not least in that I did not physically visit the house until nearly two years after its completion! The credit for this marvelous work, in all fairness,
must be given to my esteemed clients, Mr & Mrs Roger & Joyce Lethander, who entrusted me with their new home to an extent such that the
entire design work for their home was produced in Chicago, and was then shipped to & installed by the Lethanders directly in Auburn.
As directed by the client, the design concept for this house was that of a large, very comfortable Tuscan villa, suitable for entertaining, in which, as
in many Italian homes of today, elements of the past & present are companionably intertwined. The realisation of this concept enabled a full
exploration of many different design motifs and ideas, harmonised, especially, through colour, form and texture. Many of the pieces shown on this
page were custom-designed, both as a response to and as a stimulus towards the concepts engendered therein. I also participated extensively in the
hard-surface finishes used throughout the house as well, providing paint colours, textures, and, very often, a sounding-board for ideas &
inspirations on other aspects of the house & its construction.
It must also be mentioned, with a great pride & sense of achievement, that the design of this house was a truly collaborative effort between the
clients and myself. Each & every element was carefully selected, reviewed, and then considered in its relationship to the whole before a final
decision was made. The design process, inherently fluid, became a lively, animated dialogue in which all contributed. Much of what you see here
was not part of the original concept; indeed, even the original colour scheme was different! But that, at the end, is inconsequential; what matters
is the end result, truly a masterpiece, not only of design & of the process of design, but also of the unique collaboration between an ideal client
and a remarkably gifted designer.
Thank you, Roger & Joyce, for this wonderful opportunity and this wonderful project.
made from five fourteen-foot lengths of solid maple planking,
supported by a sturdy, hand-carved base. In elegant contrast, the
dining-chairs, fitted in lavender blue mohair, are accented by silk
cording in green & coral red. A large, handsome rug in shades of soft
blues, greens, golds & lavenders, designed exclusively for the
Lethanders, offers a pleasing, cool compliment to the warm beige stone
tiled floor. Note the clever use of the clients' initials worked into the
pattern of the rug itself; this motif is continued throughout the house.
room or small entertainments. Of special note here is the large area
rug in deep creamy wool with graceful arabesques in slate blue &
green echoing the curves of the wrought-iron coffee table. It should be
noted, however, that the coffee table was purchased after the rug had
been designed and was already on the loom; the superb pairing of
these two elements was, to everyone, a delightful surprise and a
testament to the successful design of this room.
& inviting, it can easily accommodate fifty or more people with ease.
Of special note are the twin sofas in deep evening-blue mohair
accented with soft gold & blue silk damasks & velvets. The chimney
was hand-painted by a local artist as a modern interpretation of the
ornately decorated fireplaces first popularised in Florence during the
Renaissance.
The rug is a vast expanse of deep, golden wool, highlighted with
swirling arabesques & curliques. Intentionally, only minimal
furnishings are allowed to protrude, small coffee tables & ottomans
which can be moved easily for large parties.
beautiful home, is nonetheless impressive with its display of a portion
of the owner's art collections. A magnificent bronze bull prefaces a
winter landscape, mounted over a superb chinoiserie table.