After perusing the portfolio of London-based Randle Siddeley, his landscapes and gardens are breathtaking and exquisite, and there are so many ideas that I am taking note of. I am filled to the brim with garden envy.
For this project, we were hired by legacy clients to reimagine a 1785 antique home in Westport CT- with the rather intriguing twist of trying to include as many of their cherished modern pieces from the Madison Avenue duplex that I previously designed for them, a few years prior. At the historical front side, the house remains barely touched from over 2 centuries ago. The side view reveals the relatively newer farmhouse-style addition. Hidden away, an expansive back lawn, outdoor terrace, and pool area are designed for gracious living. To bring harmony to the space, we focused on the finishes, colors, and textures used- a methodology we relied upon throughout the rest of the home. Here, the patina on the beamed and exposed ceiling is honeyed and warm. The floors are generously wide-planked and each board carries marks of previous decades of use while also revealing the love and care this home has been privy to for a few hundred years. As for our new furnishings, we massaged the colors and textures of the room so past and present spoke to each other. Lacquer, metal, resin, and wood, plus pattern and texture were all selected to add to a layered story.
What a stunner of a home. Those floors alone are to die for. All the exposed wood really keeps this home feeling so incredibly warm and the unexpected bits of modernism added here and there should do make this home dynamic and intriguing. Designed by Kathleen Walsh. (Renovation: John Desmond;
landscape: Brook Clark; photography: Rikki Snyder; styling: Frances Bailey)
While we’re in full-on summer outdoor project mode and my gardens are lush and colourful (such a welcome change from winter’s stark blandness), I thought it fitting to share some garden inspiration. These spectacular outdoor spaces by U.K. based garden & landscape designer Matthew Wilson are incredible. I love the juxtaposition of the garden structures with the soft and flowy nature of the “unstructured” plantings.
A multi-family compound rises from a remote, grassy valley on the bank of the Frio River deep in the Texas Hill Country. The goal for this project was to create shelters with an environmental experience unique to its place where Summer madness gives way to Winter stillness. Structures consist of a main house, meditation room over art studio/garage, and two guest studio cottages. Main house and cottages are linked by a slightly elevated walkway. A “breezeway” bookended by concealed multi-slide doors bisects the main house enabling alfresco dining most of the year.
The new owner says the spaces are “cozy…but ample and gracious; dark and moody….but bright and airy”. Sounds like the perfect juxtapositions that allow you to easily adjust per your mood of the moment (or season). Architecture and interior by Cuppett Kilpatrick.
Villa Lina dates back to the early 1900s and is located in Novi Ligure, Italy. It has 7 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, terrazzo floors, a marble and and wrought iron staircase, 3 large living rooms, the cutest kitchen, an ironing room, several fireplaces, pool, solarium…. it is really picturesque and in keeping with the location and period, which makes it that much more special. I could move in immediately and just unpack my clothes and cats. For sale via Christie’s for 1,350,000 €.