Home for the Holidays 2011 | North/South Edition | Hersam Acorn Newspapers

8/3/2019 Home for the Holidays 2011 | North/South Edition | Hersam Acorn Newspapers

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HOME

A Hersam Acorn Special Section

December 2011

Greenwich Post • The Darien Times • New Canaan Advertiser • The Ridgefield Press • The Wilton Bulletin • The Weston Forum • The Redding Pilot • The Lewisboro Ledger

for the holidays

An Artful Gift CertificatePortrait of a Beloved Home

One Man’s Passion RenewedAs Family Joins in the Fun

Florals to Brighten,Blend with Home’s Décor



2 HOME, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn. December 2011

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December 2011 HOME, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn. 3

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Illuminating the massive chateaux, cas-tles, and cathedrals of ancient Europe was noeasy task. Brightening the dark corners, din-ing halls and bedchambers of those palaceswas done with chandeliers. Candle-holdersthat were originally constructed of beams of wood affixed together in a cross shape witha spike at each end to hold tallow candles,chandeliers brought light-filled clarity intothose structures

Through the ages, chandeliers have con-tinued to serve as a popular lighting choice,bringing elegance and European flair intohomes around the world. New materialswere introduced, including crystal, glass,wrought iron, brass and decorative col-ored glass, and a wide variety of styles andprices became available. Versions of the clas-sic crystal chandelier are still widely used

today for bringing sparkling sophisticationto modern homes.

Cascading from the ceiling of an entry-way or foyer, a 19th-Century French design— dripping with smoky-crystal pendants,translucent ivory beads, trimmed withmother-of-pearl shells and hand-finishedwith multiple layers of silver leaf — gives off an aristocratic and breathtakingingly beauti-ful first impression in a home.

Nearly every room in a house can be glo-rified by the addition of a chandelier. Petiteversions embellished with graceful, femininecurvature and shimmering crystal drops,flowers, petals and additional decoration,add interest to tiny powder rooms, hallwaysand even kitchens.

“It’s like jewelry for the home,” saysSandy Zemola of Fairfield Lighting and

Jewels for the homeGLITTERING, GLAMOROUS CHANDELIERS

by Robin E. Glowa

Roger Sherman Inn

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Design in Fairfield. “Chandeliers add that little twinkleto make a room complete,” she says. “A chandelier givessuch distinction to a room and expresses the homeown-er’s personality. Take the bedroom, for example; thisroom is a haven. When you put a pretty chandelier inthe bedroom, it adds that wonderful sparkle, a sense of romance; it can really make the room something extraspecial.

“While formal European-influenced chandeliers are

still very much in demand,” says Sandy, “moderndesigners are doing incredible variations. You still havethe very ornate option, but there is definitely a trendtowards a cleaner, more geometric look. In fact, I wouldsay that the geometric look is becoming super popular.

While people absolutely still want shimmer and sparkle,they are looking to incorporate that brilliance into adesign that is clean-edged and very modern. Customersare willing to try something different in their homes. Ihave in my home a marvelous drum shade chandelierwith contemporary crystals; it’s different, yet still incor-

porates a special splendor!” Just as they brought a blaze to the cavernous dininghalls of long ago, chandeliers continue to bring light tothe table. Chandeliers today are crafted from such anarray of materials that any dining room décor can beaccommodated.

Should your dining room be more countrified, rustic

See Jewels page 19 A chandelier adds distinction to a room and expresses the owner’s personality.

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Our house on Rusty Hinge Road is likean unfinished sandwich. Which is to saythat the attic and the basement — themetaphorical bread — still await finishingtouches, while the middle two floors — themeat — have been redone.

While those last few last projects linger,I often look around and notice other thingsthat have already begun to fall apart in thedozen years since I redid them.

For example: When I built my office, Iconstructed three drawers to store art sup-plies. Regular readers will not be shockedto learn that all three drawers now houserandom flotsam and jetsam.

The top drawer actually holds art sup-plies, but they are the ones I should throwout — dried-out markers and hardened

paint tubes. Unfinished, blobby model-ing-clay amoebas that my children craftedbefore they developed hand-eye coordina-tion. I have two hot-glue guns in there,twice the number I need. There’s an oldbolo tie with a broken cord that has neededattention since before I was born.

