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PROMOTION ELLE DECOR|LIFE CRAFTING LUXURY

PROMOTION MARKS & TAVANO Marks & Tavano produces fine, hand-crafted custom cloth work. From window coverings and bedding, to upholstered furnishings and walls, let us know how we can help create your vision in fabric. PRODUCTS & SERVICES WINDOW TREATMENTS Drapery & Roman Shades • Valances & Cornices • Roller Shades Wood Blinds • Motorization • Automation UPHOLSTERY • Sofas & Chairs • Beds & Headboards • Benches & Cushions • Walls & Millwork • Bedskirts, Shams & Coverlets • Pillows M A R K S A N D TAVA N O.C O M @ MARKSANDTAVANO | INFO @ MARKSANDTAVANO.COM |#LONGLIVEHANDCRAFT

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POINT OF VIEW WOULD YOU MOVE TO THE METAVERSE? Pro or con, the interiors of the future are coming together nicely. Here’s how—and why. BY KRISTEN BATEMAN Iceland House, a digital architectural project by London designer Charlotte Taylor and Milan’s ´Evoque Lab. E L L E D E C O R 51

POINT OF VIEW P icture a world in which you exist only as a Though it seems that the biggest benefit of buying a meta-property digital avatar. Your home is designed with right now is bragging rights, there are other reasons. “These assets are waterfall walls rather than oak. The being purchased as sets for shoots and movies or a digital space to exterior is surrounded by flames rather than exhibit art collections,” Fernandez says. He also sees them as lush green landscape. As for your property’s entertainment venues or even just places to interact with people in a location, please consider the most remote part more personal way than over Zoom. of the globe, where neither the laws of physics and geography nor permits and budgets exist. Often, the metaverse is positioned as an overcomplicated idea. Yet It’s hard to envision, right? many of us are already there, using multiple platforms to communicate and meet in the virtual world. And while Facebook’s parent company Enter tech’s new obsession: the metaverse. may have changed its name to Meta in October 2021, its platforms have A term coined by the writer Neal Stephenson never been complex beacons of innovation. A simple scroll on Instagram in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, it refers to a (another Meta company) shows avatars of its employees that neither look place where virtual, augmented, and physical like them in the most basic sense nor eschew the beauty standards of realities collide in a fully digital world. It goes today. Part of what makes social media interesting is its spectrum from beyond non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and crypto- unfiltered reality to aspirational fantasy, and Meta’s avatars deliver neither. currencies and crosses into gaming. If you’ve Added to that, this October internal documents revealed that Horizon ever created a house in Animal Crossing or the Worlds, the company’s metaverse platform, is falling short of internal per- Sims, then you’ve experienced interior design formance expectations, with glitchy technology and disengaged users. in the metaverse at its most basic level. (The company’s stock price dipped below $100 for the first time since 2015.) “The metaverse offers a sense of ‘familiar- But don’t be fooled by one company’s short-term challenges. ity’ with the physical world but challenges Whether we like it or not, global interest in the metaverse is building to scale, materiality, physics, and function,” says a fever pitch. That means we will be seeing more digital interiors soon, architect Luis Fernandez, whose MetaEstates_ simply because of just how intertwined the space is with shopping. The Gallery project put a focus on displaying art in fashion world is obsessed, and as brands expand their digital presence surreal natural settings, juxtaposing elements they’re going to need pleasing interiors for their stores. At the end of the that don’t coexist in the real world. Tiffany day, it’s all about getting people to spend money. Howell, the interior designer behind Night Palm studio in Los Angeles, adds: “You can As your avatar becomes more like you, it will be individual build spaces that would otherwise be designers who entice us in with improved architecture and interiors. architecturally impossible in locations that one “Their understanding of the technical limitations of space will ease the could only dream of—it’s an opportunity to shifting between the real and digital worlds,” says Ismail Tazi of Trame, bring dreamscapes to life.” in Paris, who is working on an art collection that seeks to push the boundaries between physical and digital spaces. Likewise, designers are But is this real or simply a gimmick? And using the metaverse as a new platform for exploration. “The surprise if it’s just a gimmick, should we be celebrating is discovering that within this seemingly limitless space, you can it? In March 2021, the first digital house, encounter new challenges you’d never considered,” says Harry Nuriev of created by artist Krista Kim, sold for 288 ether Crosby Studios in Brooklyn. tokens—equivalent to $514,557.79 at the time. In August 2022, Fernandez’s MetaEstates_Villa Metaverse interiors still feel so primitive that the escalating hype sold out as an edition of 42, with buyers rang- seems overwrought. That’s not unexpected; most technological advances ing from NFT collectors to award-winning TV follow that pattern. Design in the metaverse as it exists now is more a and film producers. form of entertainment than anything else. The average person will expe- rience it through brands and gaming much sooner than they’ll own a “You can build spaces second metaverse home on Mars. But it’s that idea of limitless potential that would otherwise that will undoubtedly continue to pique our collective interest. be architecturally impossible.” Those who dismiss the metaverse will be left behind, simply because it will eventually become even more pervasive. But only when it —TIFFANY HOWELL surpasses gimmick and starts to change people’s lives through practicality will it have real impact. Consider shopping online from your living room: Your avatar, built to scale, tries on outfits in the metaverse. All this within a wild digital interior that’s much more appealing than anything in reality. That’s the future. ◾ Kristen Bateman is a writer based in Brooklyn. 52 E L L E D E C O R

