ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME Autumn 2020 National Issue

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DESIGN AND HOME SEEKING THE SUBLIME

kitchenCOUP CALIFORNIA / FLORIDA FRANCE / GERMANY / ILLINOIS N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S E Y

AUTUMN 2020

NORTH CAROLINA OREGON / SOUTH AFRICA S PA I N / T E X A S / V I R G I N I A

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EDITOR’S LETTER AUTUMN 2020

New from PA DESIGN Farfalloni Two Farfalle shaped silicone potholders provide better grip of hot handles. Discover a whole range of large pasta kitchen utensils including a garlic peel, spoon rest and lemon juicer. pa-design.com

Let’s EAT. Yes. We’ll exercise. Teach. Work. Clean. Send our kids to school (or not). Do good deeds. But let’s eat.

Jacob Snavely

We’ll stuff our feelings. Share family time. Discuss the day’s news.

With so many heavyweight questions on our plates these days, I’m inclined to harken back to a more innocent time when “what’s for dinner” was just that: dinner. The current days of cooking and baking have led us to so many other pursuits.

WIT LARGE In the butler’s pantry, formerly a laundry room, designer Jennifer Morris deployed light-colored cabinetry that may eventually replace the darker cabinetry in the main kitchen, and illuminated the scene with a yellow pendant.

The all-encompassing all-purpose kitchen has become our battlefront and our refuge from the stresses of 2020. We are asking a lot of our kitchens. In this issue we share spaces that are pretty and handsome, as well as functional and welcoming. We see how families across the globe interpret their spaces and are appreciating that variety is the spice of life.

And for those struggling to feed their families – about 1 in 5 U.S. children will go hungry at some point this year – consider making a donation to No Kid Hungry nokidhungry.org or your local food pantry.

‘Till we meet again in winter – be well and exercise your right to vote.

Swanky Swan Ladle Beautiful and fun. The peculiarity of this ladle, apart from its elegant swan shape, is that it floats! pa-design.com

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AUTUMN 2020

Amy Sneider

amy@aspiremetro.com

collection EXTINCT ANIMALS pattern MENAGERIE OF EXTINCT ANIMALS

Showrooms

London

Par is

Culemborg

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INDIGO GREEN

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KITCHEN & HOME SINCE 1953

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ELITIS

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2020/2021

WINTER FORECAST ANNUAL BLACK & WHITE DESIGN ISSUE

AUTUMN 2020

VOL. 12

NO. 3

PRESIDENT | CEO Steven Mandel EDITOR IN CHIEF | ART DIRECTOR Amy Sneider EDITORIAL

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Laura Soles MANAGING EDITOR Deborah L. Martin COPY EDITOR Kate J. King CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jorge S. Arango | Thomas Connors | Gwen Donovan | Alice Garbarini Hurley Theresa Keegan | Deborah L. Martin | Myles Mellor | Michelle Vilotti | Graham Wood

PUBLISHING

GROUP PUBLISHER | CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Janice Browne ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sophia Koutsiaftis EAST COAST SALES DIRECTORS Kara Pfeiffer | Stacey Piano MIDWEST SALES DIRECTORS Steven Fisher | Susan Welter WEST COAST SALES DIRECTOR Jo Campbell-Fujii MARKETING Nancy Donovan

DIGITAL

KASSONE Individual Furniture

WEB EDITOR Kelly Walters DIGITAL CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Toma Clark Haines | Andrew Joseph | Sherry Moeller | Raymond Schneider

ADMINISTRATIVE

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Valerie Mangan

BREAK FREE BAR CABINET

Designers: Andrey Rudenko, Natalya Dyundik Maker: KASSONE Individual Furniture Kiev, Ukraine

The Break Free bar cabinet is an accent piece with extraordinary sculptural form and functionality for multidimensional spaces. The mirrored front façade can change to a hologram with the touch of a remote control. The cabinet comes in black, white and grey (concrete texture). The unique hologram can be added upon the client’s request.

instagram.com/collection_breakfree

CIRCULATION Thomas Smith CONTROLLER Kate Varela

Comments and suggestions: amy@aspiremetro.com For product or project consideration: submissions@aspiremetro.com Advertising rates, deadlines and information: advertising@aspiremetro.com ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME Subscriptions: Call Toll Free 833.260.3379 or Email custsvc_aspire@fulcoinc.com Single Issue Copies and Past Issues: magdogs.com/aspire-design-and-home ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME is published quarterly by: ASPIRE One Communications, Inc. 246 Main Street, Suite 8, Cornwall, NY 12518 Phone 845.534.6110 All rights reserved ©2020. Reproduction of the articles or photos contained herein without the express written consent of ASPIRE One Communications, Inc. is strictly prohibited. Not responsible for typographical errors.

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Mike Van Tassel Tassel Mike Van

Mike Van Tassel Tassel Mike Van

DESIGN 9 1 7. 8 0 9 . 6 6 7 5

TEXTILES cwi.design

H O M E WA R E

creativewallcoverings.com

©2020 Snaidero USA

E02 | Elegante Bespoke Collection | Made in Italy NY FLAGSHIP SHOWROOM REDESIGN NOW OPEN | A&D Building | 150 East 58th Street, 8th Floor | New York | 212.980.6026 1.877.762.4337 | Exclusively distributed by snaidero-usa.com

The Perfectionist’s Playground

From the ground up, Signature Kitchen Suite was built on precision and purpose.

Whether it’s articulating handles, consistency in our stainless steel grain, Signature Fit™ installation, or engineering considerations

that follow your countertop’s lines, our full collection of built-in

appliances is designed to please the designer, builder and home chef alike. Carrying over to our respect for food, each of our

appliances are thoughtfully designed to prepare, preserve or clean in the best ways possible. That’s how we stay True to Food.™

SignatureKitchenSuite.com | @SKSappliances | 855-790-6655 Copyright ©2020 Signature Kitchen Suite, 111 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632. All rights reserved. “Signature Kitchen Suite” and the Signature Kitchen Suite logo are trademarks of Signature Kitchen Suite.

The Finest Italian Linens Since 1860 frette.com

DESIGNED, DEVELOPED AND MADE IN GERMANY

ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS BUILDING 150 East 58th Street, Suite 1024 New York, NY 10155 53 Broadway Street Brooklyn, NY 11249

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welcome autumn 2o2o

“Osa Major Finca” in Montuïri, Mallorca, Spain Photograph by Neus Pastor

Located in the least exploited and most authentic area of Mallorca (Montuïri), this finca – a traditional farmhouse – possesses a self-supporting, solar panel system. For Dutch couple Brenda Ooteman and Roland Verbeek and their grown children, yoga and spirituality play a significant role in their daily lives. They organize yoga retreats, and the whole atmosphere emanates a spirituality that captures you from the first moment. A garden and corral also generates self-sufficiency for their own food – even the chickens have their own meditation room.

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CONTENTS 7 FROM THE EDITOR 14 CONTRIBUTORS

DESIGN AND LIFESTYLE M c L E A N, V I R G I N I A

44 SLICE AND DICE A Show House Kitchen: interview with Jonas Carnemark PA C I F I C PA L I S A D E S, CALIFORNIA

52 OLD-SCHOOL UPDATE Designer Janice Barta freshens up a classic in the Golden State OLDWICK, NEW JERSEY

COUP D’OEIL

(at-a-glance)

B E N D, O R E G O N

30 Kitchen Design Reba Sams / Snaidero USA Los Angeles Flagship R O S A S, S PA I N

33 Kitchen Design Chez Caroline and Jean Marc NEW YORK, NEW YORK

35 Kitchen Design and Architecture Studio Fōr

66 A NEW OLD FARM KITCHEN Tranquility rules in this farmhouse kitchen that once saw red … flames

R O B E RT S O N, S O U T H A F R I CA

A LY S B E A C H , F L O R I D A

H O U S T O N, T E X A S

70 A ROOM OF HER OWN Designer Susan Ferrier creates a woman-centric getaway for a client S I M O N S B E R G M O U N TA I N, SOUTH AFRICA

86 ROOTED IN HISTORY A century-old farmhouse and barn mark a respect for the past – and a defiance of convention BORDEAUX, FRANCE

98 REDUX: STEERING A TRUE COURSE A Frenchman possessing that certain savoir faire saw a promising future in an old Bordeaux residence nearly in ruins MUNICH, GERMANY

106 SOMETHING OLD, NOTHING NEW German designers Jan Hoyer and Thomas Kast are happy with the way things were

ARCHITECTURE

41 Kitchen Design Etienne Hanekom 65 Kitchen Design Chandos Interiors

IN EVERY ISSUE GOODS 31 Gushing Reviews – Faucets 32 Prints and Porcelain 41 Plum Choices 43 Architectural Schemes EDITORS’ PICKS 38 Welcome to Autumn 51 Black and White Design ARCHETYPES 26-29 Designers Ellen Hamilton and Jeanine Haith talk up their fave kitchenware BOOK NOOK 27 and 28 Cookbooks

Q U E E N S, N E W Y O R K

ART 34 Visual Artist, Paul Forte 36 MUSE Image-Maker Stan Squirewell 64 Painter, Musician, Performance Artist Reza Derakshani

C H I C A G O, I L L I N O I S

EXPERT EASE 42 Chad Dorsey Design

32 GREEN INNOVATION Edgemere Community Garden and Sheds 46 NIP/ TUCK When a Chicago couple shave 2,000 square feet off their original floorplan, they still get a home that ticked all their boxes B R O O K LY N , N E W Y O R K

78 GOOD NEIGHBOR Architect Andrew Wilkinson exhibits a reverent consideration for an individual house in Brooklyn

ROUNDUP 57 Novel Design LAST WORDS A crossword puzzle

ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME (USPS 22790), Volume 12, Issue 3 Autumn 2020, is published quarterly by ASPIRE One Communications, Inc. 246 Main Street, Cornwall, NY, 12518.

Periodical postage paid at Cornwall, NY 12518 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME, PO Box 3000, Denville, NJ 07834.

On The Cover: Houston, TX Kitchen design by Sara Hillery Interior Design Photo by Michael Hunter

ASPIREDESIGNANDHOME.COM

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ELLEN HAMILTON

ARCHETYPE

Five questions. Sometimes that’s all it takes to discover how two top designers feel about the kitchen items they use on a daily basis.

