Elle Decor: Jackie Kennedy

ELLE DECOR

NOVEMBER 2024

HOW JACKIE KENNEDY GAVE THE WHITE HOUSE—AND AMERICA—ITS HISTORY BACK

by DAVID NASH
Photography: CBS Photo Archive // Getty Images

Thank you @elledecor and @davidbryannash for including my thoughts about Jackie Kennedy’s incredible project of restoring the White House and making it into the people’s museum!

“Everything in the White House must have a reason for being there.” As election day approaches, Jackie Kennedy’s words from 1961 feel particularly poignant. Her vision transformed the White House from just a presidential residence into America’s most important living museum, setting a standard for preservation that still resonates today.

At just 31, she orchestrated what designer Glenn Gissler calls “a herculean task,” bringing history back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Jackie’s mission wasn’t about redecorating – a word she equated with “sacrilege” — but about resurrection.

“Well, I really don’t have one, because I think this house will always grow and should,” she replied. “It just seemed to me such a shame when we came here to find hardly anything of the past in the house—hardly anything before 1902. I know when we went to Colombia, the Presidential Palace there has all the history of their country in it…every piece of furniture in it has some link with the past, [and] I thought the White House should be like that.”

And that’s something New York-based designer Glenn Gissler (whose own interest in historic preservation spans decades) can agree with. “She didn’t use [the restoration] as an opportunity to express herself, but rather to express the history of America,” he shares. “She was a very well educated and well-traveled person, and she found purpose [in this project]. Jackie used her connections and moxie to make things happen—and she was only 31 years old!”

“It isn’t just the president’s house, Jackie made it a museum owned by the people,” adds Gissler. “There’s a sense of altruism around what she did, and a collective responsibility to our history and the future. Her legacy is a benchmark in preservation for America.”

 

Visit ELLE DECOR to read the full article

Glenn Gissler Design - Elle Decor: How Jackie Kennedy Gave the White House And America Its History Back

Duplex Loft – SOHO

SOHO – NYC

Duplex Loft

After living for more than a decade on the Upper East Side, these empty nesters headed a few miles south to Soho to try loft living.  While some items from their expansive classical pre-war apartment made it to the new address, most everything was selected specifically for this apartment.

The expansive very open Living – Dining – Kitchen with 12 foot ceiling and a wall of large windows facing west offering protected views over the landmark district and ever-changing sunset views.

To create a living area that suited many functions we created a custom 20-foot L-shaped sofa with one end offering ideal TV viewing, and other end creating a seating group focused on the marble-clad fireplace. To amplify and expand the incredible light and views, we had the largest possible framed mirror made that would fit into the building’s elevator. Custom cabinetry combined with steel shelving house the discretely displayed television, books, and ceramic collection.

blank

View of the living looking directly at the custom marble-clad fireplace with its design roots in early modern architecture, large custom coffee table, a pair of French Art Deco arm chairs with sinuous wood arms, striped custom flat weave rug and the oversized mirror. One can also see the custom lighting made to reinforce the industrial legacy of the space, and to provide proper lighting for the clients’ art collection.

blank

The elevator opens directly into the Dining Room where the large work on paper by artist Julian Schnabel holds court. The delicate lines of the steel and leather chairs and the steel and light wood table create a casual but chic first impression.

"Glenn has impeccable taste - he was both sensitive to our needs and aesthetic and to the integrity of the space in which he worked."

