One addiction my wife Donnell brought with her from America to New Zealand was her love of Veranda Magazine. Many of it's pages live in her design tear files for our offices. We have been looking through the April edition at architectural details favored by Architect Peter Pennoyer. Stair Railings Peter Pennoyer loves custom stair railings with metalwork by Les Métalliers Champenois in bronze. Metalwork of any kind is not an option we are likely to go with as we tend to favor a seaside look.
Plaster Ornaments Peter Pennoyer says plaster ornaments add an element that is special and unique. We agree. Our property has just a touch of this in the origional spaces and we have gone to extremes to retain that, having it professionally removed, stored, and re-applied during our initial stages of renovation.
Mantels We changed ours from a plain brown deco period of tile to something slightly more traditional.
Lay Lights Too late for us to consider this it might have been wonderful to use up in the vaulted family area ceiling.
Painted Wood Paneling Peter Pennoyer says decorative painting can achieve wonderful effects and trick the eye. We've seen this first hand at one of my clients Grosse Point homes. That the wood is a decorative paint finish is absolutely indiscernible. Peter Pennoyer points out that many of the wood species admired in antique furniture are no longer available or come from a source that is not eco-friendly. This is a better way to achieve the same effect.
Paneled Dining Rooms Inspired by the intricate details of French boiserie. We love this idea and are looking for ways to consider this in our family dining space.
Hand Hammered Door Knob Pennoyer prefers hardware from Nanz with its hand hammered ridges. We went with a brushed metal ourselves.
Upper Cabinets When kitchens have very tall ceilings, says Pennoyer, upper cabinets maximize the use of storage space. We like this idea.
Butler's Window I was very keen on this myself, but Donnell nixed the idea as the downstairs kitchen is a shared space used by our staff and clients and the door leading to it comes right off the entry. Fin idea still, especially, as Pennoyer notes, for parties where caterers and people are running in and out of the kitchen.
Old Print Shop Pennoyer also mentions a New York shop called Old Print Shop as a great source for art reference books that are hard to find, and their print gallery with antiquarian maps, 18th, 19th, and 20th century prints. Must add this to the list of places to see the next time I'm in New York.
