Decorating this imposing Long Island residence could have been daunting, in the hands of lesser mortals. But the superb team at diSalvo Interiors of Garden City got it just right. They ensured that dignity and elegance were but the fundamental principles of a complete design vision - that of a lovely interior that was also a home to be lived in and shared.
“The homeowners are very prominent in the international community and entertain a good deal,” says Carol Hannam, ASID, a senior designer with diSalvo Interiors who headed up this project.
“They wanted a decor suitable to their stately Georgian colonial that would be inviting to visitors and also be a comfortable haven for themselves and their two teenage children.”
To accomplish this seeming dichotomy - exquisite refinement and real comfort - Hannam developed an inspired plan.
“Elegance was evoked through the period style of the furnishings and accoutrements,” says the designer. “And comfort was accomplished in a variety of ways, such as in the use of soft colors which create a warmth and a glow, a sense of sanctuary that invites you to sit down and stay.”
Hannam's vision included various intimate seating areas that invite conversation and allow for an easy traffic flow when the homeowners are entertaining.
“We set some of these groupingsaround architectural pieces such as the home's lovely fireplaces, the bar, and game table,” she says.
And, although elegant, she continues, the furniture pieces are not museum relics.
“You sit in the living room sofa or love seat and don't want to get up,” says the designer. “The cushions are resilient and the material is silky soft yet durable. Also, the carved chairs in front of the room's fireplace are beautifully decorative yet not oversized for their design. Gentlemen can easily sit in them and get very comfortable. Quality pieces like these last a lifetime and can pass through generations.”
Although the footprint of the house was not changed, she emphasizes, this project
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