If you haven’t purchased Out East: Houses and Gardens of the Hamptons yet, you are truly missing out. Released this month, Out East was written by Jennifer Ash Rudick, the author of one of my very favorite coffee table books, Palm Beach Chic. I featured a little sneak peek of Out East here, and today we will tour the home of renowned fragrance experts Laura and Harry Slatkin, as featured in this fabulous book…
Laura and Harry were given an engagement at this simple East Hampton carriage house on Lily Pond Lane 25 years ago. They were so enchanted that they purchased it immediately when it came on the market. While it may not look like much from the street – which was the couple’s intention – inside it is a magical oasis, inspired by Hubert de Givenchy’s Le Clos. Designed by Howard Slatkin, Harry’s brother, not a single detail or embellishment was overlooked. Three hundred yards of five custom-designed fabrics were hand woven in India and China for the living room, linens were hand embroidered, chandeliers and furnishing were commissioned. “Every detail down to the kitchen utensils and note pads was attended to by Howard,” said Laura.
“Laura wanted all blue and white to bring the colors of the garden and ocean into the house – then of course we get busy scenting it to smell like the garden and ocean,” said Harry.
Additional information on this exquisite home can be found in Out East: Houses and Gardens of the Hamptons. And if you are not familiar with Laura Slatkins’ NEST Fragrances, they are the best of the best. I am also eager to try Harry’s latest HomeWorx collection for QVC.
Tracy Dunn may live in South Florida, but she is known for designing interiors that could be placed in the Northeast as easily as in the Southeast. Her aesthetic is timeless, modern, and inviting, with an emphasis on comfortable and refined living… definitely my style! Today, I am delighted to welcome Tracy to The Glam Pad as she takes us on a tour of her beautiful Fort Lauderdale home. Unless otherwise noted, photography is by Marcy Black Simpson from the July/August 2016 issue of Southern Lady and from this month’s “Southern Style” edition of Southern Lady.
Q: As a native Floridian, how has the tropical landscape influenced your design aesthetic?
A: The vibrant colors that are so abundant in South Florida exist with so many inspiring contrasts, such as beautiful bougainvillea in multitudes of colors set against a backdrop of their own deep green leaves, or white sand next to aqua water under an amazing blue sun filled sky. Mother nature has inspired my designs to include contrasting vibrant colors while always paying careful attention to incorporate light to soften the scheme as needed.
Q:Your home is very traditional and not necessarily representative of the stereotypical Florida style. Please tell me more about the design process of your home.
A:We were attracted to the home for its architectural style, which was so different for South Florida as it was inspired from a Northeastern design. It is consistently referred to as “The Father of the Bride house”. Although I was born and raised in South Florida, I have been drawn to a more traditional Northeastern style. My husband and I had always admired the home and were fortunate to become the new owners back in 2002. It has been fun to carefully incorporate a design plan that is conducive to South Florida living, while honoring the very traditional “Northeastern” canvas.
Q:What style of decor is most requested by your clients?
A:Because South Florida is a melting pot, I receive several style requests; however, I would say the majority of my clients like a timeless classic look with a fresh approach. Several of my clients either collect or inherit beautiful antiques that they want to incorporate into their home. They don’t want it to be stuffy, but they love the layered look, as if the rooms are telling a story. As a growing number of homes have a more modern focus, I have also enjoyed finding ways to mix the old with the new.
Q:Are you seeing an increased interest in traditional decor and antiques?
A: I am, which is music to my heart. My current projects right now all represent traditional décor and antiques. I was thrilled at a recent meeting with clients when the husband proclaimed, “I want to incorporate some beautiful antique pieces in the living room!”
Q: Please tell me more about your background in fashion. How do fashion and interior design go hand in hand?
A:I received a degree in Fashion Merchandising from FSU. Fashion Merchandise and Interior Design majors were in the same school at FSU (I think they still are), so as a result, we took a lot of the same courses especially about color and textiles. Upon graduation, I immediately started in the fashion industry buying several departments of ladies fashions for Maus Brothers and Jordan Marsh (36 stores in Florida). After years in the fashion industry, I started my own interior design business. To be successful in both industries, you must have an amazing recall and eye for color, an imagination to create magical combinations, an ability to really listen to your customers while inspiring your vendor partners to explore their creative boundaries. I have also found that both disciplines have a mission, which is to bring the principles of color, texture, scale, and layering into a unified look.
Q:What inspired you to become an interior designer?
A:As long as I can remember, I have always been interested in homes and aware of interiors I have loved. As I would read design books or magazines, my interest continued to grow. As long as my husband remembers, he has watched me tear out pages of design magazines and organizing those pages in various folders. He is constantly amazed at the recall I have for the years and years of pages I have accumulated. I simply have a natural passion and energy to make living spaces more beautiful. Additionally, I listened to my heart and followed my dream.
