Tag Archives: Architecture

Ceramic Tile

/ February 20, 2013
District Tile is inset into Moleskin marble to create panels. The glazes of District Tile are rich with dark pooling while the decoration is created by changing the grid pattern.

District Tile is inset into Moleskin marble to create panels. The glazes of District Tile are rich with dark pooling while the decoration is created by changing the grid pattern.Slideshow

Exceptional creamy white ceramic tile with a fine crackle is my personal choice for nearly every tile surface in my own house. Additionally, the molding is crisp and the one piece corner is a very polished detail.
Hand made ceramic tile often has a slightly uneven surface and gentle color variation. This wall is a good example of that but especially beautiful.
The slightly uneven surface of this handmade wall of tile is expected. The color has a gentle variation and the grout joints are very tight.
I am glad to see that Nate Berkus loves tile as much as I do. He installed a large scale glossy black ceramic tile with a lighter grout color installed floor to ceiling. The installation feels urban and sophisticated.
This is one of my favorite tiled bathrooms. The space is clad floor to ceiling with just the smallest detail of different size liners. Creamy white and watery green, classic and traditional but with a timeless freshness.
Luxe Interiors + Design, Winter 2013
A great deep blue bath tiled from floor to ceiling creates a memorable space. The crisp white floor tile anchors the bath and ties back to the white fixtures.
A dark blue panel of ceramic embedded in a wall of Bardiglio marble is simply stunning. The color variation of the tile, the vertical orientation of the material forms the perfect placement to highlight the shower fitting.
A full wall of tile in a slightly lavender toned gray. The 3x3 tiles set on the diagonal are framed by 6x6 tiles and a molding. A well shaped baseboard finishes the installation.
Crisp white tile for a kitchen backsplash is always in style. This one has been installed with a gray grout which accents the grid.
Laundry rooms are my new favorite spaces. Often they are relegated to the basement or a tiny closet. I like to celebrate clean clothes and the mindless chore of folding them, especially in well designed and lighted spaces with tiles walls.
Large scale blue tile, the color of the sky on a perfect day, is a great compliment to the Statuary floors. This is a great color and, despite its depth, is amazingly neutral.
A dark gray blend of penny round tiles makes an interesting backsplash.

It seems as if we are in a stone moment. Our overwhelming enthusiasm for stone should not eclipse ceramic tile as a fabulous material for backsplashes, fireplaces, kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and mudrooms. It is extraordinarily versatile, with unique palettes, easy maintenance  and architecturally as well as structurally interesting. Personally, I think there is nothing more beautiful than a wall of handmade tile. There are nuances of glaze variation, surface irregularities and artistic expression in each tile.

Full post →
  /     /     /     /     /     /  
0

Dia: Beacon

/ February 13, 2013
The 1929 Nabisco box factory transformed into a great museum on the Hudson River.

The 1929 Nabisco box factory transformed into a great museum on the Hudson River.Slideshow

A monumental Richard Serra sculpture housed in a confined space allows you to feel its scale.
I have long been a love of the Bescher black and white industrial photographs.
One of several Sol Lewit wall installations.
A beautiful Agnes Martin from the 80's. It is gentle, thoughtful and serene.
An interior view of the museum with partial view of Fred Sandback construction.
Agnes Martin is one of my favorite artists. This is an unusual piece for her but lovely and gentle. The colors are some of my favorites.
Dan Flavin's white fluorescent light installation is enormous. You can see the beautiful original floors and get a sense of the scale of the rooms from this photo... taken before I was told that no photos are allowed.
Lawrence Weiner is a lover of words that are painted directly on walls. His sayings are often meaningful. The unique part of this artists' work is that the scale can be adapted for the size of the installation.

I am often asked where I find inspiration for the countless products we design at Waterworks. My first answer is always museums, although travels, architecture, books, magazines and fashion are in close pursuit. I was very excited to visit the newly renovated Yale Art Gallery where the changed and expanded spaces were inspirational and the art and decorative arts look remarkable in their new homes. And, last weekend we decided to go Dia: Beacon, Riggio Galleries in Beacon, New York, a short distance from where we live, to see some eye popping contemporary art.

