|Saturday/Sunday, January13-14,2018...
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D4 | Saturday/Sunday, January 13 - 14, 2018 **** THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Decorating advice more than a century old doesn’t seem fusty to designer Thomas Jayne of Houses” with architect Ogden Codman, Jr. This treatise on resi- dential design remains of lasting interest to contemporary design- ers, including Thomas Jayne, known for interiors that artfully embrace and refresh historical tra- dition. “‘The Decoration of Houses’ was a remarkably practical book that explains not just how but why you do something, ” said the New York- based Mr. Jayne, also a chair for that city’s Winter Antiques Show later this month. “And then of course there’s the whole literary quality of it. ” He has revisited the book’s max- ims in a new guide of his own, “Classical Principles for Modern Design” (Monacelli). In it, as here, he illustrates Wharton and Cod- man, Jr.’s dictums through the lens of his own designs—taking the odd liberty in modernizing their spirit. I N THE EARLY 20th cen- tury, the American author Edith Wharton wrote of her stately home and gar- den in the Massachusetts Berkshires, “…this place, every line of which is my own work, far sur- passes ‘The House of Mirth.’” Best known for prose that illu- minated the complexities and yearnings of the American elite into which she was born, Wharton was also an authority on classical design. An autodidact, she mod- eled her estate, the Mount, after an English 17th-century Restora- tion-style house. Open to the pub- lic, it now draws thousands of visi- tors a year. In 1897, five years before the publication of her first novel, Wharton co-wrote “The Decoration BY MIEKE TEN HAVE “In decorating the walls of a room, the first point to be considered is whether they are to form a back- ground for its contents, or to be in themselves chief decoration. ” “It should be borne in mind of entrances...that, while the main purpose of a door is to admit, its secondary purpose is to exclude. ” “Since bedrooms are no longer used as salons, there is no reason for decorating them in an elaborate manner; ...in this part of the house simplicity is the most fitting. ” UNBALANCING ACT In this New York apartment library designed by Mr. Jayne, an Italian mosaic fireplace provides a focal point, which he flanked symmetrically with mirrors, sconces and built-in oak bookcases. Further estab- lishing a strong architectural balance in the Wharton tra- dition: a grid-like coffered ceiling with a light fixture dead center. The asymmet- rical upholstered seating—a pair of sofas might have been more predictable—de- liberately upsets the order, creating a pleasant tension. “I admire symmetry,” said Mr. Jayne, “but you can’t maintain it absolutely with- out looking foolish. It is particularly wonderful when you break it.... The genius is having a symmetrical frame so it all looks at ease.” STAR PLAYER The immersive landscape wallpaper by Gracie Studio established the agenda for this Manhattan bedroom. White, cream and violet hues subjugate the textiles to the wallcovering’s palette. “You don’t see any one thing first when you walk in,” said Mr. Jayne. “We used curved forms for the upholstery and chairs to treat the room holistically.” This room, he added, adheres to Whar- ton and Codman’s rule, though in an unpredictable manner, that rooms have a cornice and base for visual harmony. Mr. Jayne added base molding, “but the way the paper’s painted, the sky acts as a cornice,” he said. “It was a kind of accidental genius.” FOYER CONSIDERATION Ms. Wharton believed homes should have distinct public and private spheres. “A vestibule signals you are entering into a private, protected space,” said Mr. Jayne, who created one in this Mon- tana lodge. After surrounding a fir and metal front door with glass sidelights and a tran- som, he delineated a type of antechamber by erecting a second frame with its own glass sidelights and transom. “It lets in the light but doesn’t show too much to the outside world.” Mr. Jayne selected a slate floor that also marks the entrance space as separate from the home’s wood-floored main areas. STRONG BONES Wharton believed that architecture, both interior and exterior, was key to successful decorating. In its absence, Mr. Jayne creates it. When he found a series of original 18th-century Chinoiserie panels at Chris- tie’s Auction House in Lon- don, he turned to architect Peter Pennoyer to create a framework to showcase them in this Manhattan dining room. He also silver- leafed the cornice and moldings to boost the room’s architectural gravi- tas. The vertical pilasters and wall paneling serve the classical imperative that the base and cornice be visually connected. Furthermore, the cornice moldings extended past the wall and onto the ceiling. “It’s a good trick,” said Mr. Jayne. “It makes a short room seem taller.” A KIND OF HUSH When applying Wharton’s dictate to sim- plify bedrooms, said Mr. Jayne, “the trick is to make an inter- esting quiet room as opposed to a cop-out quiet room.” In this Pennsylvania space, he enlisted various textures—a cash- mere throw, silk curtains and wallcovering, striéd wool car- pet—in muted shades of gray, cream, white and pale blue. “What bolsters the seeming simplicity is many colors so close in value they all blend together,” he said. The moody paint- ings, by Gerhard Richter, play against the otherwise neutral room but are still serene. “The bold colors of, say, Andy War- hol’s Soup Cans wouldn’t work,” said Mr. Jayne. PIETER ESTERSOHN (BEDROOMS); DON FREEMAN (3) Edith Wharton’s Words of Wisdom “Architectural features...are part of the organism of every house, inside as well as out. ” “If proportion is the good breeding of architecture, symmetry...may be defined as the sanity of decoration. ” DESIGN & DECORATING P2JW013000-4-D00400-1--------XA
Transcript of |Saturday/Sunday, January13-14,2018...
D4 | Saturday/Sunday, January 13 - 14, 2018 * * * * THEWALL STREET JOURNAL.
