March 11th, 2008
Game Rooms Provide Sophisticated Yet Comfortable Entertainment
BY MEG McAULEY KAICHER
Subscribe to Fairfield County Home Magazine!Game Rooms Provide Sophisticated Yet Comfortable Entertainment BY MEG McAULEY KAICHER
Formerly the domain of young children and teens, the recreation room concept has been updated for modern entertainment. Adults as often as youth enjoy the game rooms of today, as the spaces offer an ideal setting for comfortable relaxed entertaining without the muss and fuss of a formal dinner party.
Many have masculine overtones, as oftentimes the man of the house influences the room’s design. Often these spaces function as a “gentlemen’s lounge” and provide a perfect place in which to indulge in leisurely pursuits.
Designer Sharon McCormick specializes in customized game room treatments for several of her clients. “These spaces often are the last in a house to be decorated, so frequently they are treated as an exciting new project to which the homeowners are ready to devote resources.”
These intimate spaces may support specific hobbies as well as friendly downtime, engaging people in entertaining activities that have broad appeal. Men tend to influence the design direction in these areas with their favorite activities in mind; including a wine bar, a theatre space and gaming centers are popular aspects.
Headquartered in Durham, Connecticut with satellite offices in Massachusetts and Vermont, McCormick has seen game rooms get more luxurious while increasingly customized. Whatever the style to be achieved, whether it be English pub, country club grille, modern movie theatre, or sports gymnasium, functionality is key.
Whether outfitted with ornate English mahogany cabinetry or with a sleeker mid-century modern flair, clients can reflect their personal style. McCormick arranged multiple screens for sports viewing, providing comfortable access from two audience vantage points. Surround sound is all around.
McCormick’s recent project with Van Horst Construction applies a European palette of Tuscan umbers and burnt sienna to create an encompassing aura of rustic peace. Warm tones imbue a sense of reflective light, reiterated by the sheen bounced from the antique stained glass.
A marvelous mural painted by Patrick Ganino artfully depicts an Irish landscape paired with sepia toned European bridges. Encompassing the space is a copper embossed ceiling grid which cleverly houses all the room’s mechanics.
The level of customization available today practically is endless. Billiards tables, for example, offer hundreds of different felt options, as well as myriad choices on wood finish and table leg style.
While entry points for a good example may begin at about $2,000, special collector tables may climb upwards of $100,000. A Brunswick “Marquette” billiards table chosen by McCormick for a client juxtaposes brilliant ebony with a mother-of-pearl inlay on a highly figured Italian olive wood veneer.
Complementing Ralph Lauren woolen plaids with leather and suede textiles, McCormick often uses fabric to absorb sound while enhancing comfort. Valences adorned with nail-head trim provide textural contrast. Mica pendant lights provide an amber glow.
Careful space planning is essential: Scrimping on the billiards perimeter by just a few inches may ruin the whole experience, creating an atmosphere of aggravation rather than fun. (See sidebar.)
VAS Construction, based in Wilton, has been recognized with the 2007 HOBI Award for Best Gentlemen’s Room. This recent masculine game room completed exemplifies how careful craftsmanship can create remarkably impressive results. The exquisite stone foundation and distressed cherry wainscoting on the walls and ceiling gives the room an all-around restful old world flavor.
It is this timeless feel that typifies VAS projects for their excellent design and building applications. Says company owner Vincent Sciarretta,”Such a room provides the ideal place in which to relax comfortably at the end of a long day.”
Activities for socializing such as poker playing or wine tasting may take center stage, allowing those functions to direct the interior design.
A more family-centric theme may feature the big screen theatre area as focal point, which may double as the WII or gaming arena as well. With physical participation gaining in gaming, such as with virtual tennis, baseball or bowling, space requirements become increasingly important.
Physical activity was the guiding principal behind a recent Wernert construction project. Wernert Associates Inc. is a premiere construction firm based in Cos Cob that just completed an awesome home gym for a delighted client family.
“Our client wanted their home to invite fun and focus on family activities,” says Anne Wernert. “Building their vision of an indoor gym for basketball with a view of the water does that and more.”
The exceptional views complement the detailed workmanship resulting in a phenomenal space ready for years of entertainment. Evan Burchell, business development and marketing director for Wernert, acknowledges the emphasis on family interactions and small group activities in these spaces.
As the trend toward “The Digital Home” becomes more pronounced and accessible, integrating multiple facets of the home within these spaces is critical.
