Mirrors are decorative, continued

There are so many beautifully decorative mirrors out there that I have to show you a few more.  Unless otherwise noted, most of these come from the pages of the dearly departed House and Garden magazine.

What self respecting exposé on mirrors would be complete without a shell-encrusted fantasy by Tony Duquette.  This one, made even giddier by its matching console and pair of faux ivory pagodas, was the cenerpiece of Richard Mishaan's dining room in Sagaponack.   Photo by Fernando Benoechea.

From over the top to the epitome of elegant restraint, this 1960s shagreen and bone mirror by Karl Springer is one of my favorites.  Photographed by Mattias Petrus Schaller, it graced a bedroom in the Manhattan townhouse of Reed and Delphine Krakoff.

 In the same article, another mirror is worth noting.  This one has a frame that appears to be clad in python.

Here's a close-up.  It's a great look and something that could be replicated using one of the many wonderful embossed or even faux leathers available.

An otherwise simple mirror design can take on added glamour with color, such as this bold blue by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy.  Photo by Mattias Schaller. 

This wonderfully overscaled mirror, in an apartment designed by Robert Passal for Yankee great Jorge Posada, works so well because of its distressed finish.  Photo by Lisa Kereszi.

 Designers Kevin Roberts and Tim Haynes's convex bulls-eye mirror by Herve´ Van der Straeten is a stand out in their Bridgehampton home.  Photo by Francois Halard.

Here's another convex mirror but with a rustic style.  In this Hamptons house designed by Thom Filicia, it opens up the entrance hall.   Photo by Thomas Loof. 

Another interior by Filicia, and another simple mirror that makes an understated impact.  Photo by William Abramowicz.

I love Suzanne Kasler's juxtaposition of this glam starburst mirror against the horizontal pine paneling.  Source unknown.

Another unexpected combo is this wonderful round mirror, that would seem more at home in a dining room or foyer, hung over a freestanding tub.  Source unknown.
  

More mirrors to come!  Thanks for reading, everyone!

Mirror, mirror (part I)

A former client, who was a delightful person with excellent taste, once said to me, "I don't like mirrors."  I was crestfallen.  How can you not like mirrors?  You don't have to look at yourself in them, for heaven's sake.  But in terms of bringing in light, expanding space, creating atmosphere and visual interest, there is nothing better!!!

So let's begin our look (sorry-- couldn't resist) at mirrors.

Part I:  Mirrors are Decorative

This simple but elegant mirror fits in perfectly with the restrained elegance of this living room (source unknown.)

Designer Kerry Joyce plays up the reflection of the 19th century Italian chandelier in a Beverly Hills dining room (photo by Grey Crawford for Elle Decor.)

 The Danielli chandelier from Niermann Weeks is reflected in this 1940s round mirror  (hung over a mirrored console, no less, and photographed by your humble blogger.)

In this clients' home overlooking Charleston Harbor, I hung a 19th century French mirror so that it would catch the light and all the wonderful reflections from the harbor -- also notice the mirrored cocktail table (photo by Ben Williams.) 

 In a client's Gramercy Park powder room, this old mirror was found at an off the beaten track antiques store and given new importance with a masterful paint finish that (ahem) cost more than the mirror (photo by Michael Kraus.)

 In the foyer of a client's Upper East Side apartment, an Art Deco mirror is set off by a pair of alabaster urns (photo by Michael Kraus.)

Ray Booth and Bobby McAlpine clad the walls of this Nashville bathroom in cyprus paneling and hung an antique Italian steel-framed mirror (yes, steel -- look closely) right on the paneling (photo by Peter Vitale for Veranda.)

Dealing with paneling or wainscoting can be a challenge.  Sometimes it's hard to hang a mirror or artwork right on the wood, as was done in the previous photo.  I chose to hang this mirror horizontally and above the panels.  What makes it work is the odd ball scale of the low chest paired with the tall skinny lamps.  Leaning the artwork against the panels also helps fill in the void (photo by Michael Kraus.)

 

The late, great Albert Hadley was a big fan of starburst mirrors as shown in this Manhattan penthouse (photo by Feliciano for Architectural Digest.)

I've heard people say that you should limit mirrors to one per room.  Nonsense!  This Manhattan entrance hall by David Kleinberg sports three and it looks great (photo by Pieter Estersohn for Elle Decor.)

In this Gramercy Park townhouse, the former design team of Sills Huniford used classic overmantle mirrors to great effect (photo by Scott Frances for Architectural Digest.) 

In his signature style, Jose Solis Betancourt hung an inlaid mirror over a draped fabric panel (photo by Pieter Estersohn for Southern Accents.)

Next time -- Part II:  Mirrors that Seduce.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Happy Mother's Day!

Summertime: "Show and Tell"

The East End of Long Island, a.k.a. The Hamptons, plays host every summer to one or more designer showhouses.  This year's showhouse is located in Bridgehampton; it's over Septermber 4, so if you're in the  area, I'd recommend checking it out.  There are always innovative ideas to glean from these exhibits, sometimes there are moments of genius, but it ain't quite what it used to be.  And that has more to do with the "bones" of the house itself than with the efforts of the designers.

