“this way the room doesn’t end
up taking itself too seriously”
“Because we do a lot of period design, we’ve truly
made a study over the years of period detail to make
sure that if we are pursuing an 18th century boiserie
room, it’s correct. It’s so easy to be off, and you quickly
see if the detail is not correct or the proportion is
not correct,” Eubanks says. “So we try, from the
background up, to make sure we get the essence of
that. But we’re not trying to be purists in any sense
of the word. If we go too far with this, it becomes
staid or impersonal.” Instead, the key was to allow
historic detail, such as the wood paneling, Versailles
marquetry flooring and soft wall glazing, to set the
mood for the antique pieces; to fill in functional gaps
(such as coffee tables) with new work; to bring in yards
and yards of silk textiles in an up-to-date color palette,
and to interject the odd bit of modernity here and
there—overstuffed sofas, a pair of fully upholstered
1930s chairs—to relax the rhythm of the past.
The main salon, for example, is a rich illustration of
what such effort can yield. With ocean views on three
sides, this residence is firmly planted on the Gold
Coast. Yet, with careful choices in color, the interior
seems right at home. Buttery yellows, coral salmons,
robin egg blues—all are compatible with both the
geographic area and the historic arena. The layout of
furnishings, with two distinct seating arrangements,
allows both an intimate group of six and a party of
50 to feel equally at ease. Throughout most of the
apartment, yellow-glazed walls keep the palette open
and maintain continuity, but with variations from
room to room. Here, the walls are textured with a
soft ragging effect, coupled with a strie glaze on all
the crown and base molding trim. High ceilings give
the correct overall proportion to the room, allowing
luxurious drapery in an overscale Italianate pattern of
gold shot with salmon thread to frame the view.