Since so many of us have been home for long stretches of late, the kitchen is a place we have all become more familiar with. Learn what makes the grade when it comes to style, convenience and sheer usability. GWEN DONOVAN

Aga Dual Control Cast-Iron Range aga-ranges.com

This is a most versatile appliance for anyone cooking for a crowd and turning out a lot of food at one time. The high heat for a sauté, the warming ovens for the dishes that are waiting to be placed on the table and the grill make this a real workhorse. I love the cream as it reminds me of a farmhouse kitchen. I had an Auntie Pat that had one in her thatched roof Suffolk Pink house. It was the first time I saw an AGA. It was love at first sight.

PRINCIPAL HAMILTON DESIGN ASSOCIATES INC.

hamiltondesignassociates.com

Dualit’s Six Slice Toaster dualit.com

This is the workhorse toaster.

Cutting-edge stainless steel appliances or brightly colored, retro-influenced enamel finishes?

Colorful appliances.

Kitchen utensils hidden from view or proudly on the countertop?

Utensils on the counter.

On the subject of napkins: Monogrammed linen or a paper towel torn off the roll?

Monogram linen napkins.

Bellocchi Nested Bowls ilbuco.com

Throw a dart in the store or on the screen, anything at all from Il Buco Vita is a sensation. But these bowls elevate the simple salad!

Warmly-toned Shaker wood cabinets or Euro-sleek chrome styles?

Euro-sleek kitchen.

Double Fireclay Farmhouse Apron Kitchen Sink With Center Drain waterworks.com

The Waterworks “Clayburn” made of fireclay is a terrific old world-new world sink.

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When it comes to leftovers: a full matching set of containers or re-purposed take-out holders?

Matching containers.

Canteen Wall Mounted Articulated Pot Filler With Oak Lever Handle waterworks.com

In my “next level” kitchen I must have a pot filler with an oak handle!

BOOKNOOK

THE PERFECT KITCHEN Jubilee: RECIPES FROM TWO CENTURIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN COOKING: A COOKBOOK

Barbara Sallick, cofounder of Waterworks Rizzoli • $55

Toni Tipton-Martin Penguin Random House • $35

A TASTE OF GREECE: RECIPES, CUISINE & CULTURE

HRH Princess Tatiana of Greece and Diana Farr Louis teNeues • October • $35

in bibi’s kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen Ten Speed Press • $35

ottolenghi: flavor

Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage Ten Speed Press • $35

food52: your do-anything kitchen THE trusty guide to a smarter, tidier, happier space

Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs Ten Speed Press • $20

Maitre D’ Copper Cookware Collection

WORLD FOOD: mexico city

food52.com

Cooking with copper seemed so intimidating. When I saw new pots in cooking stores, and antique ones that were too well worn, I wondered if I would ever learn to cook with copper, but these old world-meets-new world pots from Scanpan make it easy.

James Oseland Ten Speed Press • $25

Pilgrim’s Chair (Madame Eglantyne)

by Pedro Da Costa Felgueiras thenewcraftsmen.com

This chair, “Wife of Bath”, really captured my imagination.

ASPIREDESIGNANDHOME.COM

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ARCHETYPE JEANINE HAITH

Complete this sentence: “If I could have any stove/range in the world, it would be a...

48” Sofia Pro Range Dual Fuel by Fulgor Milano. It has pro power in a refined package. It is not too flashy and has customization options.

48” Sofia Pro Range Dual Fuel fulgor-milano.com

CEO/DESIGNER SHOWHOUSE INTERIORS showhouseinteriors.com

“I historically haven’t been a cook but with the COVID pandemic I’ve been inspired to spend more time in the kitchen. Currently my go-tos for fun and inspiration are “Between Harlem and Heaven” and “Meals, Music, and Muses: Recipes From My African American Kitchen.”

BETWEEN HARLEM AND HEAVEN

JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers Flatiron Books Macmillan • $38

Cutting boards: plastic, wood or other?

I’m a traditionalist….WOOD! I especially like butcher blocks built into kitchen countertops

by Grothouse Lumber Company.

Butcher Block Countertops glumber.com

“Cooking is one of the strongest ceremonies for life.”

Laura Esquivel, Mexican novelist, screenwriter and politician

meals, music and muses: recipes from my african american kitchen

Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers Flatiron Books Macmillan • $35

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High-fives for your kitchen shelf from two seasoned foodies: ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME contributing editor Alice Garbarini Hurley and Sharon Franke, president of Les Dames d’Escoffier New York.

Sterling silver place setting for everyday use or something less formal?

I’m a sucker for sterling silver. If used every day it will keep its shine and last forever. I’m always on the hunt for vintage pieces from American silversmiths such as the “Chinese Key Collection” from Allan Adler.

Chinese Key Collection Silverware

allanadler.com

Hurley’s Hits

• The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer. Time-honored recipes for every level of cook, and a beloved apple pie. (My Dad gave me my inscribed copy.)

• In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, New York Times columnist Melissa Clark. Winner dinners and desserts, from lemony roast chicken to buttery gingerbread cookies.

• The Oh She Glows Cookbook, Angela Liddon. All vegan all the time – dips, mains and a killer, chilled chocolateespresso tart. (I have a vegan daughter.)

• The Cake Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum. Takes the cake, but also the dreamiest waffles and fluffiest blueberry pancakes.

My husband has made them since the 1990s, and the splattered pages prove it.

Favorite quirky kitchen utensil?

I’m obsessed with this garlic rocker.

Rocker 100 Garlic Crusher

• The Taste of Country Cooking: The 30th Anniversary Edition of a Great Southern Classic Cookbook, Edna Lewis. I’m about to get my hands on this; can’t wait. I love reading and trying Southern recipes.

us.josephjoseph.com

Franke’s Faves

• Pasta Grannies: The Secrets of Italy’s Best Home Cooks, Vicky Bennison. In a word, delightful.

• Tartine Bread, Chad Robertson. The man behind San Francisco’s legendary Tartine Bakery shares his techniques. Great for anyone on the sourdough bread bandwagon now.

• Sababa, Fresh, Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen, Adeena Sussman. An instant classic as far as I’m concerned. I’ve already cooked from it many times.

Do you use measuring cups and spoons or are you an expert at eyeballing it?

I use measuring cups. Consistency and order in the kitchen is a must. I love these visual measuring cups from Welcome Industries.

Visual Measuring Cups

• Falastin, Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley. Brand-new Palestinian cookbook from the Ottolenghi restaurants’ executive chef and partner. I already made two recipes and loved them.

• The Food of Sichuan, Fuchsia Dunlop. I’ve marked many pages with Post-its. It’s gotten a lot of buzz; Sichuan is hot. A lot of the core ingredients are even sold out!

welcomeindustries.com

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RICE AND SHINE

1 2 4 3

TEXT ASHER STOLTZ PHOTOGRAPHY ELSA YOUNG

One could write an historical epic on the virtues of rice. It’s been part of tradition and culture for millennia, representative as humanity itself. A multitude of color, shape, size, texture and purpose.

For six weeks of lockdown I got to look at the top of my neighbor’s forehead poking over my garden wall. During this intense period of isolation and anxiety, she was our connection to the human world. We exchanged ice creams, covert beers and loaves of bread. Once she even sent up her drone to drop off a lavender and fennel pollen.

Our conversations drifted over the course of this time, but we kept coming back to the idea of food security and staple ingredients as a portal of invention.

My neighbor is a photographer of beautiful objects and spaces. I like to putter in the kitchen. Together, we decided to tell the story of some of the world’s most humble ingredients and give them the ovation they deserve.

Rice can comfort. It can transport you to distant lands.

Undaunted by the passing of time, it urges you to steam it, fry it, boil it, pound it. Rice is as versatile an ingredient as has ever existed but remains the most humble.

This is our homage to this simple grain.

1 Clockwise from top: Glutinous short grain rice, Arborio rice, Kuromai black rice, Jasmine rice, Glutinous black rice.2 Arancini with Truffle Ketchup. If you thought risotto was the epitome of comfort food, well, you’re in for a treat. Take that risotto, use it to envelope a creamy chunk of mozzarella, then bread it and fry it until golden. This Roman snack food is a true soul warmer. 3 Chai Tea Rice Pudding Gelato. It’s just an ice cream, tasting of toasted rice and sweet chai tea, staring at you in your mouth, asking you to lick it. 4 Milled glutinous rice.

Store bought glutinous rice flour. Toasted basmati rice.

RECIPES BY ASHER STOLTZ ONLINE AT ASPIREMETRO.COM/RICE

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B E N D, O R E G O N

D E S I G N Reba Sams | Snaidero USA Los Angeles Flagship

•

Kitchen Model: WAY by Snaidero USA Finish | Arctic White and Jazz Oak Melamine Refrigerator/Freezer | Subzero 48” Induction Cooktop | Steam and Single Oven | Undercounter Wine Refrigerator | All from Miele Counter and Backsplash | Natural Quartz snaidero-usa.com

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Shannon Sands

gushing reviews

faucets poised to impress 1 Kitchen Collection Pro-Style Faucet. franzviegener.us 2 Hunley Kitchen Faucet. waterstoneco.com 3 Contemporary PLP Faucet. waterstoneco.com 4 Adams Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet. newportbrass.com

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The reuse of architectural mockups will provide Edgemere Community Garden in Queens with a large shade structure where gardeners can gather. It will also include an event space, as well as a toolshed and a greenhouse. The enclosed structures are all under 300 square feet, so they do not have to undergo the building review process. • A window structure is reimagined as a greenhouse with shelves. The triangular structure reflects the tall buildings which surround this narrow community garden. • The Edgemere greenhouse will be visible from the road so passersby can see the items growing.

Marchioness Egg Prints A set of nine hand-colored antique egg bookplates in neutral colors of white, cream, taupe and beige. marchioness.com

The idea of reutilizing architectural mockups into stand-alone structures is taking root in a community garden in the Edgemere section of Queens, NY. And for the architects at the Manhattan-based New Affiliates architecture firm it’s an idea that should grow.

“These large-scale mockups represent enormous financial and labor investment from the developer,” establishes architect Ivi Diamantopoulou and business partner, Jaffer Kolb of New Affiliates. “They’re highly efficient performance structures built to last. But in the grand scheme of things, in the building industry, they go unnoticed.”

“We literally salvaged it as it was on the way to the dumpster,” notes Diamantopoulou. At the same time, Kolb’s sister mentioned needing a garden shed.

The seed was planted.

The duo invited Sam Stewart-Halevy, a historian who specializes in reuse within architecture (and who also studied with the two at Princeton’s Master Architecture program) to join their effort, which they’ve named Testbeds.