Jim Sweeney of Hometronics Lifestyles explains how by integrating lighting, security, audio, temperature control, media control, wireless data and entertainment, homeowners obtain a superior level of control over their home while achieving greater efficiency and maximum availability within it.
According to the Consumer Electronics Association, there was an 8.2 percent growth totaling $161 billion for 2007. As technology advances become more prevalent, luxurious game rooms are becoming more focused while more practical. Content can be accessed from several locations throughout the house.
“We’re on the cusp of a frenzy,” states Sweeney, when asked about options like Microsoft Media Center. Systems such as this increasingly are being requested by clients, in order to provide storage for music and video libraries as well as to stream internet television and radio in multiple rooms of your home.
Accessing photographs from computer files and instantly creating a slideshow accompanied by a favorite soundtrack takes seconds with a handheld remote. This integration truly personalizes the content and usage of digital content.
Another very popular component of the Microsoft system is the Sports feature, bringing real-time statistics to a home screen. Tracking favorite athletes and teams becomes simple; the game schedules cater to individual preferences. Keep track of realtime game scores while watching a movie!
With Tivo and DVR systems, watching a program or movie is fits to preferred schedules: real-time or chosen time, entertainment viewing is dictated by client choice.
In Greenwich since 1968, Audiocom has a stellar reputation for seamlessly integrating technology systems, including audio, video, data, telephony, lighting, and hvac. Owned by father and son team Bill and David Donofrio, their in-house design team alongside best of breed technicians allow for custom solutions and exceptional functionality.
“What sets us apart is the ability to work with people from the onset,” explains David Donofrio. “We get deeply involved in the design process and provide a seamless integration of product lines, managing the whole process.”
As the second largest Crestron dealer in New England, Audiocom instrumentally provides the proper level of planning essential to getting all elements assimilated. Crestron is the control hardware and software that facilitates functionality, delivering sound to the speakers, video signals to the televisions, etc.
Backing up each project with ongoing professional, personalized service at the highest level solidifies Audiocom’s client relationships and is intrinsic to their success while generating streams of referral and repeat business.
“Future-proofing” is a key design aspect at Audiocom. Audio, video, data, and fiber optic cables inside one jacket laid in at construction provides adaptability going forward, should additional equipment be added or new capabilities be adopted.
Technology is becoming recognized as an integral house system, just like plumbing. Working closely with interior designers, cabinet makers and electricians from the design phase ensures proper planning to make systems run seamlessly. Professional custom installation and automation creates a complete service solution.
Truly superior performance is attainable with multiple options for system amalgamation, which companies like Audiocom and Hometronics Lifestyles provide. Home efficiency is increased exponentially with sensible coordination.
Planning the size and placement of components is critical as it affects signal reception; reviewing hardware options with clients to select the most appropriate components is primary. For example, plasma and LCD television screens each have advantages; Audiocom will assess factors like the room’s level of ambient light and size parameters, then guide clients correctly.
Project Manager Conor Coleman has been with the company for three years and recently supported the game room renovation at the Greenwich home of interior designer Cindy Rinfret, owner of Rinfret Ltd. For that system, Cindy’s husband Peter had a very specific vision in mind.
Audiocom was able to integrate his own existing Sonos system. Audiocom supplied all the in-ceiling and theatre speakers from Bowers & Wilkins. This British company produces an exceptional audio line ranging from small in-wall speakers up to $20,000 reference floor-standing models. The Rinfrets now have world-class audio as part of their overall media system designed by Audiocom. Components include a Sony projector with a 140″ fixed screen tied into the Sony 7.1 surround sound system with Bowers &Wilkins 801 speakers up front, two sets of on-wall dipole rears, and a B&W subwoofer with a strong center channel.
Rotel equipment in the rack acts as the surround processer in the amplification and powers the whole system. A Sony Blu-Ray player, a Toshida HD-DVD and a Microsoft Xbox 360 round out the Rinfret home entertainment system.
Masterfully designed as a luxurious welcoming interior, Cindy Rinfret elegantly demonstrates perfectly how a high-functioning technology suite needn’t sacrifice aesthetics for top-notch performance.
Meg McAuley Kaicher, Capital Consulting Group, 201 Shore Road, Greenwich, CT 06830, 203-625-3375/cell 203-554-5300, megmk@optonline.net
Posted in Distinctive Spaces |
November 26th, 2007
Dining Rooms Foster Celebration and Conversation
BY MEG McAULEY KAICHER
As the whirl of the holiday season begins, one is reminded of a dining room’s importance. A center of celebration in most households, the dining space fosters heart and soul.