Full post →
  /     /     /     /  
0

Thomas Jayne: American Decoration, A Sense of Place

/ December 12, 2012
cover

Slideshow

The formal library in a house in Maine painted in a bright, old fashioned 18th century turquoise. It has panels of red linen curtains set in arched reveals. Beautiful millwork, a Tabriz reproduction carpet and comfortable wing chairs frame the fireplace. Family furniture creates a space with historical connections.
A traditional New Orleans interior in a Greek Revival house using a bold and strong color scheme. This is a traditional room with yellow silk curtains decorated with bright green bands and appropriately scaled Chinoiserie benches with charming vintage chintz patterns on the pillows.
The music room in a McKim, Mead & White designed apartment building on the Upper East Side. This is a family friendly apartment within an important historic context. Classic detailing has been retained while giving the space a fresh face for a young family.
I love this wallpaper, a reproduction of one in the Webb House in Wethersfield, CT (coincidentally the Webb House was the inspiration for our own house).The traditional decorative elements in this interior include painted floor cloths, 18th and 19th century upholstery forms and historic fabrics and carpets. The Windsor chairs in this room suit the informal nature of this interior.
This dining room retains its 1920's architectural moldings; the ceiing is covered in gold tea paper which was initially installed in the 60's and recently restored. The dark green flatters the works of art. This is a great example of a traditional interior re-imagined through a modern lens.
A newly refurbished New York apartment inherited by two brothers from their Mother needed to be refreshed. Editing existing furniture and reinstalling a remarkable art collection have made this a gathering place for this family in the 21st century.
The front hall of a grand New York features enriched architectural doorways painted a soft cream and beautiful painted panels of a damask pattern. The scale of the mirror and the rich mahogany of the chest creates an updated but traditional entry great for entertaining and greeting guests.
Thomas Jayne loves wallpaper, this one bought in London specifically for this dining room. The Aesthetic Movement sideboard is a grand scale and the Anglo Indian dining chairs create a setting formed with a new mix with an old fashioned air.

Thomas Jayne, author, historian, preservationist, decorator and friend, has written a remarkable new book, AMERICAN DECORATION, A SENSE OF PLACE published by The Monacelli Press. Thomas’ interest in architecture and decoration started with his family’s legacy of houses that ranged from the Plymouth colony to a Vermont tavern, an Italianate Villa in Iowa and a California Craftsman style bungalow amongst others. Even the re-decoration of his boyhood room by painting the walls White House red. His family’s migration across a broad swath of the country and his own sense of history have informed Thomas’s’ body of work.

Full post →
  /     /     /     /     /     /  
0

Books: The Great American House

/ November 1, 2012
New brass rim locks with cobalt glass knobs are stunning. Gil Schafer chose them for his own Greenwich Village apartment.

New brass rim locks with cobalt glass knobs are stunning. Gil Schafer chose them for his own Greenwich Village apartment.Slideshow

Formal classicism designed for a country house facade. Greek Revival details have been layered to a Palladian plan.
The Federal proportions of a cornice molding paired with a Greek Corinthian column tell the "story" for a new house by the architect.
A gracious master suite with millwork salvaged from a historic house. Scale, design and appropriateness are descriptives of this room.
Beautiful outdoor rooms, sheltering trees and old Adirondack chairs create a sense of place.
A formal classical pergola over the rear French doors of Middlefield overgrown with wisteria.
The facade of Gil's own house, Middlefield, was inspired by a Greek Revival precedent. He carefully structured the landscape around the house to define its relationship to the larger natural context.
Views of "Longfield" from its planting fields. I especially love the view of the motor court from the orchard.
A bold period S-shaped mahogany newel post at the base of the main stair in a Charleston house restored by Gil Schafer Architects.
The elegant stairwell in a Charleston house rises three stories. The space has beautiful detail and a great color called Rhett Pumpkin that give the hall a warm glow that articulates the architectural elements.

Gil Schafer, fellow Board member of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, incredible architect and friend, has just released his first book, THE GREAT AMERICAN HOUSE. We have seen and admired Gil’s projects published in the shelter magazines for years and eagerly awaited a view into his full portfolio of  American historic and classical houses. Gil’s great success comes from two important personal characteristics; he is an exceptional listener and he is wonderful collaborator. While a client may express the desire to live in a traditional setting, Gil is able to suggest alternative layouts to accommodate a more modern lifestyle. He will certainly give the house its appropriate traditional architectural details and materials but readjust the more formal and restricted layout to one that is more open and family friendly.

Full post →
  /     /     /     /  
0