Herringbone Heaven and a Marvellous Marble Mantel

I mentioned in the last post that I wanted sophisticated interior details for my home that would evoke a traditional Parisian pied-à-terre. Two of those elements that I had my heart set on were herringbone wood floors and a marble fireplace mantel.

Herringbone hardwood floors are pricey due to the high labour cost (hello perfect angles and intense installs), so we splurged only on the formal rooms of the home and went with regular plank flooring everywhere else. I worked with Mare Flooring, who did a beautiful job installing white oak in a herringbone pattern with a simple border running the perimeter of each room to deal with any tricky angles.

When it came to choosing a stain colour, I debated between espresso and walnut, ultimately deciding to go with the richer medium brown. I felt like this would be not only more forgiving for wear and tear, but would also be a more timeless choice.

Speaking of timeless, what is more eternally elegant than a carved marble fireplace? I spent months tracking down potential mantels from architectural salvage shops, but it was very difficult to find white marble and the few that I sourced in my price range were unfortunately in too poor condition.

While hunting on craigslist and kijiji for leads on vintage or salvage pieces, I came across NDS Marble, which was advertising their new mantels. I debated between the bodacious (yes that is now an appropriate adjective to describe a mantel) and bold French Empire Montpellier style or the more refined and subtle English Classic Regency design. I ultimately went with the curvier shelf motif to keep with the decadently glam vibe of the room.

I decided to repeat the herringbone motif from the flooring not only in the living room rug from Reznick Carpets, but also in the firebox. I found a stunning inspirational image in an issue of Veranda and knew it would be a perfect complement to the old world vibe of the marble mantel.

We used a yellow brick for the firebox and selected an RH Peterson gas log insert to keep the look as close to an actual open wood burning fireplace as possible. I was very grateful to have not only a beautiful, but functional, fireplace during the winter while being cooped up inside on bed rest!

Living Room Before and After: Part Two

Yesterday was the first look at my living room, and now here is part two of how it all came together.

With the furniture in front of the fireplace and by the bay window completed, now there were only the corners by the dining room entrance to address. I took the opportunity to purchase a couple of vintage items that I have always had my eye on for some time: a brass-detailed bar cart and swooped back statement chair.

The Aldo Tura-designed bar cart was a serendipitous find at Era Antiques. After seeing so many versions of this iconic mid-century design in Miami that were out of my price range, who would think I’d stumble upon such a bargain right here in Toronto? I loved the rich swirling brown tones of the lacquered goatskin and of course, went mad for the brass details. Topped with vintage barware I sourced in Palm Beach it is party ready!

My “flair chair” is the pet name I gave my curved wood-frame seat that I found in the basement of Flik by Design. Ever since I saw similar-shaped chairs in a Jan Showers interior years ago I have kept my eyes open for the same type of frame.

The chair was in really bad shape, but before I could hand it over to Cooper Bros. for refinishing and reupholstering, I needed to find the perfect fabric. I knew I needed to go with a solid if I wanted to preserve the tufts and was looking for an unusual pop of colour. I debated acid yellow, hot pink and even aqua, but in the end settled on this luscious pinky-lavender mohair from Kobe Fabrics.

The plush purple mohair is so luxe and looks even richer against the deep wood frame. Set against the lacquered screen with the petite brass and granite side table and chandelier lamp it is the perfect spot to perch.

Another shot of colour is introduced into the room via the Angelica mirror by Made Goods. It looks like an antique thanks to its dreamy pale aqua painted finish and gilded details but is in fact a reproduction. Flanked by vintage crystal flower sconces from Residential Lighting , it adds a sense of old world romance that perfectly completes the fireplace focal point.

I wanted a matching pair of pieces to hang on either side of the fireplace and originally set aside two of the Marilyn Warhol prints from my apartment living room. Once they were up, I decided they weren’t giving me the desired vibe and that I was better off with something simpler and more neutral. I found two affordable black and white prints from PI Fine Art and dressed them up with an oversized mat and beautiful beaded gold frame and am much happier with the more refined mood they lend to the room.