The best events, whether to honor a holiday or to commemorate a singular life milestone, often revolve around a special meal held in one’s dining room. Ensuring that the levels of graciousness and comfort equate to the significance of the occassion is essential.
Diana Sawicki understands the value of this. Based in Westport for the past 16 years, this native Argentinean has shared her interior design flair with Fairfield County clients by solving design problems while achieving balanced, timeless settings. She clearly embraces her clients’ sensibilities as she brings into being their projects.
With the dining room so much a part of family living as well as sophisticated entertaining, Sawicki manages to produce a sumptuous setting while refraining from grandiosity. Functional elegance incorporates superb antiques alongside exquisite fabrics. By adding a stunning chandelier complemented by glorious floral arrangements, Sawicki stylishly emboldens the room without pretension.
The warmth of a classic fireplace presents an old-world feel often found in European dining chambers. Adding a chic twist with tailored tufted chairs invites lengthy conversation among guests.
Interesting European touches segue into the classic designs, incorporating that timeless sense of elegance and refinement so apparent in the best European houses.
The natural world plays a strong part in Sawicki’s dining room design as well, whether through the incorporation of natural lighting elements or through the use of botanical materials as deliberate complements.
No matter how formal, tailored or transitional one’s style, a welcoming dining room must engage all its guests and provide comfortable ease and gracious function. The best dining rooms engage all parties. Even the littlest group member may be included with elegance, as Greenwich interior designer Linda Ruderman realized some time ago when proffering one of her most clever inceptions. Ruderman designed a custom high chair to accompany the traditional dining room seating arrangement. It is a brilliant addition to any well-considered dining space.
Ruderman’s passion emerges through her work. All her design projects reflect the refined respect and extraordinary eye she uses to realize a client’s vision. Fortunate to have spent 12 years working closely with an exceptional top architect, her ability to subtly yet correctly apply concepts of scale and proportion are notable. This solid foundation of integrating architectural elements adds a sophistication and stature to the design she engenders. With a staff of eight now full time, Linda Ruderman Interiors (LRI) can tackle any project, regardless of size or complication. Two designers work under Linda, with two additional junior designers; a full-time CAD (computer-aided design) operator designs in house, rounded out by the financial department and support staff.
Whether for new construction or modest renovation, engaging LRI at a project’s inception enables a better result, as guidance can be integrated with other project professionals. The LRI team interfaces with modern technology in a forward-thinking way, enabling seamless project management, incorporating architectural and construction professionals in a communication flow that heightens their stellar reputations. It is this strong communication network that fosters exceptional projects throughout the United States. Projects in Palm Beach, Boston, Vail and Pacific Heights are realized as professionally and on target as local projects.
Symmetry provides an underlying grid upon which LRI builds beautiful layers of foundations, fabrics and furnishings. All the custom fabrics and trims she uses enhance the extraordinary pieces she sources from private furniture makers in England, Italy and France, alongside exceptional antiques.
Recognizing that varied multi-generational groups of friends or extended families often use dining environments for special gatherings, LRI understands the crucial characteristics enmeshed in these distinctive spaces.
Reproductions combined with antique pieces enhance an elegant dining space. Linda Ruderman designs many of her own furniture pieces.
Westport interior designer Suzanne Novik believes that dining rooms should “hug you” as they enhance the dining experience.
She has a penchant for round dining tables, as they encourage conversation and equanimity. Comfortably bringing guests together without a “head of table” often suits a dinner party best, providing a level of togetherness and amiability amongst dinner companions.
On a wonderful project called Lyons Plains, Novik was able to accommodate the client’s request for “no rug due to pets.”Novik’s solution was to design a diamond pattern with a faux classic inlay border that was translated by a fine artisan she contracted to produce the marvelous textural stain covering on hardwood flooring.
In this particular room, the client chose not to have a hanging chandelier. Rather, Suzanne found them a glorious antique flush mount, suiting their taste beautifully while adding subtle drama to the room.
Novik visually lowered the ceiling height of the grand room by drawing the eye down to a spectacular exotic hydrangea floral arrangement placed on the buffet, balancing the composition with elegant antique lamps on either side.
Antique fruit prints were chosen to complete the space, as they are said to stimulate appetite.
