An Impossibly Grand Home in Seattle - Remodelista
Fifteen years ago, when Jane Hedreen launched her Seattle-based children’s clothing line, Flora and Henri, she was a lone voice advocating for simple, European-inspired children's wear in 100-percent cotton and non-lollipop shades. Hedreen helped inspire the current revolution in children’s clothing design, and she continues as a leader in the field. Jane's youngest daughter, Frances, 11, mans the front steps in a Flora and Henri silk Fancy Dress made in Spain (the line's sizes go from newborn to 12). Nineteen-twenties sconces in the front hall cast a radiant light, thanks to shades that Jane says appear to be made from the same perforated metal sheeting used for radiator covers. The living room's carved sandstone mantle surrounds an often-used fireplace. An updated Dutch still-life: a long-stemmed Allium from Jane's garden in an antique etched bud vase stands alongside Ted Muehling porcelain seashells and a Nymphenburg porcelain arm and miniature skull. The eat-in kitchen and adjoining pantry are almost entirely original. In place of a beat-up linoleum floor, they installed an eco-friendly cork and rubber floor in dark blue from Capri. Marble isn't confined to the public spaces—when Jane closed Flora and Henri's LA store, she moved the Roy McMakin-designed counter to her laundry room, which also has three original porcelain washing sinks, plus a new mangle that Jane uses to press tea towels and bed linens. The master bedroom has wall-to-wall views of the blue atlas cedars out front. A chalkboard painted dresser from Duc Duc and a framed ink drawing by Jeffry Mitchell in Frances's room. The lamp is from Lladro's ReDeco series. The attic's peaked skylight had been covered over. The front entry has a checked marble floor that retains its high sheen (all it requires is mopping with water) and black marble stairs with a scrolling gilt bronze baluster. The artwork is a giant photo by Vik Muniz of Alice Liddell created from dime-store toys. The door to the service corridor (kitchen, powder room, and basement) is inset with painted and gilded neoclassical imagery.