Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1519563
With kids in the equation, Gargano skipped the expected acrylic performance fabrics and instead chose elegant and durable natural materials such as cotton velvet, linen, mohair, sheepskin, and leather from such revered textile makers as Dedar, Fortuny, Holland & Sherry, Romo, Scalamandré, and Jerry Pair. Kit's mother has a large collection of English antiques — a smattering of which they brought with them to Fort Worth — and Gargano added collectible pieces to the mix, such as an Art Deco bar cabinet designed by Belgian furniture maker De Coene Frères, whose pieces are found in museums. Kit seems to have mastered the art of teaching her kids to live graciously. Although there's a big table in the kitchen, the family gathers for meals in the dining room every night. With grasscloth on the walls, Rogers & Goffigon menswear stripe fabric at the windows, and a massive burlwood dining table, the space is cozy and slightly masculine. "We love to light candles at almost every dinner because that's a different mood for our kids to experience," Kit says. "Even though it's a formal room, we use it constantly." The family room, which has the muscular vibe of a library — thanks to a fireplace and beautiful millwork — pays homage to the New England coast, with cabinetry and walls painted in Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue, a sectional sofa upholstered in seafoam velvet, and a Harry Ballinger seascape of Pigeon Harbor, Massachusetts. "We have a sailboat and when we're in Connecticut, we love sailing and being on the water," Kit says. Even so, the Ulriches have wholeheartedly embraced life in Fort Worth, where the closest thing to the ocean is the Water Gardens. They'd never seen a rodeo before moving to town, and now they're regulars at the annual Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, attending a dozen or more times during the month it's in town, which might be a record for even native Texans. "Fort Worth is a hidden gem," Kit says. "There are museums that rival anything in New York just blocks from our house. It takes 10 minutes to get anywhere — it's such a livable city. People ask me if I miss Manhattan. I still love it, but that was a wonderful chapter in our lives, and this now feels like the best place we could be." This page from top: In the main bedroom, Armadillo Moroccan rug. Vintage 1950s Greta Grossman for Glenn of California dressers from 1stdibs. Pair of lounge chairs from The Future Perfect. Kevin Frankental-designed 2010 marble coffee table from South Africa. Bed made by Noir. Gallery L7 chandelier. In the main bath, Eugene Gauss 1974 marble sculpture on industrial metal pedestal from 1stdibs. Alissa soaker tub. Opposite, clockwise from top : In the living room, 1950s Milo Baughman scoop chairs for James Manufacturing. Slate coffee table, 1960s, from the Netherlands. MGBW sectional. Studio Ashby swivel chair in Kufri upholstery. Antique Regency-style coffee table from England. Lumfardo Luminaires sconce. French 19th-century silver-leaf mirror from 1stdibs. Mehraban Rugs vintage Persian Malayer rug in kitchen. Art Deco bar cabinet by De Coene Frères from Belgium. Jasper Johns 1973 lithograph from Artsy. Vintage 1950s Italian marble table from Milan. Vintage 1950s Paul McCobb chair. Lamp by Dumais Made, Connecticut.