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APPRAISAL LEFT: Turtle-back and Geometric DARWIN’S chandelier, DELIGHT circa 1915. BELOW: One of two The upcoming Tiffany auction Dragonfly table at Christie’s celebrates the lamps, circa 1905. natural world’s many facets. THE GILDED AGE MAY BE LONG GONE, BUT YOU CAN STILL ABOVE: Geometric and Turtle-back ceiling own a bit of the era’s decorative glamour. Christie’s has light, circa 1905. amassed more than 40 Tiffany Studios objects to be auc- BELOW: Laburnum tioned off on December 9 in Manhattan, ranging from table lamp, circa 1915. Favrile glass and iconic lighting to pottery and enam- elware. The lots, which mainly consist of pieces produced between 1895 and 1920, highlight the exceptionally fine quality of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s glass workshops in the early 20th century. Motifs from the natural world run through the collection: Flowers and other flora and fauna offer a counterpoint to the story of a rapidly modernizing world following the Industrial Revolution. The hankering for greenery in the era was met with an equally enthusias- tic embrace of geometric patterns, repetitive forms, and vibrant hues. These points of inspiration blossomed in the metalworking of Tiffany’s ateliers, where the company’s craftsmen seamlessly married materials and techniques. The lamps on view at Christie’s have become some of the most renowned works to come out of Tiffany Studios, and the detail-oriented skills of these storied artisanal workshops are on full display. Tiffany’s lamps were sought after then, as now, for their all-encompassing refinement—bases were as beautiful as shades, colors were paired in unexpected and inventive ways, and shape and scale were opportunities for constant experimentation. A circa-1902 lamp in blue, green, and orange carries the name Dragonfly for the graceful insects that decorate its intricate shade. The piece is as striking from above as it is from below, where a base in patinated bronze takes the form of a pond bursting with cattails and lilies. Mother Nature’s delights appear again in a rare Geometric and Turtle-back chandelier. There is also a Laburnum table lamp circa 1915 with edges that follow the flower petals’ forms, and an Elaborate Peony table lamp whose title under- sells the intricacy of its design—a decorative menagerie, just in time for the least green of seasons. —Camille Okhio 54 E L L E D E C O R PRESENTED BY

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BUILDER Arabescato Corchia marble plays foil to natural light in the primary bathroom of a San Francisco home designed by Nicole Hollis. DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN PRIVATE PARTIES The latest in primary-bath design takes self- care at home to gleaming new heights. BYOB. BY STEPHEN TREFFINGER E L L E D E C O R 57