Q:Where do you continue to find inspiration?
A:I continuously find inspiration through travel, antiquing, reading, and the colors we are surrounded by through Mother Nature. The inspiration I received on a recent trip to Barcelona was amazing.
Q:Do you have any favorite collections or luxury items you could not live without?
A:I still continue to collect Canton, Herend, and numerous styles of sterling silver as well as antique glassware. As far as luxury items, I do have a soft spot for handbags and unusual jewelry.
Image via Tracy Dunn Design
Q:When you are not busy designing, how do you enjoy spending your free time?
A:I love to travel, read, boat, exercise, and go on fun adventures with our children. I also love to entertain, and I particularly enjoy designing the tablescapes. And I’m a fanatic about college football!
Photograph by Vic Kruger
Q:Anything else you would like to add?
A: As I say to our children and the younger generation, “find what you are passionate about, and you will always be happy.”
Thank you so much, Tracy, for welcoming us inside your gorgeous home. It is absolute perfection! For additional information on Tracy Dunn Design, please visit her website and follow along via Instagram for daily inspiration.
Last year I was introduced to Nicholas Mele Photography via Bettie Bearden Pardee when she featured his work on her blog, Private Newport, and I was thrilled to meet Nick in person last month when I attended the Newport Flower Show. Nick has spent every summer of his life in Newport, Rhode Island, and the fabled resort remains one of his favorite subjects. (Click here to tour his family home, which was once owned by Edith Wharton.) The grandson of Oatsie Charles, legendary Washington, D.C. hostess and Newport society fixture, Nick has the innate ability to capture with his camera the glittering world in which he grew up.
One cannot help but think of the way famed society photographer Slim Aarons described his pursuit of “photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places” when viewing Nick’s work. He is frequently published in Town & Country, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and New York Social Diary… and today, I am delighted to welcome Nick to The Glam Pad for a Q&A.
Nick Mele in Palm Beach
Q: What inspired you to become a photographer?
A: I don’t know if there was any grand inspiration. I always had a proclivity for art growing up, which in turn was nurtured by my parents’ encouragement to follow my passions in life. When I got to college, I really fell in love with photography. However, I never genuinely pictured it as a career. After college, I went to photo school at the International Center of Photography in NYC because I wasn’t ready to get a “real job”. I spent the next ten years fighting my calling. I started an independent film company, I went back to school and got my MBA, I did marketing for a clothing company and I even bartended for a while. It wasn’t until about four years ago that I decided to put all my efforts into photography full time. In retrospect, I should’ve just stuck with my first instincts.
Nick’s Newport family home, Land’s End, as photographed for Town & CountryNick with his son Johnny, wife Molly, and dog Bodhi, in Newport
Q: In addition to Newport, Rhode Island, where do you spend your time for work and play?
A:My wife and I (and dog and cat and child/monster) spend the majority of the year in Palm Beach, FL. We used to live in Los Angeles, but that was too far away from all of our friends and family on the East Coast. We actually don’t travel that much, but our most frequent trips are to NYC and Washington DC (where we both grew up).
Nick’s father, Joe Mele, in Palm BeachBeachmound in Newport
Q: What do you love most about living in Newport?
A:That’s a tough one! What’s not to love? I’ve spent every summer of my life coming to Newport and I can’t think of a better place to be for those three or four months of the year. The weather’s beautiful, the energy is high, and there is a sense of history and tradition that you don’t find in a place like the Hamptons. The same families that have been here for generations come back every summer and pick right back up where they left off. For people who spend most of their time in major metropolitan cities like New York and Boston, it’s nice to have a place that emulates that feeling of community that you really only find living in small towns.
Annie Owen-Pontez and Hal Pontez at their home, Watermelon House, in NewportPleasure boats chase after the sailboats competing in the 2015 Volvo Ocean Race from the Hammersmith Farm in NewportSusie Matheson and Meredith Wood-PrinceJoe Mele at Rosecliff Mansion during the annual Newport Flower ShowThe International Tennis Hall of Fame in NewportKenneth Jay Lane
Q: I enjoy following you on Instagram via @a.social.life and @nickmelephotography, and as an interior design blogger, I particularly love getting an inside glimpse into all of the fabulous homes you feature. Can you tell me more about them?
A:I was lucky enough to grow up with a grandmother and mother who really appreciated a well decorated home. Designers like Mario Buatta and Anthony Brown were frequent guests at dinner. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that not everyone has good taste. There are lots of fabulous houses that are horribly decorated. So when I see a really great home I get excited. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some really awesome interior designers like Ruthie Sommers, Meg Braff and Patrick Killian. But what I’m really drawn to are these older homes filled with what are obviously family heirlooms and vintage furniture. Luckily, like I said before, Newport is a small community and I have access to a lot of cool houses just from growing up here.