“This can transform not just how gardens will look, but how they will be run,” says Stewart-Halevy. “We’re making not just sheds, but places to talk and gather.”

The effort received heartfelt approval from the city parks department. “We created a dozen placeholder designs,” stresses Kolb.

They decided Edgemere, a neighborhood still recovering from Superstorm Sandy, would be their pilot project. The local gardeners, who had many opinions on the project, are very enthusiastic about the final plan. Now all they need is money to transport and place the structures. The trio is hoping someone in the city’s building and development community will sponsor the $60,000 effort.

“With all that’s going on in the world, in so many ways,” shares Diamantopoulou, “to be fighting for this project as collective space is so important.” THERESA KEEGAN

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Jeffrey Miller

G R E E N I N N O VAT I O N

Jonathan Hansen x Marie Daâge Ciels Bleus Collection Limoges Porcelain.

ModaOperandi.com

Photography: Cecile Perrinet-Lhermitte. Stylist: Marie Maud Levron

R O S A S, S PA I N

D E S I G N Chez Caroline and Jean Marc Custom furniture and storage units were tailored to fit the round shape of the dwelling. found at an antique dealer in Barcelona.

Ceiling Lamp | Eichholtz (Netherlands) Geneviève Dangles & Christian Defrance.

Floor in White Resin

• •

• Stools in Brass | In the Bertoia Style, • Blue Armchair ‘SATURNE’ Burov by

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ART WORLD

Paul Forte, Map of Chaos

Paper (shredded Atlas) on canvas, 39.75 x 54 inches [detail], 2013

IT’S TIME TO STICK TOGETHER 60 YEARS OF COLLAGE IN AMERICA Featuring a diverse group of 22 distinguished artists with works from the late 1950s to 2020.

Curated by Peter Hastings Falk, Editor and Chief Curator, Discoveries in American Art Exclusively at Robert Berry Gallery robertberrygallery.com

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Garrett Rowland

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Penthouse Duplex circa 1920 Emery Roth Bauhaus Original

A R C H I T E C T U R E A N D D E S I G N Studio For G E N E R A L C O N T R A C T O R Dean Fine Building

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Refrigerator | Sub-Zero Cooktop | Thermador Dishwasher | Speed Oven | Wall Oven | Steam Oven | Miele Wine Refrigerator | Sub-Zero Sink | Elkay Sink Fixtures | Blanco Counter and Backsplash | Paperstone Cabinetry | Custom by Dean Fine Building Cabinet Hardware | Restoration Hardware Lighting | Plumen Bar Stools | LEM Floor | SMC Stone Engineered European Select Rift Cut White Oak. studioforny.com

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In “Songs Tha Darkies Sang”—a collage series inspired by words from James Baldwin’s now famous 1968 London speech—STAN SQUIREWELL creates works that challenge assumptions about Black identity, sexuality, indigenous culture and more.

Text by Jorge S. Arango

MUSE St. Pete

Self-described “visual pack rat,” Stan Squirewell challenges the construct of race.

Harlem-based artist Squirewell likes to point out that Lili’uokalani, the last queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom (1838-1917) would be called “indigenous,” though pictures clearly reveal she is Black. Likewise, his grandmother’s grandmother was Irish and he also had Native American antecedents. “There is no authenticity,” he says, “certainly in terms of identity and racial make-up. I never thought my skin complexion had anything to do with how good or bad I was.”

Then drop this nugget into the mix, something he discovered while researching his heritage: “My family had means and land. One ancestor actually owned a person. My family would have killed you for calling them Black. I had to do a lot of unpacking about that.” History, whether national or personal, is rarely cut and dry.

That partially explains Squirewell’s process. Drawing on tens of thousands of images he’s collected over the years, he prints out what attracts him, cuts elements from them, burns their edges and submerges them in a “baptismal” bath. That way, each element is purged of its old associations and given new Honey Bee

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Liliuo

Untitled

Oscala

life in Squirewell’s densely packed compositions, which then pose new questions. He’s not intentional about those questions he insists: “It’s like hip hop. I’m sampling, but I’m doing it with images instead of sound.”

One piece, of a Black man with oversized red lips, a pink boa and a Marie Antoinette wig, teems with ambiguities: Is he a cross-dresser? Why is his face black, but his hand white? Is it blackface? Is that a collar around his neck? What’s with the quasi-ecclesiastical vestments and saintly pose; is it a reference to the Christian church being a place where gay Black men could feel safe?

Squirewell is also fascinated by binaries – not just black-white, femalemale, etc., but binary computer language, which he learned to write in high school, and which he sees in everything: mandalas, the poetry of Langston Hughes, patterns of kente cloth. He carves binary code, mixed with indigenous glyphs, into his frames, further layering on illusory meanings.

Like our identities, he says, “Nobody knows who or what they are, no matter how much research you do.”

American Negro

instagram.com/ssquirewell

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Editors’ Picks

BROSS Top: WAM Bergère Designed by Marco Zito. Upholstered shell.

The slender metal structure is available in black or brushed bronze finish.

Middle: YUUMI Designed by Michael Schmidt. Ash wood stained or matte lacquered finish, with leather or fabric upholstered seat. Bottom: MYSA Nordic inspired, designed by Michael Schmidt. Natural solid oak, stained or matte lacquered, upholstered, and embellished with tone-on-tone or contrasting stitching. bross-italy.com ALEXANDER LAMONT WORKSHOP MYRIAD Straw marquetry inlay boxes. alexanderlamont.com FORT STREET STUDIO OTTO BLOOD ORANGE Hand-knotted rug in wool and silk. fortstreetstudio.com

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MADE GOODS HALLIE STOOL A tribute to the roaring ‘20s, wrapped in pear-colored suede with fringed strips. Fierce and glamorous, this stool is perfect for a vanity or a console. madegoods.com ARTE WALLCOVERINGS SELVA COLLECTION Illustrates the tropical beauty of nature through the use of natural materials, warm hues and rough relief structures. In this tactile collection, the inscrutable jungle serves as the ultimate source of inspiration.

The shadow play of light and dark creates an extra dimension so that the materials used come into their own. arte-international.com BELLA NOTTE Textile Collection LYNETTE (featured in honeycomb). Softly textured silk velvet with delicate floral embroidery inspired by vintage chinoiserie. bellanottelinens.com VONNEGUT/KRAFT RELEVÉ STOOL Maple, Ash, Walnut, Sapele, Oak and COM. goodcolony.com ARTE WALLCOVERINGS Extinct Animals Wallcovering Collection | MOOOI TOKYO BLUE Includes five extraordinary wallcoverings that are inspired by materials such as denim and marquetry, as well as Japan’s ancient culture and vibrant natural motifs. arte-international.com

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Montse Garriga Grau

PLUM CHOICES

The Portuguese brand KASSAVELLO brings this HANDCRAFTED STOOL, fusing unique upholstery and antique brass finishing. The BUTTERFLY BENCH is upholstered with contrasting piping. kassavello.com

Limited Edition GEOMETRIC VASE in multicolored faience

by Alice Gavalet. instagram.com/alicegavalet

ROBERTSON, SOUTH AFRICA

Kitchen in the Dining Room D E S I G N Etienne Hanekom Kitchen Island | Steel and Granite

• Cabinets | Antique Pharmacy from Argentina.

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Chris Plavidal

“I WANTED THE FIRST COLLECTION TO REFLECT SUBTLE LUXURY WITH A LOT OF TEXTURE AND MOVEMENT OF PATTERN,” EXPRESSES DORSEY.

Designer Chad Dorsey in his showroom.

EXPERTEASE STRIKE Fireplaces by Chad Dorsey Design Interior designer Chad Dorsey, known for his signature relaxed style and tailored, modern spaces, has just launched a series of bespoke fireplaces called Strike, inspired by California’s topography – from its mountains to its deserts and sea, Dorsey’s new Strike collection of stone fireplaces is streamlined and sculptural and unlike anything else on the market. Strike pushes beyond utilitarian with modernity and unexpected scale and proportion. The line includes robust finish options that work well in contemporary interiors such as French Quarter, which when used on black marble adds subtle pitting and imperfections, and Breccia Nuvole, which looks like lava, especially with a rough finish. Strike includes seven styles, nine types of marble and limestone, and three finishes (White, Poseidon, Pewter, Nero, Montclaire, Danby, Cream, Charcoal, and Breccia Nuvole). Dorsey’s marble is quarried in South America, while his grey limestone comes from Mexico, and white marble from Vermont. Each original design can be customized for size with a lead time of 8 -10 weeks. chaddorseydesign.com

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MALIBU

THREEVE Floor Lamp, RONE Floor Lamp, BETOO Table Lamp by Richard Hutten, 2017.

Metal structure in chrome finish and white perspex. boongallery.com

S AU S A L I TO

12”x40” Keeko Deco in Black 12”x40” Spike Deco in Black

LAGUNA

GENROSE STONE + TILE BALI Textile Inspired Tile.

Spike Deco in Grey 12 x 40

12”x40” Spike Deco in Grey

genrose.com

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SLICE AND DICE

An interview with Jonas Carnemark, CKD, CLIPP

Whether epicure or comfort food junkie, we all find sustenance in our kitchens. And it's not just fuel we find there. From solo moments of reflection with that early morning cup to the companionship and conversation when friends and family gather for dinner, this busy crossroads is what home is all about.

For the ASPIRE HOUSE McLean Designer Show House in McLean, Virginia, Jonas Carnemark of Bethesda MD-based KONST SieMatic has created a space more than ready to meet the myriad demands made on this oh-so-central room.

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Jonas Carnemark is an extreme skier, self-taught audio engineer and guitarist with the eclectic and lyrically irreverent HüsBand. He takes a moment to share his thoughts on the kitchens in our lives with ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME contributing editor Thomas Connors.

THOMAS CONNORS: How do you describe the kitchen you have designed for the show house? Is it a machine or a gathering spot? Is function front and center or does it play second fiddle to comfort?

JONAS CARNEMARK: I like to think of this kitchen as the Swiss Army Knife of this great house. Gather, connect and nourish.

In other words, kick back and relax. Enjoy a sophisticated conversation about art. Search for inspiration online. Watch your favorite cooking show. Host a wine tasting. Wash a small dog – thanks to the super-functional second island. Zoom with family.

And, of course, cook – whether that means preparing an elaborate dinner, nuking a packaged meal or warming up takeout. Whatever adventure awaits, this kitchen is the perfect place to start – and end – your day.