I looked in that drawer today search-ing for, of all things, art supplies, and as Ipulled on the knob, it came off in my hand.

This was troublesome because I laborunder the delusion that I make sturdy fur-niture and the knobs shouldn’t be comingoff in my hand. Adding to the dilemma, Iam lazy, and since I practically never gointo that drawer, I felt obliged to fix it.That way there would be one less brokenthing, right?

Just screwing aroundby Ben Guerrero

■ HOME I MOANER ■

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So, with knob in hand (I knew if I put itdown I’d never find it again or a curious catwould bat it down the stairs and under thesofa), I went about fixing the drawer.

I knew I would need a Phillips screw-driver, but the last time I saw one was inthe console of my truck (there are, mysteri-ously, two there). Being lazy, I didn’t muchfeel like bending down to put on my shoes,

especially with a knob in my hand, so I didwhat anyone else would do, I looked inthe pencil holders on my desk. Aside frompencils and pens, these cans, decorated bymy children for Father’s Day, have beenknown to hold the occasional screwdriver.I found a chop stick, several hardenedpaint brushes, a fork with bent tines, aback scratcher, a tire-pressure gauge and,somewhere around the bottom, a U.S.postage stamp with a picture of Harry

Truman. But no screwdrivers of any sort.Down in the garage, which at themoment is serving as a combination lawnfurniture storage facility and feral catcondo, is a shelf where I have, over theyears, been stacking screwdrivers. I don’tremember ever buying one; they seem toreplicate like bacteria. Somewhere in the

reptilian remnants of my brain stem, I havea synapse that derives pleasure from group-

ing like items with like items. All of thesescrewdrivers are of the “flat head” variety.I can’t remember the last time I used oneof them to actually drive a screw — I usethem mostly to open cans. The flat-headscrewdriver is the VHS of screwdrivers.Long since outmoded by Mr. Phillips’ingenuity.

But, being lazy, I didn’t put on myshoes and a sweater and walk down stairs,through the house, out the back door andinto the garage.

And I had a new problem. In orderto reattach the knob, I had to open thedrawer. Like the drawer itself, this provedto be a bit sticky. Without a knob, I had toopen the second drawer, reach under and

wiggle the top drawer open.Once the drawer was open, I was able

to locate the head of the screw, which isthreaded into the knob, and by pushingit through from the back, I was able totighten the knob just enough to keep itthere so the whole thing wouldn’t just spinin place.

I remember the first time I saw an elec-tric screwdriver gun. I was a small kid andmy father had tightened a handle-less, flat-

head screwdriver into the chuck of his oldone-speed Black and Decker drill. I don’trecall the purpose of this endeavor, but,knowing dad, it might have been some sortof prank he was pulling on our neighbor,George. I remember thinking at the timethat it was a brilliant idea. It wasn’t untilabout 20 years later that I observed some

Canadian workmen installing sheetrock ona ceiling with a cordless, electric screw-driver.

They are everywhere today, but I remem-ber the early ones were temperamental,quite expensive and didn’t hold a chargefor long.

I bought one shortly after we movedhere, and it is never far from my side. After

a few years, the batteries lost their charge,so I bought new ones on Google. Mineis blue and Japanese and with it I havescrewed practically every screw and drilledevery hole in this house.

Luck would have it that Melissa, tiredof seeing it on my dresser, put it on mydesk by the pencil holder. I just picked upthe old, blue electric screwdriver, moveda bunch of stuff out of the drawer andcarefully tightened the knob, where it will

stay, with any luck, for as long as it has to,provided I don’t go snooping around thedrawers more than once every couple of years.

After all, I know what’s in there.Nothing useful.Don’t get me started on Allen wrenches.

[email protected].■

B e n G u e r r e r o

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Box 1019, Ridgefield CT 06877

203-438-6544

Jackie Perry, editor Jessica Perlinski, designer

•Thomas B. Nash, publisher

•For advertising information

call 203-438-6544DECEMBER 2011 VOL XV, ISSUE 12

Special Section to:

Greenwich Post, The Darien Times, New Canaan Advertiser,

The Ridgefield Press, The Wilton Bulletin,

The Redding Pilot, and The Weston Forum in Connecticut,

and The Lewisboro Ledger in New York

Cover photo: Bryan Haeffele.

