The Smith House

If you have ever wondered what it’s like to step inside a glass house, we can tell you … it’s breathtaking!

Our recent staging took place at an iconic modern property known simply as, The Smith House.

The home is named after the family who commissioned the build and who are now selling it for the first time.

Built in 1967 by an acclaimed avant-garde architect, the house has been featured in numerous publications and over the years has been bestowed with countless international architecture awards since its construction. 

The home is truly a feast for the eyes both inside and out.  By no means is it the typical suburban family home you’d find on the East Coast.  More characteristic of homes on the West Coast, the Smith House, at the time of construction was way ahead of its era.  It stands as a rare gem of architectural art and an iconic house of the 20th century, laying the ground for the period of modernism in the sixties and seventies.

Sitting on 1.5 acres of waterfront land, overlooking the Long Island Sound, this bright clean white geometric home, framed by rocks and trees, makes a striking statement on the Connecticut coastline, with its own private sandy beach.

This unique house is laid out divisionally, split between public and private areas.  The private areas being on the south facade and composing of a series of rooms organized over three floors. The public areas are at the rear of the property showcasing the waterfront views of Long Island Sound which floods in through a dramatic three-story glass wall.  It is this view which welcomes you on entry into the home.  

Who needs art with the unobstructed and sweeping natural views of the Long Island Sound serving as a backdrop for the entire house?

From sunrise to sunset, season to season, the scene is constantly changing. When composing a staging design for the house we were mindful of this and set our goal to be minimalistic but still make a statement. In keeping with the ultra-modern architecture of the home LTW Design consciously chose modern furniture with clean lines to marry the interior and exterior.

We also felt it important to draw a stark contrast to the sun-drenched house and its white palette and therefore brought in deep solid black leather furnishings. 

The armless Barcelona chairs along with the glass coffee table allow the light to bounce throughout the room so that nothing stops the eye.

This project gave LTW Design an opportunity to step out of our usual aesthetic and put on our modernist hat.  The end product was simplicity at its finest. We look forward to more adventures like this. 

Featured on the cover of Sotheby’s International