Friday, January 31, 2014

A Georgetown Classic


I was looking through my file box on Southern Design (yes, I organize my magazine clippings by region and country) when I came across this 2008 Southern Accents article on the Georgetown townhouse of the rare book dealer, Kinsey Marable.  Upon seeing this clipping again, I remembered exactly why I saved the article in the first place: antiques; books; dogs.  Marable's home was an inviting and comforting mix of all three, and I don't think it gets much cozier than that.

The house was decorated by Richard Keith Langham and his then-associate, Lindsey Harper.  Along with Marable, the trio created a home that exuded grace, charm, and elegance.  And yet, thanks to a few choice pieces of contemporary-minded, twentieth-century furniture, the house looked anything but old-fashioned.

Take a look at the photos below, and tell me that you don't want to go out and buy an antique or two, build more bookshelves, and adopt a new dog.  I'm ready to do all three.  I just don't think that Alfie would appreciate a new canine addition to our home.











All photos from Southern Accents, March/April 2008, Erik Kvalsvik photographer.

19 comments:

  1. Alan Dailey9:40 AM

    Kinsey is friends with Mario buatta. You can really see Mario Buatta's strong influence.

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  2. Jennifer, where would we be without your discerning eye?
    This house would seem to have it all--- great style without
    sacrificing coziness for an instant.
    Many thanks for sharing what was hitherto unknown to this reader.

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  3. A wonderful house!!! My kind of decorating - timeless and not "decorated" - just the collection of a rich life.

    BTW, Alfie would LOVE a companion! Don't you know that Cavaliers (even very spoilt "mama's boys) are the ultimate groupies. Alfie needs a sister!

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  4. Love at first sight. Even that "Orsini" Fortuny pillow is perfect. The only element that I would change would be the window treatments--for my taste, minimal or bamboo (the good ones) blinds would take this gorMgeous home into the 21st century. Thanks for my morning shot in the arm.
    Mary

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    1. I LOVE the window treatments! When one has high ceilings such as this house does, more elaborate window treatments soften a room. And those lovely soft shades in the living room must looks so rich when let down part-way on a cold winter's night. No - minimal is NOT what this room needs - it's just not that kind of room.

      Fortuny pillows are marvelous in such a room.

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  6. just beautiful! + love that mirror over the bed. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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  7. Wonderful Jennifer! Love the warmth and the unique finds. The Foo Dogs in the dining room are amazing!
    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena

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  8. Just my kind of home. Decorated to be collected and undecorated! Thanks for sharing it.

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  9. I love the small pieces of art bedside. Filing THAT idea away for my own room!

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  10. Anonymous7:53 AM

    Everything is timeless, except perhaps the mirror'd walls either side of the chimney breast!
    Best, Herts

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    1. I'm not wild about the mirrored walls either, and I find that the red chairs beside the fireplace are a jarring note. But I absolutely love the rich wall colors! The best thing, however, is the room proportions. The rooms are people-sized, not so big that they echo. And I'd fall in love with any room with that many bookshelves!

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  11. Anonymous2:08 PM

    I'm in love with the perfection of the bedroom!

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  12. What I love most about this is how Langham and Harper reflected the essence of their client. As beautiful as the antiques are, they serve the space…and the person who lived there...instead of the other way around. Marable was a rare book dealer and although I didn't have the pleasure of getting the chance to him, we can certainly assume at least a few aspects of his character from his choice of profession. His designers used the items in the room to create a place I'm sure he was thrilled to live in for years (cozy, warm, smart) regardless of the changing trends. That's at the core of why the house will continue to look "anything but old-fashioned. Because his designers started with the man, not with the trends.

    Thanks for this, Jennifer!

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  13. Jennifer,
    I so agree. Keith and I took classes together under Stanley Barrows, at FIT. It was great fun to know him then (early 1980's) and oddly, I was almost an assistant to the late Keith Irvine as well. After a while Keith Langham became known as Richard Keith Langham. I've always admired his Southern charm and talent with classic decor'.
    Dean

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  14. So, funny. I found that copy of Southern Accents recently in a stack of outdated magazines and bought it solely for the interior design of this room! As you say, Jennifer...it's timeless.

    April (Just Verte)

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  15. I so want a beautiful library and had a quote for bespoke shelving but it was insanely high. Maybe I can find a nice antique bookcase at auction - maybe Lots Rd - that would look nice in our study. The dog I want but we travel too much. We would like to do the 'timeless' look too but it quite difficult to achieve with class and style like this fine example.

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  16. I love good classic design that's layered and colorful, so of course this post is a winner. Particularly drawn to the foyer and the bedroom, probably because of the color palettes!

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  17. Rachel6:33 AM

    It, literally, doesn't get any better than this. Design at its best. That bedroom?: utter, utter perfection.

    (PS - Loving Kinsey's current Instagram feed.)

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