HOMECopyright 2011, Hersam Acorn Newspapers, LLC




Your best friend has just remodeled herhouse. She’d love some pictures of it — butnot the amateur kind. You know a newly-wed couple who just moved into their firstapartment. They’d love a good photographto use on their holiday cards. Perhaps afamily is moving away, and would loveto have a photo(s) to remind them of abeloved home. Or, you simply want a pic-

ture of your own home worth enlarging andframing. Jane Beiles (pronounced Bay-liss)is the architectural/interior design photog-rapher to contact.

Jane’s special niche of architectural pho-tography (exteriors and interiors) givesimages of houses — doorways, kitchens,family rooms — a special touch. She admitsthat it’s an idealized version of reality

but that’s what makes her photographs socontinuously interesting. A Jane BeilesPhotography Gift Certificate makes a mem-orable, loving legacy.

Jane’s special skill is the “staging” of aphotograph, which means producing anideal image — every detail is intentional.The photograph’s impact is the result of great care, perfect lighting and what she

calls “artistic effects” — digital editing thatproduces a natural, yet painterly quality.“When people walk into a beautiful

home, they’ll often say, ‘It looks just likea magazine!’ That’s a compliment to thehomeowner’s taste. And that’s what I like toproduce,” Jane says. She credits this skill totraining with Bruce Katz, who took photosfor Architectural Digest for 25 years, as well

as an all-consuming interest in architectureand art history.

Before she became a full-time photogra-pher, she was in the fashion industry (eightyears with Esprit de Corps.) “Color, textureand composition were important, and thatexperience relates well to photography,”she says. “My background in business andmarketing means that in addition to pho-

tography, I can help architects and interiordesigners market their work.” This market-ing sense resulted in initiating the idea of the Jane Beiles Gift Certificate, which isexplained on her Web site.

“It started when a friend of mine, whohad just remodeled her home wanted pho-tographs of it, as it looked when it was justcompleted. When she received the photo-

graphs, she said that she thought lots of other people would want the same sort of thing,” Jane says. “I created the gift certifi-cate because professional photographs, likeartwork, are original gifts as well as goodinvestments.”

Jane often uses “tethered shooting.”Her camera, on a tripod, is tethered to acomputer screen so the client can watch

as the photo is set up and shot. If thereare any changes, they can be done imme-diately.

“I love working with light,” she says.“I enjoy photographing modern homes,where there’s lots of light, but I also likedoing historic, older houses. I just bringlots of extension cords and adapters. WhenI have light to play with, it becomes part of

AN ARTFUL GIFT CERTIFICATE

Portrait of a beloved homeby Lois Alcosser

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the composition. When it’s a challenge, I bringin light.”

Photoshop makes it possible to achieve per-fection. Electrical outlets can be brushed away,dirty windows can be cleaned, shabbiness canbe elevated to nostalgia. “I photographed anhistoric house recently, concentrating on thebeautiful details. I made it look painterly. Thewoman who bought it had it framed for her

husband’s birthday gift,” says Jane. Are there any hints for people who plan to

have their homes photographed? Jane smilesand says, “Dogs and cats love light, so beforewe shoot, we have to make sure they’re notsniffing around the camera.”

She comments that homes look differentin every season, so it might be a good idea tohave it photographed when spring trees areblooming (just in case you’d ever want to sellyour house). “Sometimes, I’ll combine two

different photographs, so I can show a viewoutside a window. Or it might be the oppo-site, when it’s better not to see what’s outside.The whole point is to create a picture of yourdream home come true ...”

Jane has three children, in second, third andfourth grades. “That’s typical of me, I guess,”

Staging a photograph is one of Jane Beiles’s special skills.

J a n e B e i l e s

See Jane Beiles page 23

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BEA SCHRIVER FLORALS

Brighten and blend

with home’s décorby Lois Alcosser

Peonies in December. Deep pink impa-

tiens in window boxes when it’s snowing. Aholiday wreath of roses. It’s all possible andpractical because Bea Schriver Florals has a

collection of silk flowers that are so flaw-lessly handcrafted they look realer than real

— and they’ll stay fresh for years. Seasonalarrangements and holiday decorations canbe packed away and used again and again.

