Is there anyone who doesn't love Vermeer today? The Girl With the Pearl Earring has almost mythical powers of enchantment, mystery, wonder; dubbed The Dutch Mona Lisa, it inspired the movie starring Scarlett Johannsen, a visual feast. When interior designer John Saladino set out to design a Manhattan condominium in SoHo for the Veranda Magazine Showhouse, he chose that painting as his inspiration.
Now, many of us might choose a painting for design inspiration. But in the hands of the brilliant Saladino, the subtlety, the evocative details, the refusal to compromise yielded a vision that resonates with 17th C. Dutch Neoclassic sensibilities...while managing to stay fresh and modern....pure genius!
Saladino may have thought: "If Vermeer could produce luminous paintings out of the gloom of northern European Amsterdam, then I can harness the grey light of Manhattan's canyons and create a softly glowing SoHo interior"!
I love these pewter plates from Arte Italica, but mostly I adore
the wall finish: scratch-coat plaster suggesting the layering of time
Saladino's inspiration painting yielded a palette of creamy whites,
deep taupes & rich pewters with touches of lavender and periwinkle blue throughout
the serene and intimate setting is enhanced by the 17th C. style
furnishings with the linens carefully draped over the table; modern draperies
and gorgeous antiqued flooring by Exquisite Surfaces set the tone
nailheads on antiqued leather suggest
17th C. Holland
this stunning stairway in antiqued flooring
also by Exquisite Surfaces
again, the antiqued floors set the tone for the old bench, while
the huge mirror captures all available light and sends it back into the room;
deep blue-grey wall and old tapestry create atmosphere
a delicate, feminine feeling for the dressing table
with delft-pattern rug underfoot
softly atmospheric light in a beautifully designed sitting room
Saladino's use of lavender and periwinkle blue works brilliantly
against the soft neutral palette
All Photos by Antoine Bootz
Images Courtesy of Veranda Magazine
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in the new year, it's:
for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic
Chic Provence Interior Design