Nick’s son Johnny and dog Bohdi in his late step-grandfather’s room in NewportNick and Molly in Palm Beach
Q: Please tell me about the history of Land’s End and The Whim, your Grandmother’s home. Who did the interior design?
A: Land’s End was Edith Wharton’s home (author of The Age of Innocence….never read it….) in the 1890’s. I believe it was originally built in the 1860’s. My grandmother bought it in 1952 but sold it again in 1957 (pardon me if those dates are off…I wasn’t alive then). She renovated and moved into the home’s eight car garage which is now known as the Whim. My parents bought back Land’s End in 1989 when I was seven and now the two houses are almost one property with connected gardens. As far as the interior design, Land’s End was mostly done by my mother Victoria (who is an artist, but not a designer) and is mostly just a mish mash of furniture and art from our previous homes in Washington D.C. I’m sure she had some advice from the aforementioned Anthony Brown and Mario Buatta. The Whim, according to my mother, was most likely decorated by a long since passed Newport designer named of Tom Hagerman. More recently, John Peixinho did a re-design on my grandmother’s favorite sitting room (pictured below).
Oatsie Charles at home in NewportLand’s End, Newport
Q: How did your celebrated grandmother (Oatsie Charles) shape who you are today? What are the greatest lessons you learned from her?
A:My grandmother was a huge influence on me. She is one of the last remaining grand dames of a bygone era; that world of entertaining and manners doesn’t exist anymore. Truth to tell, she scared the hell out of me as a child. As I got older, however, I came to appreciate what an amazing woman she was and why she is so celebrated. She has a wit and charm that immediately draws people to her. I learned early on that you can get away with a lot if you’re funny and charismatic. I also came to appreciate eccentricity and quirkiness, in both my friends and myself. To me, there is nothing worse than being boring. Oscar Wilde has a great quote, “It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.”
Oatsie Charles (on left) at Fairholme in Newport
Q: Where do you find inspiration?
A:I would say my biggest inspiration comes from photographers like Slim Aarons and Tina Barney, but also the visual style of filmmakers like Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. However, I think it’s so important that you develop your own style. You need to be uniquely you. There is definitely a sense of whimsy that I hope comes out in my photographs, especially my portraits. I am also a child of the 80’s and 90’s, so if I didn’t admit to being influenced by the movies and style of those eras then I’d be skipping a big part of what make me me.
Nick in Palm BeachNick with Johnny’s godfather, Dr. Ryan MazinThe late Noreen Drexel in her Newport homeCourtney Moss and her sons George and Oliver on their boat at Fort Adams
Q: History and traditions are very important to you. In what ways to you continue to embrace them in your daily life?
A:That’s an interesting question. I don’t know if there is anything I can tangibly point to (kids, never end a sentence with a preposition). I think a certain amount of reverence for what came before is healthy and allows us to build our own traditions. So much of the previous generations’ sensibilities and customs are dying out (some, obviously for the better), but I think it would be a shame to forget them all. Manners, in particular, are not given the importance they once were. Even though my wife says I have terrible manners, I still want to teach my son to stand when a woman enters the room and use good eye contact when talking to an adult.
Johnny at Molly’s family home in NewportJohnny and Bohdi at Land’s End, as featured in Town & CountryMolly, Johnny, and Nick
Q: What has been your favorite photography project to date?
A:I don’t know if I have one. As an overarching theme (and to no ones surprise), I’ve loved photographing Newport over the years: the people, the houses, the events. At some point in the future I’ll put all the pictures together into a coffee table book. Most recently, I really enjoyed photographing Newport kitchens for the New York Times Magazine. If you go back and find the article (maybe two years ago?), you’ll see that there is a great contrast between some of these grand houses and their kitchens that haven’t been updated in years and are mainly utilitarian. Some of the my favorite photos are actually the outtakes that didn’t make into that story.
The kitchen at Beachmound, as featured in The New York TimesKer Arvor, a stunning Newport estate that happens to be for sale… click here for a tourKer ArvorDoris Duke’s home, Roughpoint, photographed during a Newport Restoration Foundation event
Q: When you are not behind the camera, how do you enjoy spending your free time?
A:Oh, I’m such a geek! Besides photography, my three great passions are movies, comic books and mixed martial arts. But really, what I most enjoy is spending time with my wife, my two-year-old son and my dog, Bodhi (adopt, don’t shop people!). Family is very important to me and I even love hanging out with my parents and my in-laws. Also, when you live in places like Palm Beach and Newport, how can you not go to the beach as much as humanly possible?