Bea worked in the corporate world for

several years and decided that an indooroffice life wasn’t for her. “I simply love natureand the outdoors so much,” she explains.

“I’ve always loved flowers. I always had flow-

ers on my desk at work. So when I wanted to

do something I really enjoyed, I decided towork with fresh flowers in a florist shop in Wilton. I learned the basics. I did fresh flow-

ers for weddings and parties at first.“Then I discovered that some specially

selected permanent silk flowers were so real-looking that you’d have to touch the petalsto make sure. I started making arrangementsfor friends, and then more and more people

wanted them, so my business began! I get theflowers from different wholesalers I’ve foundin the United States, who each have their

own specialty.”A wreath, whether traditional red and green or more contemporary, is always welcoming.

B e a S c h r i v e r

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Bea Schriver’s Web site, a portfolio of herwork, says it all. Included is a video showing

exactly how each flower is handmade — cutpetal by petal, hand-shaped and hand-paint-ed — it’s amazing! (See beaschriverflorals.

co.) Creating a rose by hand is much moredemanding than planting a rose bush.

Bea often goes to a client’s home for con-

sultation — to see the colors and textures of

the décor, upholstery, carpets, wall colors.“The arrangement must fit into each specific

home. It’s an investment that will last foryears,” Bea says.

“People often bring swatches to me or we

e-mail or telephone. Every arrangement isdesigned to belong to the particular home

and space. It’s all very individual. Manypeople like a traditional look; others wantsomething more contemporary. The wonder-

ful thing is, that each one stays beautiful,year after year.

“I do arrangements for the foyer, mantel-

piece, dining room, powder rooms, garlands

for staircases and topiary trees. I just recentlyadded an orchid that is so incredibly real-

looking even I couldn’t tell the difference.

See Bea Schriver Florals page 18

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BRASWELL GALLERIES

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LOCATION: Situated in mid-country Greenwich,

this home offers a diversity of settings on threelevels.PROPERTY: Nicely landscaped on more than an

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bridge over Brother’s Brook.HOUSE: Dramatic windows are a signature of thishome, which has a window wall in the living roomwith French doors leading to the deck. Also on the

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guest bedroom and office. On the second floor isa master bedroom suite and three double-sizedbedrooms. The lower level has an exercise room,

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GARAGE: Three-car attached.PRICE: $4,200,000.

REALTY: Shore & Country Properties. Agent: Russell Pruner, 203-698-1234.Photographer: Bryan Haeffele.

Home of the Month • December 2011




John Bender, known to his friends, fam-ily and clients as JC, has three loves: hisfamily, his physical therapy practice and hisartwork.

JC received a master of science in physi-cal therapy from Sacred Heart Universityin Fairfield in 2000. His undergraduatedegree was in art, since art and illustration

were JC’s first passion. However, after muchreflection, he decided to pursue his educa-tion in a different discipline.

“I loved art, but I loved helping people

more. After I received my art degree, I knewit was time to go in a different direction. Ifelt physical therapy suited my career goalsmore than becoming an artist did,” JC said.

One man’s passion renewedAS FAMILY JOINS IN THE FUN

by Isabelle Ghaneh

Titled the ‘Dapper Dog,’ this painting inspired other dog owners to request portraits of their own pets.

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Art was still an interest but, after JC gradu-ated, “life got very busy” and art went on theback burner.

JC married Jessica, a fellow physicaltherapist, and they set up practice in upstateNew York. JC and Jessica became the par-ents of three daughters, now ages five, threeand two. Four years ago, they left New Yorkand moved back to Connecticut, JC’s home

state. JC became a partner in the MooreCenter for Rehabilitation, which has officesin Stamford, Darien and Wilton.

He settled into his new routine and thenthe art bug bit him again. “This past sum-

mer, my oldest daughter, Alexandra, askedme to teach her how to draw and paintdogs. I wanted to share my love of art withmy girls,” JC said.

Art has become a family hobby for JCand his daughters. “They love to watchdaddy paint and draw, and to be able to joinin with their own art projects, large or small.In their playroom, there are always crayons,

paper, paste, paints and other art supplies.I’m happy that my enjoyment of art hasbeen transferred to my girls,” JC said.

