Design Confidently, Live Comfortably
  By its very nature, eclectic decor is warm and welcoming, suggesting that everyone and everything has a place. In fact, everything doesn't go with everything else, and as such, eclectic  design is tricky. Winslow made it work in the house by restricting design elements to ingredients from similar climates.Coexisting happily under the house's overarching Mediterranean style are tiles from Tunisia, a window from India, Craftsman-style light fixtures, and modern metal windows. It's not always obvious what will work with this aesthetic. Will, for example, found a Chinese ceramic lion sculpture that had survived the fire half buried in the backyard. He set it down by the front door when they were moving into the new house, and it looks great. Julia countered an undesirable view from her kitchen desk with a stained glass window.  Winslow made it clear at the outset that she wanted to hear Julia and Will's wishes, and the design details that resulted helped to create a place where the Mieses feel comfortable. Julia asked for eastern light in their kitchen. This was accomplished by fitting the upper cabinets on the eastern wall with a glazed back and glass doors. The glassware stored in those cabinets sparkles each morning as the Mieses make their breakfast. Meanwhile, because Will insisted that he have a great view from the kitchen table, it was moved from the east to the west side of the kitchen. Unwittingly, the clients had embraced two of the architect's principal tenets: placing rooms according to the sun and providing protected lookouts. Glass-backed cabinets let in light The homeowners' request for morning light and lots of storage in the kitchen led the architect to design upper cabinets with glass backs that hang over a window. The Mies family has been on this hill for almost two decades, the first in a Tudor and the second in an eclectic Mediterranean-style house. With every passing year, this house builds another layer of family stories, memories, and history. Even as the children grow up and start their own lives, this is the home base to which they will return. Contributing editor John Connell is the author of the forthcoming Taunton Press book The Inspired House, from which this article was adapted. NEXT: What an architect can do for you BACK: A Comfortable Mediterranean Style |
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