An English Tudor Adds a Conservatory Kitchen

I adore English Tudors. I wanted so badly to live in one when I moved this last time (our ninth move!). But, we had a short window of time and none were for sale that would work with our family. We ended up buying a lovely 1930's Royal Barry Wills Center Hall Colonial. Beautiful and historic, but my heart still belongs to the Tudors.

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A common complaint is that they are dark. Yes, the smaller windows, sloping ceilings and dark wood can make them feel dark, but I find with the right decor and some modifications they can be sunny, beautiful, and very cozy.

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Still, I hold fast to my dream that some day I may own an English Tudor. I follow the MLS listings and am always on the watch for ideas and inspiration. So imagine my delight when I saw this new Conservatory Kitchen Addition on this wonderful 1920's Tudor by Barnes Vanze Architects. The owner, a professional chef, wanted to add light to the home and have a "summer style" kitchen. They wanted the addition to have a true garden feel. The result is a beautiful space which incorporates all the conveniences needed for a professional chef and a tremendous amount of natural light which floods into adjoining rooms.
The center island is large and great for food prep, as well as entertaining, while the host prepares the meal. It is made of antique, reclaimed chestnut and has refrigeration drawers built into it. Additionally the owners wanted a dining table in the space and a banquette seating/lounge area. Notice the professional stove and striking hood with copper accents. I also like how they used furniture with the cabinetry. Notice how some of the furniture has strong colors so it doesn't disappear in such a large space.
The iron and glass shelves were custom designed and forged especially for their space. There are no over head cabinets. Notice the detail around the window and the ceiling - spectacular! I also love the soapstone sink and gray/green cabinet color.
The actual building lot dropped off in the back so the owners were able to create a room beneath the Conservatory. The new space houses a wine cellar, bath and media room. It also allowed the owners to create a new patio/entertaining area.

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This is excellent example of how the right addition on an older home can completely transform it. Read more about the architects and the fabulous renovation here.

modern dining room interior design

dining room by window ventilation

cool dining room interior

minimalist dining room interior

great modern dining room interior

modern dining room interior by free ventilation

Holiday Decorating in White - Part II

One of my most popular Holiday posts last year was the piece I did on Holiday Decorating in White. Why are we so drawn to decorating with white? Is the simplicity? Or perhaps the way it sets our everyday things off with a magical glow? My favorite part of decorating in this way is that it enhances your rooms rather than overpowering them. They become more elegant, more festive, more magical, but all the while still remain your same beautiful rooms.

(studio house design)

Let's try to picture the room above with out any Holiday decor. It is a lovely room - neutral with a bit of sparkle from the crystal lamps and silvery wall coverings. Perhaps the mercury glass is out all year. Now, look how the holiday accents add to the beauty of this room. The tree adorned in white, glass and silver ornaments and really becomes a focal point. Then add in the glittery branches and small wreath on the mantel; and the white roses and silver wrapped packages and you have an elegant room for holiday entertaining.

(hgtv)

This homeowner must have a large home to have a room set aside for a winter wonderland. I generally do not like white flocked trees, but these look lovely as a backdrop for the large green tree and winter white Santa. Perhaps this is a sunroom or conservatory that rarely gets used in the winter months.

(Country Living)

I love this room. Here just a few items set off this neutral room with a holiday glow. The mantel is adorned with branches and a white wreath, while a white decorated tree stands front and center. I like the packages all wrapped in coordinating paper.

(studio house design)

Here is another room with silvery branches. I really like the ornaments hanging in front of the mirror and the addition of eucalyptus. Again a predominately white tree and coordinating wrapped packages add elegance.

(hgtv)

This room comes alive with addition of white linen, white lights and greenery. The two trees on the mantel really add a lot of interest and sparkle,but my favorites are the white stockings by the fire and stocking adorned with greenery hanging on the shutters.