BUILDER Although the past couple of years are not entirely in have a ledge for shaving one’s legs.) Some of her clients are the rearview mirror, as a whole, humanity seems to seeking sound insulation, which includes using heavier have rebounded. But one aspect of the long doors for additional privacy. isolation—that the primary bathroom became a refuge when everyone was always home—has remained. We’ve For Los Angeles interior designer Pamela Shamshiri, the developed an unyielding need for personal space, and that’s primary bathroom is more and more about wellness and how not something we’re apt to give up quickly. that is achieved: “What singular spa ritual does the client want to get out of it? Because you usually can’t do everything.” (With Bathrooms as we know them are a relatively recent space constraints, sometimes you have to choose between a phenomenon. Ancient Romans and medieval Europeans, for large soaking tub and a steam shower.) These rooms are often instance, used public facilities for communal bathing, thus more multifunctional as people now meditate and work, so both getting clean and socializing. It wasn’t until the early furniture such as armchairs and armoires are finding their way 20th century that having a discrete bathroom in one’s house in. Shamshiri once lived in a Rudolph Schindler house that was regarded as de rigueur. Today, people redoing their baths featured a bathroom with heated floors on which she would lie are pushing hard to keep—and extend—that separation. and work for long periods. Although it had only shoji doors, when they were closed they sent a clear message: “Everyone Anna Karp, CEO of New York design-build firm Bolster, knew I was in self-care mode.” says she is seeing a shift in priorities: People are putting more money into a space’s overall layout than into expen- Making the bathroom more connected to the rest of the sive tiles and fixtures. Additionally, sofas and built-in house is key, according to New York interior designer Joy shower seating have become mainstream. This is partially Moyler. She particularly dislikes cold and clinical spaces, for comfort; but also, “for those who are aging in place, it which she says are “like something out of One Flew Over has become quite common if people are staying in their the Cuckoo’s Nest.” To combat asylum austerity, she home for a very long time,” Karp says. (It’s also handy to recently placed table lamps on a long vanity, which she In a London home designed by Buchanan Studio, an enclosed toilet is sheathed in pink-and-white checkered tiles. ALICIA WAITE 58 E L L E D E C O R

PRESENTED BY A Legacy of Design in Every Stitch HOW TO CHOOSE THE At Stearns & Foster, we believe that exceptional design lives in the details. This is why we PERFECT aZo^li^gmfhk^maZg*0.r^Zkl\\hffbmm^]mhk^Ûgbg`ma^]^mZbelmaZmfZd^Stearns & Foster MATTRESS distinct. From velvet trim to hand-tufted top layers, our mattresses are meticulously crafted to ehhdZl`hh]Zlma^r_^^e'Nl^hnkmbilmha^eirhn\\ahhl^ma^i^k_^\\mfZmmk^llmh\\hfie^m^ You spend one-third of your bedroom sanctuary. your life in bed, why not fZd^bmphg]^k_ne8 MAKE IT PERSONAL Scale the size to your space and match the Ûkfg^llmhrhnkle^^i style. Map out your bedroom to determine pa^ma^kZdbg`hkZ queen would be the best Ûm'B_rhnle^^ipbmaZ partner (or pets!), it may be worth sizing up. Find the right feel—Firm, Plush, hkNemkZIenla[Zl^]hg your usual sleep position. THINK LONG TERM A high-quality mattress should last up to 10 years, so invest in comfort, durability, and support. Research how bmlfZ]^ma^fZm^kbZel used for the interior and the exterior can have a major impact on comfort and durability over time. TRUST THE LEGACY L^^dhnmZ[kZg]pbma Zikho^gmkZ\\dk^\\hk]' Stearns & Foster mattresses are crafted by hand, not mass- produced. So much care is put into them that each mattress is hand-signed by the Master Craftsman who built it. ELEVATE YOUR COMFORT P^k^li^g]bg`fhk^ time in our bedrooms than ever before—from phkdbg`mhk^Z]bg`mh bingeing the latest series. Adding an adjustable base to your mattress can optimize comfort, fZdbg`rhnk[^]Zeb_^ hub by day and a sleep sanctuary by night. LEARN MORE AT STEARNSANDFOSTER.COM

