{"id":13298,"date":"2022-07-26T09:30:23","date_gmt":"2022-07-26T07:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=32281"},"modified":"2022-07-26T10:02:12","modified_gmt":"2022-07-26T08:02:12","slug":"an-eclectic-19th-century-villa-in-beirut","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/an-eclectic-19th-century-villa-in-beirut\/","title":{"rendered":"An eclectic 19th-century villa in Beirut"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Christianne Raymer\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 26 July 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Since Lebanon\u2019s civil war ended three decades ago, Beirut has been rebuilt and revitalised into a city of soaring apartment blocks, pop-up art galleries<\/a>, chic restaurants and bars. Risen from the rubble of the old souk there is now a gleaming shopping mall filled with luxe fashion brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton.<\/p>\n

But, sadly, few of its oldest buildings remain \u2013 those that do are scarred by smoke and shelling. \u2018It\u2019s a tiny city,\u2019 says interior designer May Daouk, who moved back to Beirut from New York 10 years ago. \u2018There\u2019s no planning authority and, like everywhere, it\u2019s cheaper to tear things down and rebuild rather than preserve.\u2019 She was, she admits, exceptionally lucky to find a charming, single-storey late 19th-century villa.<\/p>\n

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Situated in the smart Achrafieh district, the house is a tranquil oasis in the frenetic city. A walled garden provides privacy and a tree-shaded terrace offers a magical view of the Mediterranean. The move was prompted by her then-husband\u2019s job and the plan was to stay for a year.<\/p>\n

\u2018But you know how it is,\u2019 she laughs. \u2018I\u2019m still here and my children are all grown up \u2013 my sons are living in New York and my daughter is in the UK!\u2019 Fortunately, her work takes her back to New York<\/a> several times a year, along with trips to Paris<\/a> and London<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Brought up in Beirut by an English nanny, May was educated in Switzerland and Boston before taking a job as a receptionist for the interior decorator Bunny Williams in New York. \u2018She is the grande dame of interior design,\u2019 says May, explaining that her own career as a designer grew out of this chance appointment.<\/p>\n

As soon as Bunny Williams was aware that her enthusiastic receptionist was fluent in several languages, it wasn\u2019t long before May was attending European auctions for overseas clients. \u2018I learned so much from Bunny,\u2019 she says. \u2018Above all, design is not about theory \u2013 it doesn\u2019t matter whether pink and green go together, what matters is the objects. They\u2019re what give soul to a house.\u2019<\/p>\n

May sees her home very much as a sanctuary, where she is surrounded by the things that she likes, the things that give her pleasure. And one of her great pleasures is mixing Eastern and Western aesthetics and cultures, combining old pieces with new, adding adventurous colours, and giving a contemporary twist to Middle Eastern elements: traditional drum-shaped garden seats<\/a>, for example, are finished in a fuchsia glaze. \u2018Bunny taught me to be unapologetic about colour,\u2019 she says. \u2018It\u2019s all a matter of shade and scale.\u2019<\/p>\n

You might also like<\/strong> an interior designer\u2019s colourful 1920s apartment<\/a><\/p>\n

The entrance hall, with its Louis XVI\u2013style settees enlivened by bright ikat cushions, a 19th-century Italian mirror and an enormous star-shaped zinc ceiling pendant, is a masterclass in proportion. It\u2019s the warm-up act to the spectacular high-ceilinged living room that sits at the centre of the house.<\/p>\n

With lilac walls that run the length of the building, punctuated by doors leading to bedrooms, a dining room and kitchen, the room is huge and could easily host 200 people. But it\u2019s not overwhelming, May insists, because \u2018it\u2019s broken down into little spaces\u2019.<\/p>\n

One such space lies beyond a dramatic triple arch that dominates the room. This feature, common to traditional Lebanese houses, effectively divides a quarter of the room from the rest, without cutting it off entirely. It is here that May has created a study, complete with a splendid 18th-century Italian chimneypiece which, despite appearances, was only fairly recently installed. She has furnished this space with a smart, brass-edged campaign desk, violet-lacquered bookshelves and a daybed.<\/p>\n

\u2018The desk is English. The daybed is by Adnet finished with Herm\u00e8s leather, and the cushions are Syrian,\u2019 she explains. \u2018It\u2019s not about whether this matches that, it\u2019s about making it personal.\u2019 She is no more restrained by period than by ethnicity; nearby, a mid 20th-century tubular-metal garden seat rubs shoulders with two Victorian armchairs.<\/p>\n

Another island of comfort lies at the opposite end of the living room, where three elegant fretwork windows echo the internal archway, and a plump chaise longue is positioned for maximum reading light. The middle of the space, meanwhile, is more sociable, with an inviting cluster of seating and side tables. What unifies this expansive and varied interior is May\u2019s love of vibrant colours \u2013 specifically the striking lilac on the walls.<\/p>\n

Beyond the living room, in the master suite, a custom-made striped kilim attests to May\u2019s gift for discovering local suppliers. Her bathroom windows are hung with exquisite lace<\/a> curtains made in the Chouf Mountains, to the south east of Beirut.<\/p>\n