The final piece of art was a wedding present – a multicolour abstract by artist Phil Hammon - and was the perfect pick to sit above my antique chest that houses some of my treasured porcelain. The rainbow of shades highlight the accent colours in the room and it provides more of the tension between traditional and modern that I love so much.

The custom creamy hair on hide rug from Reznick Carpets is the grounding piece that ties everything together thanks to its understated texture and pattern.  It echoes the herringbone motif seen elsewhere in the flooring and firebox, but is subtle enough thanks to it’s monochrome palette.

Living Room Before and After: Part One

When we walked through our house for the first time, the living room was the most obviously promising space. The footprint was gracious, there was a fireplace and the whole room was flooded with light thanks to a big bay window.

I knew the moorish archways could easily be squared off and widened to make it feel even more spacious. I also knew I could easily update the fireplace and remove the disco-esque mirrored tiles and black granite. This confidence in the structural elements allowed me to go right to the decorating phase, which as you know is by far the most fun for me!

I’ve been a long-time fan of the ‘Paris Apartment’ look, à la panelled walls and plaster mouldings, carved marble fireplaces and stunning patterned wood flooring. This style was something I always wanted to incorporate into my future forever home, and luckily worked perfectly with the vibe of the exterior of our house. I’ll be taking a closer look at the flooring and fireplace in an upcoming post, so let’s skip right to the furniture and fabric fun!

For the decor, I wanted a timeless blend of old and new that suited the home, but still had an eclectic edge. I had existing formal pieces in my apartment living room that I wanted to include, most obviously my prized antique setee that I had refurbished, and other items like my chinoiserie screen, tufted skirted ottoman and black and gold Louis XVI chairs.

I wanted somewhat of a symmetrical seating plan centred on the fireplace so the first big piece of furniture I sourced was a foil for the curvy antique setee. I wanted something unexpected but keeping with the glamorous vibe of the room. I was over the moon to finally purchase a piece I had been lusting over for years: the Oly Studio Jonathan lounge.

The Jonathan lounge reminds me of a jazzed up version of the Barcelona couch. The gilded cross iron frame and smooth black leather upholstery are contemporary but glam. Having a low armless piece sitting across from the setee not only provided some of that edgy tension I was going for, but also ensured the sightline and conversation could stay open across to the Louis XVI chairs in the bay window.

My dream piece to sit between the setee and lounge was a sculptural geometric brass cocktail table but there was sadly nothing in that style in my price range, so I moved on to another favourite motif, chinoiserie. I selected the Jacqui cocktail table by Bungalow 5, which balances its sensual curves with a simple lacquer finish and plays off the other chinoiserie elements in the room like the screen and stool in between the Louis XVI chairs.

When it came to my pair of antique Louis XVI chairs that I inherited from my grandparents, I wanted to update them with a more forgiving fabric than the existing solid gold silk, plus the stuffing was ancient and needed repair. The black and gold frame was perfect as is, so I wanted a colour to complement the two-tone finish.

Cooper Bros. did a fabulous job reupholstering the chairs in Robert Allen’s Ogalalla fabric, a small scale exotic cat print that perfectly suited the frame. Topped with hot pink Madeline Weinrib silk ikat cushions that I picked up during my first visit to her atelier at ABC Carpet in NYC, they ooze fabulousness!

The beautiful bay windows are accentuated thanks to beautiful drapery treatments sewed by Wesley Seto Design. Made of a luxurious wool ivory from Kobe Fabrics and accented with wide grosgrain ribbon from Mokuba, they echo the graphic stripe in the setee.

(After photos by Stacey Brandford)

Foyer Furniture, Lighting and More

When I decided to remove the archway by the front door and extend the foyer deeper into the house, space was created for two separate furniture vignettes: the narrow console table and mirror immediately off the front door and a second grouping in the main artery of the home where entrances into the kitchen, dining room, basement and power room and closets all converge (formerly the kitchen).

For the first vignette, I needed a surface for stashing keys, mail and unloading parcels when going in and out of the front door. I found the perfect fit in the vintage greek key florentine console from Decorum Decorative Finds. Besides the obvious presence of my favourite neoclassical motif, I loved the ivory and gold tones which coordinated well with the vintage gilded mirror from FOC IT that I already had in my old apartment. The original marble top that came with the console was wasn’t in the best shape nor the right colour, so instead I used a remnant of calacatta marble leftover from our kitchen island.