Decorating advice more than a century olddoesn’t seem fusty to designer Thomas Jayne
of Houses” with architect OgdenCodman, Jr. This treatise on resi-dential design remains of lastinginterest to contemporary design-ers, including Thomas Jayne,known for interiors that artfullyembrace and refresh historical tra-dition.
“‘The Decoration of Houses’ wasa remarkably practical book thatexplains not just how but why youdo something,” said the New York-based Mr. Jayne, also a chair forthat city’s Winter Antiques Showlater this month. “And then ofcourse there’s the whole literaryquality of it.”
He has revisited the book’s max-ims in a new guide of his own,“Classical Principles for ModernDesign” (Monacelli). In it, as here,he illustrates Wharton and Cod-man, Jr.’s dictums through the lensof his own designs—taking the oddliberty in modernizing their spirit.
IN THE EARLY 20th cen-tury, the American authorEdith Wharton wrote ofher stately home and gar-den in the Massachusetts
Berkshires, “…this place, every lineof which is my own work, far sur-passes ‘The House of Mirth.’”
Best known for prose that illu-minated the complexities andyearnings of the American eliteinto which she was born, Whartonwas also an authority on classicaldesign. An autodidact, she mod-eled her estate, the Mount, afteran English 17th-century Restora-tion-style house. Open to the pub-lic, it now draws thousands of visi-tors a year.
In 1897, five years before thepublication of her first novel,Wharton co-wrote “The Decoration
BY MIEKE TEN HAVE
“In decorating the walls of a room,the first point to be considered
is whether they are to form a back-ground for its contents, or to
be in themselves chief decoration.”
“It should be borne inmind of entrances...that,while the main purpose of
a door is to admit,its secondary purpose
is to exclude.”
“Since bedrooms are nolonger used as salons, there is
no reason for decoratingthem in an elaborate manner;
...in this part of thehouse simplicity is the
most fitting.”
UNBALANCING ACTIn this New York apartmentlibrary designed by Mr.Jayne, an Italian mosaicfireplace provides a focalpoint, which he flankedsymmetrically with mirrors,sconces and built-in oakbookcases. Further estab-lishing a strong architecturalbalance in the Wharton tra-dition: a grid-like cofferedceiling with a light fixturedead center. The asymmet-rical upholstered seating—apair of sofas might havebeen more predictable—de-liberately upsets the order,creating a pleasant tension.“I admire symmetry,” saidMr. Jayne, “but you can’tmaintain it absolutely with-out looking foolish. It isparticularly wonderful whenyou break it....The genius ishaving a symmetrical frameso it all looks at ease.”
STAR PLAYER The immersive landscape wallpaper by GracieStudio established the agenda for this Manhattan bedroom. White,cream and violet hues subjugate the textiles to the wallcovering’spalette. “You don’t see any one thing first when you walk in,” saidMr. Jayne. “We used curved forms for the upholstery and chairs totreat the room holistically.” This room, he added, adheres to Whar-ton and Codman’s rule, though in an unpredictable manner, thatrooms have a cornice and base for visual harmony. Mr. Jayneadded base molding, “but the way the paper’s painted, the skyacts as a cornice,” he said. “It was a kind of accidental genius.”
FOYER CONSIDERATION Ms. Whartonbelieved homes should have distinct publicand private spheres. “A vestibule signals youare entering into a private, protected space,”said Mr. Jayne, who created one in this Mon-tana lodge. After surrounding a fir and metalfront door with glass sidelights and a tran-som, he delineated a type of antechamber byerecting a second frame with its own glasssidelights and transom. “It lets in the lightbut doesn’t show too much to the outsideworld.” Mr. Jayne selected a slate floor thatalso marks the entrance space as separatefrom the home’s wood-floored main areas.
STRONG BONESWharton believed thatarchitecture, both interiorand exterior, was key tosuccessful decorating. In itsabsence, Mr. Jayne createsit. When he found a seriesof original 18th-centuryChinoiserie panels at Chris-tie’s Auction House in Lon-don, he turned to architectPeter Pennoyer to create aframework to showcasethem in this Manhattandining room. He also silver-leafed the cornice andmoldings to boost theroom’s architectural gravi-tas. The vertical pilastersand wall paneling serve theclassical imperative that thebase and cornice be visuallyconnected. Furthermore, thecornice moldings extendedpast the wall and onto theceiling. “It’s a good trick,”said Mr. Jayne. “It makes ashort room seem taller.”
A KIND OF HUSH When applying Wharton’s dictate to sim-plify bedrooms, said Mr. Jayne, “the trick is to make an inter-esting quiet room as opposed to a cop-out quiet room.” Inthis Pennsylvania space, he enlisted various textures—a cash-mere throw, silk curtains and wallcovering, striéd wool car-pet—in muted shades of gray, cream, white and pale blue.“What bolsters the seeming simplicity is many colors so closein value they all blend together,” he said. The moody paint-ings, by Gerhard Richter, play against the otherwise neutralroom but are still serene. “The bold colors of, say, Andy War-hol’s Soup Cans wouldn’t work,” said Mr. Jayne.
PIET
ERES
TERS
OHN(BED
ROOMS);D
ONFR
EEMAN(3)
EdithWharton’sWords ofWisdom
“Architectural features...are part of the organismof every house, inside as well as out.”
“If proportionis the goodbreeding ofarchitecture,symmetry...maybe definedas the sanityof decoration.”
DESIGN & DECORATING
P2JW013000-4-D00400-1--------XA
