If one word has become synonymous with 1990s style, it’s “eclectic”-a vexing, catch-all term referring, in its dictionary definition, to interiors that reflect a multitude of sources. Any quick scan of last year’s haute decor magazines reveals a vast, varied and, well, eclectic selection of such multifarious abodes, some created from newly collectible flea-market finds, others from more historic mixes of time-honored antiques. The lesson here? In fashion parlance, the shoes no longer must match the handbag.
The result of this ’90s eclecticism is a refreshing new elegance that combines elements from the past with innovations of the here and now. For instance, when architect Steven Rugo joined forces with interior designer Leslie Jones in making over a Victorian townhouse, Old World graciousness (formal dining room, paneled library) merged with late 20th Century laissez faire (eat-in kitchen; sunny, anti-stuffy addition).
“The clients are a young couple who wanted to update the house, incorporating their eclectic mix of antiques, heirlooms and art,” explains Jones, who envisioned the luxe dining room as a transitional hinge between the original house and the newly expanded, ultracontemporary kitchen.
Now, visitors experience a visual progression through the home. The living room offers vintage architecture with artful combinations of accessories and materials, from the cushy plush sofas and silk drapes to the glass coffee table and metal-framed side chairs. An antique marquetry cabinet brims with Art Deco silver but nods towards other cultures with a display of tribal ethnographic pieces. Works by David Hockney, Jasper Johns and Picasso draw attention to each wall, while a small paper Noguchi lamp shares table space with a number of African sculptures and an antique Roman bust.
In the dining room, hand-striated walls of black and olive create a dusky hue inspired by the kitchen’s granite counters. This dark, refined cocoon glows with burnished details from the golden chandelier, silk fabrics and elaborate carved mirror by Italian designer Gio Ponti. An Art Deco table, upholstered Moderne-inspired chairs and centuries-old artworks contribute to the room’s sophisticated ambience while providing a gentle passage to Rugo’s sleek new kitchen.
There, a Victorianesque, copperclad, window-pierced turret was effectively grafted onto the home’s main structure, giving the clients an up-to-the-moment, combination sun room/gazebo/dining nook. “It’s essentially an enclosed outdoor room that projects into the garden,” explains Rugo, of Rugo/Raffensperger Ltd. “In the past, this type of space would have been attached to a library or bedroom, but here it becomes a primary part of the house.”
Encircled by a decorative painted frieze, the eat-in turret has all the hallmarks of a finely crafted, hundred-year-old structure while leaving no doubt that it-and the rest of the project-was conceived in the very stylish present.
