Author: Postcards and Photo Books

A familiar House in Seville

Photos and text from
www.amarosanchezdemoya.com

In 2007 Amaro opened his studio in Seville, where he develops a wide range of residential, commercial and ephemeral interior design projects. A true world citizen, Amaro has worked internationally in a variety of cities, such as Paris, Saint-Tropez, Venice, Lisbon, Madrid, and Seville.
“My individual signature is precision, from concept development to technical drawing and execution. Artistic excellence is paramount. Most importantly, I feel comfortable and adroit with all types of clients and architectures, from a luxurious baroque palace to a casual pied-à-terre on the coast”.
The common denominator among all his projects is attention to detail and expertise. Through a silent dialogue with architecture and continuous
consultation with the client, Amaro comes up with the perfect solution for each project, without any style imperative. The end result not only reflects the individual personality of the owner, but it also transcends time and ultimately expresses the essence of the present moment.

A 18th-century townhouse in the quaint Bairro da Sé district in Lisbon, Portugal

Photos and text: www.conceitosdearte.pt e http://www.architecturaldigest.com

The house belonged to the late designer Pedro Espírito Santo. By his words “I was not looking for a flat, but this one found me. No one else would have wanted 11 rooms with no proper bedroom and only a tiny bath.”

The home may have lacked certain amenities but it was rich in character, the enfilade of reception rooms embellished with intricate frescoes of floral garlands and Vitruvian scrolls in palest pink. Modern comforts were swiftly installed. An English cast-iron tub now takes up a corner of a chamber swaged with ravishing trompe l’oeil draperies, while a shower has been slotted into a narrow service corridor.

When close friends, such as Valentino brand ambassador Carlos Souza or the actress and model Marisa Berenson, were going to visit, the designer closed off three connecting salons to form a cozy suite.

Given Espírito Santo’s reputation as a consummate host, the heart of the dwelling is the dining room. It is here that Espírito Santo presided over convivial dinners that were the talk of the town (as well as a feast for the eyes), his guests seated around a stately mahogany pedestal table in a motley mix of Victorian side chairs and Louis XVI–style bergères. Hefty heirloom silverware and vintage linen napkins that measure more than three feet square hark back to a more ceremonial age, as does the flattering glow of candles the designer prefers to the glare of electricity. Souza admiringly recalls a table set with Chinese plates and vases of different types—famille rose, café au lait, blue with white—that bear witness to the Espírito Santo clan’s decades of collecting. Stunned by the dining room’s romantic atmosphere, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg once declared, “Oh, Pedro, it’s so divine it’s almost Russian.”

A Regal Residence on Manhattan’s Upper East Side by Mario Buatta

Photos and text: http://www.architecturaldigest.com

Mario Buatta decorated writer Aileen Mehle’s Manhattan apartment in a 1903 townhouse designed by Horace Trumbauer.

A previous owner of the apartment was Susanna (Suni) Agnelli. She was a brilliant Italian political figure and the only woman to serve as Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Suni was also an heiress to the Fiat fortune.

The ballroom, now the main living area, is swathed in an apricot silk by Grey Watkins from Stark; the chandelier is French, the curtains are of a Pierre Frey satin, and the Savonnerie carpet is by Stark.
In the foyer, an oval Irish mirror from Julia Gray tops a French console flanked by Louis XVI chairs that are clad in a Brunschwig & Fils velvet; the wood floor has been painted in a faux-marble design.
A floral carpet by Stark covers the parquet-pattern painted floor in the dining room.
The fantastical dining room is tented in a regimental-stripe fabric by Christopher Norman, with Scalamandré rope passementerie at the ceiling. A French crystal chandelier by Nesle is suspended over the dining table; the silk tablecloth and the cushion fabric on the dining chairs are by Scalamandré as well. Above an Italian painted credenza are wall brackets holding a pair of porcelain cranes by de Gournay.
The ballroom features Mehle’s collection of 18th- and 19th-century mirrors and paintings, which overlook a Chinese low table by Gracie, an 18th-century Italian bergère (at right), and a sofa whose pillows are made of Scalamandré floral prints.
For the bedroom Buatta selected a Julia Gray mirrored dressing table and bedside chests to complement Continental antiques, including an armchair and stool upholstered in a Scalamandré silk and a French chaise longue; the landscape painting is also French. D. Porthault linens dress the bed; the carpeting is by Stark.

A 1850s South Carolina mansion by Mario Buatta

Photos and text: http://www.architecturaldigest.com

Mario Buatta, the interior decorator hailed for decades as the Prince of Chintz because of the cheerful flowered fabrics that were a signature element of his English country–style rooms.

The house belongs to Patricia Altschul (born April 16, 1941) who is an American socialite, art collector, and personality on the reality television series, Southern Charm. She is the widow of Arthur G. Altschul, a former Goldman Sachs partner and prominent art collector and philanthropist.

An antique wallpaper depicting Revolutionary War scenes lines the dining room.
Antique silhouettes hang in the stair hall.
With brilliant chintz, a snappy palette, and heirlooms galore, decorator Mario Buatta puts his joyous stamp on the living room of this spectacular 1850s South Carolina mansion.

