Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1465756
Credits interiors in light, and Rice got creative with a limited palette of warm materials. Brick walls inside and out were given a German smear treatment — a technique where brick is coated with wet mortar to mimic the look of irregular stones and heavy mortar joints found in centuries-old European buildings. Ceilings are paneled in pine and set between a structural skeleton of dark-stained wood beams, and the floors are made from manganese ironspot bricks, a material usually reserved for the exterior of commercial buildings. "I wanted to use humble materials and finishes in a unique way; I think it gives the house a timeless feel, like it's been here forever," Rice says. The house's handcrafted quality comes from small-batch artisan details such as leather tassel pulls on the cabinets, hand-shaped and kiln-fired traditional zellige tiles from Morocco, and sinks carved from gray marble quarried in Italy. This warm aesthetic was inspired by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art near Copenhagen. "It's such a beautiful space that translates so well to residential," Rice says. "The materials aren't necessarily similar, but it's the vibe we were trying to achieve." Built in 1958 and curiously titled after the owner's three wives — all named Louise — the building is a standout example of modern Danish architecture, noted for understated design and seamless fusion of architecture and landscape. Lenox and Taylor's requirements for the house were minimal: They insisted on a single-story structure with two modestly sized bedrooms to allow for lots of living space. Lenox is a good cook, so he wanted a big kitchen, butler's pantry, and bar area. Everything else about the design was left in Rice's capable hands. "Josh is really talented, and Painting by New York artist Peter Opheim. On the 19th-century American bench, a walnut box by Wendell Castle and vessels by Claude Conover, from Sputnik Modern.