“After all, food nourishes the soul as well as the body,” says Novik. “Soothing elements like a warm fire or a softly lit atmosphere relax and pamper you while you eat.”
Complementing the dining room with artwork can intensify ambience while reflecting a comforting theme.
Zorya Fine Arts in Greenwich is dedicated to exhibiting and placing fine art. Often with the assistance of such gallery services, designers are able to bring forth a unique statement within a dining space, truly expressing a client’s philosophy while exhibiting part of a collection.
Whether contemporary global pieces such as those discovered at Zorya, or more traditional fine art pieces such as those in which Cavalier Galleries specialize, fine art showcased in a dining room makes sense, as it is often the key place where groups ruminate and converse.
The Curtain Exchange (TCE) concentrates on ready-made, but not mass-produced, window treatments. This fabulous shop provides myriad choices to the discerning client who wishes to streamline decision-making while customizing specifications. This Westport boutique provides luxurious, ready-to-hang custom curtains that are made to exacting standards. As the company mission states, TCE “boutique owners, designer and seamstresses all place an overwhelming emphasis on tradition and history, consistency and style” while providing a client immediate gratification. Amazing custom curtains are available to take home and try for 48 hours.
With the aggregate purchasing power of 32 stores nationwide, TCE can manage good pricing from its vendors along with frequent exclusivity. Often fabrics are sourced directly from the mill; they may be silks from India, Thailand or Italy; crewel fabric from Kashmir; fine linens from Holland and Turkey; soft cotton prints from the United Kingdom; or sheer material from Germany.
A fabric such as an extraordinary Indian silk that could be purchased by Scalamandre or Fortuny will be bought by TCE and taken to a specialty weaver where it is embroidered with a unique pattern overlay, thereby engendering exclusivity and customization. Along with the supple majestic textile foundation, clever options for headings and trims enhance the window treatment development. The three basic types of headings (pleated, rod pocket and grommet) are further broken down into subcategories. Rather than relying only on arbitrary labels like “ball gown” and “jester,” the available choice sequence is simply numbered for clients’ easy decision-making.
Recently, award-winning Greens Farms designer Lisa Krieger completed the dining room at The Chimneys, a grand space in the Georgian Revival Mansion on the hill above St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea in Black Rock, Connecticut.
Working closely with her associate Suzanne Branch Martin—owner of Willingham Antiques and Interiors in Cos Cob, Connecticut,—and decorative artist Topher Carnes—owner of Finishing Impressions based in Black Rock, Connecticut—Krieger applied her historic design expertise to re-interpret a classic English country house “eating chamber.”
With broad experience in both interior and landscape design, Krieger realized a fantastic restoration of a traditional early dining room. Invited to re-invigorate this key space as part of “Autumn at The Chimneys” Show House (produced by Franco Grimaldi’s The Room of Choice, which was open to the public September 30 – October 28, 2007, benefitting four charities: Dress for Success, Green Demolitions, Music & Arts Center for Humanity and UNESCO ) was a natural fit for Krieger, who has received much recognition for her work, including a Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation award.
To accentuate the many outstanding architectural features of the room, the background for the Chimneys’ dining room is a multi-hued palette based on antique pigments from the English company Farrow & Ball. The furnishings are fine 18th and 19th century English and American antiques provided by Thomas Schwenke, Inc. of Woodbury, Connecticut.
Sparkling china, silver and glassware combine for a breathtaking table arrangement; the mix of heirloom-quality antiques and modern pieces of classical design came from Greenwich antique dealer S. Wyler and Son, and Lux, Bond & Green of Westport.
“I’m very pleased with the result,” said Krieger of the room. “It was a joy to work on a house of such rare quality. Producing an authentic vision in tune with the house’s neo-classical elements was important to me and my team.”
Wisely, Krieger points out that “…many of the room’s elements are easily translated to a less elaborate home.”
The best dining room designs inspire comfort and conversation. Celebrate well within them.
Meg McAuley Kaicher, Capital Consulting Group, 201 Shore Road, Greenwich, CT 06830, 203-625-3375/cell 203-554-5300, megmk@optonline.net
Posted in Distinctive Spaces |
October 13th, 2007
While traditional New England living rooms tend to be very formal and staid, harking back to the entertaining parlor spaces of yore used only for visitors or on special occasions, todays living room trends reflect a far more welcoming daily-use approach.
