20.08.2015 Views

ELEMENTS SURPRISE

ELEMEN - Robert Couturier

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elying on period photographs of the newly built housethat were published in the magazine Country Life.The designer’s favorite space is the master bedroomupstairs, where he has boldly painted the paneling inshades of white. “I’m not very reverential,” he admits.“I don’t think you should let the house dictate what you’regoing to do. The paint makes the room incredibly lightand airy, neither masculine nor feminine, but very soft.”White raffia-embroidered curtains and monochromatictextured rugs enhance the buoyant, sophisticated air.In the garden, there is still restoration to be done.The bones of Gertrude Jekyll’s design survive—theexquisite sunken garden, the long begonia walk, the pergolaedrose and vine walks, the herringbone redbrickpaths, and the boxwood and yew hedges. But her plantingrecords have been lost, so there is no way of preciselyreplicating the original. Not that Marshcourt’s ownersare unduly worried. Like Lutyens, they have discoveredthe delight of using—in Couturier’s phrase—“elementsfrom the past, but in a different language.”Clockwise from topleft: The masterdressing roomincludes a ’50s Pontidesk and chair anda circa-1910 dressingtablemirror. A bath,with an expansiveleaded window. In thetiled bathroom,the handblown-glassceiling light byLutyens Furniture &Lighting is a reproductionof the original.Opposite, fromtop: A guest roomfeatures a ’40s mirrorby FontanaArte andcurtains of a brocadeby ChristopherHyland. The masterbedroom’s custommadefour-posterwas inspired by a ’70sdesign by MariaPergay, and the JeanRoyère sofa beneaththe window is coveredin a mohair byDedar; the ’60s PierrePaulin lounge chairis upholstered in anEdelman leather.ARCHDIGEST.COM 159

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