DESIGN: French Twist

 

There are few better ways to spend a Sunday morning than in a warm, light-filled conservatory reminiscent of those in rural France, a newspaper in one hand and a cup of hot espresso in the other. For that matter, there are few better places to enjoy cheese and wine with friends, windows open to catch a soft summer breeze; or a novel on a weekend afternoon, the Williams River rushing in the background; or a romantic evening meal, surrounded by the hushed beauty of a twilight snowfall.

 

For one Great Barrington, Massachusetts, couple who are dedicated Francophiles and philanthropists, this dreamlike environment is a reality. After deciding to replace an old, dilapidated pool and patio with an addition to their house, the well-traveled duo grappled with design ideas. Recalling a favorite spot from their vacations, they reasoned, Why not build a French-style conservatory like the one with sweeping views of the countryside at our favorite inn in Bordeaux? Relatively uncommon in the United States, the glass-walled rooms have been popular in Europe, mainly as sunrooms for growing plants, for more than one hundred and fifty years; solariums were also popular in Victorian America. This Berkshire conservatory, scaled for home entertaining, functions as a solarium for growing prized orchids, as a comfortable breakfast and reading room, and as a spot for intimate dinners. 

 

Interior designer Jacqueline Togut, who has decorated for private clients and nonprofit events, including Berkshire Museum benefits, did the design and oversaw the project. She tapped local artisan and master carpenter Michel Martin of Sheffield, Massachusetts, to bring the couple’s vision to life. “I would sketch for him what I envisioned,” Togut recalls, “and we’d go over the particulars. Conservatories are made in sections with special glass, almost like a modular construction, so we had to work closely together on the design, sometimes on a daily basis, to make sure everything was built to specification.”

 

After excavating the area and pouring a concrete foundation, Martin’s crew installed the under-floor radiant heat system and stone flooring, and erected the conservatory’s metal frame. To prevent leaks, his team had to achieve a perfect fit between each piece of glass and its frame, and replace mismatched panes. For ventilation, four remote-controlled, retractable roof windows and screens were installed.

 

With the structural job done, Togut began the finish work. From a Connecticut stone yard, she sourced raw, unpolished stone in grays, clay pinks, and browns, seeking markings and imperfections that would lend an artisanal character to the space. This type of flooring is typically French, as are the wider spaces and grout lines between the stones. Also quintessentially French is the decorative spine along the central beam on the top exterior of the structure—a nod to the conservatory’s Bordeaux origins. For stairway railings, Togut looked to J.F. Graney Metal Design in Sheffield; with their wrought-iron scrollwork, gold detail along the top, and gold grape clusters dangling from the ends, the railings could be mistaken for something straight out of a vineyard château.

 

Incorporating a variety of international influences was important. “More important than the mechanical aspects of design, such as drafting, is a grasp of history, a good education, and being well-traveled,” Togut maintains. “That, of course, includes an understanding of other people’s cultures and concepts of beauty, and what people value. A broader frame of reference gives depth to any project. That’s what makes good design.”  In keeping with the foreign flavor of the room, she chose a defined color scheme of soothing cream, white, and botanical greens, with the occasional pop of blue or purple. This, along with a mixture of textures and furnishings, pulls the room together.

 

Togut found an oval-topped coffee table and had it painted with a faux bois tortoiseshell finish on its top and faux bamboo on its wooden legs; it is set with a small collection of cream and celadon Chinese pottery. Along one wall, she placed an antique French Provençal sideboard—a showpiece in itself—and decorated it with crystal candlesticks, rattan barware, and weathered iron urns holding dried wheat stalks. On the opposite side of the room, a pair of French country armchairs, upholstered in sage with cream-and-sage toile-print cushions, invites conversation. A replica of a turn-of-the-century baker’s table, opulent with its marble top, heavy iron legs, and gold fleur-de-lis details, is another nod to the conservatory’s Gallic roots.

 

Pieces sourced in Great Barrington include the baker’s table and iron urns (all from Berkshire Home & Antiques); an iron end table with a charming patina; a pair of large ceramic planters (from Mistral’s French Country); a Victorian bud vase holder/dinner gong (from Country Dining Room Antiques); and a brass country French chandelier (from Mullin-Jones Antiquities), which creates an intimate glow even when everything outside is dark. The room’s ivory metal planting shelf, now laden with gardening, travel, and poetry books, made the trip with the owners from Florida, as did the low, cushioned bench beside it. The cream linen armchair and ottoman in the corner are from the husband’s “bachelor apartment.” Togut arranged these much-loved items, plus a lamp and end table, to form a cozy reading alcove. “Part of good design is incorporating pieces that are meaningful to you,” she maintains.

 

In the center of the room, the designer grouped four lattice-back, weathered metal chairs around a café table draped in a long, plaid, fringed tablecloth. Depending on the season, the owners top this with complementary linens or textured touches, such as rattan placemats, “honeycomb” linens, and beaded napkin holders. They also vary the centerpiece, sometimes using an oversized glass pedestal bowl planted with live greenery, and sometimes a pair of substantial early American turned wood candlesticks.

 

Thriving orchids, palms, bamboos, and several smaller common potted houseplants dot the tables and floor spaces and line the stairs into the house. Of course, what the plants—and everyone who enters the room—are reacting to is the light, which suffuses the conservatory no matter the temperature or time of year. Like its Bordeaux cousin, this room unfurls wide-open views, bringing the outside in, showcasing the beauty of the landscape and the changing of the seasons, and creating a vibrant ambiance even in the coldest days of winter. It also provides a one-of-a-kind setting for entertaining. In the summer, the owners arrange buffet tables in the conservatory to augment alfresco dining on the stone patio outside. When weather turns brisk in autumn, they serve cocktails by candelight inside.

 

Regardless of the season, or whether the party is for a half dozen or for two, the versatile conservatory always exudes the welcoming atmosphere of a Gallic inn, a place to settle into a favorite chair, prop up one’s feet, sip a good French wine, and enjoy the natural backdrop just beyond the windows. [SEPTEMBER 2009]

Robin Catalano is a contributing editor to Berkshire Living. On days when she’s not writing or editing books and articles, she can be found in her metal studio, making jewelry.

 

THE GOODS

Berkshire Home & Antiques

Great Barrington, Mass.

www.berkshireantiques.com

Country Dining Room Antiques
.
Great Barrington, Mass.

www.countrydiningroomantiq.com

J. F. Graney Metal Design
1920 North Main St
Sheffield, Mass.

www.graneymetaldesign.com

Michel Martin, builder
Great Barrington, Mass.

Mistral’s French Country
7 Railroad St.
Great Barrington, Mass.

www.mistralshome.com

Mullin-Jones Antiquities
525 Main St.
Great Barrington, Mass.

Jacqueline Togut Interior Design
Great Barrington, Mass.

www.jptdesignassoc.com