
“The main room of a midwestern home has multiple seating areas
with movable chairs and a parchment center table…”
Note the fluidity of mirror and wall surface…

“In a midwestern bedroom, walls are covered with burlap stenciled
in a pattern that echoes the motifs found in the
English crewelwork curtains.”

“Romantic stenciling in a Connecticut country house…”
Soothing tone on tone…

“In a Park Avenue bedroom, cotton voile drapery
is edged with an antique ribbon.”
Note the detail at top of window drapes…

“The entry to a country bath is market by an Italian Baroque
painted screen. The tub is painted to look like marble…”

“The walls of our Manhattan apartment are stenciled
and a plaster cornice was installed…”

” ‘What I offer is an original approach….a cleaned up version of
eighteenth and nineteenth century styles for a 1988 lifestyle’
says Sills. His spare Neoclassical is enhanced by a almost
surrealistic juxtaposition of objects and his hallmark
painted finishes, which can duplicate wood, wallpaper,
or soft wisps of color…“
Stephen Sill’s apartment in 1988
House and Garden archives

Another view of same apartment in Dwellings…
“A monochromatic palette of rich golden creams and beiges
make the space seem larger. The motif on the carved mantel was
the inspiration for the stenciled cornice (above) …
…the marble urn is Roman.“

“In our guest cottage, a circular Roman marble bas relief
echoes the round window.”
I have to tell you I’m nuts about round windows…
Dreaming about installing a line of round dormers
on the view facing side of our roof line…

“In the library of our house, a German
eighteenth century Louis XVI desk …

…is accented with a pair of Sevres
bisque porcelain caryatid lamps.”

“The small writing table is by the French cabinet maker Carabar,
the mahogany chair is Directoire. An English fireman’s ladder
from the nineteenth century is used to reach the shelves…”


“Painted Italian cabinets from the eighteenth century
hold globes and obelisks“

“In a gentleman’s Manhattan apartment…that is flooded
with light, wood furniture from various periods add up to a
harmony in brown…the strié effect on the walls adds depth…”

Dwellings
Living with Great Style
Stephen Sills and James Huniford
c. 2003
Full of design advice: add texture to walls by adding inexpensive
wallpaper and paint over it, warm and cool polarities will
energize a room, hang pictures a few inches above eye level
to add drama to the room…*
Stephen Sills Associates
click to see website or here for earlier Stephen Sills post …
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