Patricia Garrett, owner of the interior design firm The Classic Room, carefully balances classic pieces with just the right amount of drama. By working closely with her clients, Garrett achieves an enviable mix of luxury and tradition, all brought together beautifully to enhance the client’s individual character.
A tailored piece such as a classic down-stuffed Baker sofa accented with a soft cashmere throw might be placed with an elegant, antique blown-glass crystal chandelier and a gracefully arched golden mirror frame. Adorned with luxurious hand-stitched, silk-trimmed pillows and a few marvelous collectibles, the cozy haven achieves exquisite flair.
The rooms are inviting always, proving that sophisticated design is not foreign to comfort. Gracious entertaining through good times with family and friends seems at the core of Garrett’s designs. One is enveloped by the luxury built into her rooms.
Garrett’s ebullient style and appealing nature are channeled into her work. Very active with Connecticut’s chapter of ASID, Garrett’s clients adore her, as she draws out their personalities within their rooms. Her sunny nature translates warmth, often reflected in a room’s color palette, instilling a sense of well-being within each of her design spaces.
Sourcing excellent foundation pieces for just such a classic room can be done at Christman Furniture, where local families have shopped for decades. Located in Darien, this classic furniture store has truly fine pieces to furnish your home.
Exceptional quality has been a hallmark of this retailer for generations, as it showcases Kindel, Hancock & Moore, TRS and Henckel-Harris lines. Pieces purchased at Christman Furniture generally become treasured family heirlooms.
When clients ask interior designer Dianne Lowenthal, “Where should I start?”
Sensibly she replies, “Start with what you use most often!”
Invariably, unless a client entertains professionally at home often as a CEO or Ambassador (which has required Lowenthal Partners Interior Design to conform to more formal treatment), living rooms generally serve multiple functions.
By incorporating cleverly nested triplet side tables and surfaces such as antique Chinese garden stools (a suitable spot for placing a cocktail which might double as seating when the room is more populated), a carefully executed room design proffers elegant function.
Frequently a fine carpet anchors a room, building a schematic into the room. Seating arrangements are key considerations: groupings of inviting chairs, sofas and loveseats conveniently make a large living room conducive to supporting multiple small group interactions.
Lowenthal expertly manages contem-porary settings as deftly as more traditional designs.
Leonard’s New England, founded in 1933, sources antique furniture daily, primarily from area estate properties and often from its own customers. Complemented by the European pieces they import, Leonard’s offers a terrific spectrum of fine and unusual antique furniture.
Company owner and president, Jeff Jenkins joined the business while still in high school working alongside his father (the company’s manager since 1957), as well as company founder Lester Leonard; in 1988, Jeff purchased the business.
Inspired by the extraordinary craftsmanship of the fine antique furniture Leonard’s sold, Jeff developed a workshop to reproduce some of the most sought-after pieces. This workroom operates today to provide the same old-world handiwork found in the best heirlooms.
“Good looking, well-made and functional,” is how he describes their furnishings.
Dedicated Leonard’s employees, always welcoming to the public and to the trade, are proud of their product. Service and style are essential attributes of the company’s success.
That same sense of extraordinary craftsmanship can be found at Country Swedish Interiors. Ease and simplicity matched with distinguished traditional comfort in a classic Gustavian style is at the core of all Country Swedish furnishings.
The Country Swedish Collection, available to the trade at their South Norwalk or New York showrooms, includes furniture, wallpaper, fabrics and rugs.
Inspired by the royal European courts that heavily influenced the style prevalent during the reign of King Gustav III (from 1775-1792), these fine reproductions are crafted carefully with attention paid to scale, proportion and ornamental detail, marrying well with today’s American lifestyle.
Each piece in the Country Swedish Collection is handcrafted with master techniques practiced by skilled woodworkers using the highest quality materials. Expertly burnishing the signature color or stain on each piece is a time-honored skill practiced by only a few. The resulting furnishings reflect this extraordinary craftsmanship.
Orrick & Company of Greenwich takes a holistic approach when creating spaces with clients.
“We specialize in personal attention to a discerning client who values the expertise of our design team,” states Alicia Orrick. The company’s frequent use of natural fibers ideally translates to family-friendly living rooms because the materials are durable and easy to clean.
Orrick’s rooms are lived in easily. The juxtaposition of clean-lined functional pieces is in harmony with an active family lifestyle.
Equally successful treatment enhances a quieter, serene lifestyle with Orrick’s special way of incorporating contemporary design to create a soothing presence.
