Four years ago, Laura Silverman, a writer and creative consultant (we’re followers of her blog, Glutton for Life), and her husband, George Billard, a filmmaker, left their long-time home in New York City to live upstate in a 1935 cedar-shingle cottage. Although the house is actually smaller than their city loft, it doubles in size during the summer months thanks to a large screened-in porch the couple added on.
Photos by Michael Mundy for An Afternoon With.
Above: A French market basket always hangs at the ready near the door. The wire storage caddy is from the Sundance catalog.
Above: Floors and beams stained almost black give the room a touch of drama. The original Warren Platner chair survived a fire and was recovered in Indonesian ikat. The silk burlap couch is from ABC Carpet & Home. The vintage safe in the corner serves as a liquor cabinet.
Above: The brick fireplace, whose design was taken from a mid-century book on Swedish fireplaces, replaced a wood-burning stove. The vintage Tyrolean dining chairs are from Paula Rubenstein in NYC.
Above: Brightly hued books add dashes of color here and there (a dried pumpkin stem from the garden rests on the stack of books at right).
Above: Atop an old wooden shoe rack, ceramics include vintage German pieces and others by L.A. potter Mirena Kim. The tree photo by Dietmar Busse, showing two trunks grown together, was a wedding gift. The little copper pipe sculpture echoes the form.
Above: An antique cabinet from India that sits at one end of the breakfast nook holds Laura’s collections of cookbooks and copper cookware.
Above: A pair of mercury bottles adds a glimmer to a naturalistic tableau.
Above: A small hallway glows with Farrow & Ball’s Calke Green, a color based directly on a cleaned version of the breakfast room at Calke Abbey. The reclaimed teak mirror frames a bronze mask brought back from a trip to Java.
Above: A view of the space-doubling screened porch.
Above: The weathered zinc top table in the porch is from ABC Carpet & Home. The bronze hurricane lamps are from Aero.
Above: A hammock slung in a corner of the porch.
Above: Laura’s study, with rustic shelves and desk; the linen shades are from The Shade Store.
Above: A decoupage from John Derian with an inspirational message.
Above: The room where Laura works has a built-in daybed covered in Italian linen that often accommodates a single guest. A denim seat cushion was made for the vintage wicker chair. The framed poster is from a White Stripes concert.
Above: A naturalist who blogs about gardening, foraging, and cooking at Glutton for Life, Laura brings many organic elements into the house. This vignette includes Elsa Peretti’s terra cotta bone candlesticks, a collection of turkey feathers and a vintage box made of solid tiger’s eye.
Above: A collection of feathers Laura gathers on her walks serves as wall decor in the bedroom.
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