– Client

blank

The large main space has an open view from the Living and Dining areas to the Kitchen and the stairs to the second floor beyond. 

blank

Asymmetrical carpet design inspired by a Gio Ponti carpet made with cowhides with a  center table creates a modern stair hall.

blank
blank

Hallway to lower bedrooms, powder room and laundry painted dark grey is lined with artwork; a custom ‘X’ base stool anchors the end wall with two works of art.

blank

A wonderful 1920’s cabinet by Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia was originally purchased for their ‘uptown life’ was reused in this apartment along with the Herzog and De Meuron ‘Hocker’ stool, a bold work on paper and other decorative objects. 

blank

Living area detail showing a ‘Hocker’ stool by Herzog & De Meuron, a pair of French Art Deco chairs with sinuous wood arms and an oversized framed mirror hanging over a custom fireplace clad in ‘Grey Goose’ marble. 

blank

TV corner of the over-sized Living Room sofa with a photograph by Frank Thiel, a detail of peeling paint, and a Toio floor lamp designed by Achille Castiglioni in 1962, and a leather ottoman that works well for feet, books or beverages.

blank

View over the adjacent low-rise historic district with a view of the residential towers at NYU (with the needle of the Empire State building popping up) and the expanding metropolis at Hudson Yards, in the distance.

blank

Wide view of the living area looking at the wall of large windows.

Senior Designer Craig Strulovitz
Photos by Gross & Daley

Pied-à-Terre – Greenwich Village, NYC

GREENWICH VILLAGE – NYC

Pied-à-Terre

The Ottoman Empire, with its richly figured carpets and ornaments, was the vision this Colorado couple had for their two-bedroom condominium in a Greenwich Village building renovated by designer Victoria Hagan, who had preserved its prewar character.

We decided to articulate the room separations by using casings, moldings, and a portiere to create a greater sense of sequence to the rooms. To further emphasize room separations, we changed coloration from one room to the other, with the entry  lacquered a vivid cinnabar. Judiciously placed mirrors expanded and lightened the spaces.

The clients were very interested in vintage textiles, so we introduced layering of Persian rugs and embroidered or tapestry wall-hangings. A selection of patterned textiles, woven or embroidered rather than printed, and often antique in appearance, are carefully juxtaposed. Many of the upholstery and pillow fabrics are actually new, but they have a luscious, aged look.

The result is not a recreated Turkish interior, but a place where imagined travel meets the incomparable comfort of home, in this case, a second one in one of the most charming neighborhoods New York City has to offer.

blank

An antique Tabriz area rug with stylized floral pattern in indigo and cream, is keynote of this richly patterned and textured room. The custom Belgian sofa is from Jonas. Interesting objects–two pairs of mounted oryx horns; a cross-legged Aesthetic Movement table–add detail and depth.

blank

A provenance with panache: this Italian walnut Baroque chest of drawers, 19th century with 18th century elements, is from Loring House, Massachusetts, home of the Codman family.

blank

An antique Tabriz area rug with stylized floral pattern in indigo and cream, is keynote of this richly patterned and textured room. The custom Belgian sofa is from Jonas. Interesting objects–two pairs of mounted oryx horns; a cross-legged Aesthetic Movement table–add detail and depth.

"You guys are amazing. It's really kinda thrilling to be in the presence of your genius, vision, passion, professionalism. Thanks."

– Client

The dining room became a study which can be used for occasional entertaining, centered upon the Empire round table the clients brought from Colorado. Chairs are from a 1930s ocean liner. Meant to be flexible, the table may be set up as a dining table, buffet, or bar. At right, a portiere in Kravet’s double-sided “Interweave” fabric marks the separation from the bedroom.

A place for reflection: a contemporary photograph of a Chinese dam joins a patinated brass ceiling fixture and a crystal orb.

blank

Outsider art, insider ceramics: a charming primitive painted in a hand-made “tramp art” frame joins Arts & Crafts Movement pots.

blank

Nothing less than sumptuous, the king-sized bed features Williams-Sonoma’s faintly curving “Sutton” upholstered headboard. The crimson, persimmon, black and cream stylized floral pattern bed covering is an antique Suzani. The slightly shimmering “Fiori” wallpaper is by Rose Tarlow.

