Throwback Thursday: Kevin McNamara

Posted June 5, 2014. Filed in American Chic, Classic Chic, Kevin McNamara

Kevin McNamara-Brown Living Room-The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration-Norman McGrath

Today’s post is the first in what may become a serialized feature: Throwback Thursday. The concept has gained universal popularity, from Facebook to Pinterest, so I thought “Why not create a special feature for my Thursday posts?” Having themed posts also helps me stay on focus, truth be told!

The late Kevin McNamara is the feature of today’s inaugural Throwback Thursday post. The living room pictured was McNamara’s own, conceived sometime in the early-to-mid-70’s, and signified a new direction in American interior design and decoration, a style of decorating that would come to be known as the new American chic, or classic chic. McNamara removed the more traditional and elaborate decorative elements and replaced them with simpler, more understated ones – cotton curtain and upholstery fabrics, tortoiseshell bamboo blinds, and sisal area rugs. The neutral palette underscores the use of natural materials, set against a sophisticated and dramatic envelope of glossy tortoiseshell vinyl wall-covering. The art of the mix is conveyed through McNamara’s deft juxtaposition of modern art, blue-and-white export porcelain, red-lacquered accent tables, Louis XV fauteuils and a Louis XV desk, and contemporary furnishings. This room also signifies a move away from large pattern toward the use of small, sophisticated prints. There is much about this room that still holds up today – a look and style carried forth by Albert Hadley, Mark Hampton, David Kleinberg and further by Jeffrey Bilhuber and Daniel Romualdez and Miles Redd, to name but a few.

Kevin McNamara-Brown Living Room-The NY Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration-Norman McGrath

From The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration, copyright 1976 by Norma Skurka. Photography by Norman McGrath.

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Up at the Villa

Posted June 4, 2014. Filed in Italian Country Houses, Villas

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In an article written by Marella Caracciolo Chia titled “La Dolce Vita”, in the May issue of Architectural Digest, Caracciolo Chia shed further light on two villas – one imagined, the other real – that I particularly fancy: the imagined villa from the 2002 movie adaptation of Somerset Maugham’s novel Up at the Villa and, the other, the very real Villa Cetinale, whose dining room made a cameo appearance in the very same movie. I covered Villa Cetinale, located in Sienna, Tuscany, last year in a post titled Villa Cetinale, including much of the back-story on the 17th-century villa and its most recent stewards, Lord Antony Lambton and heir apparent, Lord Ned Lambton – the current chatelain of the villa. That being said, there is no need to rehash what I’ve already written about the villa. In her article Caracciolo Chia disclosed that one of the villa’s dining rooms, the one with 18th-century hand-painted  murals, was the setting for a dinner scene in the movie. Eager to find stills of this scene I turned to Google but came up empty handed. I thought I possessed a DVD version of the movie but, alas, no luck there either. Further, it’s unavailable on On Demand or AppleTV. Drats it all! I guess I can no longer put off subscribing to NetFlix or another such Internet streaming media provider. I was so looking forward to viewing Up at the Villa once again, and including a photo in this post of the scene taken in the muraled dining room. If and when I do I will update this post with those scenes. For now, here is our “lady in waiting” …

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The dining room, featured in the movie “Up at the Villa”, is muraled with 18th-century scenes of mountains and castles based on the surrounding landscape, creating the atmosphere of a garden pavilion.

While the dining room was the only interior space used in the movie you will recognize the grounds in some of the scenes. Below are some additional photos of the villa featured in the May issue of Architectural Digest.  It was brought to my attention by their PR department that they prefer no more than five watermarked photos be used from any given AD article.  Visit Architectural Digest for the full story.

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The arms of Cardinal Flavio Chigi, the villa’s original owner, are painted on the drawing room ceiling.

 

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Along one wall, grisaille landscapes hang above gilded consoles.

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Chairs slipcovered in white linen encircle a banquet table in the ground-floor dining hall; the armchairs at right are upholstered in a Claremont damask, and the table lamp between them is an altar taper converted by family friend and interior desinger Camilla Guinness.

 

For the full article on Villa Cetinale read “La Dolce Vita” by Marella Caracciolo Chia featured in the May issue of Architectural Digest here. All descriptions taken directly from the article. Photography by Oberto Gili.

Villa Cetinale is available for vacation letting. Visit their website here.

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Folie de Jacques

Posted June 2, 2014. Filed in Chateaux, Follies & Pavilions, Jacques Garcia

Jacques Garcia-Tented Pavilion-Champt de Bataille-HG-François Halard

Jacques Garcia conceived a fantastical pavilion, true to its origin, in the style of a decorated tent on the grounds of his chateau, Champ de Bataille, in Normandy, France. sometime in the  1990’s, several years after he purchased the expansive property. The English origin of the word pavilion comes from Old French, pavillon, based on the Latin papilio – meaning butterfly, or tent.

I have been forever fascinated with pavilions and folies de grandeur. Their intimate scale and theatricality elicit dreams of fantasy and escape, of palace intrigue and secret liaisons. For the realization of his own architectural fantasy Garcia looked to the Guards Tent of Gustav III at Drottningholm Castle in Sweden. Similar by design, Garcia built his of lead instead of wood, with painted stripes down the sides imitating tent fabric. Structures such as these have traditionally been built for specific and often temporary uses, such as shelter from inclement weather. When the cold of winter arrives Garcia disassembles and stores the pavilion until the arrival of the next Spring.

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The interior of the pavilion is decorated with Moroccan rugs and textiles, lending the space an Orientalist atmosphere. The easy, casual nature of the bleached wicker furniture is a welcoming contrast to the exuberant red drapery and pair of sparkling chandeliers, and compliments the natural ground of the patterned fabrics and layered rugs. With straw hats and reading material casually plopped onto chairs and benches, and a panoply of candlesticks, photophores and votives at the ready, all one needs to do is close their eyes to envision the magical and sensory delights this space evokes.  It is a French colonial fantasy reborn in the 21st-century.

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Another view into the interior of the pavilion reveals the art of the mix, where a simple painted wooden garden table paired with rattan chairs contrasts opulent swaths of ermine red and dressmaker details.

The Guards Tent-Drottningholm Castle-Sweden

Jacques Garcia based the design of his pavilion on Gustav III’s Vakttältet (Turkish tent), a wooden structure built in 1781 to house the royal dragoon guards.

Photos of Jacques Garcia’s pavilion taken by François Halard for House & Garden.

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Posh Pool Pavilions

Posted May 30, 2014. Filed in Pools & Pavilions
A Greek-revival-style pavilion overlooks the pool at Richard Shapiro's Los Angeles home. Photo by Lisa Romerein for C Magazine.

A Greek-revival-style pavilion overlooks the pool at Richard Shapiro’s Los Angeles home. Photo by Lisa Romerein for C Magazine.

There is something particularly romantic and magical about pavilions. They illicit dreams of a well-lived life – a place to entertain, indulge fantasies, seek solace, and rejuvenate. They can be quite elaborate by design, imitating classical temples, Orientalist tents, Palladian villas, Venetian palazzi, Adirondack camps, modernist villas, and all manner of American architecture. The very nature of their size allows for the opportunity to express individual whims on a small scale … a bijou confection … a fantastical folly. Leave the quotidian life behind and join me on a tour of some remarkable pavilions designed with their sights on water, private havens in which to entertain, relax and, in some cases, house guests.

 

 Ralph Lauren's Bedford, New York, poolhouse is surrounded by towering pines. Photo by  Björn Wallander.

Ralph Lauren’s Bedford, New York, poolhouse is surrounded by towering pines. Photo by Björn Wallander.

 

 Siri Hari Kaur Angleton-Khalsa, working with landscape architect Edith Katz, planned the swimming pool and its surroundings for her estate in New Mexico. Photo by Robert Reck.

Siri Hari Kaur Angleton-Khalsa, working with landscape architect Edith Katz, planned the swimming pool and its surroundings for her estate in New Mexico. Photo by Robert Reck.

 

The classical facade of Thomas Britt's Water Mill summer guest house is rendered in low key Hampstons style. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

The classical facade of Thomas Britt’s Water Mill summer guest house is rendered in low key Hampstons style. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

 

The pool pavilion of a Southampton, New York, property — lit like a lantern — serves as a guesthouse or reception area for parties. Bill Sofield arranged antique mahogany invalid chairs poolside, and an Indonesian teak table and a gong rest between them. Photo by Martyn Thompson.

The pool pavilion of a Southampton, New York, property — lit like a lantern — serves as a guesthouse or reception area for parties. Bill Sofield arranged antique mahogany invalid chairs poolside, and an Indonesian teak table and a gong rest between them. Photo by Martyn Thompson.

 

DCA Landscape Architects created the rear garden of designer Thomas Pheasant's Washington, D.C., home. Although Pheasant designed the poolhouse with a classical façade, he used stucco for the walls and Spanish-style tiles for the roof. Photo by Durston Saylor.

DCA Landscape Architects created the rear garden of designer Thomas Pheasant’s Washington, D.C., home. Although Pheasant designed the poolhouse with a classical façade, he used stucco for the walls and Spanish-style tiles for the roof. Photo by Durston Saylor.

 

Carl D'Aquino and Francine Monaco restored this pool pavilion in Allentown, Pennsylvania, taking their cue from Max Hess's original vision of mid-century Hollywood glamour. At dusk, the glowing interiors—revealing intricate beaded fretwork and lavish furnishings—are reflected in the water. Photo by Simon Watson.

Carl D’Aquino and Francine Monaco restored this pool pavilion in Allentown, Pennsylvania, taking their cue from Max Hess’s original vision of mid-century Hollywood glamour. At dusk, the glowing interiors—revealing intricate beaded fretwork and lavish furnishings—are reflected in the water. Photo by Simon Watson.

 

Jack Lowrance conceived a pair of lattice pavilions for al fresco entertaining on the property of a Woodside, California, home in the 1970's. Photo by Max Eckert. From Architectural Digest: California Interiors, 1979.

Jack Lowrance conceived a pair of lattice pavilions for al fresco entertaining on the property of a Woodside, California, home in the 1970’s. Photo by Max Eckert. From Architectural Digest: California Interiors, 1979.

