home of distinction
PERHAPS the most dramatic space is the dining room.
“Everybody thought I was crazy to paint the dining room
with black walls and a green ceiling, but I wanted to create a
gallery to give color the opportunity to stand out,” she says.
The surprising combination showcases, with dramatic effect, a
1950’s buffet that’s anchored by vintage brass lamps and a collec-tion
of three-dimensional sculpture and paintings.
Wherever and whenever possible she sourced her furnishings
and finish pieces from her artisans and vendors.
“This house is really built around my subs,” she says. “I have a lot
of handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces.”
A painting by architect and colleague Rob Romero hangs
above the living room fireplace. A pair of original watercolors
in the foyer and the wire sculpture in the dining room are both
works by Raleigh artist Kelly Sheppard Murray. The cans of paint
were assembled from repurposed finds from Thailand.
“That’s me in an abstract form,” Saintard Valiente says.
She invited many others to contribute without offering strict
direction, allowing them the liberty and freedom to produce some-thing
that was perfect for the house.
“They all know me so well, that’s what makes it so special,”
she says, brushing her fingers across the epoxy resin finish that
connects the double wood slab dining room table. “This is my
carpenter, Raleigh Morris with Heirloom CFM.”
The Leland-based furniture maker is also a skilled luthier, or
stringed instrument maker, who would soon be relocating from
the United States to Israel. Saintard Valiente wanted to engage the
artisanal craftsman to contribute furnishings and built-ins, like
the adjacent banquette, that allows the seating capacity to increase
to 10 when she hosts a dinner party.
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WBM may 2020