Rock Solid  

Written by Suzanne Gannon
Photography by Tria Giovan
Interior Design by Matthew Frederick, M. Frederick LLC

SIMPATIGO AT FIRST SIGHT. That pretty much defines the client-designer relationship that began in early 2010 when Chee Jamison, after catching a glimpse of a project by designer Matthew Frederick in a magazine, walked into his studio and shop in Gladstone, New Jersey, and asked for help in decorating her new home.

Though she’d never hired a decorator before, she sensed she needed one. After selling the house on a 40-acre horticultural farm she’d owned with her husband who passed away years before, Jamison moved into a three-story, 19th-century farmhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania – located just a few minutes from Peddler’s Village, the complex of restaurants, retail shops, and an inn founded roughly 50 years ago by her late husband that Jamison now runs – intent on making it her “happy house”. “I made up my mind when I met him, says Jamison of Frederick. “I saw his fabrics, saw his store, and I knew we were on the same page in terms of style.”

That style is the “everyday elegance” that has become Frederick’s trademark over the last 15 years, both in the interiors he designs for his largely residential clients and in his line of furniture, accessories and lighting which he markets under the M. Frederick Furniture and M. Frederick for Chelsea House labels.

Clad in Bucks County fieldstone, the house (part of which dates to 1840 when it was built as a two-family home for twin brothers) had been extensively renovated by its previous owners, two men who’d given it a distinctly masculine look evocative of Ralph Lauren.

“The renovated house had dark colors that, while appreciated, were not reflective of the feeling Chee wanted,” says Frederick, who happens to be a native of the area. “Refined feminine elegance was the goal for the entire space. But not anything too girly.”

To brighten up the ambiance, Frederick removed dark shades and curtains, which robbed so much of the light and views, and installed softly colored full-length draperies in wool and linen. He chose a white European lacquer to accentuate architectural details and millwork, and dressed the dining room and living room – formerly an art studio added on in 1920 and used for many decades by local artist Paul Froelich – in white grass-cloth wallpaper. This expansive double-height space with exposed beams is the light-filled center of the house.

Furnishings throughout were chosen for comfort and elegance. Frederick incorporated numerous contemporary metal, glass and stone elements from his own collection, including a custom glass-and-metal coffee table, faceted crystal lamps and a marble-topped and copper-finished side table, into the furniture plan. He grounded his color palate in hues indigenous to the area (grey and blue from stone, red from clay soil) and referenced them in the silk and mohair velvet, boiled wool and linen fabrics used for upholstery.

Frederick also applied his expertise in framing to numerous pieces of Jamison’s art, some of it from her husband’s cherished folk art collection. “She has some great vintage pieces that I wanted to draw out,” he says.

With the interiors mapped out, the designer then turned his attention to the exterior. Ensconced on a bucolic seven-eighths of an acre with its own trickling creek that abuts 300 acres of preserved land, the house features two patios and several garden spaces, which Jamison decided to transform into something English with Frederick’s help. “I redesigned the garden space to reflect a more even architectural symmetry,” says Frederick, who planted roses, specimen peony bushes, and espaliered pear tree and boxwoods around the home.

The enclosed dining courtyard – which sits inside a stone wall believed to be the ruins of a former outbuilding – features generous views of the meadow beyond. It is the place where, this spring, Jamison plans to accommodate her eight children and stepchildren, as well as her 19 grandchildren, who regularly visit from Virginia and California. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t appreciate every little thing about this place,” she says.

1 – RUSTIC ELEGANCE
Vintage-style pieces, such as the neoclassical Biedermeier chest and custom hand-blown mirror, were chosen to compliment the rich history of the centuries-old residence.

2 – COUNTRY IDYLL
The oldest part of the Bucks County, Pennsylvania, cottage dates to 1840, when it was built to house twin brothers and their families. The exterior is clad in Bucks County fieldstone; the roof is cedar shake.

3 – WARM FRONT
One of the home’s five fireplaces sits in the dining room, where the owner’s vintage dining table and chairs accommodate guests for meals. The mantle displays several pieces of art given new life with custom frames.

4 – FRESH START
Frederick designed the great room to be elegant yet casual enough to be a family gathering spot when the owner’s grandchildren visit. Two crystal lamps with custom shades mirror the white high-gloss lacquered cabinetry on the far wall. The brown mohair velvet sofa and white linen club chair are both by Frederick.

An outdoor lounging area outfitted with patio furnishings looks out to a sprawling field of preserved land. The landscape, designed by Frederick, features boxwood, peonies, roses, and an espaliered pear tree.

6 – SWEET SIMPLICITY
The family room is the owner’s personal retreat, complete with soft, feminine pieces such as the white, tufted English reading chair, marble-topped console from M. Frederick and a delicate parchment-shaded floor lamp.

7 – REST STOP
The quaint master suite combines a nature-inspired palette with traditional pieces from M. Frederick, including the Eton Manor bed with silk velvet headboard, reclining Isabella Chaise and metal Lisette Side Table. Metallic accents such as the gold-leafed nightstand and vintage Italian gold-leafed star mirror bring elements of modernity.