 

A neo-Regency poolhouse  designed by Appleton & Associates also functions as the guest quarters. Photo by Roger Davies.

A neo-Regency poolhouse designed by Appleton & Associates also functions as the guest quarters. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

Landscape designer Deborah Nevins brings serene symmetry to the Bridgehampton, New York, property of advertising mogul Trey Laird and his family; towering boxwood hedges ensure privacy, while the terrace is shaded by a bamboo pergola. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

Landscape designer Deborah Nevins brings serene symmetry to the Bridgehampton, New York, property of advertising mogul Trey Laird and his family; towering boxwood hedges ensure privacy, while the terrace is shaded by a bamboo pergola. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

Steven Gambrel designed a restrained poolhouse based on a classical model for his previous Sag Harbor home. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

Steven Gambrel designed a restrained poolhouse based on a classical model for his previous Sag Harbor home. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

 

19th-century Italian stone statues watch over the outdoor pool of Alex Papacrhistidis's Bridgehampton retreat. Photo by William Waldron.

19th-century Italian stone statues watch over the outdoor pool of Alex Papacrhistidis’s Bridgehampton retreat. Photo by William Waldron.

 

A loggia off a screening room overlooks the swimming pool of a house in Beverly Hills. Photo by Roger Davies.

A loggia off a screening room overlooks the swimming pool of a house in Beverly Hills. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

A columned cabana is situated alongside the discreet swimming pool at a Dutchess County, New York, farmhouse designed by architect Gil Schafer. Photo by Eric Piasecki.

A columned cabana is situated alongside the discreet swimming pool at a Dutchess County, New York, farmhouse designed by architect Gil Schafer. Photo by Eric Piasecki.

 

An inviting pool lounge is flanked by two changing rooms in classic American style. Photo by Douglas Friedman.

An inviting pool lounge is flanked by two changing rooms in classic American style. Photo by Douglas Friedman.

 

Carlos Aparicio crowned the entry to his lap pool with a classically-inspired draped lounge. Photo by Richard Powers.

Carlos Aparicio crowned the entry to his lap pool with a classically-inspired draped lounge. Photo by Richard Powers.

 

The 1960s Beverly Hills home of Waldo Fernandez was upgraded with a new limestone pool and poolhouse. Photo by Roger Davies.

The 1960s Beverly Hills home of Waldo Fernandez was upgraded with a new limestone pool and poolhouse. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

A classical-moderne pool house in Los Angeles was decorated by Daniel Cuevas. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

A classical-moderne pool house in Los Angeles was decorated by Daniel Cuevas. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

 

David Sutherland lounge chairs are grouped on the flagstone pool deck at actor Hank Azaria's Bel Air, California, home, decorated by Trip Haenisch. Photo by Roger Davies.

David Sutherland lounge chairs are grouped on the flagstone pool deck at actor Hank Azaria’s Bel Air, California, home decorated by Trip Haenisch. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

The crisp and classic poolhouse at Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer’s East Hampton, New York, home. Photo by William Waldron.

The crisp and classic poolhouse at Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer’s East Hampton, New York, home. Photo by William Waldron.

 

A pool lounge and upstairs guest house overlooks the pool at Andrew Fisher and Jeffry Weisman villa in San Miguel de Allende. Photo by Simon Watson.

A pool lounge and upstairs guest house overlooks the pool at Andrew Fisher and Jeffry Weisman’s villa in San Miguel de Allende. Photo by Simon Watson.

 

Liz and Damon Mezzacappa's Palm Beach pool was inspired by a design they found in a book on Moroccan style designed by architect Jeffery Smith. Photo by Fernando Bengoechea for Town & Country.

Liz and Damon Mezzacappa’s Palm Beach pool was inspired by a design they found in a book on Moroccan style designed by architect Jeffery Smith. Photo by Fernando Bengoechea for Town & Country.

 

Indian limestone steps lead to the poolhouse, which is surrounded by rose bushes; Deniot designed the limestone benches and teak stools. Photo by Richard Powers.

Indian limestone steps lead to the poolhouse on the property of a residence in New Delhi, which is surrounded by rose bushes; Deniot designed the limestone benches and teak stools. Photo by Richard Powers.

 

A lavish yet modestly scaled pleasure palace designed by Todd Black for model, actress and writer Veronica Webb and her family in Key West, Florida. Photographed by Ken Hayden for Architectural Digest.

A lavish yet modestly scaled pleasure palace designed by Todd Black for model, actress and writer Veronica Webb and her family in Key West, Florida. Photographed by Ken Hayden for Architectural Digest.

 

The poolhouse of an estate in the Dominican Republic decorated by Genevieve Faure references classical design with Doric columns and a stepped roof. Photo by Oberto Gili.

The poolhouse of an estate in the Dominican Republic decorated by Genevieve Faure references classical design with Doric columns and a stepped roof. Photo by Oberto Gili.

 

Ralph and Ricky Lauren expanded the pool deck of their Jamiaca guesthouse. The beach house is "like being on a boat," notes Ralph. Photo by Durston Saylor.

Ralph and Ricky Lauren expanded the pool deck of their Jamiaca guesthouse. The beach house is “like being on a boat,” notes Ralph. Photo by Durston Saylor.

 

Architect Thomas M. Kirchhoff designed the pavilion at a Palm Beach residence. The gardens are by Nievera Williams Design. Photo by Scott Frances.

Architect Thomas M. Kirchhoff designed the pavilion at a Palm Beach residence. The gardens are by Nievera Williams Design. Photo by Scott Frances.

 

The poolside loggia of a Palm Beach residence decorated by Aman & Carson melds Beaux Arts and Mediterranean Revival traditions. Photo by Roger Davies.

The poolside loggia of a Palm Beach residence decorated by Aman & Carson melds Beaux Arts and Mediterranean Revival traditions. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

Miles Redd created a raised dining pavilion near the pool of a client's vacation home in Lyford Cay. Photo by  Björn Wallander.

Miles Redd created a raised dining pavilion near the pool of a client’s vacation home in Lyford Cay. Photo by Björn Wallander.

 

Two 19th-century Italian stone statues watch over the pool at Alex Papachristidis's home in Bridgehampton, New York. Photo by William Waldron.

Two 19th-century Italian stone statues watch over the pool at Alex Papachristidis’s home in Bridgehampton, New York. Photo by William Waldron.

 

The Greek Revival log constructed pool house of Bunny Williams and John Rosselli at their Falls Village country house. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

The Greek Revival log constructed pool house of Bunny Williams and John Rosselli at their Falls Village country house. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

 

A poolhouse in Westport, Connecticut, designed by the New York City architectural firm SPaN, is distinguished by fieldstone walls and a slatted cedar pergola. Photo by Adrian Gout

A poolhouse in Westport, Connecticut, designed by the New York City architectural firm SPaN, is distinguished by fieldstone walls and a slatted cedar pergola. Photo by Adrian Gout

 

Gray Organschi Architecture devised the single-story house and separate pool pavilion for Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan's Shelter Island, New York, property. Photo by Joshua McHugh.

Gray Organschi Architecture devised the single-story house and separate pool pavilion for Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan’s Shelter Island, New York, property. Photo by Joshua McHugh.

 

At the beach retreat of Coach president and creative director Reed Krakoff and his wife, Delphine, in Southampton, New York, the modernist pool and poolhouse reflect the clean-lined 1970s style of the main house. Photo by Reed Krakoff.

At the beach retreat of Coach president and creative director Reed Krakoff and his wife, Delphine, in Southampton, New York, the modernist pool and poolhouse reflect the clean-lined 1970s style of the main house. Photo by Reed Krakoff.

 

Lit from within, the fiberglass-paneled pavilion on a Palm Springs, California, property glows like a lantern, creating dramatic reflections in the pool. Photo by Marc Ware.

Lit from within, the fiberglass-paneled pavilion on a Palm Springs, California, property glows like a lantern, creating dramatic reflections in the pool. Photo by Marc Ware.

 

Design collective Commune furnished a contemporary poolhouse with a vintage Arne Jacobsen Egg chair and Piero Lissoni's Softwall sofas for a home in Los Angeles. Photo by Roger Davies.

Design collective Commune furnished a contemporary poolhouse with a vintage Arne Jacobsen Egg chair and Piero Lissoni’s Softwall sofas for a home in Los Angeles. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

A contemporary, ipe-paneled poolhouse in Wilton, Connecticut, designed by Gisue Hariri. Photo by Paul Warchol.

A contemporary, ipe-paneled poolhouse in Wilton, Connecticut, designed by Gisue Hariri. Photo by Paul Warchol.

In a related post, Liquid Assets, myriad styles of swimming pools are featured from across the globe.

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Liquid Assets

Posted May 29, 2014. Filed in Pools
Landscape designer Miranda Brooks created a wall outdoor room of sculpted green for Carie Marron's Southhampton home. Photo by Christopher Baker for Vogue.

Landscape designer Miranda Brooks created a walled outdoor room of sculpted green for Carie Marron’s Southhampton home. Photo by Christopher Baker for Vogue.

With June but days away vacation time is on everyone’s mind. And with rising temperatures the cooling physical and visceral qualities of water are casting their spell over us with the promise of relaxation and rejuvenation. For those of us fortunate to possess our very own private water escape in the form of a swimming pool, a vacation from life’s daily stresses is but a few steps away on any given day, one’s own piece of  H2O heaven. To follow are an array stylistic representations of swimming pools from around the world. It is my hope that you may all experience water’s alchemical benefits throughout the coming summer near and far.

David Hicks's Oxfordshire country house. Photography by Dana Hyde for David Hicks: My Kind of Garden.

David Hicks’s Oxfordshire country house. Photography by Dana Hyde for David Hicks: My Kind of Garden.

 

An expansive pool is set into the bucolic setting of Stephen Sills Bedford property, punctuated by classical columns at one end. Photo by François Halard for Town & Country.

An expansive pool is set into the bucolic setting of Stephen Sills Bedford property, punctuated by classical columns at one end. Photo by François Halard for Town & Country.

