Located a few thousand miles away from the streets of Paris in the exclusive Belle Haven neighborhood of Greenwich, Connecticut, this stunning Colonial-style home hosts a little corner of the City of Light.
‘The clients frequent Paris every year and search for unique furniture pieces and art, so I wanted to highlight those gorgeous pieces I know they loved,’ said interior designer Olivia Stutz. ‘They love the look and feel of Liaigre, so they relied on that brand to lead the house's design language on the first floor mainly.’
Stutz took on the redesign of the home as part of a three-year project, after the owners relocated from Tribeca in New York City to the historic district.
As well as taking inspiration from the French capital for its furniture, the city’s love of art is palpable in this home too. Stutz’s design needed to showcase a remarkable art collection that would be the envy of the world’s best homes, which includes pieces by the likes of modern master Joan Miró and contemporary giant Damian Hirst.
‘The clients were very open to color and bold patterns, which I quickly ran with and presented hundreds of my most cherished colorful fabric samples from my most favorite vendors,’ she said. ‘They wanted the entire house to be functional, but also upscale.’
Olivia Stutz took us on a tour of this beautiful home that melds cosmopolitan style with family-first comforts.
Entrance Hall
‘As you enter through the front door of this beautiful home, you are greeted by a warm entrance,’ said Stutz. The simple hallway ideas are given interest through texture and high end materials, including a vintage Moroccan rug, a flush mount ceiling light from Apparatus, a modern black console table with tarnished metal top and a boot bench from aforementioned Liaigre.
Living room
‘Off to the side, you have a stunning living room filled with objects and furniture from Paris,’ said Stutz. ‘The art is all from the client's growing collection.’
Art that can be found among the living room ideas include works by Richard Serra, Christopher Le Brun, and George Baselitz. While the sofa, white armchair and tables have been sourced from Liaigre, the striking vintage red stools were found in a Paris flea market.
Above the fireplace hang a pair of gold sconces by Herve Van Derr Straeten, while the rug has been designed by British artist Faye Toogood for CC Tapis. In a corner, the Committee armchair by Pierre Jeanneret creates a stylish reading nook.
Kitchen
‘The kitchen is stark and minimal,’ said Stutz. of her kitchen ideas. ‘The clients chose to renovate the kitchen with Bulthaup, uber modern and a far cry from what the rest of the house feels or looks like. It turns out a modern kitchen was just what they needed. I thought a modern kitchen was a cool angle and a nice upgrade for the house as well.’
Beyond the marble-topped counters, a small dining area has been created through the minimal pairing of a Knoll table and Prouvé chairs, set below a Poel Henningson light.
Dining Room
For entertaining guests, a more formal dining room features a black wooden dining table and a lustrous gold rug both by Liaigre, as well as burgundy leather chairs and a sputnik chandelier by Lindsey Adelman. The dining room ideas, however, are dominated by a huge portrait painted by American artist Chuck Close.
Family room
‘The family room has great color and makes you instantly happy upon entering,’ said Stutz. Much of this color comes from the artwork by Joan Miró on one wall, along with a yellow leather coffee table by Liaigre, which is matched with mustard scatter cushions on the sectional sofa by Michael Dawkins. A wooden side table, also by Liaigre, features engravings that match the pattern of the large windows.
Powder room
Smaller rooms tend to be great spaces in which to fully indulge in a love of pattern, color and texture. ‘The powder room packs a punch with it being so small, but it really gives off that ‘wow factor’ with the all marble sink,’ said Stutz. The stunning striated marble that makes up the deep sink gives off the impression of falling water, and is paired with a wallpaper is similar grey tones but with more uniform lines.
Sunroom
‘I loved how the sunroom turned out; a place where my clients can unwind after a long day of work,’ said Stutz. ‘The art by Gary Hume gives the room a soft, approachable and airy feeling.’ These pieces line the walls with mustards, browns and pinks, echoing the warm sunlight that enters the room through the oversized windows that run the length of the wall opposite.
The furniture includes a mixture of French contemporary furniture and French mid-century modern pieces. The tactility brought by the Pierre Jeanneret rattan chairs is contrasted by a slick staggered coffee tables by Liaigre and pristine white shiplap on the ceiling.
Girls Bedroom
‘The kids’ rooms were a lot of fun to design,’ said Stutz. ‘They are bold and daring, which I love.’ In the girl’s bedroom, a modern fairytale feel is created through the use of a white four poster bed by Duc Duc, upholstered in pink La Manache fabric by Pierre Frey. In the corner, a soft pink velvet armchair by India Mahdavi sits below a butterfly artwork by Damien Hirst and on top of a rug from Stark. The bedside tables are accessorised with quirky futuristic lamps by Entler.
Boys' bedroom
‘The clients were really focused on creating the children's rooms, and defining each of their spaces as their own,’ added Stutz. In the boy’s bedroom, a bed by Duc Duc is once again upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric, this time in a mustard yellow with geometric tonal pattern. Duc Duc nightstands are topped with playful Snoopy lights by Flos, and sit atop a rug also by Stark. On the subtly wallpapered walls, artworks include a piece by Alexander Calder.
Master bedroom
‘The master bedroom evokes a sensual style and is one of my favorite rooms in the house,’ said Stutz. ‘We lined the walls in suede for the master bedroom, giving it the most unexpected feel of luxury and warmth.’
Adding to the simple bed and rug from Liaigre, the minimal bedroom ideas include more choice pieces from praised designers. ‘I especially adore the Oscar Niemeyer chair in the corner of the master bedroom, as well as the Faye Toogood black moon vase in the corner,’ said Stutz.
Master bathroom
Similarly to the master bedroom’s color scheme, the bathroom ideas include a double vanity in a similarly warm, dark brown wood, which also frames the wall-filling mirror above. Taking notes from the kitchen, grey and white marble tops the vanity, and also clads the walk-in shower.
Interior Design / Olivia Stutz Design
Photography / Jonathan Hokklo
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