In The News

When Sylvia Montero picked Denville-based A&R Interiors’ designer, Sandra Gavinho, to decorate her weekend waterfront home in Lake Hopatcong, it was a blank slate. But there was one catch: The house needed to be fully furnished and accessorized in six months for a huge party Montero was hosting.

Gavinho rose to the challenge, delivering a simple, modem and elegant design that is inviting, comfortable and, as Montero requested, soothing. To circumvent the time crunch and maximize Montero's choices, Gavinho had a number of furniture pieces custom made. The walls had already been painted; Their soft, neutral surfaces showcase the owner's travel souvenirs (art and photography) throughout the house.

The three-story home features common living space on the main floor; with living room, dining room and kitchen. The top floor has four bedrooms, including a master bedroom suite. And the lower level has a family room, dining area and kitchenette conveniently adjacent to the covered porch and outdoor grill.

PLACID LAKE
Montero, above, wanted to live on the water, so she built a year- round retreat on Lake Hopatcong with a private dock where she enjoys swimming, boating and jet skiing with extended family and friends. For more than a hundred years, people have been coming to Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey's largest lake, to get away from it all. Created in the 1860s as part of the Morris Canal. Lake Hopatcong quickly became a tourist destination with an amusement park and some 40 hotels and rooming houses, Today, private vacation homes are the norm.

THE FEELING IS NEUTRAL
When all the windows and doors are open, the main floor becomes a breezy pavilion. So as not to distract from the star attraction - the lake view - Gavinho used textures and shapes, rather than colors and patterns, to add design interest.

Montero wanted a television in the living room, but with limited wall space an entertainment center was out of the question, Instead, Gavinho hung a plasma TV with a VisionArt picture frame above the antique mantel. Furniture groupings encourage conversation without obstructing the windows, which are framed with Stroheim & Romann linen panels with fan pleats on a simple black iron rod. The comfy brown leather chairs and ottoman are where the man of the house puts up his feet to read or enjoy the view.

Rather than creating a traditional dark, rustic mountain lake home, Gavinho used a light, neutral palette, accessorizing with exotic seashells, floral arrangements and books from the owner's travels. A carved French chair is "dressed down" with a cotton linen blend damask print, yet still adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to the room. The alder turned-leg cocktail table has a custom, hand-waxed finished.

While she waited for the house to be furnished, Montero used her wicker furniture indoors. Now it's back where it belongs - on the porch.

PARTY CENTRAL
Montero entertains a lot, so everything food related needs to be versatile and functional. A large expandable table was in order, but Gavinho didn't want a heavy piece. A trestle table was the perfect solution. The plank top disguises the fact that it expands and, without corner legs, guest can pull up chairs all around the table. To create continuity, she used the same materials throughout the second floor - alder wood with a slightly distressed, custom hand-waxed finish and Stroheim & Romann linen for the window treatments, dining room chair slipcovers and kitchen stools. It would've taken 12 months for an overseas manufacturer to deliver the maple sideboard and hutch with painted black finish, so it was custom built at Wood Innovations in Newfoundland. The pendant lights above the granite kitchen island complement the dining room's wrought iron character, which needed to have more width than depth because of the 8-foot ceiling.

GREAT VIEWS
In the master bath, privacy wasn't an issue, so the designer used a simple sheer Roman shade. A landscape drawing and a bit of greenery in the simple architectural vases are a nod to the sensational scenery just outside the window.

In the master bedroom, Gavinho wanted to create a luxurious, personal retreat for Montero, who she says is outdoorsy, but still appreciates comfort and elegance. The inspiration for her design was the sparkly chandelier, around which she deftly combined traditional and contemporary pieces to create a comfortable, classic look. She used fabrics from Kravet's Barbara Barry Collection for the window treatments, bed skirt and bench cushion, inserting a touch of coral to the otherwise neutral palette. To add drama to a room, she likes to use a bit of black, like these nightstands. The custom headboard coordinates with the chaise.

More than any of the other guest rooms. Gavinho says this one has a "beachy" feel. To accommodate multiple guests, she used two beds with pine shutter head- boards, white tufted comforters and Ralph Lauren decorative woven grass pillow covers. A plaid wool rug adds comfort under foot, while a woven window treatment provides privacy and shade.