Classic Flourish
Tudor Revival style receives a modern update at the hands of architect Greg Busch and designer Melanie Millner.
Tone-on-tone elements give the study a classic look. Millner paired a luxe Kneedler Fauchère fabric with a Conrad shade to dress up the windows. The coffee table, desk and seating are from Hickory Chair.
A graceful archway off the foyer frames a Joseph Guay photograph and custom bench by Smithworks Iron & Design.
Inspired by the graceful curves accenting the cabinetry by Block & Chisel, Millner repeated the pattern throughout the kitchen. The custom banquette was a collaboration between Millner and Douglass Workroom. Hood, Smithworks Iron & Design. Stools, Hickory Chair. Backsplash and counters, Marmi Natural Stone. Light fixture, Restoration Hardware.
A luxurious Vandabath soaking tub serves as the focal point in the spa-like master bath. It’s complemented by sparkling accents such as the chandelier from Circa Lighting. Cabinetry, Block & Chisel. Ottoman, custom by Douglass Workroom. Tile, Traditions in Tile.
Grand steel-and-glass doors, a Dessin Fournir chandelier and a geometric ceiling motif add intrigue in the formal living room. Drapery, Rogers & Goffigon. Mantel, François & Co.
Interior designer Melanie Millner applied her tailored and inviting aesthetic to the formal living room, where steel-and-glass doors allow ample daylight.
Rich ebony cabinetry creates the perfect backrop for a scotch bar. below At one end of the formal living room, a Steven Seinberg painting serves as the backdrop for the nearby piano. Seinberg is represented by Pryor Fine Art.
A soft color palette in the master bedroom makes for a quiet and cozy sanctuary. Chair and sofa, Hickory Chair. Bedding, Leontine Linens.
Grand steel-and-glass doors, a Dessin Fournir chandelier and a geometric ceiling motif add intrigue in the formal living room. Drapery, Rogers & Goffigon. Mantel, François & Co.
A soft color palette in the master bedroom makes for a quiet and cozy sanctuary. Chair and sofa, Hickory Chair. Bedding, Leontine Linens.
In the dining room, a portrait of Nick’s great-grandfather presides over meals shared among family and friends. Cushy chairs sidle up to a more formal Hickory Chair table, while a Dennis & Leen crystal drop chandelier hangs overhead. Ceramic wall plates, Erika Reade Ltd. Buffet, Hickory Chair. Wallcovering, Phillip Jeffries.
Inspired by the graceful curves accenting the cabinetry by Block & Chisel, Millner repeated the pattern throughout the kitchen. The custom banquette was a collaboration between Millner and Douglass Workroom. Hood, Smithworks Iron & Design. Stools, Hickory Chair. Backsplash and counters, Marmi Natural Stone. Light fixture, Restoration Hardware.
Architect Greg Busch, interior designer Melanie Millner and landscape architect Alec Michaelides fashioned a Tudor Revival-inspired beauty in Tuxedo Park.
“Getting light in as many places as possible drove many design and architectural decisions,” says project architect Greg Busch.”
Pulling up the driveway of Nick and Sherry Hart’s Tuxedo Park home, guests immediately know they’re in for a treat. The meticulously manicured courtyard gives way to a stunning Tudor Revival–inspired exterior with a sweeping roofline, a pair of towering chimneys and graceful limestone accents.
“It’s an English house, but it’s transitional,” says Greg Busch, the project’s architect. “We stayed very formal in the front, but once you approach the nontraditional steel-and-glass front door, we hinted that something different was coming.”
Indeed, stepping through the front door reveals an interesting mix of English-style craftsmanship with modern flourishes. While Busch took the lead in the architectural detailing—the foyer’s paneled walls wrap around the curve of the stairwell, for example—interior designer Melanie Millner applied her tailored and inviting aesthetic to each room.
In the formal living room, Millner softened the long and spacious dimensions by anchoring the space with a sisal rug underfoot and geometric molding on the ceiling. “It’s always important to consider how to make a room feel welcoming,” she says. “In this space, we did that through fabrics and textures that create warmth and a simple ceiling detail that adds some character.”
It’s a successful formula also evident in the study, where Millner upped the ante with striking tone-on-tone elements. A slate-green hue envelops the room, from the paneled walls and drapery to the geometric motif on the ceiling. Punchy accents like an orange leather chair add personality to a room that can often have a more formal ambience.
Another common thread throughout the home is the prominence of artwork. “Art is fascinating to me because it takes on different meaning for different people. It’s a very personal investment,” says Millner. So rather than simply selecting pieces to fit a space, Millner accompanied Nick and Sherry to various local art shows. An ethereal Steven Seinberg painting and a pair of Joseph Guay photographs have now found a home among the couple’s existing collection.
Aside from an aesthetically rich house that marries Nick and Sherry’s differing tastes (he’s traditional, while she favors a more casual vibe), the couple’s main request was to allow natural light take center stage in every room. “Getting light in as many places as possible drove a lot of the design and architectural decisions,” says Busch. “It’s why there’s so much glass across the back of the home.” It was also the reason behind the unusual shake-up of the floor plan. Busch originally drew the family room to be adjacent to the kitchen and open to the backyard, but to take advantage of the home’s southern exposure, and given the Harts’ strong desire to maximize daylight, the family room was moved to the dining room’s original location at the front of the house.
“This turned out to be a great decision,” says Millner. “Now when the couple entertains, they can open up the dining room doors to the backyard, and the family room up front gives a sense of being connected to the neighbors.”
ARCHITECTURE Greg Busch, Greg Busch Architect; (404) 252-8073; gregbusch.com INTERIOR DESIGNER Melanie Millner, The Design Atelier Inc; (404) 365-8662; thedesignatelier.com. BUILDER Todd McGarrity, McGarrity-Garcia; (404) 392-2364; mcgarritygarciabuilders.com. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Alec Michaelides, Land Plus; (404) 238-9595; landplus.org CABINETRY Robin Smith, Block & Chisel; (404) 350-9600; blockandchisel.com.