To create the illusion of more space, Claudia tore down the sheetrock that covered the walls in the living room and dining area. “I dry-brushed the exposed brick with white paint, preserving the texture of the brick but giving it a little depth.”
She kept the décor relatively simple and the palette neutral, with occasional blasts of color. “I work in a cluttered shop, but I don’t want to live in one,” she explains. “It’s a quirky mix, but soft tones and clean lines make it easy on the brain.”

(d) In the kitchen, a tall lamp and dramatic mirror draw the eye upward. (e) Claudia stashes linens in a ‘40s metal dresser. The antique angel “watches over me while I cook.” (f) A tall white canvas propped against the wall adds height and makes a neutral backdrop for treasured pieces.



(g) “I wake up in sunlight, surrounded by things I love,” Claudia says of her bedroom. “No single piece shouts, but together, they sing in harmony.” Arthur sculpted the self-portrait bust when he was 10. “He didn’t look like it then, but he does now!”

(h) “The downstairs powder room is a little jewel.” The 1820s French Empire mirror was a major splurge, but the contemporary sink and quirky touches (including an African tribal bracelet and a vase of porcupine quills) bring it down to earth. (i) The reproduction canvas-backed portrait chair “is like a sculpture.”

Originally published in the October/November 2007 issue

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