Senior Designer Craig Strulovitz
Photos by Gross & Daley

High-Rise Duplex Apartment – NYC

MIDTOWN EAST – NYC

High-Rise Duplex Apartment

The challenge posed by this 4000 square foot duplex near the United Nations, in one of a pair of towers built by architect Wallace Harrison in 1966, is that its exterior glass walls epitomize modernity, while its apartment interiors are organized into more traditional rooms. The building, once inhabited by the great decorator Billy Baldwin, treads an odd ground between the radiant utopia represented by the U.N. complex and the old-world gentility of nearby Beekman Place.

When client Caroline Hirsch, proprietress of Caroline’s Comedy Club, acquired the duplex apartment on a very high floor, with its incomparable natural light and views, we had to invent a language of architectural detail which would respect the modernity of the building’s skin while creating a greater sense of texture and material richness within the rooms, which, as Hirsch remarked, were “like a blank canvas,” devoid of ornamentation. Our strategy was inspired by looking at a certain early Cubist Picasso painting which evinced architectural clarity yet had a warm, rich palette.

We shifted interior walls and partitions to better correspond to the building’s mullion grid, reinstating and clarifying the classical layout of the public rooms and kitchen on the lower floor, bedrooms above. Then we introduced eight-foot mahogany doors with thick frames and custom nickel hardware; and in the library, oak paneling against which Modernist works of art are hung. The palette, muted, is calibrated from white to ivory to beige to taupe to brown to shades of blue. The 20th century furniture forms a quietly elegant counterpoint to Hirsch’s ambitious art collection, which takes pride of place.

blank

The living room is a tour de force of understatement, a sumptuous composition of palest greys, silvery blue tones and creams, accented by early-to-mid-century French and Scandinavian ceramics. The armchairs are from Holly Hunt, and the sofa is upholstered in a rich velvet by Gretchen Bellinger.

blank

At the foot of the dramatically curving staircase, carpeted in velvety cut pile, a massive torso by Rodin signals the superlative array of modern art collected by Hirsch.

blank

In the entry, a mirror above the ebonized console presents an alluring reflection of the winding staircase. On the console, an eclectic selection of small fine and decorative art works includes an Antique Greek head and a 20th century glass lamp.

blank

In the living room, a bronze torso by Enzo Piazzotta tops an American mahogany center table. A gilded x-framed stool adds a grand geometric note.

blank

A 1955 painting by Joan Mitchell in a gilded frame hangs above the mantelpiece.

blank

Art Deco ceramics, and glass in tones of deep chocolate and burnt orange, decorate an ebonized console.

blank

In the dining room, 1930s Jules Leleu chairs circle a custom oval table. The French forties bronze chandelier complements a Max Ernst figure, also in bronze; the painting is Ross Bleckner’s Flow and Return (2001).

"Glenn’s broad knowledge of architecture, interior design and lifestyle were immensely important to a successful and enduring project. His focus on quality, understatement and comfort has created a gracious & livable home."

– Client

blank

A sparkling view of the United Nations–one of many spectacular views in this duplex–enlivens a quiet workspace with desk and chairs.

blank

Works by Franz Kline, Giacometti and Lipschitz hang against a wall paneled in golden oak. The sofa is upholstered in Clarence House velvet.

blank

A highly polished library table is accompanied by a round-seated Biedermeier chair and a biomorphic 1950s table lamp.

blank

The master bedroom is a subtle, luxurious expanse of neutrals: palest biscuit and cream tones. The sweeping curtains are in fabric by Rogers & Goffigon; the bed linens by Frette, Hirsch’s linens of choice.

blank

Jaunty red and white striped linens adorn a guest bedroom, along with quiet American antiques and 20th century ceramics.

