When it comes to decorating, we all aim to make ours the chicest abode, but, as is the way of 21st century living in NYC, it usually ends up being a one-stop shop at Ikea. Not so, obviously, for interior decorator/retail guru Jonathan Adler. After taking the leap to invest in an out-of-the-city retreat over a decade ago, he and his partner Simon Doonan recently stepped up to an even more impressive piece of real estate on New York’s Shelter Island. The property lacked just one detail: a house.
Which is kind of a good thing — a blank canvas with Mssrs. Doonan and Adler was sure to be a masterpiece, as evidenced by their recent story in
Architectural Digest, where they share their casa odyssey, a “part modernist fantasy, part rustic beach retreat." For this dapper duo, that meant taking inspiration from the wooden homes of Scandinavia, Japan’s single-stories, and Rolling Stones’ noir-facades. Uh, duh.
While the exterior shows minimalist restraint, the inside pops with a more awesomely eclectic mix, filled with vintage rugs and burlap blinds, a Geoffrey Harcourt seat, George Nelson lamps, and, of course a liberal array of Adler designs. Enlisting the help of revered landscaper Vickie Cardaro, they fused their charcoal-structure into its natural surroundings, encircling the building with imported sands, Japanese pines, and swaths of ornamental grasses to catch the gentle breezes on their perfect plot of coastal terrain. Click through to AD to see another big reason why we want to be besties with Adler and Doonan. We're into chic couch crashing — we promise we'll bring an unforgettable hostess gift. (Architectural Digest)
Photo: Courtesy of Architectural Digest