See Dog portraits page 18

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After more than 20 years of buying and selling antiques and deco-rative items from home, Dottie Earle DeLuca has formalized her busi-ness with the opening of a store at 4 Long Ridge Road in Redding.The former restaurant property, which had been vacant for more than

two years, is now bursting with furniture, lamps, glassware, vintage jewelry and other items that make a house a home.Commenting on the name she’d chosen, Fleur De Lis Antiques

and Décor, Dottie said, “I wanted a name that was simple and elegant,and that doesn’t pigeonhole me,” adding, “I want to be an interestingshop for people looking for something unique as well as affordable.”

The emphasis is on vintage and eye-catching rather than high-end and formal. The shop also carries decorative art work, col-lectibles, garden items and patio furniture, and features a back

FLEUR DE LIS ANTIQUES AND DÉCOR

An eclectic collection

of many facetsby Janis Gibson

Midcentury Modern furnishings are a standout in this eclectic shop.

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room chockfull of colorful and intriguinglyshaped Midcentury Modern items, whichshe finds growing in popularity. She admitsto a weakness for wrought iron, which isno surprise when you come upon her largeselection of outdoor furniture and decora-tive items.

Dottie grew up in Wilton and gradu-ated from the University of Massachusetts,

Amherst, with a fine arts degree and aconcentration in dance. She subsequentlywon a scholarship to Alvin Ailey AmericanDance Theater. Performing as Dottie Earle,she was with several dance companies, didcommercial work and appeared in regionaltheater, as well as on Broadway (Will RogersFollies, On The Town and an earlier revivalof Sondheim’s Follies), and was a Rockettefor seven years.

“I always liked decorating and antiques,”she said. “When I was dancing in New

York, I often visited flea markets as well asestate sales; it was a passion. When you’rea collector, though, you get to the pointwhere you have too much stuff, so you sellsome things to buy others. The businessaspect kind of evolved, and I found I lovedit; I could indulge my passion and pay forit at the same time.”

Dottie was also part of the nationaltour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Music of the Night, which ended in July 2001. Then9/11 happened and she thought, “That’s it,I’m done working in New York.” She alsoliked the idea of having holidays with herfamily — “When you’re in the theater, youalways work on holidays” — and startingone of her own. Her son Austin was born

the following year.That is also when she began to get more

serious about antiques as a business. Shefound that buying and selling “allows meto have my passion, without having to takecare of it; I can let someone else enjoy thethings I do.” She also conducted estate salesand sold wholesale to dealers and decora-tors, as well as worked with consignmentshops. When she started a Web site, shewas surprised at its reach, noting, “I getpeople coming up here from Brooklyn. Ifind the whole process kind of like theater;you’re always learning something new andit’s never dull.”

Primarily self-taught, she did work atan auction house for awhile. She describesherself as “very visual,” adding, “I buythings that I find appealing. In my earlydays, often buying something I liked, I’d do

some research and find out it was valuable,which validated what I was doing. That’swhat’s fun about antiques — you’re alwayslearning, building a depth of knowledge.People teach you things, and you learnfrom your mistakes. You may not knowwhat something is when you buy it, but itis fun to find out.”

Dottie buys privately from estates and

those who are downsizing. “I’ve been inRedding since 1985,” she notes. “Peoplecall me when they’re ready to get rid of stuff.” She has also done staging for Realtorsand provided decorating services, whichshe expects to expand with the opening of the shop.

Local reaction — as she and her hus-band, Michael DeLuca, who is a builderand excavator, began renovating and repair-ing the building — has been very favorable.“People are happy that something is here,”she adds.

Tucked away from major roads (see travelnote below), the location is somewhat leg-endary, with area old-timers who rememberits days as the Country Emporium, estab-lished by Michel Tree in 1960 and lost to afire in 1986. With the railroad stopping infront of the Emporium, Tree attracted many

people out of New York, and celebritiescould often be found in the store, as wellas working behind the counters. Kids lovedthe Emporium for its penny candy. Dottienotes that she was one of those kids, herfamily often making the trip from Wilton.In returning the property to retail use, shehopes to create that kind of exciting desti-nation again.