Careful integration of lighting is key to these comfortable spaces: a room’s natural lighting qualities are incorporated with layers of task lighting and reflection elements, imbuing the space with an encompassing translucence.
This sense of well-being is enhanced by cherished objects or collections, or highlighting artwork. Overall, a very comfortable room clearly results.
Confident style is created by Harborside Design using a client’s own pieces at the core of design. The Southport firm was formed by Alexa Wheeler and Christopher “Treef” Rosow to create interior and exterior design solutions that benefited from their combined expertise.
Alexa Wheeler, partner at Harborside, says, “We are finding that our clients want the best of both worlds in their living rooms. Long gone is the stiff formality of our grandparents”(and even our parents) living rooms.”
A recent living room installation in a formal house features the clients’ collection of fantastic Art Deco furniture. Incorporating wonderful textures with durable textiles allows the family’s children to be as welcome as their guests. The room is eminently functional and usable.
“Our clients want to combine the elegance of the traditional living room with the comfort offered in a family roomcreating a stylish yet functional space. In other words: a room that is a step above a family room, but still a room where children are not banned from the upholstery.”
EB Home, whose popular Mount Kisco store demanded expansion, recently opened a second gallery store in Norwalk to much acclaim. “What the modern and classic home can be…” is the company moniker. Inside the eclectic space, one can’t help but feel inspired.
Its gallery-like exhibition of ordinary objects makes one pause to re-imagine one’s own possessions: merely by showcasing objects in a new way, their importance can be magnified and their presence elevated.
“Collecting is important, as it tells the story of its owners,” explains Owner and Designer Rick Brown. Whatever his clients collect, whether books, pictures, or ceramics—these collections can be incorporated into a charismatic living room.
EB Home creates high impact with exceptional style.
In fact, Brown cleverly has termed today’s living room as “the Talking Room.” To bridge that sense of “Hands off!” frequently associated with living rooms of the past, Brown manages to highlight the sacred nature of the living room while enhancing its welcoming nature.
Brown focuses on the belief that these rooms are meant for conversation and engagement. For example, his own sons have been schooled to refrain from cluttering up the space with their toys and belongings; they come to the room knowing that it is a space in which to interact with others and enjoy the pleasures of another’s company.
The best living rooms remain spaces to enjoy the company of others, which is the essence of comfortable Fairfield County living.
Meg McAuley Kaicher, Capital Consulting Group, 201 Shore Road, Greenwich, CT 06830, 203-625-3375/cell 203-554-5300, megmk@optonline.net
Posted in Distinctive Spaces |
September 11th, 2007
Libraries Allow Functional Living for Today’s Complex Lifestyles
BY MEG McAULEY KAICHER
Whether it is tapping into your local library resources online for health research or simply curling up with a good book, significant study spaces allow us to perform a range of tasks necessary to daily life. By integrating a library into the home’s basic design, one can improve effectiveness and efficiency ten-fold while utilizing the “smart home” trends increasingly abundant.
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With Leigh Douglas Overland Architects, experience the “…warmth of traditional architecture with the excitement of contemporary living.” Having worked on numerous commercial and industrial projects as well as residential architectural work over the past 25 years, Overland brings a unique perspective as he ably incorporates the best available technologies into maximized user-friendly studies.
Recently featured as the architect for ABC Television’s Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition project in Bridgeport, CT, Overland works on custom additions and renovations as well as larger-scale projects.
His clients are rewarded with well-designed spaces that perfectly suit their particular lifestyles.
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These admirably crafted sites may provide a private sanctuary for the owner of the house with a warm paneled fireplace enhancing a desk area, or may provide a comfortable relaxed entertaining place for guests in an airy octagonal-windowed sitting room advantageously embracing outdoor views.
Interior Designer Julianne Stirling cleverly conceals all manner of technological applications in the high-tech libraries frequently designed with her clients.
Rooms may be equipped for family members to work comfortably alongside one another. iPods, BlackBerries, flat screens, cell phones and laptops all coexist happily. No jumbled wires, no cluttered mess: everything has its own place.
Sometimes the space is outfitted as an office away from a homeowner’s place of work. Other times, the space is designed as a complete home office from where a business is headquartered.
For example, one successful entrepreneur with whom she works needed multiple copiers, computer screens and other office equipment at his fingertips for immediate access yet desired a streamlined space. With ingenious combinations of cabinetry’s drop-down sliders and cubbies along with lovely hidden storage, a sleek executive style was achieved while complementing business functionality.
