Winner: Orrick & Company
For well-traveled clients, the single destination that mattered most to them was one they could reach daily, just steps from their home. A covered breezeway leads from their main residence to a 21st-century barn with such un-farm-like elements as a steel-and-glass wine cellar and a dining area that the designers from Orrick & Company enhanced with an elegant built-in banquette bracketed by partially upholstered walls. Adjacent to this eating area—which is part of an open-plan great room—is a white-oak bar cabinet with a dramatic oxidized-metal backsplash. After having completed the first-floor interiors years ago, the designers were recently commissioned to transform the then-empty open space on the second floor, characterized by its soaring ceilings. It’s there that the main living area features an oversized sectional set on a hand-loomed Moroccan wool rug, which melds with a kitchen noted for a 10-foot marble island and rift-sawn white-oak cabinetry. Throughout, the barn combines the rustic feel typical of such a traditional structure with decidedly contemporary, comfortable furnishings and detailing.
Finalist: Douglas Graneto Design
The directive for the renovation of this mid-country Greenwich home was to honor the owners’ penchant for Scandinavian design and their deep appreciation for expert craftsmanship. Douglas Graneto Design responded by reconfiguring much of the original layout, so as to better match the way the family lives in the house. A breakfast nook was replaced with a coffee station, and a large island was installed as a way to encourage more casual, communal family dining, while the primary bedroom was redesigned in such a way that it now includes a dedicated office.
From there, the designer filled the rooms with luxurious neutral-toned furnishings, while accenting the prevailing palette with framed colorful textiles, modern accessories, and art pieces made of glass and brass. A curved Karl Springer coffee table covered in a goat-skin parchment answers to the owners’ penchant for unique artisanship. In the primary bedroom, an expansive 1880 Persian Serapi rug sets the tone for the room, which also includes a pair of giant floral still lifes positioned on a wall and a sculptural Caleb Woodard nightstand.
Finalist: Elizabeth Bolognino Interiors
“Layered minimalism” is a term particular to the work of Elizabeth Bolognino, and it’s a methodology evident throughout this grandly scaled Greenwich residence. In attending to every room in the house for her client, Bolognino designed bespoke furniture and millwork, and chose one-of-a-kind textiles and lighting sources that act like items of interior jewelry, all of which work in concert to complement the architectural integrity of the residence. The clients came with an already impressive—and growing—art collection, and Bolognino was instrumental in choosing the right locales for maximum effect.
Balance and symmetry are key to the way she organizes rooms, with one of many examples being a bay-windowed sitting area in the living room. Here, matching pairs of chairs, sofas, lamps and end tables are grouped as a welcoming ensemble; carefully positioned artworks draw the eye immediately to the space. Everywhere in the home, traditional mixes with contemporary to create that layered minimalist aesthetic. Every room manages to be both luxurious and sophisticated, while also warm and inviting.