Fleur De Lis is open 10 to 5, Tuesdaythrough Sunday, until Christmas; Wednesdaythrough Sunday thereafter. For more informa-tion, 203-664-1673 or fleurdelisct.com. ■

Travel note: The bridge on SimpaugTurnpike is being reconstructed and willbe closed for at least six months, and thedetour signs can be confusing. For thosetraveling north on Route 7 from lowerFairfield County, in Georgetown take Route107 North to Route 53 and turn left ontoSidecut Road to Long Ridge. From fur-ther up Route 7, take Topstone Road pastSimpaug to Chestnut Woods Road (a left),to Marchant Road. Turn left again, whichbrings you back to Simpaug near the closedbridge. Turn right and at the stop sign infront of the Redding Post Office, turn leftonto Long Ridge.

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Give the Gift of Light

Bedford Lighting & Home

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As JC got more involved in art projectswith his daughters, he “started to think thatI shouldn’t allow this talent of mine to go towaste. I felt it was time to throw my hat backinto the art ring,” he said.

JC has always loved drawing dogs. He had

dogs as a child, even though he is allergic tothem. “I didn’t care that I had a runny nose andwatery eyes; I just wanted to be around dogs,”he said. JC had three dogs when he was growingup — first a Siberian husky, then a Shih Tzu andfinally a Shetland sheepdog. JC’s first art com-missions came to him via his love of dogs.

“As part of my art degree, I had to set up aportfolio of my work. The portfolio was shownat a student art show held at Sacred Heart. I hadcards made up of one of my dog portraits calledthe Dapper Dog. The cards were given around,and I received two commissions from clientswho wanted me to draw their dogs’ portraits,”

JC said. JC’s Dapper Dog portrait is certainly a stand-

out. He used watercolors and colored pencilsin its creation. The dog is a dark brown dachs-hund, sporting a navy-blue stripped rugby

jersey, along with a navy-blue beret. The dapperdog is smoking a brown pipe. He obviouslythinks deep thoughts since he has a very pen-sive look, as he gazes off into the distance. In thebackground, the brown sepia sky blends into ared gold sunset.

“I still love animals and I enjoyed doing dogportraits in the past, so once I decided to getback in the art game, I felt dog portraits werethe way to go,” he said.

JC works from photographs of the dogs. Heis open to suggestion and is happy to put a bow-tie on a dog to create the effect the customerwants.

The art media JC uses are watercolors, col-ored pencils and acrylics. He can work in oil,but it takes a lot longer, so he usually doesn’temploy that medium, “unless a client really hashis or her heart set on oil.”

It takes JC between four to six weeks tocomplete his dog portraits. The average size is9 x 12 inches, but JC has done head shots of 8x 10 inches and larger works of 11 x 14 inches.He does acrylics on canvas and watercolors onwatercolor paper; however, he doesn’t frame the

Dog portraits continued from page 15

Every arrangement has to be in the right container, bowl or vase. Sometimescontainers will be brought to me or I’ll find the best possible one. The holiday

season gets very busy. I have one client who has me do the entire first floor of her home, year after year.”

For those who want to do their own holiday decorations, Bea has some

good advice. “Let’s say you want to make a holiday wreath for the door. You’ll

need a glue gun, wire cutter, floral tape, wood picks, perhaps pliers. They’reall available at a crafts store. I suggest starting with a store-bought base — one

of those undecorated, plain balsam wreaths that you can get at a supermarket.Then, the creativity is up to you. Decide on your color scheme. If you want aribbon, I’d put that on first. It can be traditional red, burgundy, gold or sparkly

silver. Plaid is very popular lately.“To decorate it, you can use Christmas tree balls, faux fruit — like pome-

granates, pears or apples — gold, silver or natural pine cones or flowers, like

amaryllis or orchids. I’ve used walnuts and berries. It’s nice to have differentgreens, like white pine or juniper berry. You can be quite traditional or unex-pected, with a purple and silver wreath. You basically stick a wooden pick into

the ornament, put glue around the bottom and tuck it into the balsam base.“It takes practice — trial and error — finding out what works best for you.

