A few years after the pandemic, one of Clive Lonstein’s New York City clients asked him to take on a new project—redoing the interiors of a late-19th-century Colonial Revival in Litchfield County. The couple’s vision for the house, which was originally designed by architect Ehrick Rossiter, was simple—create a warm and welcoming country home that showcased their collection of contemporary art. They also wanted to incorporate furniture and accessories they’d collected over the years. The only caveat? The homeowners did not want to change the original architecture, which included many quirky details, including a turret.
Lonstein was intrigued. He has a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard, but this was the first purely decorating project of his career, which includes a 13-year stint for the legendary designer William Sofield, before opening his own studio in 2016. “I’ve never done a project where I didn’t touch the architecture,” says Lonstein. “That, for me, was a challenge.”
When the clients suggested transforming the property into an English country cottage with different colors in every room, Lonstein embraced the idea. “I said, ‘let’s take it and amp that up.’”
Working with the home’s natural quirks rather than against them, he washed the interiors with a rich palette of greens, pinks and blues. The overall effect is at once whimsical, fresh and sophisticated. Every room has its own point of view—where art takes center stage. Lonstein worked with the homeowners’ art advisor—Bridget Murphy—on which pieces should hang in each room. Murphy says: “It was a really fun process to collaborate with him on the art and see how he used color to tie it all together.”
The foyer’s staircase sports Benjamin Moore’s Caponata on the curve and Silhouette on the rail. The vintage Oushak rug is from J&D Oriental Rugs.
A blue Yves Klein coffee table is paired with a pair of Stella Lounge armchairs and sofa by Sergio Rodrigues. In the corner of the room are a George Nakashima game table and chairs. A Sarah Braman sculpture sits beneath a painting by Sophie Larrimore.
The designer transformed the existing kitchen with cabinets and appliances in Benjamin Moore’s Minstrel Heart.
A digital c-print of Vik Muniz’ The Stone Breakers, After Gustave Courbet (Pictures of Magazines 2) hangs above a credenza by Martin Eisler from the 1950s. Vintage Saarinen chairs are dressed in sheepskin, and the ottoman features a Pierre Frey fabric with fringe.
Benjamin Moore’s Liberty Park green covers the walls in the library, where furnishings include a vintage Viggo Boesen easy chair with sheepskin upholstery, desk and chair by Mira Nakashima and a carpet from Beauvais Carpets.
In the bar room, walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Bancha, and the coffee table—designed by Greta Magnusson Grossman—dates from 1952.
A Carlo Hauner lounge chair is paired with an archival pigment print of a work by Jose Dávila.
In the guestroom, a walnut bed from Room & Board is topped with a mohair blanket from Clic, and the walls are finished in Benjamin Moore’s Patriot Blue.
Lonstein colored the primary bedroom walls and ceiling in Benjamin Moore’s Cedar Key, and the carpet is through Patterson Flynn.
Benjamin Moore’s Cool Lava dresses the sitting room walls, where a Haas Brothers wool and silk rug from R & Company adds a glamorous touch.
The first inkling of what’s in store is the entry foyer, where a bright-red front door opens to reveal an aubergine staircase, a hue Lonstein calls “sophisticated and practical.” The color story continues in the living room with its blue Yves Klein coffee table. Against one wall, a sculpture by Sarah Braman features a chair that appears to have a red cube falling through it. With the addition of a yellow antique lamp on a side table, “the effect is like a Mondrian painting,” he says.
The tone turns earthier in the library where the walls are painted a deep moss green. “Besides being one of my favorite colors, it’s a tradition to have a green library, and I loved the idea of a green velvet drapery,” Lonstein says about the Pierre Frey fabric that frames the windows. For the small round bar room formed by the turret, he notched the green up to a deeper olive, where the contrast of the light upholstered furniture feels crisp and modern.
The kitchen was in desperate need of an update. “We didn’t want to make any renovations that would have looked strange in the context of the layering that was going on in the rest of the house,” says Lonstein. His solution—a playful use of pink—from the cabinets to the appliances. “It was a great way of turning a boring country kitchen into something really cool.”
In the upstairs guestroom, a purple and orange print of the Glass House by James Welling seems to shimmer against the blue wall. The primary bedroom exudes a touch of Hollywood glamour with its pink mohair headboard and Fortuny fabric throw pillows. The adjacent round sitting room—part of the turret—has a seductive vibe with its wash of dusty rose, which perfectly complements the original detailing on the walls.
In keeping with his commitment to blend bold design with a deep respect for the history of the space, the designer has created a dynamic yet harmonious environment that feels both timeless and modern. “This whole thing is a mash-up, and that’s what makes it super interesting,” he says. “Looking at the photos now, I have a new level of excitement for it.”