TC: Do you have, for want of a better word, a philosophy of kitchen design?

JC: I believe in being a good steward to the home, to every space where my design takes shape. In kitchens, whether creating a hardworking or entertaining environment, the space has to deliver for everyone in the house. That’s what I call livability. I love to create surroundings that are both practical and pleasing for everyone to use and enjoy, from grandkids to grandparents – a beautiful space that makes you smile years from now.

TC: What is your own kitchen like?

JC: Familiar and well-used. Open and comfortable. Over time, I have pursued new knives, new pans, a better flame. But for me, it’s new techniques that I crave the most. I love the networking I do with chefs I meet in the kitchen industry and of course in the fine dining environment.

TC: Are you a cook? What's your strength in the kitchen and where are you on Jamie Oliver?

JC: I cook almost every night and have been cooking for family and friends since I was a small boy. I do enjoy Jamie Oliver, but I don’t cook in the nude – that often. I have other heroes, like J. Kenji López-Alt [chief culinary consultant of Serious Eats and author of the James Beard Award–nominated column, The Food Lab]. I treat every meal as a rehearsal for the next. One of my favorite meals is my annual Swedish smorgasbord, which allows me three days of nonstop preparation and cooking of much, much good food.

Cabinetry: SieMatic | Counters + Backsplash: Silestone | Featured in Prep Island: The Galley | Appliances: Dacor | Painting: HDS Drywall Service | Seating Area Staging: The Modern Bulldog Mick Ricereto

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ARCHITECTURE

TEXT THOMAS CONNORS PHOTOGRAPHY GARRETT ROWLAND ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO FÅŒR

NIP/ TUCK

FOYER: A JENS BENCH IN WALNUT AND FLAX LINEN WEAVE FROM DESIGN WITHIN REACH IS A WELCOMING TOUCH IN THE FOYER.

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C H I C AG O, I L L I N O I S

Dreaming big is the name of the game. Otherwise, why bother, right? Architect Daniel Burnham certainly felt this when he proclaimed to the leaders of 19th-century Chicago, “Make no little plans.” Burnham’s own ambitious scheme was never fully realized, but the city shaped up pretty well anyway.

Plenty of folks out to build their forever homes would agree with him, but when a family living in a Windy City suburb today shaved 2,000 square feet off the design of the house they were about to build, they still got a home that ticked all their boxes.

“We took a look at their existing design and went through a pretty intense reprogramming exercise,” notes architect

WHEN A MIDWEST COUPLE REALIZE THEY’VE GOT MORE HOME THAN THEY’VE BARGAINED FOR, ARCHITECT FAUZIA KHANANI HELPS TRIM IT DOWN TO SIZE

Fauzia Khanani of New York’s Studio Fōr. “We established priorities, deciding which spaces were essential and which were just nice to have. Having an in-law suite with bedroom, bath and lounge area was very important, so we kept that part of the program. But we reduced the size of the kitchen and made other spaces multi-functional. There was a dedicated mudroom and we incorporated that into a corridor. That was a really good way to shave off 200 square feet.”

Located on a cul-de-sac and spreading over three levels, the Prairie Style-inspired home is amply fenestrated to offer ready views of the outdoors. Built-ins, pocket doors and a banquette equipped with storage are strategically employed to enhance the experience of moving unimpeded through the free-flowing interiors. The judicious use of wood warms up the acutely incised volumes without veering into a retro riff on Frank Lloyd Wright and his kind. One of Khanani’s most striking touches is the brightly hued tile floor in the kitchen which bleeds irregularly into the entry hall. “When you have an open floor plan,” explains Khanani, “spaces flow one into the other. We thought we’d do that with this material, as well.”

At over 4,500 square feet, the house is anything but small.

But thanks to shrewd programming, there’s nothing excessive about it either. And unlike many homes, this residence was not built to ride a current design or stand as a testament to success. Situated on a standard-issue suburban street, it is a home, like its neighbors.

“This house was a long time in the making for this family,” observes Khanani. “The charge was, ‘This is a house that our kids are going to grow up in, that we are going to grow old in, that our grandkids are going to come to.’ This is a house for the long run.”

LIVING SPACE: A GREY PALETTE PLAYS OUT IN THE LIVING ROOM, WITH ITS LIMESTONE CLAD FIREPLACE, CHARLES SOFA BY ANTONIO CITTERIO, AND A POUF AND COFFEE TABLE FROM PATRICIA URQUIOLA.

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KITCHEN: THE HENRYBUILT KITCHEN FEATURES SIMPLE, GREY OAK CABINETRY AND A VIBRANT CERAMIC TILE DRAWN FROM THE DALTILE NATURAL HUES COLLECTION.

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DINING ROOM: A FREE-FLOWING LZF MINI MIKADO PENDANT FLOATS ABOVE A DWR ODIN RECTANGULAR DINING TABLE IN WALNUT.

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Editors’ Picks

FLM CERAMICS SOUNDWAVE TILE by Forrest Lesch-Middelton Pattern #11 in Cast Iron. flmceramics.com AMY STORM & CO BLACK WHITE AND REVERSIBLE TURKISH THROW A super soft, lightweight cotton throw that adds the perfect amount of cozy to your home with a simple striped and stitched design. 40 W x 68 L amystormandco.com PETER OLSON PHOTO CERAMICA COVID-19 NO.1 JAR Wheel-thrown with original photography. peterolson.me PETITES SÉRIES ENTRE ILLUMINÉES LES ARBRES VOYAGEURS FLOOR LAMPS (Helsinky shown). petites-series-entre-illuminees.com ROCHE BOBOIS BOMBOM 2-SEAT SOFA Design by Joana Vasconcelos. roche-bobois.com APHROCHIC SILHOUETTE PILLOW This striking silhouette is an homage to African American women of the 1960s and 70s, whose confidence, freedom of expression and beauty epitomized the “Black Is Beautiful” movement at its height. inthepursuitstudio.com

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Old-School Update Designer Janice Barta freshens up a classic in the Pacific Palisades

TEXT THOMAS CONNORS PHOTOGRAPHY TRUE O’NEILL INTERIOR DESIGN JANICE BARTA

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With multiple countertop materials, the existing kitchen was all over the place. Barta reeled it in using Calacatta marble throughout, Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White CC-20, new hardware and Waterworks plumbing fixtures.

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rom a distance, it can appear that Southern California homes are either hacienda-inspired affairs, L-shaped, post-war ranch houses, or big white boxes with lots of windows to take in the sun and the sea. But from the days of the early movie moguls, plenty of folks in the Golden State have appreciated a sober Tudor manor or center hall Colonial, too.

The Pacific Palisades neighborhood – where Charles and Ray Eames built the now iconic Case Study House #8 in the late 1940s – boasts its share of homes with a traditional East Coast aspect. While these residences often open to a garden rather than the beach (and seem perhaps more appropriate to New York’s Westchester County or Boston’s North Shore), they are designed for full-out living, with amply proportioned public rooms and the kind of old school formality that makes one want to throw a dinner party. Of course, those very assets can run counter to today’s relaxed lifestyle, but when orchestrated by a designer who appreciates the past but is firmly grounded in the present, such homes can be as with-it as any midcentury-modern abode.

In the breakfast room, a classic Saarinen Tulip Table is paired with a suite of Hollywood at Home’s How to Marry a Millionaire chair.

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The relaxed living room is outfitted with furniture designed by Barta, including the custom sectional, coffee table and console.

When LA-based designer Janice Barta – a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of the Arts and Parsons School of Design – got a call to freshen up a relatively new Georgian, it was like going home. Hip to the spatial rhythm of the house and conversant with its detailing, she knew how to tweak it without eradicating the qualities that gave it its substantial presence. Other than transforming a little-used loggia into a playroom where the kids could have fun within sight of the kitchen, Barta didn’t make any major re-configurations. Instead, she “recovered, repurposed and repainted,” giving the house a lighter color palette and refreshing it with new furniture. “The point,” she explains, “wasn’t to apply some idea of open-plan California living, but to consider how to live traditional in a more modern way.”

One factor that played solidly into that making-itnow strategy was the homeowners’ art collection, which includes work by Mel Bochner and Damien Hirst. Putting on her curator’s cap, Barta made a point of finding a home for the various pieces, which had until then been in storage. Life is Beautiful, a pink neon work by L.A.-based Thierry Guetta (a.k.a. Mr. Brainwash), hangs at the end of the main hallway on the first floor. “It’s a very wide hallway and we wanted to treat it as a gallery,” remarks Barta.

“That piece was always going to live there.” And it does.

Barta revivified the client’s existing dining chairs with Scalamandré and Aldeco fabrics.

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AN ESSAY In The Enemies of Books, English printer William Blades bemoaned the dangers lurking in the 19th-century library: bugs and vermin, dust and neglect, servants and children.

Today’s childless book lover who does his own picking up might add Kindle and its kin to that list. But the biggest threat to my books has always been the horror that is moving. Not the borrower who may never return that copy of Alistair MacLeod’s No Great Mischief, or the dog about to nose out my calfskin copy of The Rubaiyat and make like it’s a chew toy. No, when faced with a life change, it’s the seemingly insurmountable task of packing that puts my books in jeopardy. Much as a I love them, not all make the trip from bookshelf to box.

By the standards of the true bibliophile, my library is modest. But no library is modest when it comes time to pack it up. Just puzzling out how to fit books into boxes (you don’t want to bruise the bindings, or fill a box so full it becomes tough to lift ) is enough to make me wonder why I keep The Man Without Qualities, a book I’ve picked up multiple times but never really penetrated.

I have moved three times in the past five years. And each time – after hours of work – I surveyed the dozens of boxes spread before me and went into a panic. “It’s going to take the movers hours just to get these on the truck! I can’t possibly find room for all these in my new place!” And so, with X-Acto blade in hand, I went at each and every box, pulling out each and every volume for a second look, a second estimation. And with new and ever-expanding criteria, I culled and culled until I could cull no more.