It’s fun to try different things. I’ve often made an arrangement, left it overnight

and the next morning, I’ll see something I want to change to make it better.”Bea finds that creating arrangements that become part of the décor of a

home — adding the beauty of flowers all year long — is a meditative, fulfilling

experience meant to give constant pleasure.Contact [email protected]; beaschriverflorals.com; 203-834-9515. ■

Bea Schriver Florals continued from page 11

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CAPPY & SON and DAUGHTER INC.

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h f h ll h l f d hlk “Th l h ld b




or lodge chandeliers combine natural ele-ments of wood and iron to create a stun-ningly strong statement. This stately look hasits origins in Moorish, Spanish and Gothicstyles, incorporating both ultra simple andmore intricate metal scrollwork, often of

hand-forged iron.Sandy says, “Yes, iron is very popular

right now, again. I’m seeing that my custom-ers want a nice, clean look when purchasingan iron chandelier. Buying a chandelier issuch an interesting process — for women,it’s almost like buying a dress. Size and stylereally come into the buying decision, andyou have to take the time to shop carefullyfor what is going to suit you and your home

just right.“Just like fashion, lighting design recycles

itself. Items that were the rage in the 60s arebecoming desirable again. We’re also seeingthat polished nickel and bronze chandeliersare a hot item right now. We have an excel-lent selection of chandeliers here in the store,and we encourage our customers to reallychoose something that makes their heart

sing. This is not an instant gratification pur-chase; many of the pieces have to be special-ordered and come in from Europe, so there isa bit of a waiting period. But when you havechosen something you really, really love, youfind it’s worth waiting for.”

Sandy adds, “There are many Internetsources for lighting that can help you definethe style you are looking for. But when you

shop locally, especially at a family-ownedbusiness such as ours, you’re going to betreated with kid gloves. Just like picking outan important piece of jewelry, we are goingto walk you through the entire buying deci-sion. Every piece is finely crafted, and wehave lots of designer lines so that customerscan choose from very special pieces that areunique.”

“We offer lighting consultations and pri-vate appointments so we can personallyguide you to your perfect chandelier. Thereare specific factors to be considered whenbuying a chandelier. You really need to care-fully consider the room, particularly ceilingheight — many newer homes have extremelyhigh ceilings. How big is the table, and whatis the personal style of the homeowner. Weare proud to offer the products and expertise

that will help our customers find the crown-ing jewel for their home!”

Fairfield Lighting and Design, 356 BlackRock Turnpike, Fairfield; 203-384-2209;

fairfieldlighting.com; Mon. to Sat. 9-5, or byappointment. ■

Jewels continued from page 5

Chandeliers are like jewelry for your home.

W a yn e R a t z e n b e r g e r

work. “The watercolors should bematted and framed, but the acrylicscan be hung on the wall since theyare on canvas,” he said.

Many clients ask JC for a por-trait of a friend’s or relative’s dog togive as a gift. Dog portraits can bea great idea for a special someone’sbirthday or for Mother’s or Father’s

Day. Often a parent will ask for aportrait of their child’s favorite four-legged friend to hang in his or herbedroom.

JC doesn’t have to actually seethe dog since he works from pho-tographs. “The client can send thephotograph, in the highest reso-lution possible and with the bestcolor, by e-mail. The lighting of thephotograph is important. If the sunis washing out the dog, it will notwork. If a client says they love thedog in a certain pose but the lightingis bad, I will ask them to re-pose thedog in a good light,” he said.

For more information, 203-505-5611 or e-mail at [email protected]. ■

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Come to Avantgarden in the hamlet of Scotts Corners in Pound Ridgeand feast your eyes on a treasure trove of one-of-a kind vintage lighting

fixtures, furniture, art and art objects.Located in an airy, renovated l950s gas station, with vaulted ceilings

and plenty of parking, the eight-year-old business has forged a reputation

for providing its customers, both homeowners and interior designers,with a cornucopia of unique items in a bold, edgy style that mixes vintageand modern sophistication.

A tour of the store (87 Westchester Avenue, Route 124) reveals apainted wood carousel horse, a set of metal estate gates, a pierced-topsteel dining table, a selection of hanging, re-purposed industrial lights

and much more.

