home & garden
LEFT Lauren and her friends enjoy a drink poolside.
space was also used for musical purposes by its first owners. The home was originally built by Rose and Rose Architects for Nathan Dexter “Deck” Holland and his wife, Lula Holland, who would play the piano and sing hymns in this room after church on Sundays, according to granddaughter Phyllis Phelps, 85, of Donora, Pennsylvania. Phyllis’ paternal great-grandfather was a carpenter, and her grandfather and his younger brother, Carey Holland, founded the Holland Brothers Furniture Company in 1902 in downtown Durham. On the left side of the entryway, a colonnade marks the formal living room with an original fireplace, which was refitted for gas heat. Oak wood floors lead to a light-filled sunroom with black and white marble tiles and wraparound windows that offer a view of the 0.43-acre lot that was landscaped by Garden Environments. A row of star magnolias outside overlook the yard and pool. Inside the dining room, the ceiling is painted the same peacock blue color as the walls. “It creates a stark boundary to this room in contrast to the rest of the house,” Lauren says about the added drama. “I like that idea of a sort of moody, formal dining room.” The dining area opens into rooms on three sides, and large windows bring in natural light. Along one side, two glass cabinet hutches flank the opening to the main hallway and central staircase. Another side connects to the spacious white kitchen with brass fixtures. “We went with brass really almost all throughout the house because of its classic look,” Lauren says. “It’s a throwback to the era of the home. You can see in the past 18 months they’ve tarnished quite a bit, and I really like that aesthetic.” A marble-topped island stretches across hardwood floors, which replaced the original linoleum. Two small pantries and a breakfast
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october/november 2023
ABOVE Eric’s Czechoslovakian great-grandmother, Frida Glaser Morawetz, sculpted this statue, which witnessed history during World War II when Eric’s ancestors fled Europe and the Nazis transformed their summer home into a barracks. After the war, the residence served as a girls’ school and later a hotel. The Rubinsteins were among the first family members to return to the grounds and reclaim the artwork.
BY THE NUMBERS 3,911 square feet 4 bedrooms 3 full bathrooms 2 half bathrooms 1923 year built 2019 year bought 2019 renovations begin 2021 renovations conclude
BELOW The cabinet design of these repainted original hutches inspired the home’s new outdoor fence.