When it comes to making bourbon, patience is a virtue. Long before a refreshing mint julep can hit your lips, grain must be malted, milled, mashed, and fermented, the resulting wash then distilled to concentrate the alcohol. Maturation can take years in a barrel to achieve the desired color, flavor, and smoothness. Good taste takes time. And the same can be said of decorating, as the AD100 titan Robert Stilin discovered while transforming a historic house in Louisville, Kentucky—a labor of love more than a decade in the making.
The clients, Heather and Marshall Farrer (he a fifth-generation member of the Brown family, otherwise known as the proprietors of Jack Daniels) were looking for a farm not far from the city when they came across the Tudor Revival residence, built by the local architect Frederic L. Morgan in the 1920s. Set atop a bluff overlooking the Ohio River, the property originated as a vacation home for city dwellers, its sizable acreage easily accessed from downtown Louisville back in the day thanks to the inner-urban railroad. By the time the couple bought the estate its well-loved rooms were in need of a refresh. “We wanted to respect what was good but improve everything else,” notes Heather, a passionate art collector and world traveler who, born in California, also wanted to synthesize local traditions with her own global sensibility.
In due course, the project evolved into a close collaboration between her and Stilin. “Heather came very prepared,” says the designer, recalling her Pinterest boards organized by room or theme (architecture, gardens, kitchen, and so forth). “I loved that she had done the homework.” Heather repays the compliment: “Robert has a clear aesthetic but I appreciate that he allowed me to step in. He empowered me to follow my instincts.”
Together with architect Joel Barkley, they set about rethinking the layout, especially with regards to the ground floor public spaces. What had been a warren of old-fashioned rooms now reveals a gracious flow—with a formal stair hall linking the front and rear gardens while opening onto the family, dining, and living rooms. Here, as throughout the home, a sophisticated-materials palette bridges then and now. Think stone floor tiles in the entry, a board-form concrete hearth in the family room, mottled plaster walls in the living room, and white-oak paneling in the dining room. “Bourbon,” Heather notes, “is aged in white oak.”
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The interiors set the stage for a dynamic and often boldly colored array of furniture, the overwhelming majority of which was assembled specifically for the project. “I love that we started with a clean slate,” says Heather, who reflects on the process as an education. Wide-ranging pieces by prominent voices of the past—among them Ettore Sottsass, Arne Jacobsen, Maria Pergay, Harvey Probber, and Gabriella Crespi—now mingle with an array of present-day treasures, like the dining room’s Frida Fjellman chandelier or the living room’s bespoke sofa. Contemporary art, much of it purchased together during jaunts to galleries or trips to art fairs, adds its own dynamic layer. Case in point: the large-scale Rita Ackerman canvas that presides over the living room, which is also home to prized works by Wolfgang Tillmans, Robert Barber, Nick Mauss, Alighiero Boetti, and more.
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But there are humble finds too, whether jute rugs, ceramic vessels, or timber occasional tables. “Robert can go into the finest store, but he can also go into any store,” Heather notes of the high/low balance. Indeed, Stilin took care to incorporate local works of handcraft and everyday heirlooms. “We wanted to use things from the family,” says Stilin, citing hunting paintings, memorabilia, julep cups, and trophies. Regardless of the origins, everything forms a harmonious whole. “Nothing,” he adds, “has an obvious time stamp.”
Collecting, of course, is a piecemeal process, the layers forming over the years. “Instant gratification doesn’t come easily when you are looking for very specific things,” Heather observes. The pursuit of course has been a large part of the pleasure. “Not impulsively buying a whole room, that was really valuable. If we had rushed through the house we would have made mistakes.” The proof is in the vibe. “The fact that people instantly feel comfortable is a testament to the mix and to his skill,” she notes. “You aren’t afraid to go near things.” These days the house continues to evolve. At the moment, she and Stilin are working to update guest rooms, adapt other spaces for flexible uses, and better integrate the landscape and architecture. “Robert has helped me figure out a way to make it grow with our family. He and I have been collaborating together for so long—it’s been such a sustained cool experience.”
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