Lee Stanton Blog

It was wonderful to have our neighbor in Montecito Marc Normand Gelinas stop in to Private Stash. He blends his love for traditional antiques with a taste for functionality and comfort. Check out his favorite pieces from Stash by Lee Stanton below.

Photo: The Montecito Journal

TOP PICKS

Pair of 19th-century French painted column lamps with custom shades

Architectural 19th-century English mahogany sideboard

Pair of 19-century French aquamarine painted half-round columns  on carved stone bases

ABOUT

Marc Normand Gelinas is best known for his classic and inviting designs, reflecting his knowledge of color, scale and art background. He believes that each project should reflect the personality and personal style of each client, giving them a well-designed, comfortable and functional space.

His extensive time in New York and Paris give him a unique perspective on aesthetic plans. Since 1987 he has consulted on projects from New York, Santa Barbara, Aspen and Rhode Island.

Marc’s work has been published several times in such well-known publications as House Beautiful and Traditional Home to name a few. He has also been featured in “Window Style,” a hardcover book published by Traditional Home. His show house projects such as “The Newport Decorator Show House” have been widely received.

A honors graduate of the acclaimed Pratt Institute in New York City earned Marc a BFA in Interior Design. Marc resides in Santa Barbara, California.

SELECTION OF HIS WORK

Photos: Marc Normand Gelinas 

Photo: Matthieu Salvaing

The Fondation Custodia in Paris's 7th arrondissement is a treasure trove of inspiration. Brimming with European Old Master works and the antiques with which they would once have been surrounded, it's the kind of space that invites you to sink deep into reverie.  

GET THE LOOK

Serene and classic, yet with an altogether singular personality, the design of this Amalfi Coast villa takes its cues from the area's dramatic terrain and rich history. I love the way its muted color palette allows for its bolder and more whimsical statements. 

GET THE LOOK

Photo: Matthieu Salvaing for AD Italia

I love when a space feels relaxed and effortless in its flow, yet thoughtful and deeply considered in execution. These are the sorts of spaces that demand to be lived in, and not just merely looked at. In this breezy loft-like living room, a lived-in, bohemian minimalism takes into account both practical and aesthetic concerns. 

GET THE LOOK

Photo: @luxxumodernliving

Nestled in the heart of one of Mexico City's oldest quarters, Coyoacán, photographer Graciela Iturbide's airy, eclectic home feels like a cabinet of curiosities. Perhaps most curious of all, however, is that the home was designed by her son, architect Mauricio Rocha at age twenty-five. A tender love letter to the creative habits of his legendary mom, the workshop slash residential space is a celebration of art, love, and life. 

GET THE LOOK

Photo: Pablo López Luz and Rafael Gamo for AD Italia

When Truman Capote was visited by Architectural Digest in 1976 at his Sagoponack hideaway, he described its method of construction as a "raincoat." All the same, it's what the literary luminary was after. "I wanted a rustic house. I really think of it as one big room. Completely winterized, it’s been designed to look unfinished. I call it ‘run-down comfort.’ I like the effect of texture in rooms—the rawness of the wood plus the mirrors that line one end.” In the heart of the Hamptons, tucked behind a lush expanse of potato fields, the secluded getaway paints an intimate portrait of the writer's inner workings. 

The home's sleek yet sunbaked exterior features the raw wood finish typical of the area. Large, faintly Nordic windows are the dominant architectural focus. A cozy, unpretentious spirit pervades. 

The bi-level living room adds a theatrical dimension to Capote's otherwise relaxed seasonal escape. And yet the writer made note, “I’m here to work. I come here a lot in the autumn and winter, and I see almost no one. I don’t care for the Hamptons in the summer—it’s gotten too crowded. I don’t understand the way some people come out here and run themselves ragged every night. I just don’t think some of these writers are working.” With the home's glossy cerulean floors, two-story-high built-in bookshelves, buttery amber leather sofa, comfy upholstered vintage chairs and eclectic antique accents, the space has a beachy, easy-going glamour that's rich with humor and personality.

A steel spiral staircase leads the way to the living room's loft-like upper level. The theme of painted wood floors continues, though here in palest buttercup. 

A rhythmic use of materials and textures ties everything together; cheerful needlepoint, painted Victorian and contemporary wicker furniture and warm blond wood continue concepts from below, helping tie together the writer's quirky, personal mix of art and carefully curated memorabilia.

Capote's "witchcraft altar," as he apparently called it, included a surreal needlepoint pillow of a mask designed by the artist Cocteau, fresh flowers, an antique bronze bell and a curious piece of folk art, a painted wooden cat with an arched back and bared fangs. 

A Tiffany table lamp casts a richly luminous glow across the author's collection of glass paperweights and books. Intimate photographs and 19th century floral lithographs shed even more light on the author's sensibility.

One can only imagine the author sitting here, in the early hours, penning the final excruciating pages of In Cold Blood. 

Perhaps most striking to me of all are the author's spartan sleeping quarters. Somehow warm and luxurious despite their severe curation, Capote's minimalist treatment of his place of rest feels perfectly in keeping with his approach to art.

Photo: Jaime Ardiles-Arce for Architectural Digest; Architectural Digest: Celebrity Homes, ed. Paige Pense (1977) 

Enamalist June Schwarcz's Sausalito bungalow bears the marks of a true maker. Serene and eclectic, the home feels like an extension of her studio space. Filled with art of Schwarcz's own, as well as by her friends and inspirations, the space celebrates objects with personality.

GET THE LOOK

Photo: Leslie Williamson

I love the stripped-down, laissez-faire look Charles de Lisle gave this Sonoma cabin retreat. With its beautiful natural light and bucolic surroundings, the home's exposed plywood walls and untreated windows give the space the feeling of a treehouse. The open floor plan and variety of warm, organic textures create a cheerful yet relaxed feeling, very much in keeping with the barefoot ease associated with Nor-Cal's famous wine country. Get the look with similar items from Lee Stanton below.

Photo: Eric Petschek for AD España