It is this ability to enhance daily living without compromising beautiful style that marks Stirling Design Associates, based in Fairfield, as a “go-to” resource for media like HGTV and Renovation Style, on whose cover Stirling’s design work recently was featured.
At Christopher Peacock Cabinetry, many clients realize that after renovating the kitchen and master bathroom, adding or renovating a library is a fantastic way to add value and comfort to the home.
“We design, build and install hundreds of libraries and studies all over the world each year,” comments Christopher Peacock spokesperson Lane Brooks. “They are some of the most gratifying rooms we create.”
Inspiration is driven by collaborative energy generated between designer and client, as the Christopher Peacock magic construes personal style through elements like handsome crown molding and elegant fireplace surrounds. Ornate or simple, material choices are quite varied but may include white oak, cherry, hickory or pine.
“Typically, for a paneled library, we use a great deal of quarter-sawn raised panel, flat panel, with or without coffered ceilings, rough-hewn beams, simple crown, heavier crown—the choice largely depends on the home’s location and design in light of the client’s taste,” states Brooks. He continues, “So much of the feel and quality of this particular type of room depends on the species of wood and the finish. We have exceptional finishers.”
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Similarly, George Krawiec at Hemingway Cabinetry finds the wood grain to be of tremendous import. The company performs design, build and installation with extraordinary craftsmanship, enlivening wood’s natural qualities by enhancing its inherent vitality through expert shaping and design.
Extraordinary wood grains are fashioned into dramatic applications for cabinetry, drawers and desk areas, as with a recently remodeled 1800s Wilton house where the drama is driven by the striking patterns in “curly” maple.
Hemingway Cabinetry renovated a New Canaan study also in curly maple where Krawiec built a Biedermeyer-style desk and armoire unit along with the room paneling.
This particular home also had a second “hers” office built with a more modern look. The trend for “his” and “hers” separate study spaces seems requested with increasing frequency, as noted by both Hemingway Cabinetry and Christopher Peacock Cabinetry.
These separate spaces may be executed with distinction at Estate Treasures of Greenwich, a 25-year-old antique consignment shop that also imports antiques and antique reproduction furniture from England, Italy and Holland. An antique reproduction partners desk in the English style carved of yew wood, mahogany or burled elm could complement a masculine fireplace.
Or for the feminine side, a delicate ladies’ writing desk of Italian wood such as chestnut, briarwood or myrtle. Estate Treasures is a distributor for Lee Industries’ line of upholstered goods from which pillows and other soft goods may be selected.
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Truly reflecting a client’s personality is key to Nest of Southport’s design excellence. Interior designer Elizabeth Santa promotes their particular “Hip Historic” look.
“We let the existing architecture set the tone, and then we curate,” describes Santa.
“Rooms,” Santa continues, “are filled with meaningful personal objects—photos, heirlooms, books, paintings, maps. A complex combination of items old and new, along with furniture collected over time, showcase the owner’s unique personality and taste.”
Recently engaged by a young, stylish, well-traveled Westport couple with small children, Santa knew that this house may not be their last, and that they wished to spend their design budget wisely on items that may be re-purposed for future use in different space.
Santa incorporated a gorgeous open bookcase (found at El Marangon, a small atelier in Treviso outside of Venice) whose warm black lacquer finish has a slightly distressed edge that subtly reveals its natural cherry wood. Beautifully finished front and back, it can double as a room divider in another setting.
With the bookcase as focal piece, the sophisticated palette of bronze, black and brown in all natural materials emerged.
- The Tuxedo sofa, considered classically modern, is covered sensibly in a gold texture with dark brown contrast welt to give it a tailored, masculine effect.
- The client’s grandmother’s rattan chairs are redone in a charcoal-colored Donghia block print.
- Walls are covered in a bronze grass cloth chosen from Ralph Lauren Home.
- All large-scale moldings and fireplace are painted with Benjamin Moore Hasbrouck Brown.
- A dramatic map of Fairfield County circa late 1800s, found in a local schoolroom, fills one wall.
- Extravagant pillows in large-scale tropical botanical textiles from Nina Campbell and Larsen add panache.
- A mix of metals—antiqued brass, polished silver and nickel—adds interest.
- Exquisite end tables of black granite and polished nickel play off the fabulous lamps from Motif.
- Sheer drapery panels in fawn-colored linen add height and soften the room without sacrificing natural light.