 

High hedges, sculpted with dramatically sloping sides, encircle a pool at a venerable Hamptons estate. Minimalist chaise longues and tables, selected by interior designer Mariette Himes Gomez, echo the clean-lined plantings. Photo by Scott Frances.

High hedges, sculpted with dramatically sloping sides, encircle a pool at a venerable Hamptons estate. Minimalist chaise longues and tables, selected by interior designer Mariette Himes Gomez, echo the clean-lined plantings. Photo by Scott Frances.

 

The bucolic setting of Charlotte Moss's Hamtons home. Photo via Elle Decor.

The bucolic setting of Charlotte Moss’s Hamtons home. Photo via Elle Decor.

 

The stone-edged pool at decorator Elissa Cullman’s Connecticut residence, Cedar Lodge Farm, resembles a natural pond set into the rolling lawn. Photo by Eric Piasecki.

The stone-edged pool at decorator Elissa Cullman’s Connecticut residence, Cedar Lodge Farm, resembles a natural pond set into the rolling lawn. Photo by Eric Piasecki.

 

Captivated by Nantucket’s peacefulness, a California couple traded Beverly Hills for the Massachusetts island. Across the broad lawn from their main house is an infinity pool that stretches out amid wild roses, lilacs, and indigenous grasses and looks out over 300 acres of wilderness. Photo by David O. Marlow.

Captivated by Nantucket’s peacefulness, a California couple traded Beverly Hills for the Massachusetts island. Across the broad lawn from their main house is an infinity pool that stretches out amid wild roses, lilacs, and indigenous grasses and looks out over 300 acres of wilderness. Photo by David O. Marlow.

 

A refined sensibility and barefoot ease define a Hamptons home with interiors by Timothy Haynes and Kevin Roberts. Photo by Simon Upton.

A refined sensibility and barefoot ease define a Hamptons home with interiors by Timothy Haynes and Kevin Roberts. Photo by Simon Upton.

 

The pool at Scott Currie's Southampton retreat. Photo by Roger Davies.

The pool at Scott Currie’s Southampton retreat. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

The pool at Ralph Lauren's Montauk beach house is a natural extension of the landscape. Photo by Pieter Estersohn for Elle Decor.

The pool at Ralph Lauren’s Montauk beach house is a natural extension of the landscape. Photo by Pieter Estersohn for Elle Decor.

Hollywood glamour of a bygone era lives on at La Quinta, the one-time villa of Diandra and Michael Douglas in Montecito, California. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

Hollywood glamour of a bygone era lives on at La Quinta, the one-time villa of Diandra and Michael Douglas in Montecito, California. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

 

At Villa Palagio, Sting and Trudie Styler's farm in Tuscany, the pool, installed by a previous owner, overlooks the Valdarno Superiore valley. Photo by Giancarlo Gardin.

At Villa Palagio, Sting and Trudie Styler’s farm in Tuscany, the pool, installed by a previous owner, overlooks the Valdarno Superiore valley. Photo by Giancarlo Gardin.

 

An loggia decorated with azeulo tiles surrounds the pool at Quinta Patiño in Portugal. Photo from PANTALEON y las decoradoras website.

An loggia decorated with azeulo tiles surrounds the pool at Quinta Patiño in Portugal. Photo from PANTALEON y las decoradoras website.

 

The poolside patio of Anne-Marie Midy's  Mexican hacienda is lit with copper lanterns. The hanging tin star lights are a traditional design. Photo by François Halard.

The poolside patio of Anne-Marie Midy’s Mexican hacienda is lit with copper lanterns. The hanging tin star lights are a traditional design. Photo by François Halard.

 

Turquoise waters compliment the red ocher of a villa designed by Studio Peregalli in Mallorca, Spain. Photo from French AD, July/August 2012.

Turquoise waters compliment the red ocher of a villa designed by Studio Peregalli in Mallorca, Spain. Photo from French AD, July/August 2012.

 

For an estate in Mallorca the pool was sited at the edge of a bluff to take in the views beyond. Photo by Tim Beddow for Architectural Digest.

For an estate in Mallorca the pool was sited at the edge of a bluff to take in the views beyond. Photo by Tim Beddow for Architectural Digest.

 

For a Palladian-style villa in Las Vegas architect William Hablinski placed the pool away from the house in the tradition of a great Italian country house. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

For a Palladian-style villa in Las Vegas architect William Hablinski placed the pool away from the house in the tradition of a great Italian country house. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

Terraced water features flow into the main pool of Las Tejas in Montecito in the style of the formal gardens at Villa Lante. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

Terraced water features flow into the main pool of Las Tejas in Montecito in the style of the formal gardens at Villa Lante. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

 

At a Los Angeles home by architect Kevin A. Clark and designer Madeline Stuart, the infinity-edge pool, tiled and framed with flagstone, is outfitted with teak furniture by Michael Taylor Designs. Photo by Simon Upton.

At a Los Angeles home by architect Kevin A. Clark and designer Madeline Stuart, the infinity-edge pool, tiled and framed with flagstone, is outfitted with teak furniture by Michael Taylor Designs. Photo by Simon Upton.

 

A large dark bottom pool in the style of a reflecting pond for a neoclassical-style villa in New Dehli with interiors by Jean-Louis Deniot. Photo by Richard Powers.

A large dark bottom pool in the style of a reflecting pond for a neoclassical-style villa in New Dehli with interiors by Jean-Louis Deniot. Photo by Richard Powers.

 

    Sparkling emerald waters enhance the lush landscaping at Richard Shapiro's Los Angeles Mediterranean-inspired home. Photo by Lisa Romerein for C Magazine.

Sparkling emerald waters enhance the lush landscaping at Richard Shapiro’s Los Angeles Mediterranean-inspired home. Photo by Lisa Romerein for C Magazine.

 

American artist Kris Ruhs created the exuberant tile pattern for this courtyard pool at the Marrakech residence of Franca Sozzani, the editor in chief of Vogue Italia. Photo by Ivan Terestchenko for Architectural Digest.

American artist Kris Ruhs created the exuberant tile pattern for this courtyard pool at the Marrakech residence of Franca Sozzani, the editor in chief of Vogue Italia. Photo by Ivan Terestchenko for Spanish Architectural Digest.

 

The courtyard at the home of James Jordan in Merida, Mexico, the New York-based vice chairman of the World Monuments Fund. Photo by Paul Costello.

The courtyard at the home of James Jordan in Merida, Mexico, the New York-based vice chairman of the World Monuments Fund. Photo by Paul Costello.

 

Studio Peregalli created a private paradise for author Umberto's Pasti in Tangier. Photo by David Oliver.

Studio Peregalli created a private paradise for author Umberto’s Pasti in Tangier. Photo by David Oliver.

 

Inspired by an ancient fortress on a dramatic cliffside property in Provence’s Luberon region, French decorator Michel Biehn installed a rustic, stone-edged pool embellished with ornamental urns at each corner. Photo by  Bruno Suet.

Inspired by an ancient fortress on a dramatic cliffside property in Provence’s Luberon region, French decorator Michel Biehn installed a rustic, stone-edged pool embellished with ornamental urns at each corner. Photo by Bruno Suet.

 

The swimming pool at Giancarlo Giammetti's villa in Tuscany. Photo by Isidoro Genovese.

The swimming pool at Giancarlo Giammetti’s villa in Tuscany. Photo by Isidoro Genovese.

 

Ancient stone walls surround the swimming pool at Villa Cetinale, Tuscany. Photo by Oberto Gili.

Ancient stone walls surround the swimming pool at Villa Cetinale, Tuscany. Photo by Oberto Gili.

 

An affinity-edge pool on the property of Simone de Looze's Tuscan retreat. Photography by Nicolas Matheus for German AD.

An infinity-edge pool on the property of Simone de Looze’s Tuscan retreat. Photography by Nicolas Matheus for German AD.

 

At the 15th-century Tuscan villa of fashion scion Leonardo Ferragamo, the circular pool dates from 1950, and the boxwood hedges echo the contours of the wall beyond. A boldly striped fabric covers a set of iron chairs and an awning, all designed by Francesca Garagnani and Carlo Ludovico Poccianti of Archflorence. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

At the 15th-century Tuscan villa of fashion scion Leonardo Ferragamo, the circular pool dates from 1950, and the boxwood hedges echo the contours of the wall beyond. A boldly striped fabric covers a set of iron chairs and an awning, all designed by Francesca Garagnani and Carlo Ludovico Poccianti of Archflorence. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

Positioned to take in sweeping views of mountains and fields, the pool of a country house in Italy is framed by brick arranged in a classic basket-weave pattern. Photo by Andrea Ferarri.

Positioned to take in sweeping views of mountains and fields, the pool of a country house in Italy is framed by brick arranged in a classic basket-weave pattern. Photo by Andrea Ferarri.

 

Architect Robert Brannen's  pool is nestled below the main stone farmhouse in Tuscany , which runs some adjacent to some ruins.

Architect Robert Brannen’s pool is nestled below the main stone farmhouse in Tuscany , which runs some adjacent to some ruins. Photo from Architectural Digest, September 2002.

 

At a home in Napa, an infinity pool at the garden's north end overlooks the valley. Inset stone pavers turn the lawn into an artful grid, a design by Blasen Landscape Architecture. Photo by Matthew Millman.

At a home in Napa, an infinity pool at the garden’s north end overlooks the valley. Inset stone pavers turn the lawn into an artful grid, a design by Blasen Landscape Architecture. Photo by Matthew Millman.

 

At an estate once owned by Rudolf Nureyev on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, a curvaceous pool built into a rocky cliff is in perfect concord with the surrounding mountains and sea. Photo by Ivan Terestchenko for Architectural Digest.

At an estate once owned by Rudolf Nureyev on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, a curvaceous pool built into a rocky cliff is in perfect concord with the surrounding mountains and sea. Photo by Ivan Terestchenko for Architectural Digest.

 

 Brazilian-granite coping borders the pool at Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's Beverly Hills, California, estate. Photo by Roger Davies.

Brazilian-granite coping borders the pool at Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s Beverly Hills, California, estate. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

An elegantly simple lap pool overlooking the Pacific set into the lawn of a Palladian-style villa designed by Michael S. Smith in Malibu. Photo by Simon Upton.

