Mansion in May Designer Showhouse & Gardens

One of the preeminent designer showhouses in the country, the biennial Mansion in May attracts nearly 25,000 visitors, generating over $14 million in support of the Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey over the past five decades. The 21st edition of the event, which takes place this year throughout May at the historic Wildfair country estate in Chester Township, New Jersey, features 36 interior design spaces and 15 landscape design spaces that display the talent of the tri-state area’s leading designers to an audience of design-savvy consumers.

Garden State Tile sponsored the event for the fourth time this year, donating tile for an ensuite bathroom and the designer sales office. Design Sales Consultant Karen Dearborn collaborated with designers Pam Epifano and Michael Curren to select the right pieces for their spaces. “At Garden State Tile, we’re honored to support Mansion in May, an event that not only celebrates the power of design but also plays a vital role in advancing the programs and infrastructure of Morristown Memorial Hospital,” says the company’s Co-President Chris Fischer. “Contributing to a cause that strengthens our communities while highlighting the work of visionary designers aligns deeply with Garden State Tile’s values.”

The Organization

The Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center

“TILE BECAME A FUN ELEMENT WITH ITS SHINY
GLOSS AND RETRO FEELING OF A MID-CENTURY BRICK WALL.”

Michael Curren.

The Historic Property:

Wildfair

After passing white fenced paddocks along a gently curving driveway, Mansion in May visitors will discover Wildfair, a neo-Colonial mansion set on a picturesque 55-acre farm-estate with a rich history going back more than 220 years. This 9,500 square foot, fieldstone-clad and tile-roofed home is enhanced by several second-floor balconies, small-pane, solid-shuttered windows, gabled and eyebrow dormers, and French doors and bay windows overlooking the terraced pool and millpond beyond.

Wildfair had long been a working farm and the site of a gristmill, sawmill, and workshop for the manufacture of millstones. In 1934, Elizabeth and Harry Bowly Hollins III, a New York banker and broker, acquired the property and hired the Philadelphia architectural firm of Willing, Sims & Talbutt to design their new country estate. The architects retained the original late eighteenth or early nineteenth-century stone farmhouse and designed extensive fieldstone additions to create a rambling and spacious country retreat the Hollinses named Wildfair. In the mid-1990s, a subsequent owner of the property retained architect Hiland Hall Turner and Eberle Builders, Inc. to design and construct extensive additions and alterations to the house, creating the beautiful, rambling country estate it is today.

The Design:

Off of Wildfair’s second floor ensuite bedroom—highlighted by a striking blue and white floral wallpaper—is the Pond View and Petals bathroom designed by Chester-based interior designer and Wildfair owner Pam Epifano. “This luxurious bathroom is meant to bring a feeling of serenity and of being one with nature as you soak in the tub and peek out the window at the pond and trees beyond,” says Epifano, who brought in organic shapes and natural muted colors to make the most of the room’s beautiful pond view.

“The soft tones of the velvet, the warm green in the tile, and my accent pieces are meant to remind you of the trees, rocks, and mosses that surround us—and will hopefully take your mind into the forest.”

Epifano incorporated several finishes from Garden State Tile to help create a relaxing atmosphere for the space, including herringbone tile on the shower floor, embossed and marble-like wall tiles, and a frosty-blue, petal-shaped tile for a feature wall behind the bathtub. “I wanted to use soft feeling materials and colors with an elegant pop of color. It was a process, but we started with the honed white marble and worked from there to create the whole palette.

I also wanted to mix the “traditional” marble with the modern large format tile, making this a more transitional space.” Designing within the Mansion in May setting presented a unique opportunity for Epifano. “Because I am the homeowner, it worked a little differently than other designers,” she says. “I did not have to compete for my space and was given complete creative freedom.”

