In the Kitchen with Martha

Designers
January 28, 2015

Good Morning Lacquered Lifers! A few weeks ago I posted about Martha Stewart’s laundry room at Skylands, her home in Maine. Today, I thought I would share some photos of Martha’s various kitchens. While I have never been a follower of Martha’s, she is lucky enough to live in some extremely beautiful historic homes – so clearly we have something in common. When I designed our kitchen at Church Street, I looked backwards for my design inspiration, and designed a kitchen that was in keeping with the time period when the kitchen would have been added into the house. Prior to kitchens being inside the main house, most Charleston houses had a kitchen house, or dependency, a building separate from the main building that would have housed the kitchen. Martha is lucky enough to have kitchens that are original to her homes – and I can’t pretend that these photos haven’t ended up on more than one inspiration board for my clients.

This first photo above is from Turkey Hill, Martha’s home in Westport, Connecticut – not far from where I grew up! Her use of long, narrow storage drawers in her island is one of my favorites.
This is from Skylands, Martha’s home in Maine. This large scale sink is heavenly. Deep, divided, drip edges … what’s not to love? And again at Skylands, what Martha refers to as “the great wall of china”. Open shelving is something I always appreciate. I definitely took this cue at Church Street!Martha’s kitchen on Lily Pond Lane in East Hampton. This zinc countertop is so great. It is not only great looking, but durable as well, and is one of those products that looks even better with age and wear. I also really appreciate the low height of these cabinets, and the way that they are fastened to the counter. It allows for beautiful open storage above, and easy access to china … without a step ladder.Finally this full wall cabinet back at Turkey Hill in Westport. As you all know, I probably get more envious of storage than anything else. As someone who is slowly becoming somewhat of a china hoarder, cabinetry like this in a butler’s pantry would be my dream.

Photos via marthastewart.com

Flash Back Friday Favorites: Hadley in New Jersey

Architecture
January 23, 2015

Good Morning Lacquered Lifers! Another Flash Back Friday Favorite on the blog today … you know, those rooms or those homes or those scenes that despite the number of years that have passed since you first laid eyes on them still continue to inspire you? Nancy Pyne’s 1820s Colonial in New Jersey, as decorated by Albert Hadley. One of my all time favorites. Every time I look at these rooms, I see something else that inspires me. Happy Friday. photos via House Beautiful

Vive La France

Architecture
January 15, 2015

Good Morning Lacquered Lifers. Today the Vexin, France country home of Elisa de Bartillat. de Bartillat is the owner of the tres chic Paris children’s boutique Serendipity, where she and her partner carry contemporarily styled reclaimed vintage furniture – for children. So it comes as no surprise that when de Bartillat purchased a nineteenth century three story home in the northern French countryside, she styled the historic interiors with a whimsical combination of modern and vintage contemporary furniture. The paneling in the dining room and office actually came from the Rouen Palais de Justice. Bombed in April of 1944, the prior owner of de Bartillat’s home managed to acquire some of the paneling when the Palais was being restored after the war. A great example of preservation, and reuse.

This home is just a continuation of my love affair with the combination of historic interiors and modern furnishings, and in this respect the Europeans, and the French in particular, always seem to get it just right. In a space with highly decorative mouldings, paneling, and details, modern furniture and simple paint schemes allow both the architecture and the furniture to shine.

Photos via Marie Claire Maison