Private Residence / McLean, Virginia
Photograph by Durston Saylor
We are delighted to present Thomas Pheasant as our next Designer Spotlight feature. From his impressive Washington, DC studio, Thomas has created timeless interiors for his clients for over thirty years. And he doesn’t stop at interior design–in 2005 Thomas launched a Studio focused on creating and curating furniture for the modern collector that draws inspiration from both history and nature. These bespoke pieces are equally contemporary and classic, and we are pleased to share them with you today alongside designs from his interior design portfolio.
Private Residence / Middleburg, Virginia
Photograph by Durston Saylor
In 2005, Architectural Digest crowned Thomas as a ‘Dean of American Design,’ and we can see why. This stunning entryway from a home in Middleburg, Virginia shows a pair of traditional carved mahogany console tables with marble tops flanked on either side by klismos style chairs with a bold Greek key pattern. The mirrors above reflect a twist on the classic Regency convex mirror by incorporating metallic branches that radiate out from the circular mirror plate. On the far side of the room, a handsome walnut grandfather clock stands boldly against the warm coloured walls.
Private Residence / Middleburg, VA
Photograph by Gordon Beall
In another space in the same home, Thomas’s design shows show elegant restraint, focusing on a central focal point within the room. Our eyes are drawn to the octagonal Regency writing table, with its bold brass mounts, which holds an armillary sphere. The botanical pressed ferns on the back wall provide a pleasant background and are framed in rich wooden frames that echo the furniture in the room.
Private Residence / McLean, Virginia
Photograph by Gordon Beall
For an interior in McLean, Virginia, Thomas bridges the gap between old and new in this clever combination of the antique marble bust in the foreground and the white column table visible in the adjacent room. This table takes direct inspiration from the classic fluted Doric columns in ancient Rome, but presents them in a new way by turning them into the supporting feature of the table. The table transforms, in a way, into a miniature piece of architecture.
Private Residence / Washington, DC
Photograph by Gordon Beall
Another piece from Thomas’s Studio collection is the Olympia centre table, shown above in the entryway he designed. The Olympia table is characterised by its use of rich mahogany with cast bronze details and an ivory marble top. These traditional materials are updated in a sophisticated and elegant way to create a pared down yet striking centre table.
Private Residence / Washington, DC
Photograph by Gordon Beall
We finish with a final view of one of Thomas’s interiors with its vibrant use of colour and natural light. Nestled between the seating is one of our favourite pieces in the Studio collection, named L’Arc. The cast bronze table is made of a series of arches with a glass top. The arch is one of the most fundamental shapes used in antiquity, seen on Roman aqueducts, the Colosseum, and the Arch of Constantine, to name a few. The cast bronze material also reflects the art of antiquity, yet the table remains firmly modern in its design aesthetic.
We enjoy following Thomas’s work as he continues to create great American interiors that reflect traditional taste and infuse modern style with his own furniture designs.