Moving this year, three months into the COVID crisis, was different. I was still overwhelmed by the task, still fussed over each box – rearranging the contents and lifting it again and again to be sure it wasn’t too heavy. I still paused from time to time and asked myself, “Shall I get rid of this?” And with that silly panic rising, I’d thrill to the idea that if I jettisoned enough volumes, there’d be so much less to move and wouldn’t that be wonderful? But as the hours passed (the days, actually), I put the brakes on deaccessioning. It hit me ( like “War and Peace” upside the head ) that I had sacrificed enough. Sure, it hadn’t killed me to let go of 800 books over the past few years, but now, with the virus calling the shots, rearranging every aspect of our lives, I was in no mood for more change. I hadn’t seen my family, or sat down to a good dinner with friends, in months. And there was no way of knowing how bad things would still get, or if they would get better. And so, in one of those life’s-too-short realizations, I decided to keep every book I had, read or unread, hardcover or paperback, first edition or Book of the Month Club. Some might say that when life veers precipitously off course, stuff really shouldn’t matter. Stuff may not, but my books do. More than ever.

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fredericberthier.com

Greg Cox

– CONTRIBUTING EDITOR THOMAS CONNORS

Frederic Berthier Architecture

NOVEL DESIGN TEXT DEBORAH L. MARTIN

Project: Paris, France

The study is to the right of the entrance. As well as an art collection, the clients also have a substantial collection of books, and the study functions as a library. The bench is integrated with the desk, designed specifically for this space, and is lit from behind by a window onto the courtyard. Its purity and simplicity of form use materials like wood, stone and leather in a celebration of textures, which are layered to create sensual simplicity. – Frederic Berthier

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Marie Flanigan Interiors

Courtesy Marie Flanigan Interiors

marieflanigan.com

Project: Los Angeles, California

The room in the home of Chef Ludo Lefebvre was designed to showcase the bookshelves and his collection of more than 1,000 cookbooks. The home expertly exhibits the laid-back yet sophisticated California lifestyle. The library needed to be serene enough for meditation yet stimulating enough to inspire productivity. The room’s design was oriented around the bookshelves, allowing them to be admired from every angle. – Marie Flanigan

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Emilie Munroe studiomunroe.com

Project: Los Angeles, California

The house was a new build designed by Marmol Radziner. The color, floors and shelving are all unique to this room, and as the house was built from the ground up, we always had bookcases on the agenda. I’m a big believer in cozy and small, especially when all the other rooms are much larger, and I’m a big believer in books even if you don’t read! – Kathryn M. Ireland

Kathryn M. Ireland Thomas Kuoh

kathrynireland.com

Project: San Francisco, California

Contrast was the name of the game in this office. We planned the charcoal black walls with the purpose of providing a grounded backdrop for bright, unique art and accessories. The deep wall color brings a stable and professional feel to the studio, while the fun and unexpected decorative accent pieces show warmth and personality. These bookshelves were an integral part of the office design as they help communicate the studio’s aesthetic through the display of meaningful decorative objects and books. A great feature of these shelves is that the vertical supports run through the center of the depth of the shelves. This means you can clear existing floor radiators or thick baseboards. Luckily, we had neither in this room, but it’s a design feature we’ve appreciated in other spaces. – Emilie Munroe

Laureen Rossouw

Tim Beddow

@laureenrossouw

Greg Cox

Project: Cape Town, South Africa

The walls in the library/TV room are covered in local art and memorabilia. The double-sided Victorian railway clock was a starting point for much of the interior motifs. Our favorite space has a double volume black-painted steel bookcase which is both functional – storage for our vast collection of books – and a signature feature of the apartment. I wanted the apartment to feel like a smart station hotel, and then I saw a picture in a magazine of a steel bookcase with a ladder and a platform and that fit my idea of the railway station. That became my storyboard for the apartment.

– Laureen Rossouw

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Liz Caan & Co. lizcaan.com

Michael J. Lee

Emmanuel de Bayser

Wellesley, Massachusetts

This was a family room that was turned into a dining room.

We chose to leave the existing bookshelves because it felt like a cozy place to dine amongst all these characters on the shelves. We decided to style the shelves with colorful book bindings to add organized visual interest. The built-in shelves were simple pine that were very old and original to the house. We painted them the same color as the room to make them part of the envelope.– Liz Caan

Greg Cox

Sara Hillery Interior Design sarahillery.com

Project: Berlin, Germany

Michael Hunter

The library-study nook is lined along one side with large windows and on the other, by a built-in bookshelf I designed.

The Compas Direction table and Standard chair, both with bright green-painted metal detailing, are by French designer Jean Prouvé and placed alongside the table is a sculptural wooden side chair by Charlotte Perriand. At the far end of the space, a Clam chair by Danish modernist Philip Arctander is the perfect spot in which to browse a few selections from my large collection of art monographs and design, film and photography books. The chair’s fluffy upholstery is complemented by the texture of the 1930s Moroccan rug. The oval Utö table alongside the Clam chair is by Danish designer Axel Einar Hjorth, and the table lamp, ceramics and green mirror are all by French midcentury master ceramicist Georges Jouve.

– Emmanuel de Bayser

Project: Houston, Texas

Our client had a massive collection of first editions of the Tarzan books, so we added closets to this room to frame the bookshelves. We collectively call this room the “Tarzan Room.” We wanted to highlight the enormity of the collection by grouping them together. We framed old Tarzan posters over the bed, and we built in lots of display storage throughout the home to show her collection. – Sara Hillery

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Studio William Hefner

The MG Design Lab themglab.com

Libertad Rodriguez

williamhefner.com

Laura Hull

Project: Miami, Florida

Los Angeles, California

In my new home, I added these shelves with simple, painted wood moldings in the library. They tie in with the vocabulary of the rest of the moldings in the French Provincial style. The whole room was designed around these shelves, to house my book collection. – William Hefner

Our client is an avid traveler and collector of books. We wanted to pay homage to their eclectic lifestyle by creating an eclectic and colorful composition that included not only books, but artifacts collected through the years. The idea was to have an area where we could exhibit a great majority of the collection, and I wanted the actual bookshelf to be as simple and as ‘transparent” to the eye as possible to let the books and artifacts be the focal point of the room. I didn’t want the built in to be a distraction. The shelves are located in a perfect area, on the second floor of the house by the stairs.

It’s the first thing you see once you are there, and it receives a lot of natural light, which helps to emphasize the different colors and shapes of both the books and the artifacts without overwhelming the space. – Marcy Garcia

Dennis Brackeen Design Group dennisbrackeen.com

Project: Houston, Texas

Pär Bengtsson

The library/study was actually a bedroom and small bath before our remodel. We designed the bookshelves in the room to flank both a daybed for seating and a desk to provide a workspace. Our client had an extensive collection of books which he uses often, so during the remodel we designed the library in the center of the apartment just off the dining and primary bedroom. We were fortunate that the apartment conversion provided the space needed to build the library bookcases, but it did require reconfiguring the entrances and the deletion of plumbing from the prior bathroom. – Dennis Brackeen

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Four Point Design Build fourpointdesignbuild.com

Project: Los Angeles, California

This kitchen design was a direct response to the client’s need to work, rest, prepare meals and read in the space at the same time as other family members gathered for different activities (hence, the TV above the workspace for easy viewing). Building a bookcase into the kitchen is one of our favorite signature design elements. We believe it adds a cozy, inviting, yet stimulating energy and it invites a sense of conversation and relaxation to an otherwise highly functional dedicated space. Built-in functional and stylish cabinetry is our thing.

It’s such a massive space saver, adding visual interest, style, color and tone, as well as so much storage. It is also a grand opportunity to organize and display the client’s treasures, while maintaining consistency in the home’s overall design. – Laura Muller

Valerie Grant Interiors

Peter Rymwid

valeriegrantinteriors.com

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Riley Jamison

Project: Summit, New Jersey

This intimate reading nook was created in an unused space on the 2nd floor landing in a home in Summit, New Jersey.

The custom painted wood bookshelves and windowseat were designed around the contrasting dark window to give the family a light-filled space that felt tucked away from the activity of home. The area was accented with plenty of lighting including polished nickel sconces and an overhead ceiling fixture. The space was further detailed with a custom rug with a nailhead border and dramatic art by Misaki Kawai. – Valerie Grant

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ART WORLD

Every Green Day and Every Red Night , , Oil and tar on canvas, 5 x 6

THE SHADOW OF A FIG TREE QUIETS MY SOUL is an exhibition of work by Persian-American artist Reza Derakshani exploring opposing themes of the world. While aesthetically ornamented, the paintings express a duality of experiences and reflect the fullness and ambiguity of life. In the Garden Party series, Derakshani interprets traditional metaphors for heaven and the afterlife, where families communally gather and feast under tents in vivid and idyllic gardens.

Leila Heller Gallery/NYC leilahellergallery.com

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Julie Soefer

HOUSTON, TEXAS

D E S I G N Chandos Interiors A R C H I T E C T Rice Residential Design B U I L D E R Goodchild Builders Inc.

•

Kitchen Cabinetry | Eggersmann Appliances | Wolf Lighting Fixture | Allen Knight and Associates

• Faucet | Fixtures & Fittings

eggersmann.com

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Ocki the goat.

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A New

OLD FARM

Kitchen

I

n the tranquil village of Oldwick, everyone knows their neighbors. Peaches and apples are plucked for pies, rolling hills follow the sunlight. With acres of crops and proud old homes, it feels like Maine in New Jersey.

TEXT ALICE GARBARINI HURLEY PHOTOGRAPHY MIKE VAN TASSELL INTERIOR DESIGN KP INTERIORS

For Mary Taggart, a mother of four grown children, maintaining a 19th-century house for decades was a labor of love. But when an electric window candle sparked a fire in January 2018, destroying much of the upper floor, her dream was left charred. Taggart was at work and her kids were out, yet three cats, four dogs, birds and a bunny were home.

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Finch the cat.

“The volunteer fire department and neighbors rushed in to rescue the pets,” says Kathryn Tafaro Platt of KP Interiors, who lives a stone’s throw away. “We were all saying, ‘Where’s Mary?’ and calling her phone. But she was in a meeting.”

Fortunately, Taggart’s home insurer, Chubb, covered a redesign of the first floor.

By May 2019, the family moved back into a place they love even more than before. Under Platt’s eye but with close input from Taggart, the redo involved moving the kitchen from the side to the back of the house without changing the footprint – and adding a clean, sleek mudroom/bathroom, handy with four pet goats and a large dog. An organized pantry and on-the-button conveniences give the kitchen a level of humming efficiency.

“I love to entertain, but my kitchen was seventy-five years old,” says Taggart. Now, the quartz countertops are a great place to line up wire baskets of homegrown tomatoes or eggs from the coop.

