Tour designer Alfredo Paredes Shelter Island dwelling
When a prime inside designer renovates a weekend home for himself and his household there aren’t any prizes for guessing that it’s going to develop into one of many world’s finest houses.
The house on Shelter Island, simply east of New York Metropolis, has ocean views, its personal jetty and touchdown stage on the waterfront, plus a beneficiant yard with mature timber and neat gardens.
The property is an 1870s Victorian dwelling that began as a small cottage and has been expanded through the years. Designer Alfredo Paredes (opens in new tab), who purchased the home 9 years in the past, has restored it in and out. His delicate renovations and redesign improve the aesthetic of the unique property. The furnishings – a mixture of antiques and newer items – create a relaxed, lived-in look that is good for a weekend and vacation dwelling.
It was a special story completely when Alfredo and household first took it on. ‘It was in want of repairs – the planting was overgrown and blocking the home windows, there was darkish trim and darkish shutters, and the entrance porch that had clearly been a part of the unique design was lacking,’ says Alfredo. ‘In resurrecting it we tried to think about it in its glory days. Portray the whole lot white gave it the freshness it was missing, as did stripping again and simplifying the planting.’
Designer Alfredo offers us a tour and talks us by means of the adjustments he made.
Eating room
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
Earlier than launching his personal NY design studio in 2019 Alfredo was artistic director for Ralph Lauren for 33 years, designing the model’s areas, shops and occasions. For a design veteran like Alfredo with such a watch for element eating room concepts for his own residence got here straightforward. ‘We love a spherical desk for entertaining,’ says Alfredo. ‘The room additionally capabilities as a library – a method to make sure the room is in fixed use and never only for dinner events.’
Giving a room a twin function like it is a nice concept, notably for rooms that might in any other case solely be used often.
The rug is from Sacco, the placing pendant gentle is by Richard Ogden and the the desk is from Ralph Lauren House and paired with classic chairs.
Kitchen with authentic allure
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
The small, easy kitchen structure offered Alfredo with a design dilemma as he thought of his kitchen concepts. ‘We initially envisioned gutting the kitchen,’ he explains, ‘however in the long run held again, as a substitute altering the counters, lighting, paint and different particulars to keep up a number of the dwelling’s authentic allure.’
Butler’s pantry
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
The drawers and cabinetry on this butler’s pantry are all authentic however, just like the kitchen, wanted new counter tops, lighting, and paint. ‘This house was an afterthought after we purchased the home and is now an integral a part of the kitchen,’ says Alfredo.
Lined porch
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
With a setting as gorgeous as this, in fact you need to maximize alternatives for indoor-outdoor residing. Now that it has been restored and has had its striped awning changed, this coated porch is central to the relaxed vacation temper right here. ‘When the climate is heat this 12-foot desk is the place we collect for meals – be it a solo meal or for a crowd of 14,’ says Alfredo.
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
On the different finish of the porch is a calming seating space, with classic fashion backyard furnishings that is in good preserving with the historic home. ‘All of the wicker is collected from Bar Harbor, Maine,’ says Alfredo. ‘Maintaining the upholstery monotone makes it really feel up to date.’
Lounge comforts
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
Guaranteeing the home is simply as comfy and comfy in cooler climate as it’s in summer time, Alfredo’s lounge concepts had been about enhancing the unique interval particulars, corresponding to the hearth. Classic furnishings and equipment, together with an outdated French flooring lamp (behind the armchair) and classic Persian rug, full this fastidiously curated look and add to the sense of historical past.
‘The greens used all through the home are impressed by a set of inexperienced American pottery,’ says Alfredo. ‘The portray over the hearth is by Anne Packard and likewise impressed the route of the palette within the room.’
The armchairs are by George Sherlock and have been upholstered in a robust Bennison Materials’ stripe.
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
This angle of the lounge exhibits how the room opens onto the restored porch house. Additional classic finds embrace a espresso desk discovered at Brimfield Flea Market (opens in new tab), which Alfredo says ‘proved a good way to open up the room and anchor its considerably awkward form’, and a nook pedestal and assertion planter. The big portray is by Anastasia Egeli.
Corridor and stairs
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
Anybody in search of hallway concepts will certainly discover inspiration on this attention-grabbing house, which invitations guests to linger and admire the house quite than simply passing by means of.
‘As a collector I’m at all times on the hunt for distinctive, low key items,’ says Alfredo. ‘The bottom of the steps supplied a fantastic spot for this classic wicker desk and likewise the right place for a classic tree root chair to tackle and off sneakers.’
The rug runner is from Sprint & Albert (opens in new tab)
Main bed room
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
There’s a wealth of bed room concepts of all types to attract on on this dwelling, beginning with the first bed room. This underwent a dramatic transformation, as Alfredo explains.
‘Whereas the balcony was clearly a part of the house’s authentic design it had been eliminated many years earlier than and changed by a small window,’ he explains. ‘One of many first issues we did was restore this characteristic and in heat climate the French doorways are at all times open.’
It is arduous to think about why anybody would need to take away such an essential and delightful a part of the room’s design, and simple to see why Alfredo wished to reinstate it. The room’s pure palette echoes the assorted earth and inexperienced tones all through the home. The throw on the mattress is from India.
Bed room writing nook
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
This inviting writing desk is in one of many visitor rooms, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Inexperienced Blue shade. ‘It is a fantastic place to sit down and write, with a view over Gardiner’s Bay,’ says Alfredo.
Kids’s rooms
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
On the lookout for youngsters’s room inspiration? Look no additional. The rooms Alfredo designed for his son and daughters are full of surprising concepts that enchantment to each youngsters and adults alike. The darkish partitions create a surprisingly restful and serene impact on this bed room.
‘In designing this room we envisioned an area fitted to a younger sea captain,’ says Alfredo of his son’s room. ‘The darkish blue Ralph Lauren wallpaper with a celestial sample felt good.’
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
‘We wished to create a delicate house the place a baby may play and dream. The pale blue floral wallpaper from Ralph Lauren felt Victorian and we liked the counter play between the blues and a contact of pink,’ explains Alfredo.
Outdoors
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
Alfredo has refreshed his elegant 1870s dwelling in and out, restoring interval options such because the balconies, coated porch and awning. The outside stucco and woodwork have been painted and the beforehand overgrown gardens tidied up and simplified.
(Picture credit score: Bjorn Wallander)
‘After we purchased the home it didn’t have a dock. Including this, cleansing up the landscaping, and changing the inexperienced and white awning to the porch introduced the home again to its glory days,’ says Alfredo.
Alfredo’s newest enterprise is the Alfredo Paredes Shelter Island Store, which opens in June 2022, at Ram Design House (opens in new tab), that includes a number of the designer’s upholstered furnishings assortment.
