John Saladino - Warm and Cozy?

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth again, but have been south (more about my visit later while I stay on track today and remain true to my earlier promises), and have had a week-long visit from special family members - notably grandson #1.  Now to John Saladino who has been one of my favorite designers from House Beautiful's Home Decorating to his recent publication of Villa.  Today, let's take a look at his early work and decide if we  think Saladino design was warm and cozy then and, later decide, if it is today.

 As you will see, in 1981, not all magazine photos were in color.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Below is the front door of a former ice house converted into a guest cottage by John and Virginia Saladino in '81.  To the left of the door rests an 18th-Century stone bowling ball (similar to three new spheres I purchased from Lunaform in Maine resting near my own front door.)

"There are no pretty accessories, no flounces--(Saladino) used classic period furnishings in a contemporary way."  I loved this room then and still do - so clean, almost Belgian-esque yet in an American way.  The wall hanging is an Amish blanket framed.

Another view of living room.

Shaker table place beneath the living room window.

Cottage's simply designed bedroom with Saladino lighting.  Because of the room's simplicity, the antiques stand out.  Cozy?  Yes?  No?

Fast forward to Spring 1986 with Better Homes and Gardens Decorating.

The rooms which follow are of a 1722 house in Litchfield Connecticut  owned by Arlene Hoffman, a New York advertising executive, and her partner, Ray Gaulke.  In their restoration process, the couple did extensive research on the house and its decor, but sought the advice of John Saladino.  I think you will see his influences.

View from front door to the front garden.

Very Litchfield, Connecticut.

Front foyer with antique settle and contemporary artwork.  Newly carved niche, serving as a powder room, "gets just the right touch of antiquity with a sink set into an old wrought-iron plant stand."

Close-up antique drop-leaf table and ladder back chairs in music room.  I particularly love the window treatments in this home because they either do not exist or they are shutters.  Love, love interior shutters and the paneled ones throughout are great.

Music room is one of the four main living areas on ground floor.  "Music room" is what previous owners called this room.  Wood burning stove was one of the "few nods to modern convenience" which the owners added - for warmth.

Peek into dining room from the main hall.

The dining room with its blend of very new and very old is the only room in the house that is not a creamy white.  The warm red color is so inviting.  A designer once told me red is perfect for dining rooms because, when in them, people feel convivial and cozy, and look wonderful.  It certainly worked in my friend's house and looks like it does here also.

A very Saladino-esque blend of old and new evident in the living room below.  Note the continuity in the sofa fabric matching the seats in dining room.  The new upholstered pieces blend well with antique collections.  But, remove the upholstered pieces and we could be in the "Wyeth country" of my earlier posts.

On the other side of the living room, another gate leg table, this time with windsor chairs, shares space with a classic Eames chair and ottoman.  Bookcase and fireplace are icons of cozy.  Hidden behind a beam, lights wash over the bookshelves.

Four poster bed and quilt are new, other pieces are antique in master bedroom.

In the master bath, a one-of-a-kind sink is matched with contemporary goose-necked faucet.  Sink is an Italian mortar - so cool.

And now to my favorite part of the house, the kitchen of course.  Sadly, the stainless steel appliances are out of view, but I'll bet they perfectly cooled down the mellow woods seen here.  First a peek from the back door...

then a fuller view.  Love how the kitchen table is right behind the tufted sofa, but I so wish I could see "the six-burner commercial stove and the hotel-size floor-to-ceiling refrigerator."  Bet the editors of Better Homes and Gardens thought readers would not "get" such a juxtaposition in 1986, but I would have.  Mary Emmerling did.  (More about Mary later.)

Arlene Hoffman in Chicago in 2011.  She moved near her only son and is seen here surrounded by her books and her Biedermeier furnishings.  Do you think she misses Litchfield or has she never looked back?  

So can John Saladino be warm and cozy?  I always thought so from seeing, studying and loving these long-ago images.  If you disagree, that's fine, but just wait till my next post.

Till then,

b

I Know I Promised Saladino, but Another Necessary Detour...

Last week, I made a trip to Cleveland to see Ina Garten speak.  She was just as charming and informative there as she is on her Food Network show,  Barefoot Contessa.  When I returned home, I stumbled upon the very Martha Stewart Living issue I tried to find for my previous post on Ina (12.8.12), but I never looked in the February/March issue until March.  Since Ina spoke so fondly of Martha and since her talk is fresh in my mind, the following images seem to be appropriate now.  I promise, promise Saladino will be next (unless I have to write about Savannah first - am leaving for house and garden tours there tomorrow).

Here it is - Martha and Ina twenty years ago.  At this time, I followed Martha faithfully, but had never heard of Ina till this issue.

I loved Ina's stove (my own Viking stove was acquired shortly after this article appeared) and her seemingly easy way of entertaining.  She and Martha seem to be having such a nice time serving ribollita.

Martha and another (really great-looking) guest at Ina's for Sunday brunch - one of her favorite times to entertain.

