Archives
Park Avenue
I was commissioned to update and redecorate 480 Park Avenue for my long time client. They found a charming “Peid a Terre” in NYC . With business and pleasure taking them into the city constantly it made sense. The apartment had recently had a kitchen and bath makeover, so it was ready to go.
I was inspired by both of the Antique marble fireplace surrounds. While staying close to my traditional roots I was also inspired by my client’s suggestion of “let’s make it a bit more hip”. I was on board with that idea and so the process began of planning, layouts, selections of colors, wallpaper with new furnishings and art.
Working in the city always has it’s challenges and restrictions. This particular apartment building was constructed in the 1920’s so that meant small elevators, halls and door openings. Selecting the furnishing with the concept of will it fit through the door can be a bit of a game changer. We pulled it off and the rest is history!
Trotter’s Green
Nestled in the county side of Hopewell, New Jersey this Horse Farm has a unique story all of its own. A dilapidated farm house was torn down and all of the components were preserved to create this reclaimed “New Farm House”. Floor boards, Beams, hardware along with other components were reintroduced into the design.
It was such a pleasure working on this project. The homeowner, a single gentleman, had limited criteria for me to work with other than his request to have a white kitchen. Jokingly he confessed, “I do not cook”, so I channeled my own inner chef to create a functional & esthetically pleasing space. The design also included a seating area near the kitchen fireplace.
Upon completion I submitted this project to the New Jersey Chapter of ASID. I am proud and please to say I was awarded the Design Excellence Silver Award for Interior Design of this kitchen.
Priory Court
Priory Court at 124 Edgerstoune Road Princeton NJ was built In 1933. An eminent architect, Alfred Hopkins, wrote his odyssey of building a house for himself! In architect turns client, Mr. Hopkins described in a boastful, yet engaging, way of the 20 years he had spent wanting to build his own house…Until he found the perfect location nestled among an enchanting arboretum where a magnificent beech tree beckoned… And voila! Priory court came into being! And a remarkable edifice it was…And is! From the welcoming entrance gate with its friendly lantern to the paved terrace with lily pool, and dove cote and gardens beyond, one is awestruck by the beauty and structure. Priory court is best known to Princetonians for its cloister which connects the main house with the music wing (where”tis said Albert Einstein spent many a happy hour playing the violin).
In 2012 The Junior League of Greater Princeton selected this residence to be the Spring Designer Showhouse and Gardens. I was selected to design the Music Room. I brought in a concert grand piano, original artwork, custom cabinetry and lighting to enhance the detailed ceiling. Measuring in at 18’ wide x 30’ long I used multiple seating areas to break down the space into human scale.
A quote inscribed in a stone plaque above “The Music Room” doorway translates to “In books, cherubim expand their wings, that the soul of the student may ascend and look around from pole to pole. In them the most high and incomprehensible God is contained and worshiped.” (Richard de Bury).
The eloquence of this sentiment paired with the strength of S. Alfred Hopkins’ architecture served as inspiration for my design treatment of this exquisite space. I created a statement for “The Music Room” that manages to be fresh, youthful and relevant while embracing principles of the past. The power of the architecture is balanced with precise design elements that hold up against all of the fine plaster details.
The Cottage
Each Design story is unique but this one is my own…….life changes and you have to know how to go “with the flow”. It was 2001 and I had what my family called the 7 year itch. After completely renovating a 1918 Sears and Roebuck house from top to bottom it was time to move on. Our house sold quickly and a deal for a new residence fell through in a bidding war. Suddenly, there we were with four dogs and nowhere to go. I thought,” this can’t be happening”. Truly, there were no houses on the market. It was dry as a bone. But this one quirky .com property kept jumping out at me. I told my husband …..He leaped on board and said, “ Let’s go see”. We couldn’t reach our realtor, the listing agent, or the property owner. No deterrent for Jeff. We were off, trespassing adventure abound.
It was a mess. A house, untouched for 40 + years, built at the turn of the century with a 1914 addition, frozen in time. Jeff turned to me and said,” honey you can do it”. I said, “Seriously do you want to live in a tent until the renovations are over?” But the majestic 3.5 acres pulled at our heart strings. Mature trees nestled along the Delaware Canal, the long winding driveway. I could work with that.
And work we did, a gut job, with some very unsatisfactory findings. Money spent that would never be seen. Twenty years later, this is still home.
Fifty Hodge
Fifty Hodge Road Princeton NJ was built during the turn of the 20th century. Boasting a grand 10,000 square feet of architectural splendor it became the 2006 Designer Showhouse and Gardens hosted by The Junior League of Greater Princeton (JLGP.ORG)
With guidelines driven by the JLGP.org, I was granted the opportunity to design the side entry room off of the main kitchen area. Today we perhaps would call it a mud room. My decision to turn it into a functional breakfast area was there wasn’t an eat-in kitchen space. Seeming as a natural design transition between exterior and interior, I named the space the “Garden Room” .
At a mere 196 square feet with a section as a passage to gain entrance to basement, laundry and pantry was a considerable design task to overcome and make the room feel cohesive. Wallpaper was the answer. This famous Toile enveloped the room connecting all of the disparaging elements.
I submitted my design to The New Jersey Chapter of ASID for the Design Excellence Awards and was honored to win the Bronze Award!