BUILDER Sandy hues and a wooden tub in a deems to have been a great success. “It doesn’t, however, California home by work well for women who need to put on their Studio Shamshiri. mascara—and not stab themselves in the eye.” The solution is multiple layers of lighting that are appropriate for different moods and tasks. Architect Chris Fogarty of the firm Fogarty Finger, who designed the luxury residential project Astoria West, in Queens, New York, is firmly Team Tub. “If you’re English like me, having the bathtub is critically important,” he says. For walls and floors, he prefers porcelain tile—especially the new thin, large-format versions—for their marblelike appearance and longevity. Also, the more spare and simple the bathroom, the more complex the construction process can be. Floating vanities, for example, require hidden steel bars or else they’ll eventually sag. “The modern bathroom probably has more going on behind the walls than you could ever imagine,” he adds. In addition to being refuges, separate bathrooms for couples can also provide added benefits. Moyler has recently had requests by women for a particular medicine cabinet with a lockable drawer in it. “This is where they can store the good jewelry,” she says. “And if they need to leave in the middle of the night, they can take it with them instead of waiting outside the bank to get into the safe deposit box.” ◾ 1. STATEMENT 3. VENEZIA RAIN HEAD BY VENINI A bright brass For true luxury, add these Murano glass accent shower fixture lets knobs to your sink. you wash up in style. Price upon request. fantini.it 14″ w. x 4″ d. x 8″ h.; $1,051. kohler.com 2. EKERO BY RINSE 5. ALLARIA TOP RIGHT: STEPHEN KENT JOHNSON TOLLGARD & AND CASTELLANI REPEAT This geometric faucet and handles add moody Take some time to Snap up these fixtures sophistication to the sink. and finishes for the ultimate reflect with a walnut $925. brizo.com bathroom experience. and marble mirror. 6. ZENCHA BY BY HELENA MADDEN SEBASTIAN 11″ w. x 7.5″ d. x 70″ h.; HERKNER $2,644. porada.it 4. CROSS PORCELAIN TILE Find your inner peace in this volumi- Break up the marble and chrome with nous soaking tub. a unique shape. 49″ dia. x 25″ h.; $19 per square foot. $8,250. duravit.us tileshop.com 60 E L L E D E C O R

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PROMOTION ELLE DECOR|LIFE DESIGN. FASHION. CULTURE. BARBADOS TOURISM Holidays are a little different in Barbados. Surrounded with the perfect shade of blue and brimming with spirit and rich heritage, Barbados is a place that offers a unique travel experience. Each day promises new discoveries and memories to last a lifetime. It’s just different in Barbados. visitbarbados.org YORK WALLCOVERINGS “Capiz Offering”, made of natural, translucent oyster shells, was the designer’s choice for new product featured at High Point Market. Curated in the Carol Benson- Cobb, Signature Wallcoverings collection by York Wallcoverings. yorkwallcoverings.com SCAVOLINI Musa, the new Scavolini kitchen Sophistication, versatility and innovation: these are the special features of Musa, the new Scavolini kitchen by Vuesse Design. A solution designed to embellish contemporary style and formal elegance thanks to a new modularity and a wide range of finishes that enable endless scenarios to be created, heralding the most extensive customizations possible. cavolini.com

FURNITURE FANTASY TOGETHER, NATURALLY Janus et Cie’s year-round outdoor furniture collections are perfect for a day of catching up with friends en plein air. WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY PARKER BOWIE LARSON PHOTOGRAPHS BY T YLER JOE 62 E L L E D E C O R

ON THE CHAMPAGNE WATERFRONT TOAST THIS PAGE: Serengeti OPPOSITE: Lucy chaises armchairs and dining table longues and side table by by Philippe Starck and Janus et Cie. Pizarro natural slate bowl, all by Janus et Cie. Raami FASHION, FROM LEFT: bowls and tumblers and Dress by Markarian, Ultima Thule highball earrings by Adeam; dress glasses by Iittala. by Oscar de la Renta, shoes by Manolo Blahnik, FASHION, FROM LEFT: earrings by Laruicci, Sweater by Sacai, dress by bracelet by Kate Spade. Brooks Brothers, bracelet by Tiffany & Co., earrings by janusetcie.com Laruicci, sunglasses by Tory Burch, shoes by Sperry; For details, see Resources. sweater and pullover by Dior, pants by Brooks Brothers; jacket, shirt, and pants by Armani, sunglasses by Chloé; jacket and shirt by Officine Generale, pants by Brooks Brothers, scarf by Kenzo, shoes by Sperry. PRESENTED BY

FURNITURE FANTASY FRIENDLY COMPETITION Serengeti side tables, sofa with canopy, and cocktail table by Philippe Starck and Quinta teak and woven tray, all by Janus et Cie. FASHION, FROM LEFT: Sweater and hat by Closed, polo and shoes by Lacoste, shorts by Ralph Lauren; sweater by Brooks Brothers, polo and shoes by Lacoste, shorts by Lululemon. PRESENTED BY