I remember seeing this room and wanting to know so much more about this unknown person, Ina Garten.  Residents of the Hamptons, like Martha, of course knew her from Barefoot Contessa, once her gourmet food shop, but in 1993 I knew nothing about her.

I knew I loved her tablescapes from the first time I saw this article and still love them today.

Remember, this article is 20 years before her barn, but her table then looked as  inviting as it does today.  Beyond is a glimpse of her kitchen, pre-barn, where appetizers are arranged.

The appetizers served with Ina flair, uncomplicated and relaxed.

Close up of  appetizers.  Olives are still one of Ina's favorite appetizer choices.

Ribollita, below, is the star of the brunch with marinated eggplant as a co-star.

More brunch selections - shaved fennel, roasted beets, marinated artichokes and baby carrots on a radicchio.  On the right, Pecorino San Bernardo.

As the caption explains below, Ina was all about people and fun, and she still is.  Martha once said that when you hear Ina giggle, you know the fun is starting.  (Her ribollita looks so good.)

Frank Newbold was Ina's business partner then.

And still is today.

Martha and other guests at Ina's table in 1993.

Coffee-flavored semifreddo with hazelnut biscotti.

And lastly, because it is almost spring (somewhere - hopefully in Savannah) and because the magnolia blossoms are so beautiful, I leave you with this image from the same issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Please do not be disappointed this post is un-Saladino.  He is on the agenda.  By the by, if interested, Ina's recipes for this brunch are given in the magazine and probably online.

Off to pack.  I leave the house tomorrow at 7:30 AM.

Till next time-

b

Do Neutrals Ever Qualify as Warm and Cozy?
Does Dan Carithers Quaify as Warm and Cozy?

A resounding yes and yes on both counts - as we'll see in today's blog.  So far the elements of cozy have included fireplaces, libraries and books, touches of red, wallpaper, tapestries, antiques, plants, beams and stonework, leather furnishings, a smallish size. A home need not have all of these elements to be cozy, yet even with all his use of neutrals, Dan Carithers's home and design definitely remain cozy and warm.  See if you agree.

Today, readers still bemoan the loss of Southern Accents.  I never subscribed to it, but checked it out in bookstores, and purchased it when homes like the Carithers's one appeared.

Even though this issue is sixteen years old, Carithers's home is timely, beautiful, warm, cozy - and neutral.  The following images of his foyer contain glimpses through to the living room.
                       
                                                                           
                         

Glimpse of the living room fireplace from foyer.

The living room's slipcovered daybed could be in today's homes, and its height provides "a bit of privacy for seated guests by blocking part of the view from passersby."  Brilliant.

The study with its books, antique map of Paris and statue of St. Joseph.  The use of vintage religious statues is a technique often used by designers like John Saladino today.

The family room with its fireplace and beams.  Love the paisley throw hung casually on the railing.

I, of course, love the kitchen - the antique settle-like chair, the copper, the beams, the island and two of the Carithers's children actually cooking (I think).  The kitchen is a new addition to the back of the house.

                                             
Kitchen's breakfast room with collection of Staffordshire.                  

 
Dining room's three styles of chairs, trompe l'oeil medallions on the wall, and French doors leading to the garden.                                                                      

Cozy bedroom with toile wallpaper and shutters.  I love, love shutters.

 
Pink bedroom overlooks the garden off the dining room.                                              

Dan and Nancy Carithers.  "I like houses that look like they grew up out of the ground instead of being placed on it," says Dan.  My husband would have agreed whole-heartedly.  It took him months to place our house just right.  Sadly, too many builders ignore this step.

Don't you love white painted brick?  Last post's home showed stone with white shingles.  This home with painted brick and clapboards is equally charming.  It's perfect.

So far in the Carithers's house, we've seen two fireplaces, antiques, beams, wallpaper, shutters, brick work and a study with its books.  What could it possibly be missing?  That touch of red perhaps, but Dan takes care of that at Christmas as seen in the following issue of Southern Accents.

Red on the outside...

With Dan bringing it inside.

Just the right touches.

In all the right places.

And now to some favorite images of Carithers's work gleaned from Pinterest.  (Hope you will forgive me if I've stepped on any copyright toes by repeating your images here.)

Another view of the Carithers home.

And its beautiful garden.

A very neutral and welcoming Carithers living room.

And lastly, true to my blog's name, are two Carithers kitchens that I have loved.  The beams, the oriental rugs with their reds, the leather and checked chairs, the plants, the antiques - all warmly speak to me.

Another view of same kitchen.  Such great storage - something my own kitchen lacks.

And lastly, his kitchen from Kiawah island.  More grays than neutrals, but don't you love it?  The beams, the stove's hood, the furnishings, the books - all so good.

So, my friends and readers, even when neutral, isn't Carithers's work the warmest and coziest?  Guess you know my opinion.

Still cold in my area, so I am still not finished with warm and cozy.  Do you think of John Saladino's work as warm and cozy?  You will after my next post.

Till then,

b