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West End Process :: Furnishings
Bespoke, turn-key interiors are a signature of Huntley & Co. First, the architectural envelope and materials are perfected. Next, we turn our process to furnishings and softgoods that complement the space and the client and are unique to the project. Lots of love and labor goes into the design, drawing and specification of these goods.
| FURNISHINGS |
// Living Room channel-back chairs
We custom designed a pair of channel back lounge chairs to maximize flow, circulation and style. Visits to the workroom gave us the opportunity to make adjustments to the design, layout fabric and to monitor progress.
L to R: Leg finish selections; our chair frame gets mocked up in muslin; laying out the large scale fabric.
// Living Room armoire
We source a lot of antique and vintage furnishings for our projects. Sometimes, however, these pieces need modifications to “fit”. This armoire was the perfect scale for the open concept living area and provided much needed storage, but modification to the finish and interior were necessary. New hardware and shirred curtains turned this beauty into functional storage.
L to R: Removing the old finish; specifying all the new details; installation in progress.
// Master Bedroom canopy bed
Each project has its share of logistical challenges – and we love a good challenge because it inspires us to get extra creative. Our process never leaves things to guesswork. When we discovered that the bed, as originally designed, could not be brought up the stairs or through the windows, we had to go back to the drawing board (literally) to custom design a version that would fit.
L to R: Verifying stairwell and doorway dimensions; studio drawing of the custom pieces and parts; Ironware‘s workshop with assembly pre-shipment.
| SOFTGOODS |
// Master Bedroom roman shades & softgoods
Tailored, functional, bespoke. We designed the window treatments and pillows to complement the quietly sophisticated scheme in the master bedroom. Troubleshooting tricky corners and sourcing one-of-a-kind details makes all the difference.
Top: Detailed site measures and schematic review; finished product! Bottom: A pillow workorder; a treasure chest of trim; a well-styled bed.
Stay tuned — Next week we’ll bring this project full circle and share our install with you! And in case you missed the other West End posts, check them out here and here.
xo, Huntley & Co.
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West End Process :: Envelope
For Huntley & Co., the first and foremost concern in design development is the “envelope”. TH can’t talk about it enough! Getting the envelope right – spacial relationships, interior architecture, materials and finishes – means a thoughtful, comfortable home that needs less stuff to look good.
| CONFIGURING THE SPACE |
Reconfiguring an interior is a process – it requires a lot of drawings and plenty of site meetings. It’s important to be as technical and thorough as possible while understanding there will likely be a few surprises and adjustments along the way.
Top photo: One of the pages in the H&Co. drawing set. Bottom L to R: Meeting with the contractor; a study of the circulation in a tight area; drywall in progress.
| MILLWORK |
Millwork is one of the most impactful aspects of an interior. When it’s done well, it can make the house. When it’s done cheaply, it’s like bad teeth – it doesn’t matter how pretty the face is. With this project, our main focus was to reconcile the incongruous architectural details throughout the home and create a more finessed envelope. This included doors, crown, paneling and custom mantels as shown below.
The mantels were designed to complement adjacent millwork for a quieter, more elegant presentation.
| MATERIALS |
Material selection – wood, stone, tile, metal finishes – sets the tone for the home’s atmosphere and lays the groundwork for decorative elements. When selecting a material, we keep everything else in mind. In a bathroom for instance: Are the windows facing north? What type of glass do the vintage sconces have? How white is the tub? These details are part of the “conversation” and influence what marble slab I approve and tile colors I select.
Top L to R: Slab for a fireplace surround; master bath materials, final wood selection for the library.
Bottom: The tile layout for the master bath was a hands-on (and ugh, thighs and knees) process that took several hours. Click photo for a video of the legendary H&Co. attention to detail.
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We hope you’ll join us next week when we’ll share more about the process of specifying furnishings and softgoods! Or take another look at our Concept: West End post to see how this project began.
xo Huntley & Co.
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West End Process :: Concept
One of our favorite Huntley & Co. projects this year was for a young couple who hired us to design and renovate their newly purchased townhouse in the West End neighborhood of Washington. Much to our delight, the duo brought a combination of sophistication and excitement to the endeavor. Translating that into a concept and then into a finished product was a multi-step process — and worth every minute.
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| THE CONCEPT |
Our clients inspired a decidedly cosmopolitan aesthetic. Accordingly, we imagined an eclectic mix of vintage and antique furnishings, unexpected stone and tile, and layers of complex colors and tones. As shown below, the mood board we created conveyed our idea of an elevated yet spirited home – a true classic that’s never boring.
Selected photos clockwise from top left: Cartier Tank watch via Goop; Timothy Corrigan vignette; a crisp Madrid living room by Isabel Lopez-Quesada; a bedroom from Architectural Digest; a corner of Sandra Nunnerley’s home featuring “Diamond” artwork by Kenneth Noland; an austere and elegant marble bathroom.
| HOW WE GOT THERE |
The start of a project is full of excitement and potential. Before diving into design, we take time to fully understand both the space and the client. On the technical side, we site measure the building and generate CAD drawings for study and revision. On the conceptual side, we issue a questionnaire and cull images related to our clients’ answers. The questions range from pedestrian to abstract and are intended to give us practical information as well as insight into their lifestyle and aesthetic.
// Question & Answer
A two page questionnaire sheds light on what’s important.
The client questionnaire is a key part of our initial survey and analysis.
// Pulling Together a Visual Story
We pull images that reference our clients’ feedback … and they share photos as well.
TRAVEL // From a honeymoon spot to favorites in Paris and NYC, these hotels topped our client’s list. L to R: Royal Mansour Marrakesh; George V in Paris; The NoMad Hotel in NYC.
FILM // Playful, witty and adventurous. L to R: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Amélie; The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
MUSIC // Eclectic and soulful music that bridges time and genres including the Hamilton soundtrack and Carla Bruni’s album, Quelqu’un m’a dit.
FASHION // Classic, all-American cool c/o Vince, J. Crew and Celine.
INTERIORS // Rich and sleek. Warm and bright. Tailored and organic. L to R: Interior by Joseph Dirand includes works by Anish Kapoor, Pierre Jeanneret and Paavo Tynell; Patricia Urquiola collection for Georg Jensen; a sculptural Alvar Aalto chair; master suite cabinetry seen on Pinterest.
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We love the conceptual stage of a project. Engaging in a thorough deep dive to excavate both the practical and the magical is the difference between a good project and a great one. Stay tuned for our next post where we transition into design development and project management — when we make the concept a reality.
xo, Huntley & Co.
THE MUSINGS OF DESIGNER TRICIA HUNTLEY
