R5 Chris Madden

Tea Time Madden collects tea towels because “they’re both utilitarian and aesthetically pleasing. And I happen to be a lover of textiles.” Her assortment hails from across the globe. “I like to use them because they take me back to places I’ve visited.”

 

Up Against the Wall A boxful of old architectural books acquired at auction held an ingenious solution for the Maddens’ foyer. Images from pages of the books—photographs and measured illustrations of English Tudor manor houses— are decoupaged onto the walls. “Many of these images have the flavor of this house. Normally, I wouldn’t tear books apart, but these were falling apart anyway.”

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Spiritual and Serene This early 20th-century wooden Buddha, which resides on a table by the Madden home’s rear entryway, “represents a sense of calm and serenity when you enter our home,” Madden says. “It is one of the many Buddhas I collect that reflect my interest in all things spiritual.” Accompanying the statue are talismans: a key and three old coins from Hong Kong. “For me, keys signify home and haven.”

 “This one came with one of my early designs. And I got the coins on my first trip to Asia. Both remind me of where I have been.”

 

 

Pull Up a Chair This barrel chair, its seat only 15 inches high, is one of a pair in the Maddens’ living room. “I love symmetry in a room. The chair was upholstered in Port Chester in rich brown mohair. I’m a chocolate-tan-brown-gold kind of girl.”

Booked Up One of a pair, this Embarkation Library Bookcase in the Maddens’ living room was part of the designer’s first JCPenney collection. “It was in my ‘Adventurous’ line.” The case is made of African mahogany and Asian hardwood and is filled with books by authors Madden worked with during her years in publishing. “There’s Philip Roth, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Walker Percy, Toni Morrison—and a lot of them are signed.”
Pink Flamingo This pillbox, circa 1920, was a gift from Madden’s sister for her most recent birthday. It is painted porcelain, about three inches tall, discovered while the sisters were vacationing in the Caribbean. “We found it in what they call an antiques store, but what was really a second-hand shop. I keep it on my bedside table.”

 

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Where Sleeping Dogs Lie When the Maddens gather in their kitchen, their dogs have their own special places. Chris Madden designed this banquette, swathed in Pierre Deux fabric, with storage undneath and dog beds on either end. The openings are decorated with a pair of bones, and the dogs are comfy on custom-made pillows inside.


 

 

Photography by John O’Donnell

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