Design Diary: A Contemporary Art Collection Resides In A Classic Greek Revival
Finally, 2020 has come to pass, delivered with Aquarian promise and cautious cheer. Savoring the quiet lull beyond the holidays, we consider a fresh year, the new decade, what’s been left behind, and what lies ahead. January may be winding down, but winter is in mid-stride. Design Diary has settled deep into the season, lingering over an aromatic fireside toddy, welcoming any excuse to ponder spring plantings or address the stack of best sellers beckoning by the bed.
Searching town and country for inspiration, our wanderlust doesn’t stray far from home. Your Design Diary cicerone is drawn to Hudson’s impressive Historic District once again. We’ve been invited to explore a handsome residence near Willard Place, a sprawling 4,500-square-foot Greek Revival. Built circa 1842 by Nathan Chamberlain, a prominent Hudson attorney, the historic building has 3 bedrooms, a graceful stairwell, double parlors and a spacious front porch added in the late 19th century. The house is visually and spatially imposing. The generous back yard landscaped by Peter Bevacqua includes a dream-come-true lap pool, and a massive bronze owl sculpture watching intently over the premises.
Carol McCranie (a Southern belle with a lovely drawl to prove it) and her husband, Javier Magri (Columbian born, raised in Long Island City) are the consummate art collectors and unabashed culturati who inhabit this gem. The couple met at Parsons School of Design in the 1980s and recently celebrated 36 years together, personally and professionally. Avid collectors of museum-quality artwork, limited-edition books and esoteric antiques, both are equally passionate about punk culture and music. Their combined expertise and experience is channeled through their professional arts consultancy, Hudson Brick LLC.
After decades of living in Long Island City and New York City, the couple were drawn to the Hudson Valley while searching for a suitable upstate residence in which to house their expanding collection. Thrilled to discover a treasure trove of like-minded creatives in Hudson, they quickly realized “this was our destiny and we needed to uproot.” These urban expats swooned over Hudson’s unique combination of premier cultural institutions, legendary architecture and, of course, the convenient proximity to Amtrak.
Carol and Javier purchased the Greek Revival in 2014 from a couple who had purchased it from the prominent interior designer and accomplished artist Frank Faulkner. A local urban legend, Faulkner renovated at least 14 homes during his time in Hudson. He too was a Southerner, so when McCranie reached out to him about renovation, they became instant kindred spirits. The house came with his custom-painted floors, but reluctantly they needed to remove the paint in some rooms. Frank promised to design a new pattern if the newly sanded floors were unacceptable, but once stripped to their natural color he agreed they were perfectly “zen” — the ultimate minimal backdrop for the objects and furnishings they own. In stark contrast to modern amenities such as a backyard pool, Carol shared, “we loved the crumbly, old, thick white paint on the exterior and left it untouched. It reminds me of thick icing on a big cake.” The house is indeed a delicious confection of good architectural bones filled with extraordinary art and furnishings.
Somewhat naive, but definitely fearless, they acted as their own general contractor during the renovation of the prodigious mansion. Having just moved upstate, they were also reviewing new pieces to add to their already impressive art collection, as well as developing a book about fashion icon Stephen Sprouse. The book concept, inspired by a discarded portfolio of Sprouse’s original fashion illustrations Carol rescued from a NYC dumpster, is simply one more artistic achievement to add to the roster of creative accomplishments this pair consider a day’s work.
In addition to the challenging projects already underway, the ambitious duo promptly immersed themselves in Hudson’s cultural scene. They co-curated exhibits from a unique collaboration with Hudson Hall and The Now Forever group show at Basilica Hudson, to celebrate the publishing of the Sprouse book at The Gilded Owl.
In this home, an unusual balance is delicately maintained, the owners constantly redefining the space as a museum and a private home. An immense Gothic Revival mahogany table (its twin lives at Gracie Mansion) purchased from neighbors fills the dining room with the memory of Hudson’s rich heritage. A six-foot Nick Cave Sound Suit towers behind it, lifelike and energetic, poised to travel across the river in May to Olana for a major installation. This cross-pollinating twosome embrace domestic life and culture equally, enjoying historic real estate with no ghosts attached.
Please Support Rural Intelligence
We want to continue delivering the entertaining, informative and upbeat stories in the inimitable Rural Intelligence style, despite a pandemic. But we need your support to keep us going. Please consider making a donation; even a small amount helps secure our future. Support us now.
(If you prefer, mail a check to: 45 Pine Grove Ave., Suite 303, Kingston, NY 12401.)
Support Now