Fulfilling A Dream“My husband Charlie and I were always interested in antiques, art and

design,” says co-owner, Kristin Allen. “After the events of 9/11, we reas-sessed our lives and decided to make some changes. At the time, Charlie,

a native of London, was in marketing in New York City and I was at homewith two young children, following a career in children’s television.”

Kristin says the couple decided to start a business that focused on their

joint passion, even though they had no retail experience. “We decided toforget about ‘Let’s do this when we are older’ and do it now,” she said.“Eight years ago we saw this space, leased it and opened up as more of a

garden center.”

European FlairKristin says Avantgarden gradually evolved from a garden center to

embrace its current stock of eclectic offerings. “We started finding somereally cool industrial lights in Europe and brought them back to the

store,” she said. “We are now well-known for our industrial lighting — alot of it from France — and the high ceilings here are perfect for display-ing it.”

Unusual industrial steel furniture is another specialty of Avantgarden.“Right now we have a good selection, including some brushed-metal stor-age cabinets and interesting tables,” she says.

Charlie travels extensively in England and across Europe to keep

Avantgarden filled with a wide and ever-changing selection. .“He is verycharismatic,” Kristin says. “People love to chat with him about the items

he has found abroad and shipped back here. He does all the buying andcan tell a story about every single piece. His enthusiasm is contagious andtranslates to our customers.”Avantgarden is noted for its industrial lighting.

AvantgardenAN ECLECTIC COLLECTION

OF THE EDGY AND UNUSUAL

by Jane K. Dove

Kristin says many of the items offered at the has been key to their success “We will visit our




Kristin says many of the items offered at theshop come from European factories, municipal

buildings and even the streets, in the case of thelighting fixtures. “Charlie goes over six timesa year and always finds wonderful things,” she

said.Kristin says she believes one of the reasons

Avantgarden is thriving is because of the decline

in the number of specialty furniture stores in the

Westchester/Fairfield area. “A lot of these smallerplaces have closed in recent years, and I think we

help fill a void,” A look around Avantgarden reveals a varied

assortment of furniture, including sofas, chairs,

benches and tables. In addition to the overheadlighting, there are plenty of floor and table lamps,along with lanterns for indoor or outdoor use.

There are large mirrors, wood and metal vin-tage cabinets, framed and unframed original art,photographs and lithographs, sculpture — both

large and small — and vintage garden urns.

Avantgarden also carries its own line of custom-made wood and metal furniture — including

benches, tables and cabinets.

The Personal TouchKristin says she believes running a relatively

small operation, which can respond quickly tohomeowner and designer questions and orders,

has been key to their success. We will visit ourclients’ homes and let them ‘borrow’ items to see

how they work out. This is the kind of servicethat you can’t get from large furniture dealers.”

The Internet has been another powerful force.

“At this point, about 50 percent of our businesscomes through designers, who find us on theInternet,” she says. “As a result, we have custom-

ers all over the country and are happy to ship

items anywhere.”Kristin says Avantgarden is also fortunate

to have what she describes as a sophisticatedbase of clients right in the Westchester/Fairfieldarea. “These are people that are willing to take

a chance on items that are unusual,” she said.“They want things that have meaning and a his-tory, and that is exactly what we offer.”

Looking to the future, the Allens plan toexpand their own line of furniture, while theycontinue to import from Europe.

“I’m glad we didn’t wait until ‘whenever’ to do

this,” Kristin said. “We are still young and havethe stamina needed to carry things off. Working

together is fun, and we look forward to what thefuture holds.”

Kristin and Charlie Allen live in Fairfield withtheir two school-age children. Visit avantgardenltd.com or call 914-764-0010. ■

Customers can “borrow” an item to be certain it fits in with their décor.

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WESTPORT ��

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she says. “I like to get things done right.So when I was having babies, I had themone after the other so they’d all be in schooltogether, and I could get back to work!”

In addition to homes and interiors, Jane’s photographs of food and nature are

quite remarkable. Mounted on bamboo,they are stunning gifts. You can see a wall of photographs at Caroline’s Crèperie, a newFrench restaurant in New Canaan.

For more information: janebeiles.com or 203-858-6841. ■

Jane Beilescontinued from page 9

Night-time lighting is always a fascinating challenge.

J a n e B e i l e s

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Home for the Holidays 2011 | North/South Edition | Hersam Acorn Newspapers

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