Looking at these photos of the lovely hermitage retreat of Stephen Sills and James Huniford, you might believe they show the interior of a gently crumbling 18th century French chateau. But in fact this beautiful home is located in the countryside just outside New York, where it nestles in wooded surroundings very different from those found in France. And though Sills and Huniford both have a taste for the classical, with a preference in particular for 18th century French furniture, they're also unafraid to mix in lamps designed by Jean-Michel Frank, photos by Cecil Beaton, modern sculpture by artists such as Hiquely — even a collection of Neolithic basalt axes, mounted on stainless steel bases. All this adds up to an elegant interior that is definitely a warm and comfortable home, too.
(photographs by Guillaume de Laubier, scanned by me from a vintage copy of Marie Claire Maison)