Brooklyn Heights

A bold Larry Zox painting from 1967 hangs in sharp contrast to the original 19th-century curvacious marble fireplace surround. Extending the main seating area into the center of the room is a vintage Vladimir Kagan sofa paired with a Maxine Old center table and a vintage stool, one of a pair.

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS – NYC

Brooklyn Heights

The design for this ‘19th Century Living Room for the 21st Century’ in the first Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse was supported by a number of New York’s finest antique, contemporary and fine art dealers – all from 1stdibs. Within the existing formal architecture, the room was designed for a living today using a multifunctional layout including a generous seating group, a large table-desk, and a large storage cabinet. The 19th-century Khorassan carpet reinforces the history of the 1867 house, while perfectly sized for the grand space, with enough room for the original Greek-key floor inlay to be seen throughout.  The surprising shimmer of gold metallic bee silhouettes on the Farrow & Ball ‘Bumble Bee’ wallpaper covering the entire ceiling in this graciously-scaled living room in a wide townhouse built in 1867.

A massive scale and of the striking English Arts & Crafts Armoire boldly holds one side of the room with its evocative form, and earthier finish a counterpoint to many of the more glossy, refined elements in the room.

The 1959 painting by Abstract Expressionist painter Judith Godwin, entitled ‘Black Cross’, pairs beautifully with the striking Jules Leleu modernist table-desk and the pair of vintage Jacques Adnet leather-wrapped chairs. The rusted steel sculpture by Marino di Teana sits proudly on a mahogany pedestal in the window.

The grey-blue Milano sofa from Dmitriy & Co. anchors the primary seating area of the room. A large-scale painting by artist Dan Christiansen, “Dolby”, loaned by Berry Campbell Gallery, hangs above the sofa. The magenta tie-dyed pillows add complimentary saturation of color to the sofa, while coordinating with the painting above.

The luminous 1958 painting by Walter Darby Bannard, a strong complement to the existing 19th-century architectural details of the room, hangs above a pair of 1930’s Bjorn Thagard armchairs upholstered in a pale celadon velvet, and a set of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings nesting tables.

Senior Designer Craig Strulovitz
Photos by Gross & Daley

Family Home – Westchester

The seating arrangement on one side of the living room balance a baby grand piano and an antique French daybed on the other side of the room. The tailored furniture is upholstered in golden hues, deep purple, and vibrant leafy green has the room feel luxurious yet inviting.

WESTCHESTER, NY

Family Home

Mixing it up in the Suburbs

In a leafy suburb of New York City, we designed the interior of a spacious 1920’s Colonial Revival home for a family of five. The décor is a blend of classical elements, with contemporary items reflecting the tastes of the young family.

Rich wood tones, golden hues, and the color purple are favorite elements for these owners which were skillfully woven into many rooms in a variety of ways, whether in large pieces of furniture, curtain panels, pillows, piping, or accents giving continuity to many spaces.

A circa 1820’s antique French-Empire daybed layered with rich pillows and antique textiles create the ideal corner for respite in the spacious living room

The seating arrangement on one side of the living room balance a baby grand piano and an antique French daybed on the other side of the room. The tailored furniture is upholstered in golden hues, deep purple, and vibrant leafy green has the room feel luxurious yet inviting.

A large center table from the 1940’s inspired by the Chinese Chippendale style draws you in to the bright and spacious Living Room with windows on three sides. The center table offers a rich tableau of books, objects, and plants, but also serves as a buffet for food during larger events. A small scale work by photographer Robert Mapplethorpe mimics the form of the large scale bronze Asian style urn set upon the center table.

The graceful center hall foyer is a warm mix of neutral tones that invite you into the home. A luminous painting be female abstract expression painter Mary Abbot hangs above a circa 1850’s Chinese alter cabinet Shanxi province of China to create a complex cultural mix in the traditional space.

The home’s original paneled Library was painted a glossy aubergine to create a rich backdrop of the owners’ collection of black and white photography and antique leather bound books.

"He combined his expertise in furnishings, textiles, design and art to create an elegant, beautiful and comfortable home and paid attention to every detail. We highly recommend Glenn and his team!"

– Client

Formerly, the Sun Room was essentially unused. After a complete make-over, it is now one of the favorite spots in the house in all season. The large mirror strategically placed above the L-shaped seating area reflects the view and light from the large flower garden.

Bold-scaled furnishes including the 18th-century French armoire and a new wood four-post bed were put into the spacious Master Bedroom to anchor and break down the scale of the generous volume. Both the soft palette and hand-embroidered drapery with a delicate pattern give the room a counterpoint to the more bold elements.

In the corner next to the grand scale armoire sits a cozy reading chair upholstered in a soft blue. A grid of photographic prints by Karl Blossfeldt, a brass topped Austrian table, and a lamp made from a bronze Chinese vessel complete the area.

A seldom-used guest room was transformed into a playful media room for the owners’ three daughters. The room combines a graphic mix of patterns with a vibrant color palette to create the perfect place for the teens to hang out with friends.

A collection of mid-century glass vessels in vibrant hues of acidic yellows, oranges, and lavender add preverbal pops of color to the colonial style dining room fireplace mantel.

A grid of framed 19th century pressed botanicals was added to breakdown the scale of the large white family kitchen and brought in the texture and warmth of the homes beautiful landscape.

Senior Designer Craig Strulovitz
Photos by Gross & Daley

Summer House – Martha’s Vineyard

In the living room, the massive Japanese-inspired coffee table, by Tucker Robbins, sets the tone for rugged elegance. Towering glass walls and doors are curtained in Perennials fabric from Boston-based Finelines. The Studio sofa, designed by Thomas O’Brien for Hickory Chair, is upholstered in “Meru”, a Sunbrella fabric from Donghia, as durable as it is appealing.

MARTHA’S VINEYARD, MA

Summer House

This distinctive modern house on Martha’s Vineyard was Glenn Gissler’s second collaboration, for some long-time clients, with Bob Miklos of Design Lab Architects. The joy of furnishing this house, which features spectacular double-height glass rooms, was that Gissler had been involved in the project from footprint to finish; the challenge was to create an interior which would mirror the modernity of the architecture without falling into timeworn solutions.

Gissler interiors are notable for their warmth and diversity of material, which here, we combined with clean lines and unusual choices of mid-century and custom furniture. The palette is one of pale earth tones, the colors of sand, seashells and stone derived from the land- and seascapes of Martha’s Vineyard. The result is a softer, very livable Modernist icon.

In the living room, a large sea grass area rug against the bluestone floors, along with the massive dry-stack stone wall incorporating the fireplace, set the scene for use of pale earth tones and subtly textured fabrics. Mid-century furnishings in the room reveal the softer side of modernity through the rendering of streamlined forms in wood: a pair of vintage mid-century lounge chairs designed by Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb.

Pristine white-lacquered millwork in the kitchen catches the abundant natural light, accented by natural bamboo blinds.

In the Sunroom, driftwood-toned wicker chairs complement the bluestone floor and natural timber ceiling.

Old earthenware olive oil vessels line this hallway leading to the living room.

Glazed doors invite the outdoors into this bedroom, smartly furnished with twin beds dressed in blue and white stripes. A perforated steel chest of drawers echoes designs of the Machine Age.

Bird’s-egg colors–brown and pale grey–infuse the repose of the master bedroom.

A bright yellow glazed ceramic vase contrasts with a modern monoprint the color of a morning glory.

Senior Designer Craig Strulovitz
Photos by Gross & Daley