An elegantly simple lap pool overlooking the Pacific set into the lawn of a Palladian-style villa designed by Michael S. Smith in Malibu. Photo by Simon Upton.

 

A simply elegant lap pool enhances avstreamlined oceanside showplace in Malibu designed by architectural designer Scott Mitchell Photo by Scott Frances.

A simply elegant lap pool enhances avstreamlined oceanside showplace in Malibu designed by architectural designer Scott Mitchell Photo by Scott Frances.

 

A pool in Japan is positioned between a starkly minimalist home and the sea. Photo by : Katsuhisa Kida. From Kelly Klien's Pools: Reflections.

A pool in Japan is positioned between a starkly minimalist home and the sea. Photo by : Katsuhisa Kida. From Kelly Klien’s Pools: Reflections.

 

Glass and stone pavilions frame the pool of designer Kelly Behun 's Southampton home built by Sawyer/Berson. Photo by William Waldron.

Glass and stone pavilions frame the pool of designer Kelly Behun ‘s Southampton home built by Sawyer/Berson. Photo by William Waldron.

 

Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady's pool terrace offers views out over Los Angeles, with the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Photo by Roger Davies for Architectural Digest.

Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady’s pool terrace offers views out over Los Angeles, with the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

The pool design for a modernist villa in Mallorca, Spain extends the rectangular volumes of the main house. Photo by Marco de Valdivia. From Pools by Kelly Klein, 1992.

The pool design for a modernist villa in Mallorca, Spain, extends the rectangular volumes of the main house. Photo by Marco de Valdivia. From Pools by Kelly Klein, 1992.

 

Juan Montoya based the design of his swimming pool for his retreat in the Hudson River Valley on a floor pattern in a Swedish palace. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

Juan Montoya based the design of his swimming pool for his retreat in the Hudson River Valley on a floor pattern in a Swedish palace. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

 

Architect Manolo Mestre created a small pool at the edge of a hill in Valle de Brava, Mexico. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

Architect Manolo Mestre created a small pool at the edge of a hill in Valle de Brava, Mexico. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

 

Designer Tino Zervudachi restored and furnished jet-setting investor Nat Rothschild’s house in Rio de Janeiro. On a terrace facing the sea, Zervudachi laid out what became the urbane centerpiece of the residence: a pool whose elaborate Op Art tile design echoes the wave pattern on the famous Rio promenades by Roberto Burle Marx. Photo by Michael Calderwood.

Designer Tino Zervudachi restored and furnished jet-setting investor Nat Rothschild’s house in Rio de Janeiro. On a terrace facing the sea, Zervudachi laid out what became the urbane centerpiece of the residence: a pool whose elaborate Op Art tile design echoes the wave pattern on the famous Rio promenades by Roberto Burle Marx. Photo by Michael Calderwood.

 

One & Only Reethi Rah North Male Atoll, Malidives, is a tropical paradise set on a private island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Photo via One & Only.

One & Only Reethi Rah North Male Atoll, Malidives, is a tropical paradise set on a private island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Photo via One & Only.

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Great Outdoor Rooms: Verandas and Loggias

The late Antony Childs created a classical mood in all-white for a Alexandria Decorator Showhouse. "This is my bow to the Italian loggia. I wanted it to be romantically evocative, and as comfortable as being indoors. The view is of lawn, boxwood and flowers. The bright white acts as a beautiful juxtaposition for the garden beyond" explained Childs. Photo by Gordon Reall for House Beautiful.

 

Today’s post follows Loggia Living: My Top Three Picks. For the leading photo I’ve re-posted a loggia decorated by the late Antony Childs simply because it’s irresistibly chic. The other two loggias on my top three list – one designed by Jeffrey Bilhuber and another by Michael S. Smith – clearly conjures a common thread: I prefer understated elegance and classic style. That said, I wholeheartedly appreciate and embrace all variety of styles and periods, from Moroccan to contemporary, and everything in between. Wherever your locale, appropriateness with regard to time and place, along with great style and comfort, are guiding principles that never fail to please. Following the rules, then breaking them, if just a bit, is what great design is all about – a principal you will see come to life in many of the outdoor rooms featured in today’s post. When design is great, it’s transporting and, often times, transformational.  Here is a partial list of some my favorite outdoor rooms. Viva la loggias and verandas!

 

Another loggia by the late great Antony Childs includes the designer's furniture designs for Niermann Weeks. Photo by William Waldron for HG.

Another loggia by the late great Antony Childs includes the designer’s furniture designs for Niermann Weeks. Photo by William Waldron for HG.

 

A formal flan and classic lines inform the terrace of Suzanne Kasler's Regency-style home in Atlanta. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

A formal flan and classic lines inform the terrace of Suzanne Kasler’s Regency-style home in Atlanta. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

Jeffersonian proportions and classical elegance inform the veranda Andrew Law designed for the D.C. Design House. Photo by Gordon Beall for Traditional Home.

Jeffersonian proportions and classical elegance inform the veranda Andrew Law designed for the D.C. Design House. Photo by Gordon Beall for Traditional Home.

 

A cozy corner in John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross's Georgian Revival home in Somerset County, New Jersey. Photo by Simon Upton.

A cozy corner in John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross’s Georgian Revival home in Somerset County, New Jersey. Photo by Simon Upton.

 

Antiques dealer Richard Shapiro created a classically-inspired pleasure pavilion for his garden at his Los Angeles home. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna for Elle Decor.

Antiques dealer Richard Shapiro created a classically-inspired pleasure pavilion for his garden at his Los Angeles home. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna for Elle Decor.

 

The portico of David Hick's Villa Verde in Portugal. Photo by Alexander von der Schulenburg for House & Garden.

The portico of David Hick’s Villa Verde in Portugal. Photo by Alexander von der Schulenburg for House & Garden.

 

Michael Smith furnished a Tuscan-style loggia in Montecito designed by architect Don Nulty with woven rope outdoor furniture. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

Michael S. Smith furnished a Tuscan-style loggia in Montecito designed by architect Don Nulty with woven rope outdoor furniture. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

 

For the upper veranda of a Tuscan-style villa in Santa Ynez, California, Michael S. Smith arranged a collection of black painted Victorian wicker furniture over jute rugs. Photo by François Halard' for Elle Decor.

For the upper veranda of a Tuscan-style villa in Santa Ynez, California, Michael S. Smith arranged a collection of black painted Victorian wicker furniture over jute rugs. Photo by François Halard’ for Elle Decor.

 

For a Palladian-style villa in the desert Atelier AM conjured understated luxury. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

For a Palladian-style villa in the desert Atelier AM conjured understated luxury. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

The loggia of Richard Shapiro's Italian-inspired Malibu retreat is the epitome of unstudied coastal chic. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna.

The loggia of Richard Shapiro’s Italian-inspired Malibu retreat is the epitome of unstudied coastal chic. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna.

 

Richard Hallberg infused the loggia of this dessert home with Spanish and Moroccan design that is at once exotic and modern. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna for Veranda.

Richard Hallberg infused the loggia of this dessert home with Spanish and Moroccan design that is at once exotic and modern. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna for Veranda.

 

LIz Landau decided upon a neutral palette over the traditional vibrant style more commonly used in Moroccan interiors for the loggia in her villa, Manzah al Jamil. Custom furniture made in Bali for the villa has a decidedly British Colonial air. Photo by Paul Costello for Town & Country.

Liz Landau decided upon a neutral palette over the traditional vibrant style more commonly used in Moroccan interiors for the loggia in her villa, Manzah al Jamil. Custom furniture made in Bali for the villa has a decidedly British Colonial air. Photo by Paul Costello for Town & Country.

 

For the loggia of a Mediterranean-style house in Los Angeles Madeline Stuart created a Moroccan-inspired outdoor living room. Photo by Dominique Vorillon.

For the loggia of a Mediterranean-style house in Los Angeles Madeline Stuart created a Moroccan-inspired outdoor living room with British Colonial elan. Photo by Dominique Vorillon.

 

Michael S. Smith created a colorful and luxurious outdoor room for living inspired by Morocco for a Spanish Colonial revival-style home in southern California designed by architects Ferguson & Shamamian.

Michael S. Smith created a colorful and luxurious outdoor room for living for a Spanish Colonial revival-style home in southern California designed by architects Ferguson & Shamamian.

 

Marie-Paule Pellé enhanced the veranda of a home in Lamu, Kenya, with a Goanese chair and pillows from India and Pakistan; North African trays are set on Moroccan stools, and antique Vietnamese weavings provide shade. Photo by Pieter Estersohn for Elle Decor.

Marie-Paule Pellé enhanced the veranda of a home in Lamu, Kenya, with a Goanese chair and pillows from India and Pakistan; North African trays are set on Moroccan stools, and antique Vietnamese weavings provide shade. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

The rooftop terrace of Bruno Frisoni and Hervé Van Der Straeten's villa in Tangiers. Photo by François Halard for Vogue.

The rooftop terrace of Bruno Frisoni and Hervé Van Der Straeten’s villa in Tangiers. Photo by François Halard.

The terrace of Hermès desginer Leila Menchari's villa, Dar Henson, in Hammamet, Tunisia. Photo by Guillaume de Laubier for House & Garden.

The terrace of Hermès desginer Leila Menchari’s villa, Dar Henson, in Hammamet, Tunisia. Photo by Guillaume de Laubier for House & Garden.

 

Phillip Hooper of Colefax & Fowler designed a Moroccan-inspired getaway in the Caribbean for a young English family. Photo by William Waldron.

Phillip Hooper of Colefax & Fowler designed a Moroccan-inspired getaway in the Caribbean for a young English family. Photo by William Waldron.

 

The palazzi of Venice inspired the architecture of a new home in Palm Beach that Bunny Williams decorated for Liz Mezzacappa. Photo by Mathhew Hranek for Town & Country.

The palazzi of Venice inspired the architecture of a new home in Palm Beach that Bunny Williams decorated for Liz Mezzacappa. Photo by Mathhew Hranek for Town & Country.