A House in a French style in the Moscow region, by Natela Mankaeva

Photos and text: www.admagazine.ru

The house has ​​about a thousand square meters and has been decorated by Natela Mankaeva. She attracted three antique dealers to the project – two Russian and one from France, and they managed to find some really interesting things. For example, the carved baroque portal. His original purpose is unknown, but Natela made a frame for the window in the small living room. In the large living room, a ceremonial buffet suitable for its size appeared. According to Natela, most often in the antique market there are relatively compact cupboards, and the largest examples are usually wardrobe cases. The fate of this item is unknown, but in the living room, he stood up like a native.
Part of the chandeliers was purchased from the French company Mathieu Lustrerie, which not only replicas antique lamps, but also, for example, restores chandeliers at Versailles, Opera Garnier and Comedie Francaise.

Living room. Wall painting was performed by Ruslan Setsky and Anton Antonov. Sofa, Pozzoli, upholstered in silk velvet, Vérel de Belval; 19th century French antique buffet; sconce, Bronze d’Art Français; armchairs, Massant, upholstered in Jacquard, Vérel de Belval; coffee table, pozzoli; chandelier, Mathieu Lusterrie; Iranian silk carpet on the floor, Boccara.
General view of the living room. In the foreground is an antique copy of a Louis XVI style dresser. On it is a vase-geridon, created in the first quarter of the 19th century by master Pierre-Philippe Tomir; Curtains made from Art & Decor + Etro and Jim Thompson fabrics.
Small (music) lounge. Sofa, Moissonnier, Velvet, Art & Decor; pouf, Philippe Coudray, upholstered in cloth, Rubelli; chandelier, Bronze d’Art Français. The windows are framed by an antique portal of carved painted wood, covered with gold and silver, Italy, 16th century; fabric curtains, Rubelli; solid walnut wood flooring, Ebony and Co.
Fragment of the living room. The 19th century French fireplace portal is framed by antique wall lamps. The mirror is also an old – XIX century.
In the dining room table with a mirror top, Francesco Molon; chairs, Massant; chandelier, Mathieu Lusterrie; curtains from Art & Decor and Nobilis fabrics; Versailles parquet made of walnut, Ebony and Co.
Fragment of the cabinet, on the furnishings of which worked the masters of the “Furniture maker” company and artists Ruslan Setsky, Svetlana Egorova and Elena Bas. Sofa, Pozzoli, in velvet upholstery, Vérel de Belval; leather sofa, Mis en Demeure; coffee table, Craman Lagarde; chandelier, Bronze d’Art Français; carpet, Art de Vivre.
Desk in the office. Its tabletop and wall panels are upholstered in leather, Maison Fey; work chair, Style et Confort; armchair, moissonnier; lamps, Vaughan; parquet with gold plated, Ebony and Co.
Master bedroom Antique fireplace portal, Origines; French mantel clocks, late XVIII – early XIX century; the mirror over the fireplace is also antique; sconces and chandeliers, all Bronze d’Art Français; armchairs, Style et Confort, in silk velvet, Vérel de Belval; table, Moissonnier; Curtains and Coverlet, Art & Decor; Iranian silk carpet, Art de Vivre. The picturesque painting of the walls was performed by Ruslan Setsky.
Kitchen set and sofa, wooden reproduction of stone benches from the Novokuznetskaya metro station, made in the cabinet maker Muradov-Linde; decorative painting: Ruslan Setsky, Svetlana Egorova and Elena Bass; carving, “Stavros”; table, moissonnier; chairs, Massant; chandelier, Artemis; on the floor is marble, “Litos D”.

California house designed by Miles Redd

Photos and text: http://www.admagazine.ru

The New York Miles Redd decorator is renowned for his extravagant style and deep knowledge of the works of his predecessors, such as the British Nancy Lancaster and Mrs Guy Bethell, whose interiors were hard-tuned by his customers, hoping to find something similar.

The owners of this house are a couple with four children, but, despite their youth, they like old-fashioned (in the best sense of the word) interiors.

The living room walls are decorated with satin fabric, Brunschwig & Fils. 
The upholstery of the armchairs and stools, as well as the cushion covers, are made of flax with a floral pattern, Schumacher, and silk velvet with a leopard pattern, Clarence House. 
On the right is a cloth-covered sofa, Décor de Paris, with a fringe, Samuel & Sons. 
Antique Persian carpet on the floor.
In the dining room, a chandelier and fireplace are preserved from the previous interior. 
Redd completed them with antique consoles and a table that is surrounded by chairs, Liz O’Brien, upholstered by Lee Jofa. 
Chinoiserie-style wallpaper on the walls, Gracie.
The hallway. 
Three pairs of swinging glass doors connect it with the hall.
The walls of the hallway are painted in apricot color with paint, Farrow & Ball. 
On the wall is the work of Robert Silvers. 
The path on the stairs and the carpet, all Patterson Flynn Martin. 
The bench is covered with cloth, Lee Jofa.
Ceiling painting in the hall was made by artist Agustin Hurtado. 
Above the rococo style console is an antique Swedish watch. 
On the walls are French watercolors in the style of avant-garde expressionism.
Fragment of the main bedroom. 
Painted floor, Chris Pearson; 
wallpaper, gracie; 
floor lamp, John Rosselli Antiques.