ST YLIST: LIZ RUNDBAKEN; HAIR: BOK- HEE AT ART DEPARTMENT; MAKEUP: MISUZU MIYAKE AT ART DEPARTMENT; MANICURE: SHIRLEY CHENG AT SEE MANAGEMENT; MODELS: CHI KUYNH AT MUSE NY, ANNAISE BERCY AT MA JOR, ETHAN THOMPSON AT ONE MANAGEMENT, FRANCOIS ANGOSTON AT NEXT BEFORE SUNSET Lucy lounge chair by Janus et Cie. FASHION: Suit by Lapointe, shoes by Tory Burch, earrings by Jennifer Behr. E L L E D E C O R 65



KEIRNAN MONAGHAN AND THEO VAMVOUNAKIS In this issue: TROPICAL TREAT the dreamiest interiors—and Design takes a holiday high jewelry— with the latest eye- to inspire your catching gems. Hemmerle winter escape. tourmaline earrings in aluminum, bronze, and white gold. hemmerle.com. David Yurman dianthus beetle drop earrings. davidyurman.com. For more of this season’s most dazzling jewels, see page 86. E L L E D E C O R 67



Sally and Michel Perrin decamp from Los Angeles to a sun-dappled resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast. BY DAVID NASH PHOTOGRAPHS BY TREVOR TONDRO STYLED BY ANITA SARSIDI The pool at the home of Sally and Michel Perrin in Costa Careyes, Mexico, designed by architect Diego Villaseñor. Landscaping by Eric Nagelmann. For details, see Resources. E L L E D E C O R 69

n a terraced hillside, high property’s lush tropical gardens came with their own above Mexico’s Pacific coast, incredible pedigree, having been created by Eric Nagel- sits a villa named Casa Torre. mann, the landscape designer behind Lotusland, the fabled The residence—in an area botanical garden in Montecito, California. “Communing near Jalisco developed by with nature—the outside experience—is almost more the late Italian banker Gian important than being inside,” Michel says. “We don’t have Franco Brignone and dubbed glass windows anywhere in the house. It’s all open to Costa Careyes (“tortoise nature, and that’s the key element. It’s extraordinary, like a shells” in Spanish)—is home moving painting—you can stare out at the sky all day.” to fashion-world bon vivants Sally and Michel Perrin. For Most of the furniture is built-in, including expansive Michel, the chairman of his family’s 130-year-old French lounge-style seating, side tables, and platform bed frames. leather-goods house, Perrin Paris, and his American expat “Apart from a few pieces of artwork, we didn’t import any- wife, Sally, who serves as the heritage brand’s creative thing from the L.A. home,” notes Sally of the thoughtfully director, Careyes is more than a part-time escape, it’s a way curated interiors. “None of it would have worked, and of life. “It’s a place that has brought us great joy,” she says. besides, it’s nice to have a fresh start.” At the beginning of They were introduced to Costa Careyes when they the pandemic, the Perrins spent six months living comfort- were invited down from Los Angeles for a birthday party 14 ably in the welcome oasis, with minimal furnishings, years ago. “It was a real watershed moment for us—we just learning how their lifestyle fit with the home’s flow. From fell in love with the vibe,” Sally says. With their two then hiring a master woodworker and skilled upholsterer based teenage daughters in tow, the couple returned later that year in nearby villages to sourcing retailers of indigenous goods, for a few weeks at Christmas and were totally hooked. “The the couple created their own version of Shangri-la. community was so warm and friendly, so we kept coming back year after year and rented different houses each time,” When in residence, they’re up early managing business Michel says. Then in early 2019 they learned Casa Torre was in Paris, and, while the days are full, there’s always time for for sale, and the stars had suddenly aligned. They sold their fun and relaxation. “I swim in the ocean each afternoon, L.A. house and started a new chapter living between Paris and we play backgammon and have cocktail hour every and Brignone’s world. night,” says Michel, who favors an Americano (“it’s a It’s been almost 55 years since Brignone first set eyes on Negroni without gin”) while his wife prefers a spicy the nearly six-mile stretch of jungle, cliffs, and beaches that margarita at game time. “There’s a word in French, ludique, make up Costa Careyes. Peering down from the cockpit of a which means whimsical, clever,” Sally says. “I think that’s single-engine Cessna in 1968, in search of an idyllic spot to what we were trying to accomplish with this house—to retire with his family, he instantly became enamored with keep it light and playful.” ◾ the area, and the rest is colorfully preserved history. Once an uninhabited coastline that had to be accessed by boat and explored on horseback, Costa Careyes is now an exclusive enclave of about 60 stunning private homes designed in what’s become known as the Careyes style. With their open-air, thatched-roof palapas, curvilinear architecture, and electrifyingly colorful facades, these coastal castles dot the region’s modest expanse like deli- cious confections. Apart from his architectural ideology, Brignone’s mission—along with that of five decades of residents—has always been to support the local communi- ties and safeguard the vast area of wetlands along the coast, which includes a sanctuary for sea turtles. Designed by Mexican architect Diego Villaseñor and built in 1988, the Perrins’ five-bungalow raspberry sherbet and golden yellow–hued home, with its living palapa and three separate dining palapas—each used at different parts of the day based on the sun’s positioning—offers gloriously unobstructed views of Playa Rosa and the coastline. The 70 E L L E D E C O R