 

Michelle Nussbaumer enlivened a loggia with shots of inky blue. Photo by Peter Vitale.

Michelle Nussbaumer enlivened a loggia with shots of inky blue. Photo by Peter Vitale.

 

Designer Celerie Kemble and her client, Margaretta Taylor, collaborated on the design of the owner's  Palm Beach loggia which mixes vintage rattan and custom upholstery. Photo by Jonathan Becker for  House & Garden.

Designer Celerie Kemble and her client, Margaretta Taylor, collaborated on the design of the owner’s Palm Beach loggia which mixes vintage rattan and custom upholstery. Photo by Jonathan Becker for House & Garden.

 

A veranda designed by Tom Scheerer for a house in Florida. From Elle Decor.

A veranda with exotic flair designed by Tom Scheerer for a house in Florida features sponge painted walls and floors paved with Papal tile. Photo by William Waldron for Elle Decor.

 

Decorator Michael Gainey channeled Angelo Donghia for his Key West home that was once owned by Donghia and Calvin Klein. Photo by William Waldron for Elle Decor.

Decorator Michael Gainey channeled Angelo Donghia for his Key West home that was once owned by Donghia and Calvin Klein. Photo by William Waldron for Elle Decor.

 

Tom Scheere created a laid-back conversation area in the corner of this veranda in Windsor, Florida. Photo via Tom Scheerer.

Tom Scheerer created a laid-back conversation area in the corner of this veranda in Windsor, Florida. Photo via Tom Scheerer.

Emma Bright of Colefax & Fowler grouped wicker furniture on a plantation-style veranda in Mustique. Photo by Luke White for Architectural Digest.

Emma Bright of Colefax & Fowler grouped wicker furniture on a plantation-style veranda in Mustique. Photo by Luke White for Architectural Digest.

 

For the veranda of his own vacation home in the Bahamas decorator Tom Scheerer accented custom-made banquettes with Indonesian sarongs alonside custom teak tables of his own design. Photo by William Waldron.

For the veranda of his own vacation home in the Bahamas decorator Tom Scheerer accented custom-made banquettes with Indonesian sarongs alonside custom teak tables of his own design. Photo by William Waldron.

 

Angelo Donghia created a quietly luxurious environment for the Ralph Lauren's Jamaican villa. Photo by Edgar de Evia for House & Garden.

Angelo Donghia created a quietly luxurious environment for the Ralph Lauren’s Jamaican villa. Photo by Edgar de Evia for House & Garden.

 

The coral stone enveloped veranda at Oscar de la Renta's Palladian-style villa in Punta Cana. Photo by Michel Arnaud for British House & Garden.

The coral stone enveloped veranda at Oscar de la Renta’s Palladian-style villa in Punta Cana. Photo by Michel Arnaud for British House & Garden.

 

The veranda of Celerie Kemble's bungalow in the Dominican Republic. Photo by François Halard for Vogue.

The veranda of Celerie Kemble’s bungalow in the Dominican Republic. Photo by François Halard for Vogue.

 

Decorator Bunny Williams's veranda at her home in the Dominican Republic. From www.bunnywilliams.com

Decorator Bunny Williams’s veranda at her home in the Dominican Republic. From www.bunnywilliams.com

 

Grant White created an outdoor room for living with British Colonial elan on the upper veranda of home in Mustique. Photo by Tim Beddow for Architectural Digest.

Grant White created an outdoor room for living with British Colonial elan on the upper veranda of home in Mustique. Photo by Tim Beddow for Architectural Digest.

 

Nicky Haslam added treillage and a banquette covered in ticking to an open-air pavilion in Barbados. Photo by Michael Mundy for HG.

Nicky Haslam added treillage and a banquette covered in ticking to an open-air pavilion in Barbados. Photo by Michael Mundy for HG.

 

Allesandra Branca blends vernacular elements, chinoiserie details, and strategic splashes of vibrant color at her sophisticated retreat. Photo by William Waldron.

Allesandra Branca blends vernacular elements, chinoiserie details, and strategic splashes of vibrant color at her sophisticated retreat. Photo by William Waldron.

 

Mario Buatta extended his passion for chintz onto the wicker furniture of a veranda he designed for Hilary and Wilbur Ross's bucolic setting in the Hampton's. Photo by Scott Frances.

Mario Buatta extended the color blue from the flowering garden onto the furnishings of a veranda he designed for Hilary and Wilbur Ross’s bucolic setting in the Hampton’s. Photo by Scott Frances.

 

Miles Redd updated the veranda of an all-American Connecticut home with a suite of freshly painted antique wicker furniture floating on an expanse of immaculate painted floors. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna.

Miles Redd updated the veranda of an all-American Connecticut home with a suite of freshly painted antique wicker furniture floating on an expanse of immaculate painted floors. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna.

 

The recessed terrace at designer David Easton's one-time country house, Balderbrae, in Rockland County, New York. From Timeless Elegance: The Houses of David Easton.

The recessed terrace at designer David Easton’s one-time country house, Balderbrae, in Rockland County, New York, epitomizes Anglo-American  country-house-style. From Timeless Elegance: The Houses of David Easton.

 

Tom Scheerer and Jeffrey Bilhuber collaborated on the design of a Decorator Showhouse veranda marrying rustic and contemporary design for a traditional country house. Photo by Kari Haavisto.

Tom Scheerer and Jeffrey Bilhuber collaborated on the design of a Decorator Showhouse veranda in the early 90’s marrying rustic and contemporary design for a traditional country house. Photo by Kari Haavisto.

The casual chic veranda of Steven Gambrel's Sag Harbor home. Photo by Eric Piasecki for Steven Gambrel Time & Place.

The casual chic veranda of Steven Gambrel’s Sag Harbor home. Photo by Eric Piasecki for Steven Gambrel Time & Place.

 

Steven Gambrel arranged furniture of his own design covered in bright lime green on the terrace of his first Sag Harbor retreat. Photo by William Waldron.

Steven Gambrel arranged furniture of his own design covered in bright lime green on the terrace of his first Sag Harbor retreat. Photo by William Waldron.

 

A veranda decorated by Jeffrey Bilhuber classic, chic and entirely American by design. From his book, The Way Home.

A veranda decorated by Jeffrey Bilhuber is classic, chic and entirely American by design. From his book, The Way Home.

A wall of lush green is the focal point of Laura and Harry Slatkin's quietly elegant tented veranda in Palm Beach. Photo by Oberto Gili.

A wall of lush green is the focal point of Laura and Harry Slatkin’s quietly elegant tented veranda in Palm Beach. Photo by Oberto Gili.

 

Michael Taylor created an upper level veranda to take in views over the vineyards of television producer Douglas Cramer;s Santa Ynez property. Photo by Jaime Ardilles-Arce for Architectural Digest.

Michael Taylor created an upper level veranda to take in views over the vineyards of television producer Douglas Cramer’s Santa Ynez property. Photo by Jaime Ardilles-Arce for Architectural Digest.

 

Ginny Magher's Provence farmhouse. Image originally appeared in the September 2007 issue of Veranda.

Ginny Magher’s Provence farmhouse. Image originally appeared in the September 2007 issue of Veranda.

 

The expansive loggia of an a Spanish revival home designed by Scott Snyder it warm and gracious. Photo by Josh Klein.

The expansive loggia of a Spanish revival home designed by Scott Snyder is warm and gracious. Photo by Josh Klein.

 

Michael S. Smith arranged a casual mix of vintage wicker covered in periwinkel on the veranda a Portuguese-style quinta in Montecio, California. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

Michael S. Smith enlivened vintage wicker furniture with periwinkel cushions on the veranda a Portuguese-style quinta in Montecio, California. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

 

On the outdoor patio of designer Anne-Marie Midy's Mexican hacienda, traditional hacienda furniture is lightened with cream cushions. Photo by François Halard.

On the outdoor patio of designer Anne-Marie Midy’s Mexican hacienda, traditional hacienda furniture is lightened with cream cushions. Photo by François Halard.

 

Ray Booth designed this loggia in a Mexican colonial-style residence in San Miguel Allende with casual chic flair. Photo by William Waldron.

Ray Booth designed this loggia in a Mexican colonial-style residence in San Miguel Allende with casual chic flair. Photo by William Waldron.

 

Designer Terry Hunziker outfitted the main terrace of a home in San José del Cabo, Mexico, with Sutherland furniture of his own design. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

Designer Terry Hunziker outfitted the main terrace of a home in San José del Cabo, Mexico, with Sutherland furniture of his own design. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

Straw and canvas mattresses and rattan cushions are arranged for sheer comfort and relaxation on the shaded arcade of Antonio and Ignacio Saorin’s vacation villa on the island of Ibiza. Photo by Simon Upton.

Straw and canvas mattresses and rattan cushions are arranged for sheer comfort and relaxation on the shaded arcade of Antonio and Ignacio Saorin’s vacation villa on the island of Ibiza. Photo by Simon Upton.

 

The upstairs loggia of John Houshmand's Mexican hacienda, furnished with  mesquite banquettes and tables made from mesquite slabs, offers spectacular views. Photo by William Abranowicz.

The upstairs loggia of John Houshmand’s Mexican hacienda, furnished with mesquite banquettes and tables made from mesquite slabs, offers spectacular views. Photo by William Abranowicz.

 

A poolside lounge at a Nashville, Tennessee, designed by McAlpine Booth & Ferrier Interiors. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

A poolside lounge at a Nashville, Tennessee, designed by McAlpine Booth & Ferrier Interiors. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

Sara Story collaborated with Lake|Flato Architects on a pavilion for entertaining on her Hill Country property. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

Sara Story collaborated with Lake|Flato Architects on a pavilion for entertaining on her Hill Country property. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

Architect Christopher C. Hill restored a 19th-century MIssion-style ranch for himself in the Texxas HIll Country, which features a wrap-around expansive porch. Photo by Mary E. Nichols for Architectural Digest.

Architect Christopher C. Hill restored a 19th-century MIssion-style ranch for himself in the Texas HIll Country, which features a wrap-around expansive porch. Photo by Mary E. Nichols for Architectural Digest.

