“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 …