Nick and Johnny in Portsmouth, RIJohnny hiding behind the chintz curtains at Land’s EndVictoria Mele at the Washington D.C. home of her mother (Oatsie Charles). Known as the Dougal House, this room was decorated by Sister Parish and Albert Hadley. Read more about the Dougal House here.Molly at Land’s End
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: Another Oscar Wilde quote! “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” 😉
Nick Mele
To read more about Nick and see more of his work, please visit the following articles:
All photography for this post are by Nick Mele or were taken from from his Instagram accounts (which are must follows) @a.social.life and @nickmelephotography. Please visit Nicholas Mele Photography for additional information. Thank you, Nick, for providing us with this delightful glimpse into your world!
I am a huge fan of Palm Beach-based Jack Fhillips Design, and I was thrilled when photographer Carmel Brantley of Brantley Photography introduced me to a Hamptons home Jack designed for his client Gloria Kirschner. Jack says…
“This property in East Hampton, NY on Georgica Road represents a uniquely different look for the Hamptons. It turns its back on the common look use of slipcovers and cuteness. In designing the property, a more timeless approach was considered in architectural detail and investment furnishings. The interiors always played into the large amount of the green landscape outside. By using the hues of the green landscape inside, the large house full of windows became connected to nature as one. Nothing jarred the eye.
By using a wonderful collection of 19th century continental furnishings, art and accessories the house was given a very unique and special look that feels like a very old family home. The gothic details throughout are picked up in a lot of the furnishings. I truly believe it is one of the most beautiful homes in the Hamptons, as its comforting warmth combined with its extreme privacy and low key elegance give a weekend guest the best of a sophisticated world.”
Captioned images below were featured in Traditional Home. Non-captioned images were not published and are provided by Brantley Photography. Photography by Robert Brantley.
In the two-story-high living room, antique Continental furniture upholstered in a variety of cotton fabrics surrounds a 19th-century English cocktail table.
This gorgeous mirror-doored secretary in the living room is an antique.A gingham cushion on a mahogany early Empire-style settee provides a preview of the fresh updates integrated throughout the Kirschner home.
Faced in English pine that has been waxed to give it patina, the library’s highlight is a group of English portraits. On top of a jute rug, English furniture upholstered in such hardy fabrics as cotton velvets and leathers underscores the room’s cozy appeal.To complement the green colorings that are prominent around the house, ivy-embroidered sheers filter the light streaming in through the large window in the library.With walls upholstered in green-and-ivory toile, the dining room had minimal space for artwork. A pastoral oil painting from the 1800s is displayed above the fireplace.Old family silver serving pieces mix comfortably with a silver Edwardian punch bowl.In a corner of the dining room, a sweet vignette made up of antiques Gloria owned.In the entry hall gallery that wraps the inside perimeter of the house, an antique, carved library table is flanked by matching Chippendale chairs and guarded by a pair of ceramic Chinese Foo Dogs. Much of the furniture in the house was acquired during trips to auction houses in New York, Connecticut, and Florida. Floors throughout the gallery are antiqued limestone.
Honey-toned pine cabinetry and dark green subway tile backsplashes give the kitchen the feel of an old English country house.An antique Pembroke table at a kitchen window is a lovely spot for a morning cup of coffee and for organizing the day. The green cupboard holds some of Gloria’s glass and pewter collection.In the breakfast room, antique faux-bamboo chairs from England are cushioned with chair pads made of embroidered cotton that complements the green-and-ivory toile draperies.
Anchored by a needlepoint rug purchased at an auction, the master bedroom showcases a focal-point four-poster updated with a fresh coat of white paint. Sage green painted walls complete the look.The bedside table is an antique American washstand.The guest bedroom proudly wears a hand-blocked floral linen on the walls. It’s a bold touch that imbues the room with vibrancy and offers a change of pace from the more soft-spoken downstairs spaces. “In this bedroom, it almost feels like you are stepping into a painting,” says Fhillips. “It has a kick that departs from the rest of the softness.”The guest bedroom’s settee and matching chairs are all upholstered in a burlap-like linen. “Even though this house is formally assembled, there are no fancy fabrics,” says designer Jack Fhillips. “Everything is cotton or linen—a little bit country but without cute painted furniture and distressed finishes.” A jute rug from ABC Home & Carpet softens the floor.
The railing of this spectacular staircase at the back of the house recalls Gothic architecture.And how much fun is this light-filled landing at the top of that staircase?The cushion fabric shows homeowner Gloria Kirschner’s love of the Hamptons’ signature hydrangeas.The home opens to several verdant and inviting outdoor spaces.The pool house, reflected in the water, features teak furniture from Indonesia.
Such a beautiful home! Jack is a master when it comes to creating layers of divine detail, and I love the restrained green and white palette. In March, I featured a spectacular Palm Beach home he designed with a primarily blue and white palette… it was designed in six weeks, but looks like it was collected over a lifetime! For additional information, please visit Jack Fhillips Design and Traditional Home. And thank you to Brantley Photography for the incredible photography. Carmel Brantley’s Instagram account is a must follow… she never fails to add a little sunshine to each day!