 

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Loggia Living: My Top Three Picks

Jeffrey Bilhuber-Veranda-House Beautiful

Photo by William Waldron for House Beautiful.

Today’s post is the second in a series of posts on outdoor rooms, the first of which was Great Outdoor Rooms: Plein-Air Living.  My original intention was to jump right in by sharing photos of all my favorite verandas and loggias but, in the process, took pause to consider three of my all-time favorite outdoor rooms before moving on to “the list”.

Jeffrey Bilhuber-Loggia-Pennsylvania-HG-Michael Mundy

Photo by Michael Mundy for HG.

The first and, perhaps, most inspired outdoor room is the Italianate-style loggia Jeffrey Bilhuber conceived for his first client’s home in Pennsylvania sometime prior to its being published in 1990. A true loggia for living in every sense, Bilhuber created a room at once elegant and informal, luxurious yet understated, adding his own brand of American chic. It reminds me of an updated version of those one might see in an old Ivory-Merchant film, such as A Handful of Dust, an ode to British Colonial privilege and quiet luxury.

Photo by Michael  Mundy for HG.

Photo by Michael Mundy for HG.

Bilhuber played up the geometry of the terra-cotta floor with a bold white on brown overscale trellis design for the ceiling, then repeated it with a diamond-pattern sisal over the tiled floor. A collection of 1940’s “palazzo” furniture and portieres dressing the openings between the columns injects a dose of glamour, while an assortment of natural fiber tables and stools, pale wood mid-century-style pull-up tables and benches, a wicker trunk-cum-end table, and a contemporary dining table reduce the glamour quotient, providing contrast and interest. A plump daybed beckons at one end, set against plantation-style shutters designed to filter strong sunlight and allow the breezes to flow into the loggia. Personal collections – sculpture, pottery, ceramics, and books – along with personal comforts – throws, a telephone (who has grounded telephones anymore?!) and candlelight – provide intimacy and ambiance. Yet, as fortuitous as any or all of these elements are to the success of this space, it would not incite such delight if not for Bilhuber’s inspired furniture layout and intuitive sense of proportion and scale. Bilhuber’s loggia for living beguiles us with classic style and an understated sense of timeless luxury.

Photo by Gordon Reall for House Beautiful.

Photo by Gordon Reall for House Beautiful.

Another favorite loggia of mine was created by the late Antony Childs – a classical, and somewhat theatrical, statement in all-white for an Alexandria Decorator Showhouse in the 1990’s. Yes, my second favorite loggia for living also hails from another decade past, but with good and lasting reason: it’s simply classic.

Photo by Gordon Reall for House Beautiful.

Photo by Gordon Reall for House Beautiful.

Today Childs’s outdoor room resembles one Restoration Hardware might copy: the Italianate lines of the furniture, the capital-cum-side table, and the portieres all can be found in the RH line. “This is my bow to the Italian loggia. I wanted it to be romantically evocative, and as comfortable as being indoors. The view is of lawn, boxwood and flowers. The bright white acts as a beautiful juxtaposition for the garden beyond” explained Childs to House Beautiful. His loggia is evocative of a dream, of what living in a villa should be:  breezes blow up from the Potomac River causing the portieres to flutter; the silvered and patterned grill-work over the windows incites fantasies of ancient Rome; and ample furniture with plump cushions guarantees ultimate comfort for the most expectant sybarite. Childs designed the chairs and sofa, skirted tole tables, and tole lanterns, furthering the chic quotient of this loggia for living. Texture, not color, is what counts. Timeless, luxurious, understated.

From Building Beauty by Michael S. Smith.

From Building Beauty by Michael S. Smith.

A third loggia that seduces me was designed recently by Ferguson & Shamamian Architects and decorator Michael S. Smith for clients in Malibu. The Palladian-style villa was based in spirit on its predecessors in the Veneto region of Italy, a style created by Palladio in the 16th-century intended as vacation homes for wealthy Venetians. Never intended to be showy or grand, Palladio looked to Greek and Roman classical architecture for purity, proportion and scale. Palladio, and the cognoscenti of his time, believed in the virtuous contribution and sense of well-being classical architecture produced.

Photo from Ferguson & Shamamian Architects.

Photo from Ferguson & Shamamian Architects.

For the u-shaped loggia Smith arranged an unstudied mix of styles and periods at one end, from woven-rope seating and a pair of Hans Wegner teak folding chairs grouped around a late-16th-century Italian fireplace to Klismos-style dining chairs gathered around a garden table. The eclectic mix is enhanced further with casual terra-cotta lanterns, a capital-cum-table, a classical marble relief hung over the fireplace, and exotic vessels. The culmination of these seemingly disparate furnishings and objects produces a highly personal space within a structured framework; the formality of the architectural style is tempered by a low-key aesthetic. Smith’s loggia is evocative of those grand English country piles designed on the Palladian model, whose privileged stewards would display their booty after returning from far flung locales.

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Great Outdoor Rooms: Plein-Air Living

Summertime has nearly arrived and there’s no better time than now to put the finishing touches on your outdoor living spaces. As a native Californian living in Houston I miss my home state’s indoor-outdoor quality of living – to be able to throw open the windows and doors and blur the lines between inside and outside living. Many of the outdoor rooms featured in today’s post hail from California, the East Coast and the Mediterranean for this very reason. While the terraces of my present home resemble a California aesthetic they also embrace the practicalities of living in a humid climate. In the South screened porches are more often a solution for dealing with humidity and those pesky  mosquitoes. A post on porches is soon forthcoming; but, today, we leave the South behind for drier climes and outdoor rooms that you will never want to leave – al fresco living at its best!

 

The terrace of designers Jeffry Weisman and Andrew Fischer's Russian River home evokes a British Colonial encampment. Photo by Grey Crawford.

The terrace of designers Jeffry Weisman and Andrew Fischer’s Russian River home evokes a British Colonial encampment. Photo by Grey Crawford.

 

Barbara Wisley and Richard  Halberg's design for the terrace of a film producer's Malibu home. Photo by Max Kim Bee for Veranda.

Barbara Wisley and Richard Halberg’s design for the terrace of a film producer’s Malibu home. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

 

A shaded terrace with Mediterranean elan photographed by Simon Kenny Belle Magazine.

A shaded terrace with Mediterranean elan photographed by Simon Kenny for Belle Magazine.

 

Daniel Cuevas designed a chic conversational area for the terrace of a home in Los Angeles. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

Daniel Cuevas designed a chic conversational area for the terrace of a home in Los Angeles. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

 

mark d. sikes-lonny-lonny-patrick cline

California chic at decorator Mark D. Sikes Los Angeles home. Photo by Darren Ackenman for Lonny.

 

Vntage iron garden furniture dresses the terrace of Geoffrey Ross and John Dransfield’s Hamptons house with outdoor fabrics from their own line. Photo by William Waldron.

Vntage iron garden furniture dresses the terrace of Geoffrey Ross and John Dransfield’s Hamptons house with outdoor fabrics from their own line. Photo by William Waldron.

 

John Stefanidis created am exotic and intimate area for lounging and refreshments on a terrace of his Patmos retreat. Photo for House & Garden by Alexandre Bailhache.

John Stefanidis created am exotic and intimate area for lounging and refreshments on a terrace of his Patmos retreat. Photo for House & Garden by Alexandre Bailhache.

 

Exotic flair informs the terrace of Kristen and Lindsay Buckingham's Beverly Hills home. Photo by Simon Upton.

Eclectic flair informs the terrace of Kristen and Lindsay Buckingham’s Beverly Hills home. Photo by Simon Upton.

 

Designer Ty Larkins terrace channels the romantic courtyards of the French Quarter.  Photo by Thomas Loof.

Designer Ty Larkins’s terrace channels the romantic courtyards of the French Quarter. Photo by Thomas Loof.

 

Designer Lawrence Bullard created a lush oasis for his own backyard terrace in Los Angeles. Photo by William Waldron for Elle Decor.

Designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard created an exotic and  lush oasis for his own backyard terrace in Los Angeles. Photo by William Waldron for Elle Decor.

 

The terrace of Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor’s house in the Hollywood Hills, which was designed by Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams, features Mission-influenced furniture and a Moroccan light. Photo by Grey Crawford.

The terrace of Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor’s house in the Hollywood Hills, which was designed by Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams, features Mission-influenced furniture and a Moroccan light. Photo by Grey Crawford.

 

Dining Terrace Le Clos Fiorentina de Givenchy

The terrace at Le Clos Fiorentina at the time of Hubert de Givenchy. Photo by Pascal Chevallier for Maison et Jardin, November, 1995.

 

A classically-inspired pergola brings formal elegance to the garden of fashion designer Monique Lhuillier’s Los Angeles home, which was decorated by Jennie Abbott. Photo by Roger Davies.

A classically-inspired pergola brings formal elegance to the garden of fashion designer Monique Lhuillier’s Los Angeles home, which was decorated by Jennie Abbott. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

Michael S. Smith placed Italian-inspired iron garden furniture by Michael Taylor on the terrace of a Mediterranean-style villa in Montecito, California. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

Michael S. Smith placed Italian-inspired iron garden furniture by Michael Taylor on the terrace of a Mediterranean-style villa in Montecito, California. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

 

The Ralph Lauren's terrace at their Bedford residence, photographed by Durston Saylor for Architectural Digest.

The Ralph Lauren’s terrace at their Bedford residence, photographed by Durston Saylor for Architectural Digest.

The terrace at Steven Gambrel's Sag Harbor home. From Steven Gambrel: Time & Place. Photo by Eric Piasecki.

The terrace at Steven Gambrel’s Sag Harbor home. From Steven Gambrel: Time & Place. Photo by Eric Piasecki.

 

Landscape designer Paul Robbins and interior designer Stephen Block created several outdoor rooms for Veranda's first concept house in Los Angles, now home to actor Gweneth Paltrow.

Landscape designer Paul Robbins and interior designer Stephen Block created several outdoor rooms for Veranda’s first concept house in Los Angeles, now home to actor Gweneth Paltrow. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

 

Classical proportions inform the terrace and landscape design of Jeff Klein and John Goldwyn's Hollywood Regency home. Photo by Roger Davies.

