Photographed by Nicholas Calcott1/17“The living room is the focal point of our apartment, and as a result, is the room most constantly changing and evolving. The sofa, which is upholstered in Bennison Treeflower chintz, was originally designed by my father, Robert Renzullo, for the British film director David Lean, but my mother loved it so much that she had a copy made for her study. It’s almost 25 years old. The large wasps’ nest above the fireplace was something we found in Connecticut, and Julian spied the big kilim rug at an estate sale in Litchfield. The painted daybed is French 19th century, with a cushion made from old ticking stripe.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott2/17“Our bedroom is filled with different works of art that have been accumulated over time. The English tortoiseshell mirror came from my childhood home, as did the delft tile table beneath it. Julian recently won the Leonor Fini watercolor on the floor at an auction in Geneva, and the walrus tusk on the table was something we purchased years ago on a trip to Montreal.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott3/17“The monkey print above the fireplace was a housewarming gift from my mother. Monkeys are Julian’s favorite animals. The jasperware jugs on the mantel were a Christmas gift from our friend Emilie Irving, who owns the terrific interiors shop downtown called Xenomania.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott4/17“The cast-iron rabbits live in front of our fireplace.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott5/17“Our bed was purchased at an auction in Maine and belongs to the Victorian Eastlake period—which Julian and I both adore. The lithograph above the bed is by the New Mexico–based artist and family friend Carol Anthony.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott6/17“Of all the pieces in our apartment, my favorite is the chinoiserie chair that belonged to my grandmother. She purchased it in England in the 1970s, though its origin is 18th-century Chinese export. The pillow is from the London-based artist and interior designer Luke Edward Hall, and the painting of a dead bird by Maine-based artist Christopher Cart, while morbid, is also hauntingly beautiful.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott7/17“The dining area is constantly in use. Both Julian and I love a bit of pomp and circumstance, and seem to be hosting never-ending dinner parties. Here, I’ve set the table for a quiet tea with a set that belonged to my great-aunt Mabel Hussey Degen. The table is 18th-century oak, and Julian and I found the 19th-century caned farm chairs in Hudson, New York, last winter. The rustic, country-style linen tablecloth is the first item we purchased together for the apartment—before we even had a table to place it on.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott8/17“We only have one real bookshelf in the apartment and it’s crammed full. We swiftly outgrew it, and now books are tucked underneath and on top of every surface of our apartment. Framed in the center is an etching of an Arabian woman, done by an English artist probably in the ’20s.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott9/17“I recently purchased the French 19th-century Louis XVI chairs from the Caramoor sale at Sotheby’s. They’re completely falling apart, but the workmanship of the needlepoint seats is so beautiful.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott10/17“The 18th-century painted trostero cabinet in the corner came from Santa Fe, New Mexico. On it are various pieces of porcelain and silver, some that we’ve collectsed and some from my family. On top are Lunéville faience jugs and a teapot, with a Hispano-Moresque charger behind them. The still life parchment theorem above was formerly in my grandmother’s dining room.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott11/17“A French folk art–style painted leopard bench next to the English Victorian iron coal box.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott12/17"On the desk in the bedroom is an inkwell from my grandfather’s study. The photograph to the right is of him sailing in Wequetonsing, Michigan.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott13/17“The snuffboxes are a mix of 18th and 19th century, all from England, and collectsed over many decades by my grandmother. I have a love of miniatures, no doubt a result of years spent admiring these.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott14/17“Though our kitchen is quite small, we are always cooking. Last Thanksgiving we had 14 people over for dinner and somehow managed to squeeze a 24-pound turkey into the tiny oven. On the wall, Julian framed old postcards he bought in Istanbul.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott15/17“The real beauty of our apartment is the terrace. Every summer we fill it with potted plants and try as hard as we can to keep them alive the whole season.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott16/17“We love having summer lunches outside in the sun. I purchased the mismatched blue and white Leedsware china at an auction on Cape Cod last winter, and the place mats are ancient, from Pierre Deux. The silverware is inlaid bone and silver made in the ’60s by Haddad in Jezzine in Lebanon. It is on long-term loan from my mother, though hopefully ours one day.”
Photographed by Nicholas Calcott17/17“Queen Anne’s lace is our absolute favorite flower. The etched glass vase belonged to my great-grandmother, who purchased it in the South of France at the turn of the century.”
