Highlighting Bold in a Modern way
Familiar with updating historic properties, Michael’s client began with a complete gut, taking the unit down to the studs so modern-day electrical, plumbing, HVAC systems, cable and network systems could be efficiently installed to create a modern ‘Smart Home,’ incorporating a new nerve system into the solid bones often found in mid-century construction. In the process, the client uncovered original terrazzo tile flooring and an Italian marble fireplace, both of which he painstakingly restored.
Provided with a blank slate, Michael’s client called him for guidance on finish selection to ensure design integrity. Faced with pandemic-related supply chain delays, rapidly rising costs, and labor shortages, the challenge was real. The community, designed to capture America’s mid-60’s fascination with all things Italian (stemming from the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics), is filled with promising design features “culled from distant corners of the earth.” Romanesque columns, statues, terrazzo, and marble are infused throughout the community. Rather than hide what has become cheeky and retro-kitsch, these elements served as the inspiration for my design cues: I highlighted those features in a bold, modern way.
The Greek Key Is Key
The iconic Greek key pattern is one of the boldest statements in the history of design. In and of itself, the design represents “infinity” or “eternal flow of things.” It felt fitting to envelop the entry foyer, with its original screen panel, barrel-vault ceiling, and restored terrazzo floor, in a glass-beaded gold wallpaper forming the Greek key. Since installing, the foyer has become a signature ‘step and repeat’ selfie Instagram backdrop for my client’s many cocktail party celebrations.
By blowing open the kitchen and removing a florescent light hiding drop ceiling, Michael was able to create a unified space between dining and kitchen, meeting today’s expectation for an environment engaging family and guests. A brass star back-plate combined with a pull on the cabinetry nods to a vintage aesthetic, yet manages to be clean and modern. The elongated diamond backsplash is a fun take on often-used subway tile; the gray back wall creates a false perspective making the space larger. Walnut base cabinets tie in with his client’s walnut furnishings found throughout the house, and the white upper cabinets brighten the space, enhancing height and lightness.
Using over-sized marble-like tile in the primary bath, Michael was able to replicate the feeling of the original marble features in the bathroom, as well as the fireplace (but not the cleaning challenges of porous marble!). In the shower, a bold black-and-white tile pattern is a referential nod to the Greek key found elsewhere in the home. Michael installed brass legs on a floating cabinet to fashion the illusion the vanity is actually a signature bureau in the bath.
The guest bath features a three-dimensional star-patterned tile wrapped around the room, enhancing natural light, creating a subtle texture and pattern. Custom floating cabinet fronts mimic the star pattern, and under-cabinet lighting enhances the original restored terrazzo floors while creating an effortless floating sensation.
The glass-beaded gold wallpaper forming a Greek key has become a ‘step and repeat’ for Michael’s client’s many cocktail party celebrations.
A Pearl of a Gem
Once the remodel was completed, Michael worked to select new furnishings fitting the space perfectly. Building off great pieces the client already had, Michael and his team worked to curate a collection of interior and exterior furnishings producing a cohesive color palette and design aesthetic. The result was a mix of classic traditional and iconic midcentury furnishings and textures.
Pearl, the original unit owner, was a beloved and celebrated member of the Villa Roma community. It was important to my client that he not erase her memory, but rather celebrate her, the spirit of love and community that filled her home, and at the same time, create a grounding home base for him to start his next chapter in life. It’s a home now lovingly referred to as ‘Pearl’s Place.’
The Greek Key continues on.
