Originally a fishing hamlet dating back to the 17th-century, the neighborhood of Rowayton, in the coastal town of Norwalk, Connecticut, is famous for its charming shoreline. The Long Island Sound runs to the south and east, and the Five Mile River to the West. Among the area’s historic homes is a cluster of detached cottages designed by Barbara Garfield—related by marriage to the 20th president of the United States, James Garfield. And among those properties is a unique barn house, designed by the Elle Decor A-List designer Patrick Mele for two frequent clients of his Greenwich shop, Liz Gilbert and Ron Hammer.
The entryway features a vintage yellow cabinet and blue vase from Mele’s own shop.
The console and gothic chairs, reupholstered in a Jennifer Shorto fabric, are from Michael Trapp Inc.
«Barbara was a local legend,» says Mele. «She understood that there was an audience that wanted to downsize from their larger family homes once they were in retirement, people who expect beautiful finishes and a level of luxury and sophistication, but at a scale that could be maintained in their later years.»
Gilbert and Hammer, who split their time between Rowayton and Charleston, South Carolina, asked Mele to infuse the 1,645 square-foot home with a more personal, collected mix of decor and objects that reflect their background. She lived in London and wanted something more eclectic and English; he grew up summering in East Hampton with a mother who was an avid art collector.
The kitchen features a backsplash of custom-colored Zelige tiles.
Mele fused those influences together through a mix of custom and vintage pieces, working closely with local vendors including Mari Ann Maher and Bruce Wylie of The Antique & Artisan Gallery; garden designer and dealer Michael Trapp; Montage Antiques in Millerton, New York and elsewhere in the Hudson Valley; and his own shop. He enlisted his stable of trusted artisans to create special pieces. These include the decorative painters Matthew Tyrrell, who worked on custom lampshades throughout the home, and Stephen Dlouhy of Floe Painting, who painted the bed in the guest loft; as well as the design studio Van Gregory Wifvat and Kelly Bugden, from whom he commissioned a Papier-mâché Agave plant to crown the dining room.
«I wanted it to feel a little California, too,» says Mele. «Belgium meets Beverly Hills.»
What the property lacks in square footage it makes up for in outdoor space (the property boasts a dedicated courtyard and lap pool) as well as statement-making design: the dining area is now clad floor-to-ceiling with blue-and-white china, some 125 pieces in total, all collected from around New England specially for the project. The primary bedroom has a distinctly Greek inflection, with exposed whitewashed beams juxtaposed against pale blue upholstery—and wall-to-wall leopard carpet.
«It’s the perfect house for two people and the occasional guest,» says Mele. «It’s what I would build for myself and my significant other.» Of course, we can only hope Mele won’t be retiring anytime soon.
Sean Santiago is ELLE Decor’s Deputy Editor, covering news, trends and talents in interior design, hospitality and travel, culture, and luxury shopping. Since starting his career at an interior design firm in 2011, he has gone on to cover the industry for Vogue, Architectural Digest, Sight Unseen, PIN-UP and Domino. He is the author of The Lonny Home (Weldon Owens, 2018), has produced scripted social content for brands including West Elm and Streeteasy, and is sometimes recognized on the street for his Instagram Reels series, #DanceToDecor
