trad fusion(3)
trad fusion
With a portfolio that includes her design of a lake house for President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura, interior designer Mary Anne Smiley had more than enough moxie to offciate at the unconventional marriage of traditional architecture to sparkly modern furniture. She painted an antique secretary red to balance out the breakfast area’s distribution of color, and chopped off the pedestal base of the mirrored dining table to reinvent it as a pair of cool console tables.
“My original impression of the house was that it was dark and dreary. The question was how to make it youthful and upbeat,” reflects Smiley. “The main element to change was the shell—the colors of the walls. No faux finishes—simple, clean, and clear make it look fresh. We removed all the texture and chose expansive colors—sky and air colors.”
She lightened the entry’s staircase wall, which had been dark brown faux bois with faux marbre trim. She retained the original metal staircase and expounded on its idea by designing a new stainless-steel-and-iron front door.
Sources:
Sunburst mirror; circular table: John Gregory Studio, 214/741-9858, trade only.
Vase: Chris Brown, 214/564-2411.
Wall paint (“Rice Grain’’); ceiling paint (“Window Pane’’ #6210): The Sherwin-Williams Co., 800/474-3794.
