Coterie Crush: Lisa Hilderbrand of New Canaan, CT

May 20 2015

by Cheri Leavy

coteriecrush Lisa Hilderbrand

We have a Coterie Crush on interior designer, Lisa Hilderbrand.  We love that her designs look beautiful and that they work hard at the same time – for entertaining, for family living, for enjoying.  We know this to be true as we fell in love with her collaboration with our friend Sarah Hamlin Hastings on her Charleston renovation.

Lisa holds an Art History degree from the University of Virginia and is originally from Dallas, Texas. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two little boys and terrier Rudy.

 

FABRIC COLLECTION: 

Claremont fabrics — printed linens, geometric wovens, saturated jewel-tone silk velvets
Templeton by Michael Smith   — Templeton River Velvet is my favorite
Carolina Irving Textiles 
(It is almost impossible to find good pictures of them online, so there are some Claremont fabrics I have on my work table now pictured above.)

 

 

CHINA PATTERN: 

I love Chinese Export porcelain.  I bought a big old set of green Fitzhugh china at Christie’s years ago.  It isn’t fine old 18th century, but it is beautiful and has dozens of serving pieces.  I am also constantly adding to my stash of old Blue Willow and pick up interesting pieces on ebay, flea markets, estate sales.  I especially love it for brunch.  I love to cook and have dinner parties.

 

 

PAINT COLOR:

I have plenty of favorite neutrals, but my favorite real color is green.  Benjamin Moore #566 “bunker hill green” is a beautiful grassy, mossy green.  I used it here in a guest bedroom…

LH_Johnston_2131

Photo:  Keith Scott Morton

 

DESIGN BLOG: 

Quintessence — beautifully written, well-informed, an unmatched insider’s look behind the scenes of all things stylish and beautiful.

The Peak of Chic — a carefully curated walk through the best design of the last 50-75 years.  We didn’t invent brass, mirror, ethnic textiles and zebra hides.  Great design of today has its roots firmly planted in great design of the past.  Balance, scale, proportion and good taste always work.

Have Some Decorum — I laugh, I cry, I want more.  Honest, hilarious, poignant, uplifting, glam and gritty, plus great recipes!

 

 

CANDLE:

I get overwhelmed by most scented candles, but I love them at the holidays.  Ralph Lauren Holiday is my favorite — I can’t wait to light these every season.  I do love good beeswax candles — they are subtle and natural smelling.  It is worth it to buy good candles…
Savannah Beeswax Candles – Beeswax Candle Co Tapers

You know what I love?  Scented soap.  Jan de Luz heart of soap.  I discovered this on a trip to Carmel, CA for our first anniversary, and have loved it ever since.  Also… Nantucket Looms wildflower soap.

 

 

ANTIQUE SHOP: 

I love to shop at auction…from Christie’s to small country auctions.
Antique center:  Antique & Artisan Gallery, Stamford, CT
Small shop:  John Pope Antiques, Charleston, SC
West Coast:  Lee Stanton
Best town:  Atlanta — from Scott’s Antique Market to Parc Monceau, Robuck, Peachtree Battle… I like to spend a week pounding the pavement here.
Show:  Round Top / Marburger Antique Shows, Round Top, TX

 

 

DESIGNERS: 

Albert Hadley is top of the list.  His work is every inch classic, yet thoroughly modern — then and today.

Michael Smith is a close second.  My favorite design book is his first:  Elements of Style.  When I hit the design doldrums, I hide out in my library with this book.

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Robert Passal & Malcolm James Kutner.  My personal taste tends to be a little masculine, and I like how their work is classic, yet still modern and cool.

 

 

ARTIST:

I really marvel at the genius of Leonardo daVinci, and I love Old Master drawings in general.
What could I stare at?  Van Gogh — so intense.
What could I bask in?  Rothko — atmospheric.
For artists working today, I love Caio Fonseca, Meredith Pardue and Mallory Page.

 

 

COLLECTION: 

I love tea caddies and lacquer boxes — they are everywhere in my house.  I also always pick up vintage pieces for the bar (from sterling bottle openers and cocktail forks to vintage Lone Star Beer coasters)

 

 

SOUTHERN ESSENTIAL:

Cast iron skillet.  Griswold #10.
Country ham.  We always called it Virginia ham — my Great Aunt Ann lived on a gorgeous old farm in Ware Neck, VA, and whenever she visited us in Dallas, she brought one to my dad.  I lugged many an Edwards Country Ham home as a “carry-on” when I came home from UVa for Christmas.  We sliced it thin and ate it on Marshall’s or Sister Schubert’s biscuits with butter and sorghum.  It’s still a special brunch staple.
Garden & Gun magazine.  G&G gives me my Southern fix up here in Connecticut.  When it first came out, I gave subscriptions to fellow Southerners up here as gifts.
Neiman Marcus.  I grew up in Dallas.  Neiman’s was where I had special lunches with my mother at the Little Mermaid Bar (BLT’s, black forest cake), bought my first Mary Janes, my first makeup, 100 hostess gifts of carnation soap, and of course tried on my wedding dress.

 

 

Your style in five words:

classic, collected, layered, personal, timeless

 

HEADSHOT

Lisa Hilderbrand

WEBSITE:  www.welhil.com

RECENTLY PUBLISHED:
Traditional Home holiday 2014  (my house)
Traditional Home Jan/Feb 2015  (client’s house in Charleston)

SOCIAL MEDIA
INSTA:  @lisa_hilderbrand
TWITTER:  @lisahilderbrand
FACEBOOK:   Lisa Hilderbrand – Welhil Interiors 

 

Links to spotlights on other interior designers and tastemakers –

 

  

     “About

 

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Cheri Leavy View More Blog Posts from this Author

Cheri Leavy is a connector, cheerleader and marketing consultant for fellow entrepreneurs. Constantly on the lookout for the newest talent in the South, Cheri has a passion for helping entrepreneurs create and share their brand storytelling through her endeavors - The Southern Coterie • guide2athens • Bulldawg Illustrated

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