Lovely English Tudor- Is that in London?

What a beautiful English Tudor. The setting is spectacular! When I happened upon it I thought it must surely be a lovely estate in a small hamlet outside of London! Not so, this wonderful treasure is located on almost three acres of rolling hills in Greenwich, CT - a suburb and only 45 minutes outside of NYC.
Let's have a tour! You enter through a gorgeous stone entry with a beautiful, arched door.
Your first stop is the library/entry hall. Take a close look at the detailing of the walls. I love the secret wall of books that swings open to reveal a doorway. Also look at the staircase through the doorway.
Here is a closer look at the staircase. I adore the railing and soft curve. A glass and stone gallery leads you the living room.

The house is filled with period mouldings, leaded glass and limestone fireplaces.

I love the family room and the wall of french doors which invite you to enjoy the spectacular view. Notice the coffered ceilings.

The architectural detail in the dining room is sublime. Notice how the windows are not only trimmed out with molding, but also boxed out with column like detailing. This creates deep transitions to windows. I especially like how they kept this room white. You can enjoy the detailing with out being overwhelmed by it. Despite their reputation, Tudors can be light and bright. Here the kitchen is done in white with marble and wood counters. Clearly it has been updated and renovated over the years. I like the shape of the hood.

The nearly untouched Great Room is perhaps the home's most dramatic. The striking fireplace and wood beams are wonderful. Notice the curved floor to ceiling window.



I love to see old homes restored to their original grandeur. The home is currently for sale. To see more of it click here. And if you end up becoming the new owner, let me know and I will drive down from Boston for visit!
(all photos Sotheby's)

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A Maine Coastal Jewel By Linda Banks

Designer and architect, Linda Banks, has been creating some of my favorite coastal homes for many years. She just sent on to me one of her recently completed projects to share with you. Once again Linda has created a wonderful ocean oasis for her clients in Maine.

On a spectacular property on the coast of Maine, Linda worked with her clients to create a shingled styled home from a new construction design. The goal was to create a casual feeling in a formal plan, but still retain the warmth and history of historic home. As such the home is filled with Linda's distinct attention to detail, including the client's antiques and collections, as well as nautical references of boats, fish and seashells, indigenous to the Maine coast.

The entryway above is a wonderful example of how Linda created the sense of history and age. The 24 foot hand hooked rug was custom designed with ships, lighthouses and other local references of Maine, sure to become a family heirloom. The bamboo bench is a beautiful reproduction and looks gorgeous with the framed hand tinted vintage map of the area.

The mudroom above provides a thoughtful location to keep everything in its place. With so many children and friends visiting the second home, this allows a wonderful spot for organization.

The dining and kitchen area above are designed in the classic New England tradition with white cabinets and blue/black granite counters. Wonderful slate floors, and butlers chairs create the perfect compliment of old and new.

The living room is the most formal room in the house. Linda used a beautiful palette of whites and creams and several classic pieces from Hickory Chair. Chairs are slip covered in Belgian Linen and the hand hooked rug was custom designed. The painting is by Stephen Bach.

The octagonal family room is part of a three level octagonal wing which captures the incredible ocean views . Above this room is the master bedroom, and above that is the client's home office which you will see in the photos below. Lovely shades of blue enhance the ocean views.

The master bedroom continues the soothing soft palette of gray blues, creams and whites.

The attic office provides the most spectacular views. Created to mimic the inside of a sailing yacht all the furniture is built in. Notice the beautiful ceilings.

The master bath is an oasis with cast iron tub perfectly positioned to capture the ocean views.

One of the boys rooms with signature Banks Designed horizontal panelling called "nickel gap", because the boards are spaced a nickel's width apart - common in ship building. The blue tone really brings a richness to the room.

The boys bathroom provide a space for each child. Nautically inspired lights and a whimsical whale rug bring a youthfulness to the space.

Another bedroom on the third floor located in the wonderful attic boasts arched casement windows. The zinc topped table was designed by Linda and her shop, Simply Home.

Another bath is awash is beautiful pale blues and marble. The mirrors are custom designed by Linda and also available through Simply Home.