In the dining palapa, the table was reimagined using several colors of flooring paint. Locally made equipale barrel chairs; wall art by Marie Khouri; sculpture by Lørag & Søndag. OPPOSITE: Sally Perrin wears a Marco de Vincenzo skirt with a Perrin Paris belt bag, and Michel Perrin is in a shirt by Etro. Custom 1985 Volkswagen Bug with wicker seats.



The outdoor living room has a Careyes-style built-in sofa, and the cocktail table is by local artisans. Monkey console table by Mario Lopez Torres; lamps by Rosario Guerrero; wall art by Saul Kaminer. E L L E D E C O R 73

A second dining palapa, with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves, overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Dining table’s resin top by Monica Calderon; chandelier by Mario Lopez Torres; barrel chairs covered in leather by Perrin Paris. 74 E L L E D E C O R

“Communing with nature is almost more important than being inside.” —MICHEL PERRIN RIGHT: In the bathroom, the BELOW: The Acapulco hand-carved wood mirror is chairs by artist Marilo by David Hurwitz, and the Carral sit in one of the sconces are custom. bungalow bedroom suites. Throw and pillow designed by Sally Perrin with ELE Studio.

An architect’s family home in Greece invites guests to take in the view—and appreciate history. BY CAMILLE OKHIO PHOTOGRAPHS BY MAT THIEU SALVAING Architect Christina Seilern’s Cycladic-style vacation home on the Greek island of Paros. Designed by Studio Seilern Architects; landscape by E Landscape. For details, see Resources. 76 E L L E D E C O R



n the Greek island of Paros, The outdoor living where the Swiss-born, Columbia and dining area of the University–trained architect home. Custom table Christina Seilern has built a by Michalis Akoglanis; vacation home for herself and chairs by Rodolfo her family, strong winds are as Dordoni from Cassina. persistent an element as blue skies and clear seas. “This house came out of very pragmatic and roman- the natural terrain and are done in variations of tic notions,” says Seilern, who had no plans to build on the site at the time terrazzo so that guests can go barefoot. “Stone it was inherited from her late in-laws. Then local regulations changed, can get much too hot,” Seilern says. “But the forcing her hand: It was build now or lose the right to build forever. terrazzo is like soft butter on your feet.” The resulting house is of a piece with Seilern’s studied approach, despite its unexpected genesis. Her 16-year-old London- and New York– The focal point is the pool, which takes up based firm, Studio Seilern Architects (SSA), has developed a more than 2,000 square feet and juts out over research-intensive practice tackling briefs as varied as concert halls, an olive tree orchard. It is mirrored by a curved private libraries, and restaurants. She recounts an early collaborative laminated-wood and bamboo pergola that project in Zimbabwe as a career turning point: “At the time, construction covers an outdoor lounge, a bar and dining materials were hard to come by. If we needed gutters, for example, we area, and built-in pool lounge chairs. would have to cut them out of stone we found on-site. Sometimes you have to work in a totally different way from what you are used to.” Inside, Seilern eschewed a formal dining From then on, SSA has countered the Western tradition of architec- tural imposition, producing work informed by local materials and the heritage of each project’s location. “We don’t pigeonhole ourselves into one typology,” Seilern says. “It’s about finding the right clients, rather than the right buildings.” With herself as the client, Seilern turned to the dialogue between nature and history for inspiration. Perched on an isolated peninsula overlooking the Aegean Sea, the three rectilinear, flat-roofed structures that make up the home flow into each other via exterior corridors, positioned on an east-west axis to withstand the at-times-overpowering winds. (A wind consultant was brought on to help find structural solutions that further mitigate its impact.) Informed by Cycladic architecture, the buildings follow medieval examples in the area, updated with a contemporary bent toward sustainability. Sharp edges replace rounded ones, and precision is valued over patina. Marble dust from ancient quarries on the island was mixed with stucco to finish the exterior walls of each building, which are made of aerated concrete blocks that utilize a third of the material weight that poured concrete surfaces would require. The out- door spaces were conceived of as a series of overlapping slabs that follow 78 E L L E D E C O R

