Living with Art- An Extraordinary Sale

Last month, Christies held an impressive sale titled, Living with Art, which included an incredible selection of furnishings and art from two significant properties. A Oklahoma estate designed by Stephen Sills and the legendary, Villa Hesperides in Montecito, California. There were a number of items that were surprisingly affordable, given their provenance and exquisite quality. In fact, I was beyond thrilled to acquire the set of four French mahogany fauteuils below for my own home. How wonderful it is to own a set of chairs from such an extraordinary collection by one of my all time favorite designers, Stephen Sills!

I always like to see the furnishings in situ, which bring them to life and create a sense of context. The Architectural Digest article on Villa Hesperides left an indelible impression on me when I was a young design student and helped shape my love for classical interiors, architecture and antiquities. 

A MAGNIFICENT OKLAHOMA ESTATE BY STEPHEN SILLS

A Northern Italian painted brown and pace gilt mirror

Early 18th century

A set of four French Empire mahogany fauteuils.

Circa 1810

A Pair of Directoire grey painted and parcel gilt chaises gondole

18th century

A Pair of Queen Anne grey painted center tables

17th early 18th Century

A pair of monumental crystal chandeliers by André Arbus

20th Century

A pair of South German painted console tables

Circa 1740

A set of four Italian white marble columns with urns

20th Century

A pair of Queen Anne style mirrors

Modern

All photos above by François Halard and are featured in Stephen Sills Decoration

VILLA HESPERIDES IN MONTECITO

A pair of Italian Carrara marble terms on pedestals

19th century

A pair of Northern Italian painted and parcel gilt armchairs

Circa 1820

An Italian gilt wood pier mirror

Tuscany, late 18th century

An Italian painted and parcel gilt daybed

Early 19th century

Photography by John Vaughan for Architectural Digest

Interior Design by Craig Wright