(Country Living)

Here is a simple vignette worth looking at because it can be adapted to any decor. This home owner has a lovely collection of white pottery, by adding small boxwood wreaths and a few ornaments you instantly create a holiday display.

(Country Home)

This room, adorned with long white chair skirts and gorgeous table cloth is perfectly accented with small burlap wrapped trees under glass. I love these Holiday terrariums and also the greenery tied with jute string on the backs of chairs.

(Country Living)

Another table set with items that bring the outdoors in. Here glass apothecary jars are filled with pine cones and small vases hold flowers and evergreens.

(Country Living)

I love the use of cast iron garden urns as vases. This one is lovely filled with lilies and flanked with evergreens.

(Country Living)

Here a white washed cast iron urn is filled with moss. Coordinating colored ornaments become more special displayed in silver bowl under glass. This simple effect can be added to any room and any color scheme.

(Country Living)

I love when people carry holiday decorating into the bedrooms. Here guests wake up to white trees, garland and white linen stockings draped along the footboard.

(Country Home)

Finally some cream and white antique linen stockings. Each tucked with sprigs of boxwood create a special holiday look that can be used in any area of your home.

For more ideas click on Holiday Decorating in White -Part 1. I love the simple and elegant style of decorating that enhances your home for the Holidays.

A Pennsylvania Farmhouse

I love this time of the year in New England when the leaves have all turned and the weather is getting a bit more chilly. It's time of making apple pies and getting the wood stacked and ready for roaring fires in in the fireplace. I thought this would be a great time to share this thoughtfully restored 1840's Greek Revival Farmhouse in Pennsylvania, a two hour drive from NYC.
Paul Ochs, founder of Och Design has a passion for restoring historic homes in country, that are commutable to the Big Apple. This rural residential restoration showcases his wonderful talent and gift for returning an antique abandoned home back to its original beauty.
Paul was careful to keep as many of the original details of the home as possible. Above, the mudroom has been restored with the original plank ceilings and hemlock floor.
The kitchen was completely renovated, but the new cabinets evoke a true farmhouse feel. The countertops are bluestone that was found locally. Notice the moulding detail above the window that was enlarged to hold antique crockery.
Paul designed the farm table to seat 10. He also hung a collection of antique butter paddles as a reminder that the property was once a dairy farm.
The fireplace was added to the dining room and, because it was done so thoughtfully, it looks original. The antler light fixture in the living room is an Ochs Design original. I really like the cozy feeling in this room. The two old chests pushed up against each other create an interesting coffee table. Also notice the enhanced moulding around the windows - it creates a great shelf for displaying what looks like bittersweet branches.

The historic paint color selection creates a lovely autumn feeling in this guest suite. A black Windsor chair is a classic in any farmhouse decor. The addition of the botanical prints creates a perfect accent.

In an effort to embrace the interesting roof lines, a custom velvet headboard was created in the master bedroom.

Every farmhouse needs a chippy iron bed! The wall color in this guest room is just beautiful.

The attic was renovated to hold an artist's studio. I adore the interesting chair made from found objects.

The barn was also restored and renovated into a four car garage with a large overhead space which could eventually become an apartment or guest house. The house also sits on a bubbling stream and is surrounded by acres of undeveloped property.

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If you are interested in seeing more photos of this wonderful home, including many detailed before and afters click here. A two hour drive from NYC and you feel world's away - I can almost smell the apple pie baking!

