11-13-15

Living with Art- An Extraordinary Sale

Last month, Christies held an impressive sale titled, Living with Art, which included an incredible selection of furnishings and art from two significant properties. A Oklahoma estate designed by Stephen Sills and the legendary, Villa Hesperides in Montecito, California.

There were a number of items that were surprisingly affordable, given their provenance and exquisite quality. In fact, I was beyond thrilled to acquire the set of four French mahogany fauteuils below for my own home. How wonderful it is to own a set of chairs from such an extraordinary collection by one of my all time favorite designers, Stephen Sills!

I always like to see the furnishings in situ, which bring them to life and create a sense of context. The Architectural Digest article on Villa Hesperides left an indelible impression on me when I was a young design student and helped shape my love for classical interiors, architecture and antiquities.

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A Northern Italian painted brown and pace gilt mirror Early 18th century

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A set of four French Empire mahogany fauteuils. Circa 1810

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A MAGNIFICENT OKLAHOMA ESTATE BY STEPHEN SILLS

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A Pair of Directoire grey painted and parcel gilt chaises gondole 18th century

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A Pair of Queen Anne grey painted center tables 17th early 18th Century

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A pair of monumental crystal chandeliers by André Arbus 20th Century

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A pair of South German painted console tables Circa 1740

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A set of four Italian white marble columns with urns 20th Century

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A pair of Queen Anne style mirrors Modern

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All photos above by François Halard and are featured in Stephen Sills Decoration

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A pair of Italian Carrara marble terms on pedestals 19th century

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A pair of Northern Italian painted and parcel gilt armchairs Circa 1820

Villa Hesperides

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An Italian gilt wood pier mirror Tuscany, late 18th century

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An Italian painted and parcel gilt daybed Early 19th century

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Photography by John Vaughan for Architectural Digest

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1 Comment

ArchitectDesign™ on November 16, 2015 at 9:46 pm

such a great sale. I can't even imagine why they would want to sell their beautiful house and move on!