room in favor of a modest dine-in kitchen. She in a complementary calm and cloudy palette. Further inspiration was carved out a deliberately small footprint for the drawn from the island’s traditional architecture in framing windows and open-plan living areas to accommodate as doors with hammered Aliveri marble, akin to the ornate stone thresh- much entertaining space outdoors as possible. olds of Parian churches and wealthy villagers’ homes. “This is an “This house is about the sunset,” says Seilern. element we derived from the historical context, rethought and reworked “That’s what guests see as soon as they enter.” so as to create something familiar to the island yet new to the experience,” Seilern says. Rather than whitewashed adobe, she opted for built-in beds, benches, desks, and head- This, of course, is precisely wherein the success of the home lies: boards made of light gray microcement, a thin bridging the distance between the interior and the exterior; addressing coating that does not need joints and does not the needs of a family and the whims of Mother Nature; and melding the crack. Custom cushions and linens were made ancient past with our present moment. ◾ E L L E D E C O R 79



The pool cantilevers ABOVE LEFT: A fig tree ABOVE RIGHT: In the OPPOSITE: The living over the landscape with on the private terrace of kitchen, the dining table room features a built-in a base clad in mirrors to one of the guest suites. is by Thomas Lemut. bench. Upholstery and further the illusion that Chairs in soaped oak by pillows by Dimitrios it is floating. Carl Hansen; backsplash Kalyvianakis; cocktail in Grey Delta marble by table by Delta Marble; Delta Marble, Athens. rug by the Rug Company. E L L E D E C O R 81

ABOVE LEFT: A sloped ABOVE RIGHT: In one OPPOSITE: The terrace wall constructed with of five guest rooms, of the primary bedroom local stone was designed the built-in headboard overlooks the Aegean to bring light into a base- doubles as a writing desk. Sea. Custom pillows by ment courtyard. Chair by Carl Hansen. Dimitrios Kalyvianakis. 82 E L L E D E C O R

“The whole house celebrates the views of the sea and surrounding islands.” —CHRISTINA SEILERN

Kiss the winter doldrums goodbye with high jewelry PROP ST YLIST: MIAKO K ATOH fit for every escape plan. Bon voyage! BY SEAN SANTIAGO PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEIRNAN MONAGHAN AND THEO VAMVOUNAKIS PRODUCED BY WILL KAHN ST. MORITZ The slopes have never shone like this—until now. Harry Winston cushion-cut yellow diamond ring and diamond cluster necklace. harrywinston.com. All prices upon request.

MIAMI Opt for an Art Deco twist to upgrade your fair-walking fits. Hermès Lueurs du Jour necklace. hermes.com. Taffin by James de Givenchy green jade disk earrings. taffin.com. E L L E D E C O R 85

BORA-BORA Slip out of your scuba suit and dive into some shore- safe looks with a little more drip. Bulgari high- jewelry poncho necklace. bulgari.com. Temple St. Clair Pyramid tourmaline cuff. templestclair.com.

PALM BEACH Put your own twist on tradition with classical pieces that pop. Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Two Fruit brooch and Fleurage Stitches bracelet. tiffany.com. E L L E D E C O R 87

PARIS An archival blueprint for the Jardin des Tuileries inspired this arrangement: a suite of gems to write home about. Van Cleef & Arpels diamond clip, bow necklace, and double boule ring. vancleefarpels .com. Louis Vuitton Fantasy bracelet. louisvuitton.com.


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