Abbey Lane, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
What makes a design timeless? Today we'll compare two design legends who made names for themselves with their interpretations of historic classics. While their designs couldn't be more different from each other's, they coincidentally both worked in cities named Lewisburg.
The first Lewisburg is in West Virginia, where there's a home for sale that was made over in the 1990's by renowned designer Carleton Varney. Varney is best known for his work with Dorothy Draper on the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, and Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel.
Joining the ranks of those illustrious lodges is this former Bed and Breakfast named Maison Marcel.
It was built in 1921, and it's one of those listings that surprise you when you start clicking through it.
As the listing agent says, "This home is not just a residence, it's a lifestyle offering for those who appreciate beauty, history, and the finer things in life. Embrace the opportunity to own a piece of architectural splendor."
In other words, if your home was designed by one of America's premier decorators, don't go messing it up. Should his design be considered timeless...and untouchable? We'll tour it next week, because, whether I should or not, I do have some ideas for it.
Along those lines, let's go from a replica of a grand hotel to a replica of a historic farmhouse.
It's in another Lewisburg, this one in Pennsylvania.
It was built in 1968 by architect and woodworking artist Frank Auspitz. What Carleton Varney was to decorating, Frank Auspitz was to heirloom cabinet making.
And, just like how Varney liked to use that "Fudge Apron" fabric, Auspitz liked arched green cabinets. Believe it or not, the design below is from a different house:
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Auspitz also apparently had a thing for green and chevron front doors with transom windows:
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He also liked Colonial era dining room fireplaces:
If it were mine, I'd add more timeless style via Varney-inspired color and pattern:
The dining room is actually part of the kitchen....
It connects to this mudroom space with a brick floor (another Auspitz favorite):
I would tie it in to his previous design with more green cabinetry, like this:
This bonus room rounds out the first floor:
Upstairs are four bedrooms. The house also has four bathrooms in 3,971 square feet.
Once again we see the Auspitz touch. Here's the master bedroom at another house he designed:
Back to the Lewisburg house....
The basement level has that same fine cabinetry that's throughout the home:
It used to serve as a doctor's office.
There's also a charming outbuilding and pretty garden space:
Makes it easy to see where Auspitz found his green inspiration.
While his work is very different from Varney's, it has just as much careful attention to detail. It's easy to argue that it's more timeless because of its simpler, clearly Colonial design. The big question is, does that mean it's untouchable too? What would you change, if it were yours?
The listing is here.