Classical proportions inform the terrace and landscape design of Jeff Klein and John Goldwyn’s Hollywood Regency home. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

Richard Halberg created crisp and graphic contrast for the gardens a Beverly Hills Art Deco home. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

Richard Halberg created crisp and graphic contrast for the gardens of a Beverly Hills Art Deco home. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

 

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Trip Haenisch designed this outdoor room for actor Hank Azaria’s Beverly Hills home. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

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Bob White of Forest Studio Architect and M. Elle Design created a peaceful oasis for this home in southern California. Photo by William Abranowicz.

 

Rose Tarlow sculted a seating area out of stone for a terrace at her Los Angeles home. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

Rose Tarlow sculpted a seating area out of stone for a terrace at her Los Angeles home. Photo by Tim Street-Porter.

 

John Saladino arranged classically-inspired seating on the terrace of his one-time Modernist villa in Montecito. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

John Saladino created a Mediterranean-inspired arrangement on the terrace of his one-time Modernist villa in Montecito. Photo by Lisa Romerein.

 

On the roof terrace of Stephen di Renza’s vacation house in Fez, Morocco, mattresses are placed on tiled platforms and covered with weavings traditionally worn by shepherds. The tables are made of lacquered iron, and vintage handthrown jars, which originally stored food, now hold cacti and other indigenous plants. Elle Decor; April, 2006.

On the roof terrace of Stephen di Renza’s vacation house in Fez, Morocco, mattresses are placed on tiled platforms and covered with weavings traditionally worn by shepherds. The tables are made of lacquered iron, and vintage handthrown jars, which originally stored food, now hold cacti and other indigenous plants. Elle Decor; April, 2006.

 

Jean-Louis Deniot designed a comfortable arrangement protected from the sun for a villa on Capri. Russian AD.

Jean-Louis Deniot designed a comfortable arrangement protected from the sun for a villa on Capri. Russian Architectural Digest.

 

Designer Flavio Albanese created a shaded beachside terrace in regional style on the coast of Pantelleria, south of Sicily. Photo by  Francesco Bolis for Elle Decor.

Designer Flavio Albanese created a shaded beachside terrace in regional style on the coast of Pantelleria, south of Sicily. Photo by Francesco Bolis.

 

A Balinese aesthetic pervades the terrace of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber’s Malibu house, which was designed by Michael S. Smith. Photo by Simon Upton.

A Balinese aesthetic pervades the terrace of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber’s Malibu house, which was designed by Michael S. Smith. Photo by Simon Upton.

 

Restoration Hardware chairman, CEO and president Gary Friedman and his wife, designer Kendal Agins Friedman collaborated with architect Howard Backin on the design of their expansive outdoor living areas for their home in Belvedere, California. AD October 2008.

Restoration Hardware chairman, CEO and president Gary Friedman and his wife, designer Kendal Agins Friedman, collaborated with architect Howard Backin on the design of their expansive outdoor living areas for their home in Belvedere, California. Architectural Digest October 2008.

 

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Jeannette Whitson created a plein-air arrangement on the grounds of her Nashville home. Photo by Simon Watson.

 

Iron patio furniture by Mitu Atelier creates an intimate seating area on the roof terrace of a home in Mexico. Photo by William Waldron.

Iron patio furniture by Mitu Atelier creates an intimate seating area on the romantic roof terrace of a home in Mexico. Photo by William Waldron.

 

Michael and Alexandra Misczynski designed this rustic chic terrace for a home in southern California. Photo by John Coolidge for Veranda.

Michael and Alexandra Misczynski designed this rustic chic terrace for a home in southern California. Photo by John Coolidge for Veranda.

Michael S. Smith arranged classic iron Italian-style garden furniture from Janus e Cie under a pergola for a vintner's estate in the Santa Ynez valley. Photo by François Halard for House & Garden.

Michael S. Smith arranged classic Italian-style garden furniture from Janus et Cie under a pergola for a vintner’s estate in the Santa Ynez valley. Photo by François Halard for House & Garden.

 

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A terrace designed by Paul Fortune for a home in California. Photo by William Abranowicz.

 

Richard Halberg created a rustic chic environment for the pool terrace of a home in Napa Valley. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

Richard Halberg created a rustic chic environment for the pool terrace of a home in Napa Valley. Photo by Max Kim Bee.

 

A bucolic setting for Michael Trapp's upstate New York terrace. Photo by Eric Piasecki  for Architectural Digest.

A bucolic setting for Michael Trapp’s upstate New York terrace. Photo by Eric Piasecki.

 

Alfredo Paredes created a lush shangrila amidst New York's roofscapes for the terrace of his East Village duplex. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna.

Alfredo Paredes created a lush shangrila amidst New York’s roofscapes for the terrace of his East Village duplex. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna.

 

Landscape designer Scott Shrader and architect Deborah Berke worked together to create a shaded outdoor living area for actor Patrick Dempsey and his family in Malibu. Photo by Roger Davies.

Landscape designer Scott Shrader and architect Deborah Berke worked together to create a shaded outdoor living area for actor Patrick Dempsey and his family in Malibu. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

Designer Ray Booth and John Shea created a private oasis for the terrace of their home in the city. Photo by Eric Piasecki.

Designer Ray Booth and John Shea created a private oasis for the terrace of their home in the city. Photo by Eric Piasecki.

 

Tom Fox and Joe Nahem placed organic, rustic modern outdoor furniture on the lushly planted terrace of a New York penthouse apartment. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

Tom Fox and Joe Nahem placed organic, rustic modern outdoor furniture on the lushly planted terrace of a New York penthouse apartment. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

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Designer Sara Story collaborated with Lake|Flato Architects on the design of her Texas Hill Country residence. Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

 

Atelier AM designed a conversational banquette for a small terrace overhanging the lower terrace of a Laguna Beach beach house. Photo by Roger Davies.

Atelier AM designed a conversational banquette for a small terrace overhanging the lower terrace of a Laguna Beach beach house. Photo by Roger Davies.

 

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Vicente Wolf and David Rogal created a sunken terrace for a modernist pavilion in the Hamptons. Photo by Vicente Wolf.

 

Interior designer Elissa Cullman and architect Juergen Rhiem designed an organic extension of the interiors for the terrace of Cindy Crawford and Randy Gerber’s villa on the coast of Mexico. Photo by Björn Wallander.

Interior designer Ellie Cullman and architect Juergen Rhiem designed an organic extension of the interiors for the terrace of Cindy Crawford and Randy Gerber’s villa on the coast of Mexico. Photo by Björn Wallander.

 

The courtyard of Frances Brody's mid-century modern Los Angeles home, designed by architect A. Quincy Jones and decorated by Wiiliam Haines, beginning in the 1940's. Photographed by Oberto Gili for Town & Country.

The courtyard of Frances Brody’s mid-century modern Los Angeles home, designed by architect A. Quincy Jones and decorated by Wiiliam Haines, beginning in the 1940’s, features a colorful ceramic mural, La Gerbe, by Matisse. Photographed by Oberto Gili for Town & Country.

 

Giampaolo Sgura's rooftop terrace in Milan is chic, crisp and modern. Photo by William Waldron for Elle Decor.

Giampaolo Sgura’s rooftop terrace in Milan is chic, crisp and modern. Photo by William Waldron.

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Golden Age Ambiance

Posted May 19, 2014. Filed in Belgian-Dutch Style, Old World Style

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Dominique Desimpel is not a name you hear every day, but should. Desimple is a rather private and reclusive tile dealer and collector who lives in Damme, Belgium –  a short distance from the realized fairytale that is Bruges. “Just one look”, as Linda Ronstadt crooned many moons ago, had me hook, line and sinker.  Deep with mood and atmosphere, his rooms beguile like a cabinet of curiosities … only better. Unencumbered by whimsy or trickery, Disemple has painted a canvas onto interiors evocative of a great Dutch master’s painting. And that was precisely his intention. 

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Vermeer and Van Eyck held particular sway over Desimpel, who grew up living in a mansion. Intimidated by large spaces he sought refuge in cozy, compartmentalized ones and the warmth that Dutch Master paintings illicit. For his own house, Desimpel created a gallimaufry of rooms closed off from the world. “For me, the contrast between ‘open’ and ‘closed’ is both fascinating and mysterious”, he told Piet Swimberghe, for an article written in the The World of Interiors.

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A recent arrangement of the living area, above three images, provides more comfort and a sense of refined yet understated Old World luxury. A room I would never want to leave.

Having lived in the Netherlands I am familiar with the Dutch-Belgian aesthetic, which is at once studied and spontaneous. Good design is the result of knowing the rules and then making your own. Spare, though never austere, Desimpel’s rooms are timeless, romantic, and delightfully imperfect. The living room is taken straight from a Vermeer painting, with its large map of Flanders from 1701, a celestial globe by Van der Valck from 1704, and Flemish pharmacy mortars. A Moroccan potpourri-cum-lamp and carved wood pull-up tables from the Middle East are a nod to the Dutch East India Company and the region’s long-standing fascination with Orientalism.

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Johannes Vermeer’s Astronomer, 1668 (Musée du Louvre, Paris).

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In earlier photos taken for The World of Interiors furnishings and collections from the Netherlands, Italy, France and Spain are found throughout the house. A Persian carpet overlays rush matting, which sits on a cobbled floor, in the living room. The entrance hall/library, above, was inspired by the interiors in paintings by Van Eyck.

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A recent photo of Dominique Disempel’s private study infers the passions of an aesthete.

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Rough-chalked walls and medieval cobbles for flooring define Flemish country house style. Zelij tiles from Morocco add luster to one wall of the kitchen while  majolica examples from Antwerp are hung casually on another.

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The medieval blue stone tiles are reminiscent of those found in Tournai; rough paneled walls and cabinets introduce rustic simplicity; the overhead light fixture is a North African mosque lamp; majolica Dutch tiles from the 1600’s and 1700’s.

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In the guest annex Desimpel had decorative painter Angèle Boddaert-Devletian paint a stenciled design above a dado of manganese-colored landscape tiles.

