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(g) Annie with the kids,
from left to right: Isabel,
9; Daniel, 11; and
William, 13. Reflecting their
heritage,
they’re holding Dutch
teacups.
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Text by Mary Forsell •
Styling by Kathy Curotto •
Photography by Matthew Millman
Annie Brahler had dragged a chandelier onto a plane in a garbage bag for the
very last time. For years, she’d tagged along on business trips abroad with
husband Richard, who owns a Holland-based tool business, in search of treasures
for their 1868, six-bedroom home in Jacksonville, Illinois.
“One day, Richard
said, ‘You know, you could get a container for the house,’” recalls Annie,
referring to the professional practice of shipping goods in bulk. That was the
beginning of Euro Trash, a furnishings import business that sells to shops,
designers, and individuals.
Now Annie takes her own business trips, as many
as eight annually. “Some of the things I bring back wouldn’t appeal to
everyone,” she admits (old moose horns are her latest obsession). “I never buy
for the market. I stay true to what I love.”
(a) In the front salon, cedar-boxwood garlands decorate a
fireplace surround
salvaged from a Chicago brownstone. The tallest
candles on the mantel are waist
high, which puts them in scale with the
15-foot ceilings.
(b) Bought for only
30 Euros (about 38
bucks), all the French
console needed was fresh paint. (c) For luxury on a budget, Annie
made inexpensive, tissue-thin silk
appear lush by interlining it with
double flannel.
“The Dutch revere children and animals—they’re welcome everywhere. That’s how we
live.” (d) Jack (on daybed) and Ralph unwind in the morning room.
(e) Chocolate initials are a traditional Dutch treat. (f) Vintage
Delftware ornaments decorate the tree.
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