Saladino + Vermeer = {Absolutely Brilliant}

Is there anyone who doesn't love Vermeer today? The Girl With the Pearl Earring has almost mythical powers of enchantment, mystery, wonder; dubbed The Dutch Mona Lisa, it inspired the movie starring Scarlett Johannsen, a visual feast. When interior designer John Saladino set out to design a Manhattan condominium in SoHo for the Veranda Magazine Showhouse, he chose that painting as his inspiration.

Now, many of us might choose a painting for design inspiration. But in the hands of the brilliant Saladino, the subtlety, the evocative details, the refusal to compromise yielded a vision that resonates with 17th C. Dutch Neoclassic sensibilities...while managing to stay fresh and modern....pure genius!

Saladino may have thought: "If Vermeer could produce luminous paintings out of the gloom of northern European Amsterdam, then I can harness the grey light of Manhattan's canyons and create a softly glowing SoHo interior"!

I love these pewter plates from Arte Italica, but mostly I adore

the wall finish: scratch-coat plaster suggesting the layering of time

Saladino's inspiration painting yielded a palette of creamy whites,

deep taupes & rich pewters with touches of lavender and periwinkle blue throughout

the serene and intimate setting is enhanced by the 17th C. style

furnishings with the linens carefully draped over the table; modern draperies

and gorgeous antiqued flooring by Exquisite Surfaces set the tone

nailheads on antiqued leather suggest

17th C. Holland

this stunning stairway in antiqued flooring

also by Exquisite Surfaces

again, the antiqued floors set the tone for the old bench, while

the huge mirror captures all available light and sends it back into the room;

deep blue-grey wall and old tapestry create atmosphere

a delicate, feminine feeling for the dressing table

with delft-pattern rug underfoot

softly atmospheric light in a beautifully designed sitting room

Saladino's use of lavender and periwinkle blue works brilliantly

against the soft neutral palette

All Photos by Antoine Bootz

Images Courtesy of Veranda Magazine

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in the new year, it's:

Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design