THE 2007 HC&G IDEA HOUSE

July 1, 2007

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In bringing together such disparate furnishings that seem magically to cohere—including a pair of custom designed chests by furniture designer Bruno de Caumont and a Gorrivan—designed geometric rug in a modern parquetry design—the designer admits to taking cues from the Maison Jansen style. "Maison Jansen is one of the great French design houses of the 20th century," he says, "known for decorating for some of the most famous people of the last century, including Babe Paley and Jackie and President Kennedy. They are very inspirational to all of my work. They laid the groundwork for the design we have now—eclectic, mixing the past with the present in a very stylish way."

Having designed interiors ranging from New York townhouses to country residences in Connecticut and on the south shore of Long Island, Gorrivan is very conscious of scale. "The Idea House is really more of a cottage," he says, "but I don't think there's anything wrong with creating a formal dining room here. It makes entertaining a wonderful, uplifting experience."