A midcentury house stars with Elle Fanning in Gaby Dellal's new movie, 3 Generations
Film director Gaby Dellal is a longtime Remodelista friend and fellow aesthete We ve featured her Free Spirited London House... Photography by David Johnson for Remodelista. ...Remodel and also dropped in on her sister designer Lorraine Kirke mother of Jemima and Lola At Home in Greenwich Village But what Gaby thought would pique our interest was the 1950 house designed by a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright’s that plays a leading role. Located in a wooded setting north of New York City the house is the work of architect and landscape designer Kaneji Domoto who apprenticed with Wright at Taliesin and put many... ...of his teacher s Usonian principles to work here starting with the use of wood and stone to harmonize with the landscape and reduce the sense of separation between indoors and out Gaby auditioned dozens and dozens of settings before finding the movie s two main locations the characterful New York City townhouse... ...occupied by Ray and clan and Ray s estranged father s place in the country which he shares with his new family The house is clad in cypress indoors and out and detailed with stained glass in the pair of wings that extend out from the living... ...room They bought it from her brother His family needed more space but hadn t been able to sell the place for over a year Elle’s character, Ray, tracks down his errant dad and makes a pilgrimage to his orderly domain. The artist owner points out that the house has evolved over the years: The original owner is the one who, with architect Kaneji Domoto, added the stained glass extensions. With its wall of eastern-facing windows, the living room has a treehouse feel. Tate Donovan plays Ray’s architect-builder father. The dramatic window wall is anchored by a lineup of brass-detailed wooden chests acquired by the artist when she walked by a New York City hotel that was going out of business. “Patterned fabric conflicted with the setting—this is a house that dictates what’s right for it. Everything has to harmonize.” Thanks to shade-free windows, the paneling is dappled with light and shadows. A streamlined cypress-paneled kitchen overlooks the living room. The compact space was last updated six years ago, when a SubZero fridge was added and the black-tinted concrete counters replaced butcher block. The current owners carved their dining area out of what had been a garage—”one with a stone wall and skylights,” says the artist. She had the table built from cypress and traded a painting for the Vladimir Kagan chairs that were in a new neighbor’s house: “In fall, they match the maple leaves outside.” There’s also a small sitting room (with coat closet) off the entry. The cypress paneling continues in the master bedroom, which has an en suite bath that overlooks the surrounding woods. The photograph of a peach is by Edward Mapplethorpe, brother of Robert. A hidden luxury, brass piano hinges on the doors create a sleek look. The artist’s African art collection looks very much at home here. A side view of the house. Years ago, after a contractor and others warned that in a storm the tree could take down the house, she and her husband summoned Kaneji Domoto to revisit his creation. The house is nestled into a steep incline, and in lieu of a yard, slate steps lead down to a circular outdoor patio with bench seating around the perimeter. Director Gaby Dellal with Elle Fanning, on location.