HOMEWORTHY: Where in your home did you take the photo and why do you love this room?
LIZZI BICKFORD MEADOW: I always dreamed of having my very own fireplace with a gorgeous mantel to display a few of my favorite things. I rotate items in and out and change the mantel-scape every now and then to keep it feeling fresh and to reflect my mood and the season. I’ve been collecting blue and white ginger jars as well as silver bowls and vintage trophies for as long as I can remember. Even as a teenager, I loved to go to antique stores, estate sales and tag sales with my mom to pick up items that I have carried with me from one apartment and city to another – and they’ve now finally found their place in the house we call home. The collection has grown, but each of the items you currently see on display are special to me – including the painting (more on that later). The larger trophy was awarded to my husband’s grandfather – he was a speed boat racer. This particular race was a success as landed 1st place! The silver pitcher belongs to my mother and the smaller trophy cups are ones I scored at an estate sale in Southampton. We definitely spend more time in this room (and in our house in general) than before the pandemic when we were commuting to NYC everyday. We love to build fires, especially on weekend mornings, listen to music and enjoy our time together as a family.
LBM: Like many people, spending so much time at home motivated me to redesign the space. I recently purchased the two club chairs from one of my favorite places to shop for furniture, The Collective in Stamford, CT. I immediately fell in love with the Maison Pierre Frey fabric, which is funny because I fought my love of chintz for a long time. I suppose now that I am pregnant again with my second child, I am in serious nesting mode and I am buying things that remind me of my childhood and cozy places around the world that I love. Currently, I am channeling the whimsy of the Cotswolds. Lots of layering and mixing of florals and unexpected patterns and colors to create some dimension and interest in the room -and throughout the house. The rug was my husband’s first “serious” buy for this first NYC apt on Morton Street, purchased at ABC Carpet & Home more than 20 years ago. The sofa I bought online through Interior Define last March when we were “stuck” in Florida and on lockdown at my father’s home in West Palm Beach. I started getting the “itch” to redesign home, even though we wouldn’t return home to Rye, NY until nearly three months later (which was great timing because custom furniture takes forever).
HOMEWORTHY: How much time a day do you spend in this place?
LBM: We used to only spend weekend evenings in this room, but now it’s a space we enjoy really living in. It’s a “living room,” after all! One of my favorite things to look at in the room is the painting above the mantel, not only because of its beauty and the artist’s attention to detail, but also because of its subject matter and sentimental value. I was born in NYC and raised in the Hamptons. One of my all-time favorite places to dine was Silver’s restaurant – not only for the incredible food but also to enjoy the ambience. I remember going there with my parents as a little girl and with friends as an adult. It was a family-run business for several generations and its old-world charm wafted through the space, as did the aroma of creamy potato leek soup and other delicious fare. One of the elements I enjoyed most about Silver’s was the collection of oil paintings that hung from the walls. They were a melange of portraits and landscapes, each with a story and painted by the mother of the son who ran the restaurant during my lifetime. When the son finally decided to retire, I knew I had to have a piece of Silver’s to remember it by. This painting is from the restaurant. My husband, Todd, bought it from the owner as a gift as he knew how special the place was to me. I absolutely love it. The subject is of two intersecting roads, not far from the house I grew up in Southampton. No matter where we live in the years to come, this painting will have a special place in our home.
HOMEWORTHY: How does your outfit correlate (or not!) to the space you chose?
LBM: My love for leopard runs deep. My next decor project is to reupholster a pair of antique Louis chairs in leopard velvet for my dining room table. My outfit adds some fun dimension with its contrast against the room’s classic elements. And like my passion for collecting interesting items and layering them within interior spaces, I love to do the same with accessories when I get dressed. I love brass and gold accents, which you will see throughout my home -and my jewelry box. My stack of gold bracelets never come off – all of them gifts from people I love. My gold necklaces are from my late Grandmother Bickford as is the diamond and ruby lion pendant, which is actually a broach, that I wear strung on a gold chain for special occasions.
HOMEWORTHY: What touches made your outfit feel like you went that extra “fashion” step?
LBM: I think everyone’s a bit bored of the Covid “WFH” uniform of leggings and PJs all day. My husband Todd and I often reminisce about the evenings when we would meet at Raoul’s in SoHo for a Friday date night. We’d throw back a few martinis, enjoy a steak au poivre and each other’s company. He would look dashing in his navy suit and I would be dressed up in a pair of heels and a slip dress with a cozy sweater and fabulous moto jacket or overcoat. It really bummed me out at first that this element of our life came to a fast halt. But instead of longing for what was, we just recreate it in our own way. For our two year wedding anniversary, I bought Todd a cut crystal and sterling silver martini shaker, engraved with the date and his monogram (not the traditional gift of cotton, but whatever – times have changed). I like to get dressed up, make a fire, pick some greens from our backyard, light candles, turn on music and make a dinner for us to enjoy. We are just recreating the Friday night magic at home these days, which is actually quite lovely. This is not a dress I’d throw on for a Tuesday afternoon, but never say never!
HOMEWORTHY: Have you worn this outfit before?
LBM: No! It’s new, which is always fun. It’s by Adam Lippes and I bought it on Bergdorf Goodman (online).
HOMEWORTHY: Will you wear this outfit again after lockdown?
LBM: Absolutely! I’d wear this anywhere… with a pair of chic sneakers and a cardigan or strappy heels in the spring or summer months or with a pair of gorgeous suede thigh-high boots and an over-sized cashmere sweater in the wintertime with a chunky vintage chain belt and contrasting bag.
Photos of Lizzi by Sean Smith Photography
