For over thirty years John Lyle has created luxurious objects and furniture that reflect his love of materials – from bronze fireplace accoutrements to shagreen dressers to stainless consoles and tables. His sophisticated eye effortlessly combines classic with avant-garde, juxtaposing unexpected elements, colors and finishes. It is exactly this tension that John sought when designing his home, where whimsy and delight transport you from room to room, each with its own individual mood.
See John’s historic circa 1790 house in Montgomery, New York from the outside and you would never expect the surprise waiting for you inside! Walk in the entry and you are instantly wowed by intense jewel tone colors and oversized art
The house originally appealed to John’s southern roots with its architecture like many of the antebellum homes of his Mississippi youth. Although his first instincts were more monochromatic, John quickly pivoted to transform the house into a showplace of exuberant color, large scale artwork and a panoply of personality.
While the entry wows, the living room, above, with John in his signature glasses, is comparatively subdued, letting the artwork shine. His laser-cut Chippendale style mirrors flank the fireplace with an elegant modern twist on a classic design. From there the dining room is again an explosion of color, anchored by a Fromental wall covering with Farrow & Ball’s Pitch Blue trim and a roaring fire. In fact it was the plethora of fireplaces in the house that was a salient selling point. John is known for his distinctive fireplace accessories (andirons, screens and tools), raising the bar for anything hearth related.
Throughout the house, John layered pieces from his eponymous collection of contemporary furniture and accessories with a high/low mix of collected antiques, flea market finds and talented friends’ work, as in the guest bedroom, below, with a custom eggshell lacquer bed, antique decoupage screen and clever custom ceiling of John’s design and execution.
Thank you to John for sharing his prolific talent and resourceful approach to reimagining his historic home!