The second vignette was more about filling a blank wall with something pretty, so I turned it into a moment to show off some of my favourite collections, including cloisonné vases from my grandmother and favourite design books.

I connected this second space to the first by using another gold-hued console table and the exact same lighting. The bamboo console was a craigslist find that I had gold leafed by Beresford Inc. (recognize it from this cover?)

When it came to choosing the lighting, I had my heart set on vintage but couldn’t find a matching pair of crystal fixtures at the right height within my budget. The flushmount crystal fixtures I ended up choosing are from Universal Lighting. The Schonbeck design had the same antique look I was going for but in a semi flush version, which worked with our shorter ceiling height, plus buying new meant I could get the matching pair I was after. Simple plaster ceiling medallions help link and punctuate each vignette.

 

Because there was already a mirror in front of the door, I used one of my favourite pieces of art by local artist Joshua Jensen-Nagle “Basking in Polka Dots.” which used to hang above my setee in our apartment. The pink bench cushion helps pull out the bright dots from the piece and can be easily switched out to add another accent colour.

Another element I have to point out from the second vignette are the wall registers. Rather than go with a simple white metal grille for the air return and supply vents, I chose antique-looking wall registers from Antique Door and Hardware that reinforce the traditional vibe of the home. I had considered cast iron models, but went with lighter MDF registers instead that could be inset into the wainscoting and painted out more easily. The result is a seamless look that is decorative yet functional.

Finally I have to mention one decision that I literally agonized over for weeks: the stair runner!  I had my heart set on an exotic cat print, but eventually decided to play it safe with a solid rug that wouldn’t fight with the graphic harlequin floor. I chose a simple black carpet and at the suggestion of the fabulous Brant Brown at Reznick Carpets, had it bound in a chic leather cording. The look is subtle but adds a couture-like detail that I admire every time I go up and down the stairs.

That’s it for the foyer…next week look out for some looks into how the living room came together!

  (After photos by Stacey Brandford)

Foyer Before and After: A Harlequin (Floor) Romance

The most obvious standout element in the foyer is the harlequin marble floor, but it didn’t always look so fabulous…

When we first toured the house we would call our home, I was greeted with pale pink as far as the eye could see. The walls and wainscoting were pink as was the wall to wall shag carpeting. The archway closing in the space immediately in front of the door didn’t help from feeling like I was drowning in a bottle of calamine lotion. What kept my eye moving forward though was a charming original carved wooden bannister and crystal basket chandelier which hinted at the potential of the home.

By the time we had closed on the house, the owners had torn up the carpet in effort to get the house ready to put on the market and the original hardwood was revealed, including a pleasant surprise of stunning parquet in the foyer. I wanted to preserve it but because we were altering the floorplan so extensively (removing the archway and extending the foyer into where original kitchen stood), I decided to embrace the opportunity and went for one of my favourite flooring motifs of all time: harlequin.

I love the black and white diamond pattern so much I even incorporated it into the dancefloor at my wedding using a vinyl covering to hide the ballroom’s blonde wood floor.

The dramatic floor pattern consisting of 12x12 rudy black and bianco thassos marble tiles from Marble Granite Depot laid in a diamond pattern extends right from the front door to the entry into the kitchen and family room creating a dramatic sightline that feels classic and glamorous. A border of black marble helps punctuate the pattern and conceals the fact that the archways are not all the same size.

One thing to note if you’re going for such a dramatic pattern with stone flooring, is to hire an excellent installer. Natural stone is rarely a solid colour through and through, which is definitely the case for the rudy black tiles from Marble Granite Depot that I selected (they have a milky white veining that was more prominent in some tiles than in others). You need an installer with a discerning eye who will stagger the amount of veining evenly across the room so the impression looks consistent throughout. It’s all about going the extra mile and approving the exact layout of each stone  before laying anything down to avoid costly surprises!
(Foyer photo: Stacey Brandford, Wedding photos: Storey Wilkins)