JUXTAPOSE IT’S NOT PERIOD: “We’re less afraid, now, of empty space; actually, we’ve come to value it as a luxury,” says the designer. “Furniture has an independent status. It can stand like the Bertoia chairs in a historic space and shine . . . the very juxtaposition highlighting the original house.”
An architect in her native Italy, Brooklyn-based Deborah Mariotti has worked as an interior designer since moving to the U.S. in 2005. On this project, a 19th-century brownstone in a historic district, she collaborated with clients raised in northern Europe. “We share the preference for preservation, and also the delight in juxtaposition,” Mariotti says.
“I would never delete history that has survived. In Italy, we have so many historic buildings, but we are used to integrating contemporary design with the old. The dialog between new and old is always interesting.”
To a great extent, the house was a time capsule. The previous owners—for about 40 years—had taken very good care of it but lacked the funds to upgrade or renovate. Some major repairs were needed, and systems had to be brought up to code. New plumbing and HVAC have been carefully integrated and hidden.
This story is from the October - November 2020 edition of Old House Journal.
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This story is from the October - November 2020 edition of Old House Journal.
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