Art Takes Center Stage in a Fairfield Home
October 20, 2020
Text by Erika Ayn Finch    Photography by Willie Cole
When designers Meghan De Maria and Courtney Yanni with Southportâs Moss Design first stepped foot into their clientâs Fairfield home, they were struck by the traditional aesthetic, which didnât match the home-ownerâs vibrant personality.
âWe really had to get her out of her comfort zone,â says De Maria, Moss Designâs principal designer.âOnce she believed in what we were putting in front of her, it was like an explosion happened. Sheâs originally from New Jersey, and I like to say we brought in a little Jersey glitz to the space.â
The other thing the firm brought: art. De Maria and Yanni both collect fine art, and De Maria was an art history major. (Yanni started her career as a producer for Food Network.) When art consultant Lisa Cooper, owner of Elisa Contemporary Art, showed the designers Gold Rush by James Rieck, which Cooper had discovered at Lyons Wier Gallery in New York City, the pair knew the painting was destined for their Fairfield project. âItâs our client,â says De Maria. âItâs her blond hair; itâs how she would have dressed and worn her hair in the â50s. I knew that by hanging it in the dining room, guests would talk about that art the entire dinner party.â
Yanni says the client quickly understood the importance of having fine art in her familyâs home, but purchasing the right pieces doesnât happen overnight. It was seven months later that everyone involved fell under the spell of an abstract painting for the formal living room. Serendipitously, the painting comes from artist Willie Cole, who also works as a photographer and who photographed the home. The painting, Series 1, worked well with the roomâs saturated greens, golds, and blues.
The final piece to the art puzzle didnât fall into place for another year. Moss Design reached out to New York-based art advisor Betsy Biscone to help find the perfect piece for the his-and-her office space. Biscone presented Will Be Home By 5 P.M., a semi-figurative Flashe-and-oil painting by emerging artist Hiejin Yoo. âThey initially passed on it,â remembers Biscone, âbut they kept coming back to it. They loved the story behind itâthe car pulling away from the home, reluctantly waving goodbye to go to work.â
Each painting makes an impact in its space, and though two of the three can be seen from the foyer, they donât compete but rather complete the home. âA space isnât finished without art,â says De Maria.
Interior design:
Meghan De Maria, Courtney Yanni, Moss Design
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