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“Mary did not want new,” notes Platt. “So we found a new way to do an old house.” The team uncovered sturdy, original wood ceiling beams and incorporated modern shiplap to blend in on the walls. Since they couldn’t put big ducts in an older house, they installed a sleek HVAC system with hidden vents.

Bespoke kitchen details, which still blend in with the welcome-home country feel, include open shelving, an island with a wirebrushed white oak top, a whisper-quiet Miele dishwasher, farmhouse sink, deep sliding drawers and new windows, even two over the sink that swing out to feed a roaming goat.

The team even cut out a little cat door for travel to the basement litter box.

The designer chose Benjamin Moore paint: November Rain (walls); Revere Pewter (cabinets); and White Dove (trim).

Two twentysomethings live here. Now that many employees have to fashion home offices, the timing is perfect. “They say ‘Work at home? No trouble,’” their mother says with a smile.

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A room of her own Designer Susan Ferrier creates a woman-centric getaway for a client in Florida

TEXT THOMAS CONNORS PHOTOGRAPHY ERICA GEORGE DINES INTERIOR DESIGN SUSAN FERRIER INTERIORS

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French antiques – console tables, light fixture and candle sconces – along with custom, aged mirrors by Amy Smith of Blue Door, add depth to this tone on tone entry clad in white oak.

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Ferrier’s penchant for the curve plays out in the commodious salon, with its sofas draped in De Le Cuona Titania Dawn, an antique wing chair covered in Sandra Jordan Prima Alpaca Lavender Grey and a pair of Waterfall coffee tables from Iatesta Studio. Opposite: Dining nook.

A LY S B E A C H , F L O R I D A

The language of gender is fast-changing, but when it comes to design we often still describe interiors as masculine or feminine. And clients are the first to hit the binary when they attempt to convey to a designer the look they want. That doesn’t mean a man can’t kick back on a chintz-covered sofa or that a woman can’t feel right at home in a wood-paneled library.

But no matter how limiting those adjectives may seem, they still help us to fashion spaces we can feel at home in.

When Atlanta-based Susan Ferrier took on the task of designing a getaway on Florida’s Gulf Coast, her client left no doubt that she wanted interiors that expressed a traditionally feminine vibe. “The color palette – mainly purple and pink – was not one I’d normally work with,” shares Ferrier.

“But my client had recently lost her husband and in this new phase in her life, she wanted an environment that fully reflected her personality.”

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In addition to sourcing materials in “the colors of the sunrise,” one of Ferrier’s key strategies for satisfying her client’s wish was her determined use of the curve. In the ground floor foyer – where the oak-clad walls, beamed ceiling and relatively tight dimensions remind one of a sailing vessel below deck – she moderated the straight lines of the space with cabriole-legged consoles and a pair of large sconces with an espalier aspect. In the main living space, she draped a pair of sofas in grey fabric rather than tightly upholstering the pieces. In the moody blue family room, where the walls are covered in Rogers & Goffigon Sky Dark Teal fabric, Ferrier hung a richly carved antique mirror she acquired in the South of France. “A straight line paired with something that looks like it’s a little bit out of control is always very exciting,” says Ferrier. “And if you are working with a really strict shell, then you can really go for it on the decoration.”

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A pantry (left) and office (right) bracket the sophisticatedly realized kitchen, where salon-inspired seating elevates the ubiquitous central island.

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A guest bedroom, enveloped in a hand stenciled glaze over Sherwin Williams 7577 Blackberry by Jan Hale Studios.

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Serenity of a high order reigns in this family room, with its custom hand-knotted wool rug, Rogers & Goffigon Sky Dark Teal fabric on the walls and the drippingly luscious gold side table from Casamidy.

Color and curves give the home its welcoming ambiance, but equally important is the way in which Ferrier has orchestrated the public spaces on the second floor. “When you are working with an open plan like this, the furniture becomes elevated; it’s more than just objects, it assumes a responsibility for defining space,” explains Ferrier. She not only disposed a wealth of seating around the well-lit room (large, handsomely mullioned windows admit loads of natural light) but established a fine companionship between the living room space and the kitchen that opens into it. “Here too,” she adds, “the kitchen has to be elevated.

Not to be funny, but your living room shouldn’t open to your garage.”

Enveloped in the same millwork that adorns the living room walls, outfitted with gilt-famed mirrors, and topped by a chandelier, the space is more a salon than a machine. While functional to the hilt, the finishes (including the glossy doors that hide the refrigerator) form a seamless complement to the relaxed sumptuousness of the living room. “You have to be consistent,” asserts Ferrier. “The same formal stance had to apply to the kitchen.”

Wary of sounding – as she says – “too woo-woo” – Ferrier speaks of interiors as matters of rhythm, of gesture. “Every house has a vibration,” she suggests.

“We wanted you to walk into this home and feel loved. And when you take something visual and execute in such a way that it touches on other senses, that’s a success story.”

A handsomely contained patio and pool add to the home’s R&R appeal.

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ARCHITECTURE The home’s multi-faceted outdoor space includes this pavilion with hot tub and shower.

A REVERENT CONSIDERATION FOR AN INDIVIDUAL HOUSE IN BROOKLYN TEXT THOMAS CONNORS PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL WARCHOL ARCHITECT ANDREW WILKINSON

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The substantial dormer at the top of the house is an open volume that brings natural light into the master bedroom.

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BUilding anew in an established neighborhood is often an exercise in accommodation. And between zoning restrictions and community concerns, architects frequently get their wings clipped. But grasping the lay of the land and knowing how to negotiate it allows savvy professionals to create buildings that satisfy both the client and the folks next door. Case in point: this street friendly residence in Brooklyn’s historic Gravesend district, designed by New York’s Andrew Wilkinson.

LEFT: Wilkinson’s discreetly layered approach is manifest is this view from the first-floor hallway through the kitchen to the family room beyond.

G R AV E S E N D, B R O O K LY N, N E W Y O R K

Built for a young real estate developer and his family, the home’s massing and profile were devised to meet local codes, which included a specified setback and a roof configuration that did not cut off a passing pedestrian’s view of the sky. While the house will never be mistaken for one of the more conventional homes that have lined these streets for years, neither does it come across as brazen architectural statement. Its stuccoed façade projects a foursquare sobriety, while its detailing – including a compact balcony and a deep dormer – manifests a lively imagination at work. “It’s a Rockette wearing a slightly different uniform,” suggests Wilkinson.

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The home’s relatively straightforward exterior belies the free-flowing spaces within.

Although the interior rides on an open plan, Wilkinson has tailored that well-loved concept to create a clearly programmed environment.

The banquette-lined dining area of the kitchen is separated from the adjacent family room by a screen that ends just short of the ceiling. In the dining room, the table (solid American walnut slab with live edge) sits on an expanse of solid walnut bordered by Absolute Black granite tiles.

Utterly contemporary, the house is no white box, thanks, in part, to such details as the beamed ceiling and towering bookcases in the family room. In fact, the generous use of wood throughout does much to project a truly domestic character. “Modern architecture can manifest very cool,” observes Wilkinson, “but wood and wood veneers humanize spaces, creating a warmth and visual interest, adding another level of texture and pattern.”

When it came to the home’s exterior, Wilkinson had a lot to consider, beginning with the street side elevation, where floor-to-ceiling windows and doors lead to a terrace. To provide privacy, he bounded this outdoor space with a wall of tumbled bluestone from Asia, topped by a horizontal screen constructed of Ipe. “All around this house you see a direct

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response to light, privacy, access,” says Wilkinson. Although the property sits on a double lot, one side is fairly close to the neighboring home, so the architect punctuated that wall with tall, narrow, frosted windows that allow plenty of natural light to filter through. “At the rear of the house, we were less concerned about neighbors being very close because we open up to our yard,” explains Wilkinson, “which is well served with terraces and entertaining spaces and the dining room has windows all around it that open to the yard.”

The Gravesend home was a particularly gratifying project for Wilkinson. “Five years ago, I started doing quite small projects with this client, improving existing properties, and to his complete credit, he recognized I was trying to do things a little bit differently,” relates Wilkinson. “He became incredibly interested in the design process and engaged with the idea of being a little more design driven, rather than just simply a utilitarian brushing things up. And one day, he said, ‘I’m going to be building my own house and I can’t think of anyone to do it with but you.’”

ABOVE: The spacious living room sports some serious seating – David Weeks Studio Sculpt sofa and Craig Bassam and Scott Fellows’ CB-50 Lounge chairs. OPPOSITE: The kitchen millwork – designed by Wilkinson Architects and fabricated

by Jonathan Arnold Inc. – is sawn American walnut with charcoal grey powder coated aluminum pulls.

“All around this house you see a direct response to light, privacy, and access,” establishes wilkinson.

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The elegantly restrained master bed is made of American walnut and features a bench cantilevered on a brass frame. Movable panels on the upholstered wall act as blackout curtains when closed over the windows.

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“Modern architecture can manifest very cool,” observes Wilkinson, “but wood and wood veneers humanize spaces, creating a warmth and visual interest, adding another level of texture and pattern.”

In the dining room, the architect-designed table – crafted by Birnam Wood Studio – is paired with De La Espada ‘Wide Solo’ dining chair purchased through FuturePerfect. The art-like treatment over the cerused white oak sideboard is Nyx wallpaper from Trove.

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ROOTED IN HISTORY

TEXT GRAHAM WOOD PHOTOGRAPHY ELSA YOUNG ARCHITECTURE PERFECT TIPPETT ARCHITECTS INTERIOR DESIGN HEIDRUN DIEKMANN

A BOLDLY AND BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED FARMHOUSE AND BARN COMBINE SUBTLETY AND RESPECT FOR THE PAST – AND A REFRESHING DISREGARD FOR CONVENTION

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S I M O N S B E R G M O U N TA I N, S O U T H A F R I C A

CHAPTER ONE: THE FARM

he story of this house – a century-old farmhouse in the valley of the Simonsberg Mountain in the lush winelands of the Western Cape in South Africa – asserts the owner, “is about a farm with an old soul that was resurrected, land that was brought back to life and the joy of living one’s dream.” Part of that dream was simply to have a place of their own in the astoundingly beautiful winelands around Stellenbosch where the owners studied together in the university town when they were younger.

The couple hoped to find something quiet, tranquil and with beautiful trees. Ironically, this house was overlooked because it was so unassuming and off the beaten path. But it turns out it was exactly what they’d hoped for: it had centuryold trees and orchards, and the feeling that it could “wrap its arms around us and be a space where we would feel safe and secure.”

