Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1538827
intent to sell it and shared on Instagram, "She's currently the fixation of my own pipe dream: opening a swanky vintage-inspired bar called Bar Madonna where she would obviously be the centerpiece." Despite her best efforts, the massive Madonna didn't sell. She now sits proudly in The Marlene's intimate cocktail lounge, which is open to the public as well as guests — and called, of course, Bar Madonna. Tom Hardy, formerly of Hotel Saint Augustine and Bludorn Group, leads the beverage program as The Marlene's general manager. Accompanying Ms. Virgin Mary are mirrors from a decommissioned Eastern European church, an antique French chandelier, a 10-foot-long bench from a French château, and a marble fireplace from a torn-down River Oaks home, sourced from Historic Houston's Salvage Warehouse. Verdigris Finishes hand-painted a ceiling mural inspired by the Church of Saint- Germain-des-Prés in Paris — a church whose ceiling so mesmerized Banfield that it serves as her phone wallpaper. Like Bar Madonna, each room in The Marlene, including the well-appointed suites, has an antique cornerstone that led to the room's design, which Barfield collaborated on with childhood friend, Louisiana-based designer Helene Dellocono. Barfield went on the France sourcing trips without design schemes or furniture plans, only the goal of finding pieces she loved. "I just knew that we wanted to fall in love with the pieces, and then design around each one," she says. In the lobby, the anchor piece is a 1920s cabinet from a patisserie in France, and the walls are painted in a custom marigold yellow developed by Ellen Kennon, creator of Full Spectrum Paint. "A cornerstone for building this project is that the colors in this house are so rich and special, they have this intangible quality about them," Barfield says. Each room features a custom color from Kennon's paint collection, which is handcrafted using all seven spectrums of visible light. Yellow is notoriously difficult, and Barfield tested about 20 swatches of yellow on multiple walls to ensure the right hue. Barfield was careful to embrace and highlight the original architectural charm of the home, with its symmetrical and intact Neoclassical façade, large Clockwise from top: The Marlene, a 1910 Neoclassical-style inn. The romantic Morrow room has historical revival elements with wallpaper from Centered by Design, a collaboration with French wallpaper brand Isidore Leroy. The light fixture is original to the house. The second-story sunporch of the Mia suite. Lily Barfield in the garden room at The Marlene, where a French Provençal-style breakfast is served in pastry baskets sourced from France. LAURA STEFFEN