Kemble Interiors

When considering the decoration of an antique
Norfolk pine paneled library—a cozy but
somewhat solemn room—Kemble Interiors set
out to add a bit of levity, light, and essentially
unbutton its stiff collared shirt.

Not wanting to disturb the walls, we looked to
adorn the ceiling, floors, windows, furniture,
and bookcases with every trick of our craft to
add glimmer and put a little switch in its
skirts. Our imagination took off when we found
a Sené desk chair at Helen Fioratti’s
L’Antiquaire & the Connoisseur that was built
to allow the owner to wear a sword while
writing at his desk. In our minds, the ‘he’
became a she, the magnificent Sarah
Bernhardt whose portrait sits just across the
room. This was to become a woman’s library,
a sanctum for a siren. Books on fashion, poetry
and contemporary literature fill the shelves, a
tempting bar sit by the fireplace, and a
tête-à-tête allows for chat between friends who
need not choose between the views of the
fireplace and the garden.

We collaborated with Miriam Ellner, an artisan
specializing in verre eglomise who used gold
leaf and other precious metals on the reverse
side of glass, etching in a design and setting it
off with color to create an Asian inspired
skyscape fantasy. Light, in the form of gold
leaf, radiates from the center of the room
through the clouds and is framed by cherry
blossoms and wavy pools of water. The
painted blossoms echo budding trees in the
garden, which are separated only by a
pomegranate-colored tête-à-tête and an
enormous window. We chose to furnish the
room with a careful mix of 18th century
European antiques and modern mid century
brass furniture. Lucite, agate, Murano glass,
and parchment appear (and in some cases are)
self-lit in juxtaposition to the pecan color
wood.

The idea was to create a room that was
sophisticated, but also fashionable and fun. To
achieve this effect we relied heavily on the
tricks and skills of our favorite artisans. From
the custom parchment desk top to the faux
malachite on a side table bought on EBay (and
hand painted by the Alpha Workshops), we
mixed the humble with the magnificent. The
floor covering is an unassuming natural sisal
rug, but it has been hand painted with
undulating waves of cream and whispers of
celadon. The upholstery (all custom designed
by Celerie and Jeffrey Edlin) embodies the
same mix of comfortable, classic forms with a
modern cut. Fabrics by F. Schumacher & Co.
capture the ceiling’s swirl of sky colors and
muted tones of apricot, cream, and celadon are
set off with metallic teal and acid yellow.

http://kembleinteriors.com

USED IN THIS ROOM

“The Sword” Chair:
Painted desk chair by Claude II Sené
(Stamped: C*SENE), Italy 1770-1790

“The Siren”:
Sarah Bernhardt as Medusa
by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones,
Black & white chalk and graphite,
England 1833-1898

Lucite:
Lucite and brass interior lit cocktail
table by Gabriella Crespi, Italy 1970

Parchment:
Custom celadon parchment top from Etched
design on brass and glass desk/console table
by Mastercraft, USA 1960

Murano:
Pair of large Murano glass table lamps,
Italy 1950s

Agate:
Nested agate table
by Brenda Houston, USA 2011

Brass:
Brass eighteen arm spider chandelier
by Lumi, Italy 1960

Art:
Still life with Equestrian Figurine,
Evening Light by Hugo Grenville;
Untitled (Yellow) by Marc Van Cauwenbergh

CEILING:
Verre eglomise ceiling:
Miriam Ellner

Glass installation:
Manhattan Shade and Glass

Contracting:
Well Built Company

UPHOLSTERY & ANTIQUES:
Custom upholstery for curtains, sofa,
tête-a-tête and club chairs:
J. Edlin Interiors, Inc.

Fabrics and trims:
F. Schumacher & Co.

Sisal rug:
Patterson, Flynn & Martin

Faux leather for bookcases:
Valtekz from Valley Forge textiles,
represented by Zoffany

Lucite and brass interior-lit cocktail table
by Gabriella Crespi, vintage brass desk,
pair of brass candelabras,
pair of sconces with pivoting arms,
pair of Murano glass table lamps,
steel and purple glass sconces,
brass wire and marble statue by Jere,
18-arm brass chandelier by Lumi,
and brass andirons and fireplace tools:
John Salibello Antiques

German painted wood console table
with marble top,
pair of gilt wood candelabras,
leather desk chair,
18th century French globe,
Allegory of the Seine by Etienne-Charles
Le Guay,
Study of Eagles by Jean-Baptiste Oudry:
L'Antiquaire & The Connoisseur, Inc.

ART:
Painting by Hugo Grenville:
Wally Findlay Galleries International, Inc.

Untitled (Yellow) by Marc Van Cauwenberg:
Elizabeth Sadoff & Associates

Framing:
J. Pocker & Sons

Art handling & installation:
Crozier Fine Arts

ACCESSORIES:
Marble garden seats:
Florian Papp, Incorporated

Pair of gilt wood mirrors, shagreen
pencil cup and frames:
Sentimento Antiques

Faux malachite for side table:
The Alpha Workshops

Faux finishing for painted sisal:
Cheron Tomkins, Church Street Studio

Custom parchment desk top:
Etched Design

English “Shepherd” style floor lamp:
Nicholas Antiques

Glass fire screen:
Chesney's

Custom silk pleated lampshades:
Shades from the Midnight Sun

Porcelain hollyhocks and lilac
arrangements:
The Vladimir Collection

Goatskin carafe & mirrored tray:
Mary Ann Lembo

Artificial fig trees, cherry blossoms,
and pink peonies:
Diane James Home

Alabaster grapes:
Belle Chasse Home

Magnifying glass and Lucite and
silver box:
Hadley Antiques

Cashmere throws:
Léron

Four bubble vases:
Asprey

Grasscloth frames and snakeskin
nesting boxes:
Robyn Brooks, New York

Books:
Assouline Publishing

Notecards, calendar, and
bookmarks:
Mrs. John L Strong

OTHER:
Watercolor rendering:
John Gibson, NY

Moving, storage, packing, and delivery:
Celebrity Moving

Insurance:
Leonard B. Stern & Company

Antiques consulting:
Jennifer Garland Ross, Art Peritus, LLC

Wood restoration:
New Day Woodwork, Inc.

Paint:
Benjamin Moore through Janovic

Gold leaf:
Sepp Leaf Products

Hardware:
The Nanz Company