By Beth Greene
From left: Windsor Smith, Beth Greene, Roger Stoker, Katie Brockman
This lucky NY gal left behind some balmy weather and the Hamptons for the toniest of design events, the opening celebration of the "House of Windsor." If you aren’t familiar, this is not the one in the rainy countryside of the United Kingdom but rather it’s located in the swank suburb of Brentwood in Los Angeles, a neighborhood populated with equestrian estates and carriage houses.
The House of Windsor is aptly named after the design entrepreneur and project manager, Windsor Smith. Finding an available piece of property across the street from her personal residence made this two-plus year project that much easier to undertake.
Once the plans were drawn, the House of Windsor gained momentum thanks to Windsor’s close group of designer friends. A list designers like Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Kathryn Ireland, Tara Shaw, Candace Barnes and many others offered their talents to the project.
No wonder VERANDA magazine signed on the dotted line to promote and feature this 8,300-square-foot mansion, beautifully designed with Directoire accents, in its upcoming October issue.
Photo courtesy of Veranda.
The eco-friendly side of Windsor came out with re-purposed floors throughout the house, inlaid with intricate herringbone patterns. How clever of Windsor to base the color palette of the home on Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter, a pale grey/taupe, which she used as the exterior color with white trim and again in the front entrance way. As a licensing partner of Windsor Smith, Kravet fabrics and trimmings were prominently featured throughout the home.
Kathryn Ireland, Beth Greene, Jeff Lewis
The opening party was a West Coast star studded event! Red carpet, flashbulbs, TV cameras galore were present as the doors to this brick Federal Style estate were opened to the public for the very first time. In attendance were TV personalities like Jeff Lewis and his sidekick Jenny, Niecy Nash, Cheryl Tiegs as well as NY designer Philip Gorrivan and many many others including Veranda's editor in chief Dara Caponigro. Of course, Windsor's besties, fresh off the set of Million Dollar Decorators, were there in full swing to help her celebrate.
Enjoy the photos and look for the October issue of Veranda for more pictures and inspiration.
Backyard and outdoor dining area.
Photo courtesy of Veranda.
Dara Caponigro, Editor-in-Chief of Veranda
Photo courtesy of Veranda.
Carolyn Englefield, Philip Gorrivan, Beth Greene
Photo courtesy of Veranda.
The House of Windsor is open through July 17 to the public through a daily schedule of house tours and special events. Tickets can be purchased in advance here, and more information, including a list of special events, is available here.
