Art History Class

Feature // déCoR a r t history c l a s s Interior designer Lynda Charfoos channeled the talents of Cranbrook greats in her reinterpretation of the Carl Milles house By Rebecca Powers // PhotograPhs by justin Maconochie 68 HOURDETROIT.COM // SEpTEMbER 2009 déCoR // Feature // The home where sculptor Carl Milles lived on the Cranbrook grounds in Bloomfield Hills is airy and pristine. Interior designer Lynda Charfoos gave the residence an update that respects Cranbrook tradition. All furniture in the house — including the black upholstered seating and end tables — are courtesy of Knoll. Lighting is courtesy of Arkitektura. “It’s hard contemporary in a historical setting,” Charfoos says. The dining-room table and chairs are Saarinen. Charfoos chose a subtle palette that would highlight works by students and artists-in-residence. original works include: a green spaceframe by Scott Klinker, a raw-steel Parsons table (beneath the arched window) by Robert Laskey, a car-chassis photo (in the dining room) by Liz Cohen, and a black-and-white laser cutout (at far right) by Heather McGill. French doors lead to a courtyard that’s often used for events. SEpTEMbER 2009 // HOURDETROIT.COM 69 Feature // déCoR // Milles House sits within a row of Saarinen-design buildings on Academy Way (this page). It’s adjacent to the museum-quality Saarinen House. opposite: doors lead from the living room to the studio, where Milles worked. It remains a studio/work space today. Casey Jones (background) and Academy director Reed Kroloff are business/life partners. Together they run Jones/Kroloff (joneskroloff.com), a consulting firm that helps organizations identify designers for major building projects. office furniture in the studio is on casters so that the space may be quickly cleared for alternative uses, including parties. 70 HOURDETROIT.COM // SEpTEMbER 2009 déCoR // Feature When Reed KRoloff Was named diRectoR “We were mindful that we had to rise to the stan- furnishings retailer with a Saarinen connection to of the cRanbRooK academy of aRt, much dards of Cranbrook’s design history,” says Lynda Cranbrook], we were able to do the lighting.” like any transferee, he quickly needed a place to live. Charfoos, a Bloomfield Hills interior designer special- Charfoos says she also thought it was important But unlike other professionals navigating the un- izing in contemporary and 20th-century classics. for the residence to work well as a backdrop for the familiar real estate that comes with a career change, In accepting the job, Charfoos, who sits on the works of Academy students and artists-in-residence. Kroloff ’s move from New Orleans to Bloomfield board of governors of the Art Academy and Art She kept the setting quiet by using fairly repetitious Hills in 2007 included a rarefied housing option. Museum, faced several challenges. First, the interior furniture and fixtures. “I knew the artwork would be He chose to live on campus at Milles House, had to be flexible enough to accommodate private very powerful,” she says. She used Flor tiles to create named for Carl Milles, the famed Swedish sculptor living and public gatherings of up to 70 people. a graphite-colored carpet “platform” where art can be who lived there during his prolific 14 years at the Lighting also was problematic because all of the displayed during critiques. private institution. electrical outlets were around the perimeter of the During non-work hours, when the residence is It’s an enviable address, to say the least, situated as living room’s open expanse. “I thought, what kind of quiet and has returned to private use, Kroloff and it is in on Academy Way within the creative milieu lamps would be powerful enough to light a space so his business/life partner, Casey Jones, use the main and just steps away from Kroloff’s daily duties. large?” Charfoos says. “I spent a large portion of the rooms, not minding at all, Charfoos says, that the Milles House is no ordinary campus quarters. In design time trying to light the space.” windows are devoid of coverings, which was done addition to occupying a ’20s-era structure designed by For furnishings, she wanted to reflect Cranbrook’s for a clean look. the esteemed Eliel Saarinen, Milles House serves as a heritage and tradition. “We decided that it would Charfoos is now working on the second floor of public/private space, which means its occupants must showcase furniture that came out of Cranbrook: Flor- the home, where she says she’s having fun throwing share the main floor with the occasional board meet- ence Knoll and Harry Bertoia. Bertoia taught metal- in the occasional “curve ball.” ing, art critique, cocktail party, or intimate wedding. work at Cranbrook beginning in 1939. And Knoll “It has been the ultimate compliment for me,” she The second floor is private. (née Schust) studied architecture there. says. “Cranbrook is the birthplace of some great arti- Lovely as it was, the townhouse, which stands “Through a donation from Knoll, we were able sans and so many great design concepts. I feel ex- just north of the museum-quality Saarinen House, to purchase Knoll furniture,” Charfoos says. “And traordinarily flattered and honored to be part of the needed a makeover. through a donation by Arkitektura [the Birmingham history of Cranbrook.” SEpTEMbER 2009 // HOURDETROIT.COM 71 Feature // déCoR // The living room (this page) is often used for meetings and art critiques. Charfoos created a tight seating area around the original fireplace and mirror. The existing floor was her inspiration for the color scheme. original art includes tall tables with knit “leggings” by Iris Eichenberg, multi-colored lines on metal by Beverly Fishman, short and tall Bertoia “sound” sculptures flanking the fireplace on loan from the Cranbrook Art Museum, and a black-and-gray horizontal work by Elliott Earls. The seating area beside Earls’ work is a grouping of Bertoia chairs and table. 72 HOURDETROIT.COM // SEpTEMbER 2009 // The courtyard is a popular setting for cocktail parties and weddings. A view into the foyer shows the original entry doors. No two doors at Cranbrook are alike. moRe about MILLES // Swedish sculptor Carl Milles (1875-1955) lived and worked at Cran- brook. But his talents are visible well beyond the 315-acre Bloomfield Hills campus. There’s the imposing Hand of God sculpture, for example, outside Detroit’s Frank Murphy Hall of Justice. After an illustrious career in Europe (he studied with Auguste Rodin in Paris), Milles came to Bloomfield Hills in 1931 and became resident sculptor and headed Cranbrook Academy of Art’s sculpture department. Molding clay and then casting the structure in bronze, Milles created classical and neo-classical sculptures depicting allegorical and mythical themes during his 14 years at the institution. Milles’ sculptures and fountains can be seen around the world, from the American Midwest to his native Scandinavia. But metro Detroiters needn’t travel far to see Milles’ originals. Cranbrook owns the second-largest collection of Milles sculptures and fountains — after the Millesgården in Sweden. Visitors to the Cranbrook grounds near Lone Pine Road and Wood- ward can view Milles’ first Cranbrook piece, Jonah and the Whale, as well as Orpheus Fountain, and others. Locals and tourists flock to Cranbrook to view more than 70 Milles sculptures and fountains. In 1988, those visitors included Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Sylvia, who came to pay homage to their late countryman. — Trina Mannino SEpTEMbER 2009 // HOURDETROIT.COM 73 .

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