The main house dates to 1904, and it appears in local history books, where it is described as “a radical departure from the traditional architecture of the Cape country dwelling.” Today, with century-old vines climbing the pergolas over its mosscovered veranda, the house looks as settled as any traditional gabled Cape home. Outside, there is a genuine example of traditional Cape architecture: a barn dating to 1830.

While various kinds of fruit had been cultivated on the farm over the centuries (including grapes, of course), the owners discovered that it had once singlehandedly produced more plums than the rest of the valley put together. “We are not plum farmers, but we thought to ourselves, ‘we can make this work,’” asserts the owner.

So, they replanted the orchards with exciting new varietals and built up the farm to full production. It has been a long, difficult process, but the owner insists, “being involved in the noble process of growing food, with the only standard you live by to do good work,” is tremendously rewarding.

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CHAPTER TWO: THE HOUSE

iving up to its unconventional design, the house becomes a bold statement of individuality and personal taste expressed in humble, honest materials; renovated and decorated with the help of renowned interior designer Heidrun Diekmann.

Diekmann and the owners made very few alterations to the main house. New bathrooms were added and a guestroom outside was made accessible from the inside. The old main entrance was replaced by a bay window extension to the existing bathroom, which now captures views of the valley.

“The vision was to celebrate the existing patina and simplicity of farm life, and to restore the old bones with respect and honor,” she states.

The worn wooden floors were embraced. The pavers on the veranda (or stoep in Afrikaans) were “cracked and wonky,” but many were left alone, celebrating rather than disguising signs of age. Where the thick trunk of the old wisteria creeper cracked a column, it was left untouched. “If you were to fix that, you’d simply destroy the character,” opines Diekmann. Where the stoep was extended, the new clay bricks were treated with a mixture of manure, yogurt and moss so they’d blend with the originals.

When it comes to the furnishings, the materials Diekmann chose speak to farm life: metal, timber, leather, stone. Raw metal (oiled to prevent it from rusting) has been used for shadow lined dado rails, for example. The washstands in the bathrooms have flamed granite tops with hand chipped edges to celebrate the touch of the human hand.

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“INITIALLY THEY PAINTED THE HOUSE WHITE AND LIVED IN IT FOR A WHILE,” HEIDRUN DIEKMANN NOTES. BUT GRADUALLY THE COUPLE BEGAN TO DEVELOP A SENSE OF HOW THEY COULD MAKE IT THEIR OWN, GUIDED BY THEIR LOVE OF NATURE AND THE ETHOS OF AGRICULTURAL HONESTY AT THE HEART OF THE FARM’S OPERATIONS.

“I prefer texture over pattern,” Diekmann shares. In fact, although the fabrics throughout the house are plain – linen, cotton, silk, worn leather and sisal – the variety of their textures and colors becomes a kind of pattern itself. “My preference is for textures with visual and tactile heft, balanced with the gauzy and transparent – like the curtains which filter daylight but still allow the outside in,” she states.

The colors in the house echo the green grasses in the garden and the sunburnt olive and grey of the African savanna. In some rooms, the large-scale prints of works by Dutch Masters on the walls seem to have breached their frames. The midnight blue, yellow and calico in Vermeer’s “Milkmaid,” are picked up in the dining room, and details from his “Young Woman with a Pearl Necklace,” echo in the buttery yellow silk curtains of the main bedroom.

The idiosyncratic collections that adorn tabletops and mantlepieces – memorabilia the owners accumulated over a lifetime – not only catch the eye, but also reveal a “passion for discovery.” Other finds, from feathers to flowers, express a bond with the farm and its landscape.

It’s a way of doing things that reflects Diekmann’s “preference for spaces that have clear and forceful identities, that captivate the senses and command and fulfill the eye.” It’s an approach that beautifully resolves the imperatives of creating a home with individuality and personality, while remaining respectful of history, nature and the life of the farm.

(Previous spread) The formal sitting room is furnished comfortably with worn armchairs, sofas and other pieces in natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, silk, worn leather and sisal. All the materials used in the interior composition, including the floors, the ceiling, the doors or furniture and accessories have been selected for their natural textures rather than decorative patterns. “My preference is for textures with visual and tactile heft, balanced with the gauzy and transparent,” says interior designer Heidrun Diekmann, “like the curtains which filter the bright light of day but still allow the outside in, or shutters which can be adjusted to control the light yet allow glimpses of the garden.” Layered into the room are objects that the owners have collected over a lifetime, telling the story of where they have been, what they love or simply find beautiful. “There should always be a personal, unexpected touch,” asserts Diekmann, “an unusual object that catches the eye and is a surprise, to evoke an emotion.” Flowers, feathers and other finds fill vases and planters. “I simply believe in foraging whatever is out there in the garden,” adds the homeowner. “I pick whatever I can find, whether it be a dried twig or a branch or dried leaves; it’s all there and I think it should be celebrated.” The art here and throughout the house has been collected for enjoyment, irrespective of value – there are flea-market finds, Dutch masters reprinted on canvas and the owner’s collection of Namibian artists (Blatt, Aschenborn, Ossman, Eriksson, von Koenen) as well as the renowned South African modernist Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, featuring the land and mountains near the owner’s place of birth. The kitchen was simply refreshed and repainted, and the screed floors recoated with floor paint. “I took off all the handles on the doors and drawers, and a blacksmith in Windhoek made new handles for me,” notes Diekmann. “He folds the metal to make a slight indent for your fingers.

Again, it’s the touch of the human hand, which I just think is so important. I enjoy things that can’t be mass produced.” The kitchen island and stools reflect farm life in their materiality: raw metal oiled to prevent it from rusting topped with flamed granite tops with hand chipped edges.

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The study adjacent to kitchen animates an interleading room. The wallpaper is a blown-up detail of a painting in the Rijksmuseum by Dutch painter Hendrik Voogt, and was specially commissioned. “It’s actually a landscape in Tuscany,” shares Diekmann, but it reminded her of the hillsides in and around the Cape covered with pines. The Moooi Spider Lamp playfully complements its more traditional counterparts in the rest of the house. A second living area outside the kitchen has similarly richly textured fabrics and materials: sisal, cane, wood and leather. Where the cement screed floors were looking worn and tired, here and in the kitchen, they were simply painted with floor paint. Air and light are let in through doors that capture the views of the Simonsberg Mountain and the luscious plum orchards.

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The main bedroom and bathroom mimic the palettes of the Dutch masters, specifically Vermeer’s Young Woman with a Pearl Necklace as well as Milkmaid (midnight blue, yellow, calico) and the colors of the African savanna – shades ranging from sunburnt olive to the grey of the bush in winter and the grasses (planted in the garden). In the bathroom, as elsewhere in the house, the washstands have flamed granite tops with hand chipped edges to celebrate the touch of the human hand. The formal sitting room is furnished in comfortably worn armchairs, sofas and other pieces in natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, silk, worn leather and sisal. All the materials used in the interior composition, including the floors, the ceiling, the doors or furniture and accessories have been selected for their natural textures rather than decorative patterns. “My preference is for textures with visual and tactile heft, balanced with gauzy and transparent,” says interior designer Heidrun Diekmann, “like the curtains which filter the bright light of day but still allow the outside in, or shutters which can be adjusted to control the light yet allow glimpses of the garden.” Layered into the room are collections of objects that the owners have collected over a lifetime, telling the story of where they have been, what they love or simply find beautiful. “There should always be a personal, unexpected touch,” says Diekmann, “an unusual object that catches the eye and is a surprise, to evoke an emotion.” Flowers, feathers and other finds fill vases and planters. “I simply believe in foraging whatever is out there in the garden,” says the owner. “I pick whatever I can find, whether it be a dried twig or a branch or dried leaves; it’s all there and I think it should be celebrated.” The art here and throughout the house has been collected for enjoyment, irrespective of value – there are flea market finds, Dutch masters reprinted on canvas and the owner’s collection of Namibian artists (Blatt, Aschenborn, Ossman, Eriksson, von Koenen) as well as the renowned South African modernist Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, featuring the land and mountains near the owner’s place of birth. (Opposite page) In a room just off the terrace, leading to the guest suite, the owner has blown up a print of Vermeer’s Young Woman with a Pearl Necklace. The Dutch master’s colors inspired the buttery soft yellow silk curtains here and in the main bedroom, as well as the dark, glossy chest of drawers.

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RATHER THAN THE WHITEWASH TREATMENT TRADITIONALLY GIVEN TO CAPE ARCHITECTURE, THE BARN WAS PAINTED KHAKI. “IT SETTLES SO BEAUTIFULLY INTO THE LANDSCAPE WITHOUT STANDING OUT,” SAYS DIEKMANN. BUT IT ALSO REVEALS AN APPROACH THAT IS UTTERLY INDIVIDUAL, WITH A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND PERSONALITY THAT DISREGARDS TRENDS AND FLOUTS CONVENTION.

irst, they converted the barn into an office with the help of Richard Perfect and Dylan Meyer of Perfect Tippett Architects. The owner observes that the little restoration and alteration project turned out to be “more than we bargained for.” The foundations needed to be completely rebuilt and the floors replaced. The gable end was threatening to topple over. The restoration revealed the original clay bricks beneath the plaster which are now displayed in their glorious raw state. They contrast with smooth, screeded cement floors in an interplay of raw and refined that is sustained throughout the barn.

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CHAPTER THREE: THE BARN

The barn, which is a traditional gabled Cape building dating back to 1830, was converted into an office with the help of Richard Perfect and Dylan Meyer of Perfect Tippett Architects. “The architects were a joy to work with,” express the owners. “A successful project is always a great collaboration between the owners, architects, designers and craftsmen who make it happen.” Although the foundations had to be rebuilt and the floors replaced, the original clay bricks of the walls were largely intact and could be restored.

They were left exposed with all their signs of age and imperfections, juxtaposed with smooth screeded cement floors for a contact between the original and the contemporary that is sustained throughout. The textures are enriched with timber details and furnishing in natural materials and fabrics. While the utmost respect and care is shown in the restoration of the structure of the barn and its original features, it has been painted an olive/khaki color rather than the traditional white.

