Robert Couturier


Exquisite Louis XV and XVI furniture by some of the finest French cabinetmakers, bespoke hand-embroidered curtains by Maison Lesage, seventeen-foot tray ceilings, floors of black and white geometric-patterned slate and limestone, reclaimed chestnut wood floors, 1820s American floor-to-ceiling columns, French formal gardens—one could easily be overwhelmed by the grandeur of this 16-acre Litchfield County, Connecticut estate. But Robert Couturier has made this a Very Refined, Very Comfortable place to be, with a charming and sophisticated mix of periods and styles. Robert's home, where he lives with husband Jeffrey Morgan and their beloved brood of photogenic shih tzus, has been documented extensively on his Instagram account @robertcouturier58, with over 30,000 followers who admire his unwavering eye for beauty and luxury, and most of all, the wonderful life he lives in his personal paradise.


In the foyer, an oversized salvaged verdigris mirror pairs with a Louis XV  table and Louis XVI chairs by renowned Parisian master menuisier Georges Jacob. Reflected in the mirror are more mirrors, these by French designer Serge Roche, who was known for his designs of mirrored objects and baroque pieces combining stucco, wood and gilt glass. Also reflected in the mirror is a Cambodian sculpture dating to the 7th century, of the Hindu deity Harihara, depicted as the combined gods Vishnu and Shiva.


As befits the convivial Paris-born designer, the furnishings in the living room are arranged salon-style, with clusters of seating for maximum ease of conversation: Maison Jansen sofas from the 1940s are upholstered in a flame-stitch Brunschwig & Fils fabric, with Jean-Michel Frank shagreen coffee tables and exquisite Louis XV and XVI antiques. A portrait of Lady Elizabeth Dormer by British 17th-century artist Gilbert Jackson hangs above the mantel, with a Jean-Michel Frank marquetry straw screen in front of the fireplace. A grand seventeenth-century Alsatian armoire (which conceals the television) dominates the wall at right.


Housed in a separate building just steps from the house, the octagonal library is a world of its own, a place for immersion in reflection and contemplation. The Doric columns were reclaimed from a local structure dating to the 1820s, and were split in half to frame the floor-to-ceiling windows. The chaise is by architect/interior designer Emilio Terry, whose blend of classical and baroque style he christened "Louis XIX". A pair of Louis XVI bergères are by 18th century ébéniste Étienne Avril. They are covered in a fabric designed circa 1820s that Robert unearthed in the archives of La Manach and for which he commissioned a reissue.



In the formal dining room, 17th-century Italian chairs upholstered in ruby Scalamandré velvet and curtains with opulent hand-embroidery by Maison Lesage are illuminated by a German 17th-century chandelier. The floors are inlaid limestone and slate, patterned in the French style. French doors on both sides flood the room with light and evoke the atmosphere of an orangerie.


The walls of the pocket-sized study are lined with a paisley Braquenié fabric reprinted from the Pierre Frey archives.



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