Full Immersion In Luxury

Elzy Kolb -- Interior Design, 10/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

Visiting the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Connecticut, is like dropping in on dear old friends whose only interest is your comfort and relaxation. That is, of course, if your dear old friends are lucky enough to have a Willem de Kooning canvas hanging above the sofa.

Meet Adriana and Robert Mnuchin, who bought the Mayflower in 1992. Recently, they hired Halper Owens Architects and Randall A. Ridless to design a freestanding 20,000-square-foot spa on the 58-acre property. "One concern was how to make the spa clean, open, and fresh but also classically New England," recalls spa president and creative director Lisa Hedley, the Mnuchins' daughter.

Halper Owens built the cedar-shingled structure as well as handling the interior's woodwork, case goods, and detailing. "Traditional architecture dictates certain weights and proportions for moldings and other trim. We reduced them to the absolute lower limits for a lighter feel," principal Reese Owens explains.

Randy Ridless took on the challenge of giving the spa a residential feel in harmony with the main inn building—minus the chintz slipcovers and English or American antiques. "We decided on traditional silhouettes for the spa's furnishings, but serenity would be our keyword," he says. The cream-and-beige palette and inviting textures of the polished-plaster walls, bleached-oak flooring, wool rugs, and silk curtains create a pretty, airy look with no hint of fussiness.

Blues blend with the neutrals. Various shades pop up on the walls in the dining loggia, garden room, and changing rooms. The whirlpool room features sky-blue window shades and glass mosaic tile that's almost peacock blue. Depending on the time of day, the glass mosaic tile lining the swimming pool can shimmer with a particularly iridescent teal.

Unifying the design, nature motifs take their cue from the surrounding wooded grounds and nearby pond, framed by runs of windows. (The landscaping was conceptualized by Robert Mnuchin, who, in addition to being the owner of New York gallery L&M Arts, is an arborist.) Contemporary landscape photography, botanical-print curtains, and rugs patterned with abstract leaves and flowers reinforce the theme.

Ridless made sure to choose materials that would stand up to daily wear and tear. He also tested samples of fabric, stone, and tile to see how they'd react to the oils from spa treatments.

As expected in a spa, the Mayflower offers abundant opportunities for relaxation. The eight treatment rooms, including one room for couples, feature overstuffed chairs for post-massage lounging. In reception, guests can plan their day in a plump tête-à-tête. A cushioned banquette occupies a corner of the dining loggia.

In the calming garden room, the De Kooning overlooks groups of comfy armchairs, chaise longues, and sofas, all covered in vanilla-colored chenille. "The forms here are classics," Ridless says. "But it's almost like they're wearing loose bathrobes."

From top: At the Mayflower Spa in Washington, Connecticut, glass mosaic tile lines the pool, which is surrounded by concrete-composite pavers. Danilo De Rossi's glass pendant fixture hangs in the hallway to the changing rooms.

Clockwise from left: A Willem de Kooning oil on canvas hangs in the garden room, where seating is slipcovered in chenille. In the dining loggia, a custom marble-topped table and chenille-covered chairs are set beneath a custom acrylic chandelier. Reception features a custom tête-à-tête covered in cotton, a wool rug by Randy Ridless and Debbie Notis, and photographs by Carl Weese. The Shakespeare garden was the idea of inn owner Adriana Mnuchin, a founder of the Shakespeare Society in New York.

Clockwise from top: Glass mosaic tiles clad the tub surround and two-person shower in the Wisteria treatment room for couples. The inn's main building houses the restaurant and 15 guest rooms. A glass pendant fixture illuminates the marble-tiled women's shower room. A women's changing area with cotton curtains contains a chair upholstered in a cotton-linen blend; the ottomans outside are covered in vinyl.

PENDANT FIXTURE (HALL): LEUCOS. SEATING (GARDEN ROOM): THROUGH SHABBY CHIC. SEATING FABRIC, PENDANT SHADE FABRIC: OLD WORLD WEAVERS. CUSTOM PENDANT SHADES: SALON MODERNE. DRAPERY FABRIC: BERGAMO FABRICS THROUGH ANGELA BROWN. SIDE TABLES: THROUGH FAR EASTERN ARTS ANTIQUES (STONE); HOLLY HUNT (METAL). COFFEE TABLES: VAUGHAN. CUSTOM TABLETOP: INNOVATIVE STONE. CUSTOM TABLE BASE (GARDEN ROOM), CUSTOM TABLE (LOGGIA), CUSTOM DESK (RECEPTION): YEPES FINE FURNITURE. CHANDELIER (LOGGIA): LES MIGRATEURS. CHAIR FABRIC: GLANT TEXTILES CORPORATION. CHAIRS (LOGGIA), LAMP (RECEPTION): PROFILES. CUSTOM BANQUETTE (LOGGIA), CUSTOM TÊTE-À-TÊTE (RECEPTION): JP CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY. BANQUETTE FABRIC (LOGGIA), CHAIR FABRIC (RECEPTION): HINES CO. CHAIRS (RECEPTION): DESSINFOURNIR THROUGH JERRY PAIR. TÊTE-À-TÊTE FABRIC: FABRICUT. TUB (TREATMENT ROOM): SANIJET. TUB FITTINGS, SHOWER FITTINGS: GROHE. HARDWARE: DORNBRACHT. PILLOW FABRIC (SHOWER ROOM): HINSON COMPANY. DRAPERY FABRIC (SHOWER, CHANGING ROOMS): COWTAN TOUT. CHAIR FABRIC (CHANGING ROOM): TRAVERS COMPANY. PAINT: PRATT LAMBERT. OTTOMANS: HAMILTON FURNITURE. RUGS: STARK CARPET CORP. CUSTOM PILLOWS: UPHOLSTERY SHED. CUSTOM WINDOWS: MARVIN WINDOWS AND DOORS. PAINT: BENJAMIN MOORE CO. DECORATIVE PLASTERWORK: CROOK ASSOCIATES. LIGHTING CONSULTANT: BOUYEA ASSOCIATES. DESIGN CONSULTANT: NOTIS DESIGN. ENGINEERS: DI SALVO ERICSON GROUP (STRUCTURAL); KOHLER RONAN (MEP); BRIAN NEFF (CIVIL); BROOKS ACOUSTICS CORPORATION (ACOUSTICAL). GENERAL CONTRACTOR: FAIRFIELD LAND AND PROPERTIES.