Decorating & Design
This Handsome Heritage House Has A Collected-Over-Time Vibe
Published on April 12, 2021
Good things come to those who wait. For designer and store owner Craig Parkes, that’s both a personal mantra and a decorating philosophy. When he and his partner, lawyer Matthew Hinton, and son, Fitzgerald, moved into their circa-1908 home in 2017, the herculean task of restoring the house to its original glory was the first thing on their list. Four years later, they’re still happily working toward that goal. “The best spaces take time and, when you’re patient, the right pieces eventually find you,” says Craig.
The 3,000-square-foot house had been divided into apartments from the 1950s through to the 1980s. Happily, some of the original elements had survived, such as the four-square floor plan, leaded glass windows and fir flooring. A wall between the kitchen and dining room was demolished to create a more airy, contemporary space. Rather than take the opening up to the ceiling, though, Craig opted for a cased opening to echo the home’s DNA. “It now looks like it’s always been here,” he says.
Throughout the house, a neutral palette sets the stage for Craig’s signature mix of vintage and modern elements. “This house is 110 years old,” he says. “Over its lifetime, it’s been witness to different design styles — Edwardian, Art Deco, ’80s modernist — so it makes sense that it would feature pieces from different eras.” Time has given the home a perfect patina, or almost perfect anyway: because the black foyer was such a success, Craig and Matthew are considering a dramatic paint treatment elsewhere in the house. “That space has yet to present itself to me!” says Craig. Only time will tell.
Scroll down to step inside this handsome heritage house!
The fir wainscotting in the foyer required careful study. Leaving it seemed dated (“but the wood is so beautiful”) yet painting it white didn’t seem right (“a decision that’s hard to reverse”). Many months of chats over cocktails later, the answer revealed itself: they would paint the walls — and ceiling — a saturated black. Overnight, the room went from tired and dingy to transformative. “Don’t give in to the impulse to just ‘get it done,’ ” says Craig. “Take your time and your style will always be more interesting and layered.”
The original window detailing was a selling feature. “Finding so many elements still intact felt like winning the lottery,” says Craig.
In the living room, a vintage chimneypiece was added along with a new gas insert. “Antiques are something I’ve always held dear — I’m quite sentimental,” says Craig.
“I love this life drawing,” says Craig. “It was sketched by my late father in the 1980s and reminds me of him.”
Touches of black, brass, wood and leather keep the main floor cohesive.
In the dining room, a statement rug and chandelier add drama while a rustic table and comfy leather chairs keep things casual.
The fridge was cleverly built into a space underneath a staircase.
Craig (middle) and Matthew with their five-year-old son, Fitz.
Craig carried the subway tile onto the vent hood. Beyond the kitchen is a generous butler’s pantry, which is “key to keeping our family organized,” he says.
At first, Craig worried that the kitchen’s open shelves wouldn’t offer enough storage, but now he’s a fan. “I love having everything at our fingertips,” he says.
The principal bedroom’s cozy, masculine vibe is courtesy of a leather storage bed frame in warm cognac, a plush wool rug and touches of brass and velvet.
The principal bath’s classic brass hardware and plumbing fixtures complement the house’s Edwardian architecture.
In Fitz’s room, whimsical details abound: the brass F was recovered from a department store in Texas, a vintage lamp looks like a stone fireplace…
… and fox motifs, Fitz’s favorite animal, loom large.
Janis Nicolay
House & Home March 2021
Craig Parkes, Parliament Interiors