Brass fittings such as a large round mirror, rainhead, handshower, and integrated body sprays join a modern white bathtub, brightly colored artwork, and a white floral lighting pendant. “I’ve also included a piece of marble from the home that was part of the 1930’s countertop. It will be used on the tub as a tray as a nod to the past.” The designer admits it can be a tricky balance to get the right style without sacrificing practicality. “Just invest the time and it will all fall into place.”

The Design:

Conversation Space

Michael Curren, of Mendham-based Curren Design Associates, contributed to the designer sales space located on the ground floor of the house. “This needed to be a functional work area and not a “designed” space,” says Curren, who decided to go in a home office direction. One of Curren’s biggest challenges was working with the existing finishes—wood paneled walls, mirrors, and wall-to-wall carpet—without making any permanent changes to the room.

Although two sets of French doors lead outside of the room, Curren elected to only use one set to improve traffic flow. “I built a three-piece screen that I could angle in front of a door. This would let me create a sitting area, change the direction of the space, and hide a lot of the wood panels.”

The panels inspired Curren to go with a Mid Century modern vibe in a color palette of oranges and blues. “I wanted to tile the screen an orange brick stacked style and a funky wallpaper above,” he says. Bright orange, glossy Abacus 3D tiles from Garden State Tile became a fun element to create the feeling of a mid-century brick wall. Curren acknowledges the use of wallpaper mixed with bright orange glossy tile might seem like an unusual choice for the room at first, “until you put it all together and realize the reflection values you get and the energy it gives off.”

As this also needed to be a functional workspace for workers and clients, Curren selected two desks and chairs for the back of the space where people could work while others could mill around the room. The conversation area features a freestanding, smoke-free ethanol TerraFlame fireplace in blue. A blue sofa and chairs, an orange area rug, and an original Joan Miró painting help complete the space. On the opposite mirrored wall, Curren used a vintage buffet, over which he suspended a hand-painted Japanese kite framed in black.

Curren’s ultimate mission was to make the Mansion in May visitors feel at home. “My biggest takeaway is always the same,” he says. “When working in mansions the goal is to have the people coming into the space feel at home and think to themselves, I could live here—even if it’s not my style.”

The Sources & Materials

Garden State Tile

Tiles for ensuite bathroom
and designer office conversation space:
gstile.com

For more information:
mansionsinmay.org
wammc.org

Ensuite Bath Feature Wall
MIRAMAR SALT MARSH
This leaf mosaic’s frosty blue
color recalls the shimmer of the
sun on the surface of the ocean,
making it the perfect fit on a
feature wall next to the ensuite
bathtub. The 12’’x24’’ marble tile
is accompanied by a selection
of organic-shaped 3D mosaics.

Ensuite Bath Floor & Wall
SWEET WHITE MARBLE
RECTANGULAR TILE
Measuring 12’’x24’’, this rectangular floor and wall tile has a white body with light gray veining available in three field tile sizes, two mosaics, and matching trim for residential floors and walls in both polished and honed finishes.

Ensuite Bath Shower Floor
SWEET WHITE MARBLE HERRINGBONE
MOSAIC
This 12’’x12’’ Herringbone honed mosaic features a gorgeous white body with light gray veining available in three field tile sizes, two mosaics, and matching trim for residential floors and walls in both polished and honed finishes.

Conversation Space in Designer Sales Office
ABACUS COLLECTION
For the office space, the designer selected a tile both bold in color and texture. This 3’’x12’’ bright orange, glossy 3D tile is produced in two different linear tactile surfaces—a bold tuck and creased pleated design and a softer fluted version. The rectangular 16 mm-thick ceramic tile can be applied vertically or horizontally.

Ensuite Bath Wall
FORMA GESSO INCISO
This 16’’x32’’ rectangular embossed tile is part of the Forma Collection, which offers an array of full-body porcelain stoneware tile, white-body, glazed ceramic wall tile, and glazed stoneware wall tiles that are inspired by cement and resin. Completing the collection are unique decos that capture a botanical twist for a soft, biophilic design.