Senior Designer Craig Strulovitz
Photos by Gross & Daley

Chappaqua Colonial

CHAPPAQUA, NY

Colonial Revival

After living in a suburban home for more than 15 years, the owners of this family home felt the desire to accommodate the changing needs of their active family. The 1920’s Colonial Revival house in Chappaqua, New York had had some modest alterations over time but it was time for bigger changes. Working with architect David Graham, we helped massage existing spaces, expand others, and provide new furnishings in all of the public rooms.

blank

The Kitchen is the heart of this home and gracefully integrates a complex array of functions and details into a charming understated space. There are an abundance of windows with views to the back and side yards, as well as a skylight over the sink making it a delightful and sunny place to be in the daytime space, and with the layered approach to lighting, a warm and inviting space in the evening. Honed black granite counters recall soapstone sinks of another era, with the glossy mini-subway tiles and brushed nickel bin-pulls provide function and decoration to the kitchen.

blank

The modest-scaled front hall is furnished and accessorized simply to reinforce its cottagey appeal. The pattern of the antique Heriz carpet provides decorative practicality for a well-used space with the blasters and railing read graphically against a crisp white background.

blank

The multi-functional Family Room is adjacent to the Living Room and is differentiated by its taller beamed ceiling and the focus on a large screen television. We used a warm palette, with wood furniture and patinated bronze in the curtain hardware, chandelier, and table lamps to add charm and detail. The adjacent sunroom has floor-to-ceiling windows, and French doors to the back yard.

blank

While still a casual space, the Living Room is a more refined than the family room. We installed a custom wood bolection fireplace surround, and integrates a range of contemporary and vintage pieces for a curated eclecticism.

blank

The classic silhouettes of the upholstered furniture are covered in warm, understated, but rich textiles without bold patterns, giving the room a more updated traditional appearance. The bold-scale and simple lines of the vintage mercury glass table lamps and the framed photograph are more contemporary and help to keep the room fresh. The most dramatic piece of furniture in the Living Room is a vintage-style articulated chair upholstered in leather. The custom table lamps from Daniel Berglund provide a functional source of illumination for this bay window tableau with its array of objects from different cultures and time periods.

blank

The classic paneled Library is in rich contrast to the adjacent rooms. The French 1940’s desk and upholstered armchair and ottoman make it a great space for reading, writing and working on the computer. A custom chandelier made of discarded jet-engine parts is an industrial accent for the room.

blank

The bright and open Breakfast room is open to the kitchen. A custom shaded-chandelier hangs over a large farm table that is surrounded by Windsor chairs.

"During a major renovation of our home 18 years ago, we were fortunate to engage Glenn Gissler Design from construction thru completion. What resulted was a spectacular family home - warm, inviting and most importantly, timeless. A home design that looks as beautiful in 2019 as it did 18 years ago. Glenn and his design professionals worked on all aspects of the job with a keen eye to sublime design and clean lines - all done in a professional and timely manner. I highly recommend Glenn Gissler Design and his entire team! "

– Client

blank

A window seat with swing-arm wall sconces with white glass shades provides a place to take your shoes off, to set a package down or to sit and read while looking out to the backyard.

blank

In the working portion of the Kitchen there is a large island for food preparation with three vintage industrial stools for seating and a bold large-scale Halophane fixture for perfect illumination. Additional lighting is provided by vintage-style surface mounted fixtures that are applied to the painted bead board ceiling throughout the eat-in kitchen. The pantry storage has perforated metal fronts that tie in with the custom range hood and industrial-style appliances. The striped carpet runner on the back stairs provides some retro-color to the room.

"After 19 years the Kitchen you designed for me still looks beautiful and modern – I am proud to be the owner!"

– Client

blank

The Master Bedroom has a tray ceiling with space ‘borrowed’ from the attic above. A built-in window seat provides a great view to the back yard as well as storage below. An antique Empire table desk and floor lamp proved an alternate place to work or read. A flat-weave scatter rug is set upon the carpeting to add color and interest, along with the pair of Sang du Boeuf ginger jar bedside lamps.

blank

A vintage French light fixture hangs in the apex of gentle pyramidal ceiling of the Master Bathroom adding interest and illumination. The antique Persian area rug gives texture and pattern in contrast to the other surfaces in the room and the vintage Chinese barber’s stool and the shapely oversized bathtub add sculptural elements. While the unconstructed roman shades soften the room.

Senior Designer Craig Strulovitz
Photos by Gross & Daley