{"id":329470,"date":"2019-01-18T15:23:43","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T20:23:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=329470"},"modified":"2021-12-15T06:59:42","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T11:59:42","slug":"rebekah-caudwell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/rebekah-caudwell\/","title":{"rendered":"Rebekah Caudwell\u2019s Eclectic New York Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Rebekah
Rebekah Caudwell and her husband, Nicolas Dupart, in their New York home. Photo by Simon Upton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It took nearly five years for Rebekah Caudwell<\/a> and her husband, Nicolas Dupart, to renovate their 10,000-square-foot Manhattan home, just a few blocks north of Washington Square Park in the historic heart of Greenwich Village. \u201cThe house was initially divided into seven apartments, but it was clear it should be brought back to its former glory and reintegrated into one,\u201d says the British interior designer, who founded her residential design practice in 2009 and is currently based in London and New York City.
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Caudwell and Dupart (a talented photographer and the design business\u2019s managing director) recognized the potential of the house on first sight. \u201cNick and I found our New York City home in 2012, and we immediately fell in love with its beautiful proportions, serene light, peaceful outlooks and large sash windows, plus the stunning parlor and carriage house,\u201d Caudwell says. \u201cI got that butterfly feeling, the adrenaline flow of first love. We were home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The place wasn\u2019t without its drawbacks. \u201cIt was in a desperately dilapidated and crumbling state,\u201d she says. \u201cThe front door was blocked entirely, and when we emerged from the basement gloom up to the parlor floor, we were greeted by a spiral staircase almost hanging from the second floor.\u201d But they remained undaunted. \u201cThe 42-foot-long parlor \u2014 with its 12-foot-high ceilings \u2014 was one of the first rooms we saw, and despite the fact that all the windows were blocked up, this space pretty much sold the house to us then and there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dark, moody rooms are juxtaposed with dazzlingly bright ones, creating contrast and balance at the same time. \u201cThis spatial play not only provides different areas to match different needs but also keeps you alive to the dynamic of your own home,\u201d she says. \u201cIt serves as a reminder that you interact with your environment on a physiological level.\u201d
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Passionate about art, Caudwell, who taught art history for three years in Italy, naturally incorporated works by Natalie Frank<\/a>, Bradley Theodore<\/a>, Patricia Traub, Rachid Bouhamidi, Pieter Hugo<\/a>, Beth Carter<\/a>, Hollis Dunlap, Catherine Opie<\/a>, Steve McCurry<\/a>, Phillip Thomas and her husband into her home. \u201cPaintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures abound, alongside books and the special pieces that make up the story of your life,\u201d she says. \u201cFor me, these final elements are what give a house soul and a touch of magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Entrance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Rebekah
Photo by Simon Upton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the renovation, Caudwell and Dupart felt it was important to allow the past to shine but also to introduce contemporary touches. \u201cThe palette of the house oscillates primarily around the blues and greens,\u201d she says. \u201cTaking Farrow & Ball\u2019s deep, inky Hague Blue as the primary trim color and teaming it with brass hardware set the house on a specific track. It is rich and calm as well as interesting and elegant all at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Library<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Rebekah
Photo by Simon Upton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Furnished with vintage chairs by James Mont<\/a> and adorned with Thibaut wallpaper and a Patricia Traub painting from Gallery Henoch<\/a>, the library connects the parlor to the mezzanine level of the kitchen. Caudwell custom designed a 12-foot-high, 18-foot-long bookcase to accommodate her reading habit. \u201cWe managed to increase the height of the ceiling, and I altered the plans so that the newly installed crystal windows to the left of the space are 10 feet high,\u201d says Caudwell. \u201cBeing a book junkie, a large library space was a childhood ambition. Without the library, the space would be simply a wide corridor. With it, it has a whole life of its own and brings soul to the house. We decided to display travel finds as well as books, partially to bring a more esoteric flavor to the shelves.\u201d
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Guest Room\/Kids\u2019 Room<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Rebekah
Photo by Simon Upton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI originally envisioned this space as an underwater bedroom for kids, in blues and greens,\u201d says Caudwell. \u201cI did not want to take this concept too far, as I wanted the room to be versatile, too, but when I found this wallpaper by Black Crow Studios, I knew I had to use it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chair and side table are by Jonathan Adler<\/a> and the lamps are from Prime Gallery<\/a>. \u201cThe lamps were a delight to find, as the blown glass looks watery and is infused with the perfect tones,\u201d Caudwell says.<\/p>\n\n\n\t

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