When tasked with decorating a scenic oasis in Greenwich, Connecticut, architect Eric Smith turned to a mix of old and new. He reworked furnishings belonging to the homeowner, and made new pieces look all the more at home in a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque dwelling situated in the midst of a quaint forest.
Explore the entire abode—which may or may not have you feeling ready to move to the woodlands—below.
The Study/Kitchenette
For the home's study, "the choice for furnishings started with the owner's own Sam Maloof desk chairs that he had purchased years ago and loved," reveals Smith. "We took that inspiration to [purchase new furniture] and had the rest of the furniture custom-made."
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Side Chairs: Sam Maloof Woodworker. Desk: Custom. Credenza: Tim Mahoney of Mahoney Woodworks. Side table: Shades of Light.
The Gallery
In designing the home's gallery, the goal "was to create a built expression of an artist’s creative process, from start to finish," explains Smith. This process began by "sliding back a solid oak portal, then proceeding through a daylit gallery of poets, passing through the collection of 1,700 volumes of poetry that offer inspiration and precedent."
Next up, says the architect, you'll step "through the 30-inch thick stone walls, [where] one actually feels as if they are exiting the structure, [then go] through the portal to the three-sided, full-height glass writer’s room, [which is] suspended over the descending ravine. The poet’s desk is centrally located in the 180-degree view, [and] the forest surrounds you at mid-tree height." Here, the "view and space offer reflection and solace for the creative work to begin," adds Smith.
Exterior
For the home's exterior, the owner "requested a place in the woods for his art," divulges Smith. "The story was to be one of having discovered and restored the relic of a stone barn and set a wood-lined studio floating within it."
Here, adds the architect, "the materials are simple–stone, wood, and glass." Smith made sure to incorporate "shadows and strategically placed glass panels," as well as wood that "never visibly touches the stone walls, the floors, walls, or the ceiling."
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