| obsessed with this room on the tour |
5/13/2017 – UPDATE: Please come back to visit my blog next week to see all the photos from the 2017 house tour. I was able to take photos of all of the homes (except one) from the 2017 Designer House Tour. The homes were absolutely gorgeous! I will post photos on Monday (promise).
Hi guys! I’m so excited about the 2017 Near & Far Aid Designer Home Tour this Friday. It kicks off with breakfast at the Patterson Club in Fairfield, Connecticut, with guest speakers Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller of Carrier and Company Interiors. These renowned designers’ clients include Anna Wintour (Vogue) and Annie Leibovitz.
After breakfast, a group of my girlfriends and I start the tour of five, always amazing homes in Fairfield County, CT. This tour has become a tradition for us (I think that this is our 5th year in a row) and something that we all look forward to. If you live in Connecticut, but have never been on this tour, I could not recommend it more highly!
In addition to a fun day with friends, we feel good about supporting Near & Far Aid. Near & Far Aid helps to eliminate poverty in Fairfield County by finding and funding programs that seek to achieve lasting change. Please read more about the positive impact that they have made on our community and watch the video.
I wanted to share the photos I took of one of the homes on the tour last year and the blog post I wrote. If you don’t have plans on Friday, you can still buy tickets here:
Designer House Tour Tickets
PHOTOS! 2017 Near & Far Aid Designer Home Tour
Last Friday, a group of girlfriends and I indulged in one of our favorite annual events, The Designer House Tour. Sponsored by the NEAR & FAR AID Organization, we toured five spectacular homes in Southport, Fairfield and Westport, Connecticut. We joke that we have a “love hate” relationship with this tour. We love seeing all the houses, but it makes us want to completely redecorate our own homes. I was looking for ideas for our sunroom and was hoping that this tour would give me much-needed inspiration. With so many gorgeous homes in the area, we never know what to expect as far as decorating style. There was an interesting mix of homes this year that ranged from a warm, cozily cluttered farm to a home with a museum-like feeling that has views of the Long Island Sound.
Our day began with the Designer Power Breakfast at the Patterson Club. Among other things, we were there to see guest speaker, Anthony Baratta, one of the most celebrated and respected interior designers of the day. As we sipped on Mimosas and dined on fresh-baked goods, we were witness to an interactive Q&A session with our guest speaker, including photo highlights of some of Anthony’s feature homes. All in all, not a bad way to start the day before we even went to the first house!
This year’s event featured five extraordinary homes, all decorated in unique styles. I’m always interested in seeing different interior design styles, but of the five homes we toured, there was one in particular that immediately resonated with me (I could totally move in tomorrow). As we walked through the house, I was struck at the very thoughtful and carefully balanced blend of modern furnishings in a vintage home. You’ll immediately see that the home is sparsely furnished, but it wasn’t cold. The designer wisely used lots of natural fibers and wool throws and blankets that warmed up the room and shook the chill away. This light and airy home was dubbed “effortless elegance” and I think that once you browse through the photos below, you’ll see what I mean. Get ready for a treat, this home is stunning!
Modern Vintage Home
| neoclassical windows and a portico add curb appeal to this rebuilt house |
| the study decorated in all natural fibers from the linen chairs to the wall to wall rug |
| a calm palette of greys and cream |
| detail of the patterns |
| powder room |
| cheery nautical themed guest room |
| efficient work space |
| guest bathroom |
| master bedroom |
| love the paneling behind the bed |
|master bath |
| soaking tub with clever inset shelf to hold soap, candles and towels |
| I want this desk |
| a lady’s office |
| my favorite room in the home |
Modern Vintage Home
| we stopped at Artisan for lunch about halfway through – they always have amazing food |
More about this house: The house was built in 1919 and was gutted down to the studs two years ago. The original footprint remains, but the square footage of the living space was doubled in the rebuild. Neo-classical windows were added, as was a portico and outdoor fireplace. The white oak floors were give a Swedish finish to make them appear like they belong in the past. The house features looks of linens and other all-natural fabrics from pastel pink to white to flax-colored. Everything is natural fiber, even the carpeting. The designer’s goal was to capture the feeling of the beach, which is right down the street, without it being a beach house.