In perusing my cache of old House & Garden issues, I came upon some photos of showhouses past.   I thought you might enjoy taking a peek at some rooms on display during the summer of 2006, photographed by Thomas Loof.

For those of you who can't get enough blue and white (not a bad vice), here is Barclay Butera's ode to that classic Long Island color story.  His entrance hall is grounded by a carpet inspired by the great David Hicks.  Sea shells are a recurring motif here; their whimsy balances out his well-tailored furnishings.  The walls above the chair rail are covered in grasscloth.

Ernest de la Torre's library has lots of wonderful pieces, but perhaps most striking is the Candida Hofer photo hanging above the sofa.  Appropriately, it's a library -- of Trinity College, Dublin.  In sharp contrast is a Basquiat print on the opposite wall.  The Sol LeWitt cocktail table sits on an antique Agra carpet.  The chairs, by de la Torre, are in the style of Paul 

Dupre´-Lafon.

Jay Jeffers imbued the enclosed porch with indoor refinement, right down to hanging artwork from the shingled walls.

Healing Barsanti's dining room was memorable, with lots to take away from it.  As Dan Barsanti explained, "'For every polished surface, we added a textural counterpoint.'"  The console is from Lorin Marsh, the dining table from Nancy Corzine but the real conversation piece is the designers' paw-foot chairs.

Eric Cohler's family room is truly eclectic, playful and cozy at the same time.  Notice the red leather tiles above the mantle.

The living room by Scott-Ullman is soft and inviting with a warm color story that takes its cue from the antique Oushak carpet.

This is a screened porch.  Pretty elegant, but everything in it is resistant to the elements.   Its designer, Philip Gorrivan, refers to it as "the summer room"...yeah, sounds better than "screened porch."

  Another wonderful example of the richness and diversity of outdoor fabrics and furnishings is Amanda Nisbet's porch.   It's quite a blue and white statement, right up to the vivid hue of the ceiling.  Notice the coral specimens mounted in shadow boxes.

 Another memorable room was Emma Jane Pilkington's potting room, albeit a more luxurious space for horticultural pursuits than is normally found, even in the Hamptons.  Her inspiration was the East End's "'weathered grey aesthetic."'

Christopher Peacock chose simple lines for his kithchen, but they are punctuated (!) by the custom pot rack hanging over the island.

The design team of Angus Caravelli was surely channeling 18th Century Europe's love of tented bedrooms with their serene sitting room.

Noel Jeffery's master bedroom is calm and sophisticated.  The layering and draping of the bed and at the windows adds to this ambience.

Did I mention draping and layering?  Alex Papchristidis's bedroom has it in spades.  But my favorite part (aside from the most elegant dog bed) is the floor.  Look closely: it's not a carpet.  It's stenciled.  Brilliant!

What makes this guest bedroom by Michael Rosenberg a standout is the wallpaper, custom printed on grasscloth.

Both of these bathrooms are distinctive for their beautiful mosaic tiled floors, their interesting wall treatments and colors and their tubs...and what fun to fill one with sunflowers!

More to come next week.   Thanks for reading, everyone!

Summertime: "Hulse Farm"

Eastern Long Island is not all A-list parties and huge estates.  There are some quaint little towns, minutes from the storied Hamptons yet vast distances away in terms of attitude.  I spent many years lovingly (and at times not so lovingly) restoring a circa 1850 farmhouse that you see above and below.  It was known as "Hulse Farm" after the old Long Island family who owned and worked the land for so many years.

I shifted the entrance and added the front gabled wing and the front porch.  My intent was to make it look as though it had always been there.

The house itself had grown like Topsy.  My challenge was to rearrange the rooms into a reasonable floor plan.  The original part of the house --just a tiny cabin -- became the entrance hall.  The stairs (formerly spilling into the living room) were rerouted.  The original beams were exposed, the original chimney was rebuilt and an antique mantle added.

The living room (above and two photos below) had a ceiling that was less that eight feet high.  It looked like a bowling alley.  I opened up the room, gaining double height by eliminating the attic.  Luckily we were able to use salvaged beams to add interest to the expansive ceiling. 

 Two seating areas worked well in the large space.  The windows were also all replaced and enlarged.  

I took advantage of the soaring ceiling to add a dramatically over-scaled mirror.

 The dining room (above and below) occupied a space that had been a bedroom.  The location, right off both the living room and kitchen, was good but the room was tiny (let's call it "intimate") but I still managed to squeeze in a fireplace.

The den was also small, but cozy, and opened out onto a marvelous screened porch (below).

The screened porch was about the only part of the house that remained untouched.  It was a great size and served as living and eating quarters for several months out of the year.  Above photo shows the seating area.

The master bedroom was light-filled and spacious. (My favorite photographer, Michael Kraus, took the photo above and below.)

The downstairs guest bedroom also had an abundance of windows.

The upstairs guest bedroom was created out of a virtual wreck of a space.

Most practical people would have simply razed the little house, but I'm glad I saved it.  It's stood perched on its little spot amidst gently rolling landscape and old trees for over a hundred years, and will most likely stand a hundred more.

Thanks for reading, everyone!