- The clients’ own cognac brown leather armchairs sit atop the clients’ existing sisal area carpet.
- The zebra-patterned, pony-skin upholstered ottoman evokes exotic travel.
“At Nest we believe in making the most of a design budget by looking to the future,” says Santa.
Santa discovers many decorative antique accessories at Léonce Antiques of Westport. Bernard, the owner, has an incredible eye for very special pieces that complement Nest of Southport’s designs.
“Splurge on what you love that will serve for years to come (in this case, the bookcase) while pulling back on other items less consequential (the well-priced sofa fabric).”
Smart shopping is easy to do at Safavieh, either in the Stamford showroom or one of their other 13 locations. The most magnificent rug can anchor a library space and set the room’s tone. With the help of Safavieh’s design service, one can refurbish a study space completely with furniture and accessories, or simply freshen a library with a timeless antique rug.
Including artwork in a library may elevate one’s energy or provide soothing meditation.
At RJ Fine Arts, director Amy Rutledge Jebrine can provide art consulting services from the acquisition stage right through installation.
“We specialize in modern and contemporary Latin American art, focusing on the genres of geometric abstraction, appropriation and the use of found objects,” states Jebrine.
“Through exhibition projects, we seek to expand the understanding of the Latin American artistic contribution to the contemporary world.”
Original artwork from Leyla Cardenas or Luis Fernando Roldan can provide a study’s focal point. RJ Fine Arts is a conduit to these and other prominent Latin American artists.
Jebrine is careful to understand her clients’ particular stylistic and financial parameters when working with them to establish a collection. Consideration such as this makes her expertise invaluable, especially with highly acclaimed emerging artists.
A. Gallery, which opened recently, conveniently near the Saugatuck train station, offers diverse artworks that appeal to varied tastes and budgets.
Antigone Trivellas, owner and gallery director, knows that even in a crowded market her gallery provides outstanding choice, quality and affordable prices in fine contemporary art.
“The pleasure and feelings fine art can evoke should be attainable by everyone,” she declares.
A. Gallery showcases paintings in a wide range of themes, from landscapes and portraits to abstract art in all media, as well as photography, sculpture and works of wood and glass. Along with continual rotation of shows and artists to keep collectors coming back for something fresh, the gallery offers discounts to the trade and prides itself on nothing less than excellent customer service.
A varied stylistic palette reflects the owner’s deep passion and dedication in guiding each individual to find his or her personal meaning in every thought-provoking artwork.
“No gallery can recreate the vibrancy of an artist’s studio or a museum’s display,” says Trivellas, “but a. gallery tries to convey the thrill of living with art.” [Lower case a. gallery?]
Sophisticated ambience is further enhanced with music. Whether in combination with a topnotch audio visual system or simple piano for your offspring to diligently practice scales in advance of those concertos, a Steinway piano is a perfect choice to complete a library.
The Steinway & Sons Model-D Music System packs remarkable state-of-the-art technology into a contemporary, elegant design. By combining the best digital amplification with advanced room-correction technology, this software solution reaches music replication heretofore unseen by a computerized system. The brainchild of audio trailblazer Peter Lyngdorf, it will be made available to select clients through Steinway & Sons.
Known since 1934 in prominent social circles as “The Smart Gift Shop of New York,” Scully and Scully is the source of choice for collectibles, gifts, furnishings and home décor. Several of their unique items can be sourced exclusively through them, but with their online and print catalogs available, the spectacular selection of home furnishings and accessories is accessible to all.
Whether enhancing bookshelves with perfect leather picture frames or adding a special brass timepiece, a broad array of exceptional effects are available to finish off the complete study. Scully and Scully’s exceptional English library desks, such as their mahogany computer center, incorporate utility spaces in a refined fashion evoking traditional European flair.
Fine leather waste paper baskets, letter boxes, bookends and other accoutrements all are available to achieve a complete study. Topped with a Florentine desk set including pencil cup, letter trays and blotter, the timeless desk looks professional and complete.
Even with the increased prevalence of technological information—web searches, blogs, constant data streams—at its core a study must function. By integrating multiple aspects from the outset of planning its design, a library’s significance can foster contemplation and productivity. Its style impacts performance.
Meg McAuley Kaicher, Capital Consulting Group, 201 Shore Road, Greenwich, CT 06830, 203-625-3375/cell 203-554-5300, megmk@optonline.net
Posted in Distinctive Spaces |