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(all photos Ochs Design)

The Sophisticated Helen Green

Pick up a copy of England's House and Garden or Home and Gardens' Magazines and you are sure to find the work of Interior Designer, Helen Green. She has wonderful streamlined, sophisticated style. Green describes her style as cool contemporary, modern, precise, harmonious and elegant. Above is London Triplex she recently designed for client.
Her palette is often soft neutrals, which we all know I love here at Willow Decor. Green mentioned in a recent interview that in central London, with the homes interesting architecture, she felt color doesn’t really work. "In a sophisticated house where you’ve got a sophisticated palette of greys, for example, splashes of colour like a red cushion doesn’t work for me." Having moved into a historic home with many interesting architectural details I have also found myself moving toward a more neutral palette. Like Green, I felt this was a better way for the room to reveal its exceptional bones. This is such a wonderful dining room. I adore the gray blue color scheme. Green keeps the architectural details the focus of this room but enhances them by accenting them with mirrors. Notice the mirrors incorporated into the wall panels above. And, if you look again at the living room photo above you will notice mirrors built in, flanking the windows. I love this master bedroom. The room's architecture is front and center and beautifully enhanced by a soothing palette of beige. The furniture is a mix of what we call classic contemporary. (The silver hot chocolate pot and the roses add the subtle bling!)
Above is the Guest room -streamlined, sophisticated and very inviting.

Now let's have a look at her own personal residence in London. It is always interesting to me how a designer's home often parallels a clients. I prefer to work with clients that have similar taste and want to achieve a similar design aesthetic. The process becomes more exciting for me, because finding the perfect fabric, paint, or marble for client I get as excited as if I found it for myself.

Here is Green's living room. Again the palette is soothing, drapes match the walls for softness, and the focus remains on the beautiful furniture and the rooms mouldings and window. Green herself defines her house as the reflection of "a modern-classic style achieved by means of a selection of contemporary furniture and a collection of antiques, drawings and paintings".

The master bedroom is elegant is soothing. The blue color, chosen for the silk-upholstered walls and sofa, contrasts with the darker shades of the rest of the furniture.
One of the designer’s favorite rooms is her kitchen, a spacious area that looks out onto the beautiful gardens. Though I personally prefer a white kitchen, I do like Green's cabinets. I think the wood tone is very rich and the crystal chandelier gives the space and unexpected glamour. Notice how similar her dining chairs are to the ones above in her clients dining room.

Here is a photo of her lovely garden and entertaining area. No wonder she loves the kitchen looking out onto it. This is a place that reflects her maxim in interior decoration: "always follow your own instinct" Sophisticated and elegant.

Green has launched two wonderful furniture lines and has a line of carpets and fabrics. For more of Helen Green's work and her furniture check out her website here.

(all photos Helen Green London)

A Home by the Sea by Hutker Architects

Mention fabulous residential architecture in Massachusetts and inevitably you will hear the name Hutker Architects. Their work has been published in leading design magazines including Coastal Living and Architectural Digest. Also the winner of numerous design awards and most recently inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame, Mark Hutker, and his team, have created an impressive body of work.

Let's have a look at a wonderful, newly constructed ocean front home. This is the view of the impressive home from the water.

From the entry the home feels inviting; not huge or imposing.

This was achieved by designing a courtyard setting. Notice the the garage barn doors and wonderful coastal landscaping. It looks as if this house was just dropped on to the beach dunes.

A wonderful feature is the front entry porch which opens and looks directly through the back doors to the ocean. I love the columns, notice the heft of them and how the base is larger on the bottom.

The living room truly captures the coastal feel. I love the inlaid wood compass rose on the floor. I suspect it is positioned to point just as the house sits on the property.

Another angle of the living room which gives us a peek at some lovely window seats.

The view from the Butler's Pantry into the Dining Room and then on to the Living Room.

Pretty white kitchen with mosaic backsplash. Emeco industrial stools at the center island.

Of course if you are guests here you would be staying in the Guest House on the property. I love how well this home compliments the main house.

Here is the Guest House kitchen, artfully designed to include every appliance. I suspect this is stocked with all kinds of wonderful goodies

Notice the beautiful ceiling details.

Finally, no home by the ocean is complete with out a boat house. What a sweet, charming structure and so well landscaped.

Thanks to Hutker Architects for designing another wonderful home by sea...

(all photos by Brian Vanden Brink and property of Hutker Architects)

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