The dining room is an inspired creation that effectively melds two spaces. At one end, a rectangular table for formal dinners is centred against a wall hung with architectural prints of Lebanon\u2019s ancient city of Baalbek; at the other, an octagonal Mouseman table and chairs are used for casual family meals.<\/p>\n

As ever, the furniture is spectacularly diverse: Arabic chairs inlaid with mother-of-pearl<\/a>; an antique double berg\u00e8re; and a red lacquer sideboard. While May loves the objects that surround her, she\u2019s not fussy about them. \u2018I use antique fabrics but, if they get damaged, I just replace them,\u2019 she says. \u2018The black sofa in the dining room? It\u2019s used mainly by the dog.\u2019<\/p>\n

A house should be as comfortable as it is beautiful, says May. \u2018I don\u2019t want to live in a showcase, I want to live in a home.\u2019<\/p>\n

\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
At the back of the house, mature ficus trees provide valuable shade, without obscuring the view of the Mediterranean from the terrace.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
May Daouk at the door of her home in Beirut, which is flanked by a collection of sculptural antique water vessels.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
A modern trestle table filled with blue and white ceramics strikes an informal note in the main living room.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
Victorian armchairs, upholstered in velvet and linen, and modern ceramic garden stools are arranged around a low table to create an informal seating area within the large central living room.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
Every surface in the house is filled with fascinating decorative collections, such as these metal flowers, including a seed pod cast in bronze.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
A colonnaded walkway, which looks onto a courtyard garden, leads to May\u2019s front door. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
The triple arch at one end of the sitting room is typically Lebanese. Cushions on the sofa reflect the dominant colours in the room, from the blue and white china to the pinks and reds of the oushak rug on the floor. The Italian chimneypiece is in the section of the living room that serves as May\u2019s study.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
\u00a0An English drum table sits to the side of a door leading to one of the bedrooms. The lamp base is a modern ginger jar made for this purpose. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
May\u2019s study is furnished with an eclectic mix of pieces, including an antique campaign desk and a set of contemporary purple lacquered shelves. The lilac walls are hung with textiles such as this large antique suzani. The lamps on the desk came from a store in New York and the numerous curios and objets d\u2019art were picked up on May\u2019s travels. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
May\u2019s collection of blue and white ceramics is a mixture of antique and contemporary pieces. She likes marrying old with new and is guided by shape and scale.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
The daybed, which is also in May\u2019s study, is by Adnet in Paris and the cushions are made by Syrian artisans.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
Like the main living room, the dining room is split into sections, with an Italianate daybed serving as a room divider. May says that the library steps are not only attractive but necessary, as she is not very tall and can\u2019t reach her books otherwise.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
May picked up the carved mushrooms at a local market and she uses them as table decorations. <\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
The wooden bowls came from a local antiques market and are filled with fruit, both real and carved.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
The table and chairs in the dining room are all Mouseman \u2013 May is a great admirer of his work, \u2018It is timeless. I like its simplicity, it\u2019s not fussy and overly decorated and can work in any interior.\u2019 The wall is hung with 19th-century prints of Lebanon\u2019s Baalbek temple complex.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
In the main bedroom a pair of three-tiered tables stand either side of the bed. The lantern is a traditional Lebanese design.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
Though simply decorated, the bathroom is full of interesting details: lace curtains were handmade by local artisans, the lights are antique English carriage lights, the chair is a three-legged Mategot and the large mirror is Dutch.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""casaMayDaouk\"<\/picture><\/div>
A woven dish holds jewellery on the bedside table.<\/span> <\/figcaption> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n
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By Christianne Raymer Published: Tuesday, 26 July 2022 at 12:00 am Since Lebanon\u2019s civil war ended three decades ago, Beirut has been rebuilt and revitalised into a city of soaring apartment blocks, pop-up art galleries, chic restaurants and bars. Risen from the rubble of the old souk there is now a gleaming shopping mall filled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":13299,"template":"","categories":[1,41],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"9"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/07\/an-eclectic-19th-century-villa-in-beirut.jpg",1541,871,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/07\/an-eclectic-19th-century-villa-in-beirut-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/07\/an-eclectic-19th-century-villa-in-beirut-300x170.jpg",300,170,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/07\/an-eclectic-19th-century-villa-in-beirut-768x434.jpg",768,434,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/07\/an-eclectic-19th-century-villa-in-beirut-1024x579.jpg",800,452,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/07\/an-eclectic-19th-century-villa-in-beirut-1536x868.jpg",1536,868,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2022\/07\/an-eclectic-19th-century-villa-in-beirut.jpg",1541,871,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Christianne Raymer Published: Tuesday, 26 July 2022 at 12:00 am Since Lebanon\u2019s civil war ended three decades ago, Beirut has been rebuilt and revitalised into a city of soaring apartment blocks, pop-up art galleries, chic restaurants and bars. Risen from the rubble of the old souk there is now a gleaming shopping mall filled…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/13298"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}