The Maine coastal home is another wonderful example of Linda Banks' beautiful work and attention to details that make a house into a home. For more information on this house and to read the full article in Maine Home and Design click here. For information on Linda Banks Design click here. Finally to browse Linda's wonderful store Simple Home click here.
Thank you Linda for another fabulous home tour!

A Tale of Two Kitchens

It is always interesting to me to see how different two similar spaces can look. I wanted to share with you this wonderful restoration of an Edwardian Duplex in San Francisco by Marsh and Clark Design. By altering the choices of cabinets, furniture and lighting these nearly identical kitchens each become unique spaces. Designer, Stephanie Marsh Fillbrandt created the first kitchen in a more formal tone with ebony cabinets, marble backsplash and marble counters.
The second kitchen in lighter tones has a more relaxed look. Notice that the space and layout are almost the same but the feel is very different.
This first unit lacked a formal dining room. In this case, it was important to have the dining area and the kitchen itself, take on a more formal atmosphere. The lighting and furniture choices are more dressy and sophisticated. Notice the upholstered chairs, chandelier and pendant lights, all would be equally at home in a dining room.
I love the contrast of the white marble against the dark cabinets. Also notice the steel counter stools. I love the sleek contemporary feeling of this space.
The other unit had a formal dining room, so the kitchen was designed to have a more relaxed, informal feeling. By choosing warmer wood tones and wall colors you immediately can see this space has a completely different feeling than the kitchen above. It is interesting to note that the backsplash and counters are the same marble as the kitchen above.

Rattan and wood chairs, small pendant lights and textured shade chandelier give the kitchen a more warm and relaxed feeling. Here you peek into the dining area. The side area of this kitchen doubles as a wet bar for the dining room. This is a wonderful example of changing wood tones, lighting and furnishings and transforming two almost identical kitchens into two very different spaces. Click here to see more wonderful projects from Marsh and Clark Design.

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Finally, after a short hiatus to spend more time this summer focusing on my family, bi-weekly posts at Willow Decor will begin again in September. Recharged, refreshed and more inspired than ever! Exciting things lie ahead!! Glad to be back!!

Beautiful Baths, Creative Storage

Almost every one needs more storage in their bathroom. Perhaps we all need to get a bit more organized, but if you are clutter challenged like me, I wanted to show you some wonderful baths by designer, Molly Frey. You may remember a previous post on a fabulous coastal house by Molly here.

I love the bath above. Let's take a look at some of the elements that make this bath fantastic. First, the overall design with the sink sitting upon an open turquoise glass tiled cabinet - a perfect spot for storing extra towels. The wall mirror is framed out with sconces adding the perfect lighting.

A capiz shell chandelier adds a bit of whimsy to the space. I imagine the french doors lead you outdoors to a secluded hot tub - wishful thinking? I also love symmetry and this bath is a great example.

Of course Molly's marble baths are what generally catch my eye. Here is lovely example that was published in Traditional Home Magazine. The middle cabinet is open - again a nice spot for baskets or extra towel storage. Notice that the cabinets have "feet" to give the sink base the illusion of free standing furniture. I also love the sconce in this bath.

The tub is tucked under the eaves of the home in front of a gorgeous window and next to it we see another area for storage.

Here is a more streamlined, contemporary feeling bath. Two small boxes topped with limestone add the additional storage here. By not putting small doors on these, the look stays very open and contemporary - Interesting!

A more traditional design also shows you some ways to increase storage. Here the cabinets flanking the pedestal sinks sit directly on the counters. Unlike a kitchen, counter space in the bath can be more narrow to support your toiletries. The small ledge behind the sinks also add a space for lotions and creams.
Here we see a shallow medicine cabinet with mirrored doors built into the design. Not only is this cabinet functional, it becomes a wonderful focal point. This bath also has "feet" on the cabinet base.
The final bath has this cute little cabinet on the left side. A great spot for a razor and shaving cream - or perhaps it hides electric outlets and a blow dryer.

Above are several ideas to add a bit storage to your bath. To check out more of Molly Frey's work click here to her website or here to her blog!

(all photos property of Molly Frey)