage sensibilities, creating living spaces that display character and charm. Over time, Martyn has built an impressive portfolio that includes staging services, patina and refinishing work, and her own furniture collection. She completes her projects in a workshop in her home, and 22
also has a separate showroom area where she invites clients to view her work. Unsurprisingly, the space is every bit as lovely and unique as any of Martyn’s previous creations. Two chairs refinished by Martyn stand to the right of the entrance, with cream cushions made of linen, and pillows made from hemp and burlap. The formidable barn sliding door was formed from leftover planks, while the floor and covered beams on the ceiling were created with barn siding and imported wood from Europe. A lamp with a simple shade takes on new life by featuring the black metal base of a sewing machine, one of the many ways Martyn pairs vintage and modern aesthetics successfully. The left side of the showroom features an ottoman that Martyn covered with cowhide, a chair she fashioned with hemp and linen, and an oak table she chose to sand down and whitewash instead of using a stain or paint, a tribute to the wood’s natural design. On the other side of the showroom, a gorgeous mantle is the standout feature, a piece Martyn found at a flea market before stripping off the paint to reveal the pine wood beneath. Two chairs made from burlap fabric and a settee add a sense of warmth and comfort and tie the space together. The coffee table had a dark stain when she found it, so Martyn sanded it down and repainted with an antique white patina. The final product speaks for itself. “I enjoy taking so-called ‘ugly’ pieces and giving them a second life, making them beautiful again,” she says. “They are not always attrac-
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Art Dept.indd 22
3/16/15 12:29 PM
In The Fi