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OPPOSITE: Based in Paris, Bordeaux and Geneva – Jean-Xavier Neuville devotes his craft to the art of stylish living. His agency handles event planning, interior design, branding and communications and also assists with well-appointed stays in Bordeaux, the port city in France’s fertile wine region. DINING ROOM: Murano chandelier bought at auction, Emmanuel Layan, Hôtel des Ventes Tourny, Bordeaux. Pyramid table, Wim Rietveld for HAY. Result Chairs, Friso Kramer (1959 for HAY). Silverware, Christofle. Drawing above fireplace, François Avril, Huberty & Breyne Gallery, Paris. LIVING ROOM: Prado sofa and walnut console, Christian Werner for Ligne Roset, Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi console, GUBI. JH7 table, Jaime Hayon for &tradition. “Ring My Bell” lamps, Arthur Hoffner for Ligne Roset. All from Docks Design, Bordeaux. Yellow and red lamps, HAY Matin by Inga Sempé, HAY Bordeaux. Terrarium, Jade Design (Paris/Bordeaux). Artwork above console, Bretagne by François Avril, Huberty & Breyne Gallery, Paris.

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JEAN-XAVIER NEUVILLE, FOUNDER OF AGENCE NEUVILLE

R EDUX: STEERING

A TRUE COURSE A FRENCHMAN POSSESSING THAT CERTAIN SAVIOR FAIRE, SAW A PROMISING FUTURE IN AN OLD BORDEAUX RESIDENCE NEARLY IN RUINS. TEXT ALICE GARBARINI HURLEY PHOTOGRAPHY CÉCILE PERRINET-LHERMITTE INTERIOR DESIGN JEAN-XAVIER NEUVILLE

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KITCHEN: Island, Bulthaup. Range and hood, Lacanche. Copenhague stools, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, HAY Bordeaux.

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BORDEAUX, FRANCE

Hailing from the North of France, Jean-Xavier Neuville arrived in Bordeaux eight years ago with two suitcases and a fresh master’s degree in architecture. By 2016, the passionate visionary had acquired a weathered duplex built in 1712.

Located in the Saint-Michel district, with its busy town square and basilica, the structure was built on the ditch of the medieval city wall when wealthy merchants and shipowners settled in the southern suburbs. They divided vast districts into private residences – mansions built on the Cours Victor Hugo.

Following his heart, Neuville transformed one historic structure into home base for his firm, which opened in 2018, and ample space for his living quarters. The building had been uninhabitable in the early 2000s; previous owners had planned renovations that didn’t happen.

“I wanted a place reflecting both past and present – a space where life

“This was a typical shipowner’s house, originally a privileged hosting

is good and the sky is always blue,” he adds. Along that line, he had the

venue, capturing ashore the maritime power of its owner,” he notes. It is

walls of the airy pantry behind the kitchen painted a true French blue,

the only property of that era that still stands in such pristine condition.

then hung a Moroccan lamp, antique paintings from Bordeaux and a

“After years of discovering this jewel city through its sumptuous interiors and unique inhabitants, I decided to create my agency here,” he asserts.

“The smell of the old noble woods and the chance to reinvent an interior that had kept all its original features immediately seduced me.”

mirror unearthed at a bargain. He added strokes of bold colors in the library and at the entrance, and vibrant pink accents in a bedroom.

Throughout the space, Neuville incorporated historic and contemporary details. For the dining room, he chose light, flexible vintage chairs from 1959

He poetically praises the region for the “softness of its blond archi-

and lighting found at auction. A classic, time-honored kitchen range and

tecture, generous vineyards and endless lines of majestic pines that never

hood – “Les Pianos Gastronomes,” made in France – is flanked by sleek,

reach the horizon and the sea.”

modern cabinets that close neatly. Stools stand ready at the island so friends

He removed partitions dating to the 19th century and lovingly renovated parquet floors and woodwork. New bedrooms, bathrooms, a library and a

can join him for petit déjeuner – a light breakfast of croissants, jam and coffee, perhaps, eaten in a beautiful place.

handsome green dressing room with wood staircase were carved out of the footprint.

“More than three hundred years have passed, and while the noble floors remain, the other, more modest spaces have been adapted to my way of life,” says Neuville. On the lower floor (the living space), fireplaces and ceilings are still intact, as is the half-moon carpentry that separates the library.

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BEDROOM (TOP LEFT AND RIGHT): Bed linens by Harmonie. Armchair ottoman, designed by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance for Ligne Roset. Rope Trick lamp by Stefan Diez for HAY. Walnut veneer mirror, IKEA. Lithographs signed by Georges Braque (1882-1963). George Nelson bench, Vitra. Diabolo 50 wall lamps by René Mathieu for Lunel France. Toile Posée by Françoise Avril, Acrylic, BRAFA 2017 Bruxelles. BEDROOM (BOTTOM LEFT AND RIGHT): Bed linens by Harmonie. Office CPH 190 Desk from the Copenhague collection, by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Audrey chair by Piero Lissoni for Kartell. Desk lamp from Dock Design Bordeaux.

Hanging cupboards, IKEA.

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MUSIC ROOM: On fireplace, glass lamp Murano, Atollo 237, designed by Vico Magistretti. Drawing “Maternité en bleu”, KRBEC Rosemonde (1920-2000). Napoléon chair. Floor lamp Akari 10A, design Isamu Noguchi. Alexander Girard Wooden Dolls for Vitra. Suspension Silk paper, creation by Agence Neuville.

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TOWARD THE STAIRCASE: Lamp on the fireplace by designer Pascal Mourgue for Ligne Roset. Clock QLOCKTWO Creator’s Edition in steel. Armchair Papaï from Lucidi Pevere edited by Cinna. Portrait of Jean-Xavier, photography by Truffles On The Rocks, 2018. KITCHEN PANTRY: Woven hanging lamp, Éditions Vétiver, Bordeaux.

Antique paintings. Emmanuel Layan, Hôtel des Ventes Tourny, Bordeaux.

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This page: This artfully composed ensemble in a hallway includes a work by contemporary German artist Constantin Schroeder.

Opposite: The epitome of the Hoyer & Kast aesthetic: an 1870s dining table from southern Germany, Viennese Biedermeier chairs with the original woven seats, a lacquered wood and brass cabinet from Jan’s family and a ‘50s lamp with pleated paper shade.

TEXT THOMAS CONNORS PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL SCHAEFER INTERIOR DESIGN JAN HOYER AND THOMAS KAST

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Something old, nothing new

German designers Jan Hoyer and Thomas Kast are happy with the way things were MUNICH, GERMANY

“There’s no accounting for taste.” That old saying is meant as a zinger, a put-down of someone whose discernment seems to be – as another old saying has it – “all in your mouth.”

Like defining the difference between style and fashion, determining what makes for good taste in decor can’t be deduced by some hard-and-fast formula. But we can sometimes trace a couple’s penchant for one look or another by poking around their past.

Munich-based designers Jan Hoyer and Thomas Kast – who include John Fowler, Jacques Garcia and Jonathan Reed in their personal pantheon – live in a 1913 Gothic Revival-style building. Their home is neither a slavish period homage, nor a radical renunciation. Sensitive to the past, but infused with a liveliness born of catholic tastes, the residence combines a sense of settled comfort with an eye-engaging eclecticism.

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An antique silk Persian rug covers a daybed in a corner of the couple’s reading room-cum-dining room.

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A 19th-century country-style Bavarian chest of drawers anchors one corner of the sitting room.

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The elegant sitting room is outfitted with a gilded French coffee table from the 1930s, a Frigerio sofa sporting its original velvet and an antique bronze bodhisattva from Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Jan studied architectural and design history and trained with the well-known decorator Jimmy Thomson in Edinburgh. “That really influenced my style greatly,” he says. “And the rather thrown together country homes of my university friends in Scotland felt so natural and comfortable.” Thomas is the son of an antiques dealer. He grew up traveling Germany with his father to source inventory and learned how to restore art and antiques early in life. “Our style happened incidentally, because we both moved so much in our lives and as creatives never really had much of a budget,” shares Jan. And neither of them liked buying new. “That furniture felt soulless, so instead, we collected unloved pieces from clients’ projects or on our trips.

What you see is a bohemian home of two creatives who learned how to make do without compromising.”

Many people attempt to live with a wide range of pieces from different eras and of varying provenance. But often, their assembled stuff ends up looking more motley than masterful, a matter of chance rather than design. While Jan and Thomas have the benefit of their educations and experiences to guide them, you don’t need to know the difference between

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a fauteuil and a bergère to orchestrate rooms that draw from myriad periods and styles. In addition to practicing strict editing, Jan stresses the importance of creating vistas within a room with focal points that carry one through a space and all its layers. Taking advantage of another eye doesn’t hurt either.

“I tend to come up with the design ideas and keep changing my mind because I see so many influences and things I would like to re-create,” relates Jan. “But Tom is the one who is the talented craftsman. He will tell me if something does not work out and we will adapt the design.”

Although there is a lot going on in the Hoyer Kast home, a sense of thoughtful composition and reassuring order reign. A single pillow on a simple wood chair in a hallway. A trio of drawings hung over a low side table. A select assemblage of little treasures atop a chest of drawers. “Our aim is to create interiors with many layers that suggest the accumulation of generations,” notes Jan, “with the heavy use of traditional fabrics and materials in combination with antiques, one-offs and vintage finds.” It’s an approach they bring to their client’s homes, as well. “We do not want our projects to slavishly copy interiors of a bygone era. We want to show pieces spanning many periods adapted to modern living.”

The homeowners went for a ‘50s palette in the kitchen. The period table rests on a jazzy rug from Missoni Home.

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last words

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Popular and useful kitchen feature Japanese cuisine Excellent choice for kitchen flooring Long-leaved lettuce – another word for romaine Trash repository Relative of a chisel Big name in SUVs Luster or glossiness of paint Green prefix Temperature controls, briefly Kind of bar Fish served amandine It has to match the countertop Des Moines state, abbr.

Former Brit. music label Kitchen storage areas It runs on wheels Physicist’s study It takes cooking smoke out of the kitchen, 2 words Asian sauce type

Down 1 Sinks that are built into kitchen counter tops and are made of the same materials 2 Purple shade 3 Fits well into other similar items such as frying pans 4 Lazy lady in the kitchen?

5 Refrigerator brand 6 Overnight stay place 7 ____ lighting, it emphasizes the light on certain kitchen items 15 No longer popular 17 Green color shade 18 Asian fryer 19 Something to serve on 20 Bleat of a sheep 21 Windy city, abbr.

22 Place for aluminum furniture 23 What an oven does 24 Posh 25 A refrigerator makes it 27 Formal address 29 Honey maker 30 Fisherman’s equipment 31 Lake Superior locks 34 Bismarck’s state

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AUTUMN 2020

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