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The exterior is faithful to Flemish country-house style architecture. Flemish paintings inspired the garden, which contains the steep-gabbled guest annex constructed in 17th-century fashion. One of the bathrooms features an Art Deco mirror over an antique commode-cum-sink cabinet.

From The World of Interiors, based on Desimpel Virtues written by Piet Swimberghe, with photograph by Jan Verlinde. Decorative painter Angèle Boddaert-Devletian can be contacted here. More recent photos by Jan Verlinde via Angèle Boddaert-Devletian.

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Past Perfect

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When I first laid eyes upon Jeffrey’s Bilhuber’s guest room/study in his then new Manhattan apartment a few years back I immediately sensed familiarity, but I couldn’t place it. Had I seen this room before, in a previous incarnation, or did it remind me of another room, its impression floating somewhere in my memory? Recently I discovered it’s the latter while thumbing through the pages of The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration published in 1976: the room that my memory clung to was the living room of interior designer Richard Lowell Neas.

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The similarities are obvious and hardly require explanation: an envelope of pale gray and off white accented by camel, chamois and, in Bilhuber’s hands, persimmon; a profusion of antlers staggered up and down walls; the cross-hatching design of Bilhuber’s wall-covering mimicking the cornice design of Neas’s; the mix of contemporary and period furnishings and objets d’arts. I had always admired Lowell-Neas’s brand of understated luxury and was equally taken with Bilhuber’s more eclectic and eccentric take on a this contemporary classic.

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The shelter sofa-cum-daybed in Bilhuber’s room, above, is identical to Neas’s, below, save for the addition of passementerie. The same Groves Brothers’ Marianne cotton used to cover the walls wraps the day bed.

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Richard Lowell Neas was a trompe l’oeil artist as well as an interior designer. For the floor of his living room he conceived a design of large squares simulating the striation of cut agate. For the cornice Neas created a treillage pattern.

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The floors in Bilhuber’s study were stenciled by Mark Uriu and the cross-hatched pattern of the wall covering was framed-out into panels with nailheads.

Good design is transcendant, and Bilhuber funneled that dictum with great style and wit by referencing the atmosphere of Lowel-Neas’ living room while imparting his own with his usual brand of classic American chic.

The first photo of Jeffrey Bilhuber’s study was photographed by William Waldron for Elle Decor. The other photos of his study were photographed by Jeffrey  Hirsch for the New York Social Diary. Photos of Richard Lowell-Neas’s living room were photographed by Norman McGrath and featured in The New York Book of Interior Design and Decoration, 1976.

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Wabi-Sabi at the Greenwich Hotel

Posted May 12, 2014. Filed in Axel Vervoordt, Elemental Design

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Belgian interior designer and antiquarian, Axel Vervoortd, recently cast his imitable style over a three-bedroom penthouse suite in New York’s Greenwich Hotel, owned by Robert De Niro and Ira Drukier. One-part Japanese farmhouse and another part aged stone château, the newly conceived aerie over Manhattan introduces an unexpected aesthetic in the city that never sleeps: wabi-sabi. For inspiration and grounding I have long revered Leonard Koren’s book Wabi-Sabi For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers. In the introduction Koren philosophizes that wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional. Vervoordt waxed poetic over wabi-sabi in his eponymous tome, Wabi Inspirations. The Japanese word wabi means “sober refinement” and sabi means “patina”. It is, according to Vervoordt, a personal philosophy and a highly individual way of seeing, feeling and thinking free of boundaries or dogma.

For the construction of the penthouse Vervoordt enlisted long-time collaborator Tatsuro Miki, a Japanese architect, to assist in creating the essence of wabi-sabi in an urban space where none existed, within or without. The end result is an alchemical transformation of disparate elements into one of aesthetic harmony. One leaves the rumble and roar of city life on the streets to a haven of solitude in the sky. In the meditative living area, above, a diminutive oculus is punched into the wall over the sofa, and the large coffee table was discovered by De Niro at Vervoordt’s booth at the Winter Antiques Show.

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The fireplace mantel is an expression of the beauty of wabi-sabi imperfection.

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The compact kitchen resembles an ancient Roman bath with merely the essentials; a guest room is visible through its bathroom, both elemental and raw by design.

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The guest room also functions as a TV lounge.

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An unfortunately small photo of a bathroom features a bathtub re-purposed from a 17th-century trough, framed out in antique timber. Barely visible, on the left, is a fireplace punched through from the master bedroom.

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The master bedroom is a study in white, hand-made furnishings and natural materials. The “art” above the fireplace, which conceals a TV, is actually a piece of antique Flemish linen.

For the full story read David Netto’s article for TMagaine here. Photography by François Halard.

 

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Rustic Urban Glamour: Duncan House

Posted May 7, 2014. Filed in Ken Fulk, Organic Modern

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As a child of The Brady Bunch era, growing up in northern California, I was personally familiar with its penchant for redwood clad homes, having grown up in one. My father designed and built ours on the California ranch house model, made popular by architect Cliff May. It had banks of floor-to-ceiling undressed windows to open up the views and extend an indoor-outdoor quality of living, deep eves, and wood galore – doors, floors, windows, cabinets, beams and decks. The aesthetic was a derivative of early residential Japanese design, embraced at the turn-of-the-century by Green & Greene and Bernard Maybeck, and later by Frank Lloyd Wright.

In 1959 Dr. Cloyce Duncan commissioned architect Warren Callister to design a modern residence on a site in Clarendon Heights, a promontory on Twin Peaks in San Francisco, with breathtaking views over the city and bay beyond. Callister’s architectural program for Duncan House embraced Northern California Modernism, Japanese architecture, and Arts & Crafts. Callister employed the Wabi-Sabi concept derived from the Buddhist assertion of the three marks of existence. “At Duncan House, trios of wood and glass are used to create rhythm and visual texture while grounding the occupants among soaring 28-foot high ceilings. The views, taking in the cable cars and ferry boats in the bay, were Callister’s muse, leading him to conceive  contrasting horizontal and vertical heights and light-filled spaces to produce a sense of appreciation, awe and inspiration.” Duncan House was recently listed by Ackerman Realty  and subsequently purchased by interior designer and event planner Ken Fulk, as featured in the April issue of Architectural Digest.

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Entry-Duncan House-Warren Callister-SF-1959

The entrance is located below side-walk level to allow for stunning views once the door is opened. Callister installed a barrel vaulted skylight to create a sense of awe and lightness amidst the profusion of wood.

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Living Room-Duncan House-Warren Callister-SF-1959

In photos taken by Ackerman Realty before its sale to Ken Fulk, two-story windows frame views over San Francisco and a cast-concrete fireplace framed in redwood lends a sense of boldness and balance.

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Twenty-seven-foot-tall windows in the living room offer expansive views over San Francisco. Ken Fulk furnished this room in his new home with a vintage de Sede sectional sofa and a mid-century modern table and stool. The 1910 Steinway was originally owned by pianist Alfred Cortot.

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Fulk introduced rustic urban glamour into the interiors while preserving Callister’s architecture to produce the complexity originally intended by the architect: Callister considered the changing spatial proportions to evoke two moods – ‘party’ and ‘temple’. “Architecture”, he said,” is not building a shelter, but a mood, a feeling, a sense.” (Quote taken directly from Ackerman Realty)

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Designer Ken Fulk standing near a mid-century mirrored chest on a landing in his new home.

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In a photo taken by Ackerman Realty the dining room flows into the kitchen beyond, filled with light from banks of windows bringing the outside inside.

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Fulk introduced mid-century modern classics and a does of glamour into his reincarnation of the dining room: Danish pendant light, table, and chairs as well as a mirror-and-brass sideboard by Jansen; the coffee service is a Tommi Parzinger design.

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The kitchen, pre-Fulk, has an attractive and open layout. Refashioned cabinets, counters, appliances, fixtures, hardware and lighting will enhance its appeal while maintaining its architectural integrity.

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Fulk replaced the room’s wood island with one made of board-formed concrete to create contrast and interest.

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Vintage copper pots hang above the original wood-burning stove in the kitchen, where Fulk installed a custom-made blackened-steel hood and polished-concrete counters.

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Fulk placed a mid-century French console into a niche in the hall.

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Master Bedroom-Duncan House-Warren Callister-SF-1959

The master bedroom, pre-sale, was designed as a mezzanine to overlook the living room below and views beyond its 27-foot high windows, and shares the same barrel-vaulted ceiling.

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A foreshortened view of Fulk’s bedroom reveals an alcove in which he placed studded brass chests from India and a floor lamp made from a 19th-century glass tube.

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The guest room as it appeared on Ackerman Realty’s website features barrel vaulted ceilings and a view through an atrium to another room.

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Fulk repurposed the guest room as a walk-in closet, featuring vintage shoe-display cabinets from London.

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His clothes are hung in garment bags on modified British Colonial hospital dividing screens.

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The original bathroom conveys a decidedly Japanese aesthetic by way of northern California.

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Fulk reconfigured the layout and replaced the flooring, fixtures, lighting, fittings and surfaces with more luxurious ones to provide a more sybaritic experience. An antique brass mirror tops a vintage Moroccan tea table.

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Office-Duncan House-Warren Callister-SF-1959

The office also boasts a barrel-vaulted ceiling and views open to woods in photos taken by Ackerman Realty.

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A daybed that Warren Callister originally designed for an alcove in the office, as seen in the photo above, continues to take pride of place in Fulk’s office, now enlivened by leopard-print upholstery and a cashmere throw.

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The redwood bookshelves and desk are original to the house.

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The office’s expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows looks onto a Japanese-inspired garden.

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A lush tableau pervades the terrace, where flowering dogwood branches spill across an antique Japanese worktable partially shaded by a grove of Japanese maples in the Zen-inspired garden.

Reading List: Point of View, written by Derek Blasberg for Architectural Digest, April 2014, with photography by Douglas Friedman; before photos via Ackerman Realty; Forgotten Modern: California Houses 1940-1970 by Alan Hess and Alan Weinstaub; Signature Architects of the San Francisco Bay Area by Dave Weinstein; NorCalMod: Icons of Northern California Modernism by Pierluigi Serraino

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