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Tiered wedding cake style
chandeliers in the living
room and foyer bring an
essence of opulence to the
home’s entrance.
OPPOSITE TOP
A custom curved metal
railing with wainscot
detailing polishes the grand
stairway. The leopard-print
carpeted stairs by Mark
Nelson Designs complete
the luxe look.
OPPOSITE BOTTOM
Neutral tones in the main
area of the home allow for
more daring accent tones
within other rooms, such as
the metallic backsplash in
the kitchen.
HAUTE HABITAT
Cozy
New
Copy
Grandeur
Headline
Warmth meets opulence on the Sound
by C Y ND I M U R RAY
Finding meaning in Jackson Pollock’s
world of chaos by DR E W MO S S
JASON STR ANAHAN , a physical education
W
HEN AN
FAMILY
FOURduring
FOUNDthe
teacher
at ACTIVE
Manhasset
HighOF
School
Pollack lived out his days
with his wife Lee Krasner
in The Springs, near East
Hampton. Their home and
his studio is now a study
center that can be visited
most summer weekends.
Spice up décor with
dramatic accent colors.
Find more design tips at
lipulse.com.
E R I C L AV E R T Y
their
property
in the
idyllic
1930s,dream
introduced
a new
sport
to hiswaterfront
pupils. It was
village
of Old Field,
theundergrad
home thatatoccupied
the
one he picked
up as an
Union College
lot
was a concern.
It was
built in 2006
atop a ball
in upstate
New York,
consisting
of a rubber
bluff
overlooking
the Long
Sound
and
and crooked
wooden
sticks.Island
The game
Stranahan
was structurally
but was
lacked
the modern
teaching his solid,
students
lacrosse,
and once
amenities
and
it was unleashed
upon
ansophisticated
unsuspectingdesign
group of
sought
after would
by the never
new homeowners
teenagers, Long
Island
be the same.
and their
twodecades
young boys.
Fast forward
a few
and lacrosse has
The ultimate
goal
wasIsland
to create
become as synonymous
with
Long
as heavsensesnarling
of grandeur—in
respect
tofrom
enly bagelsa and
traffic. Every
kid
the home’s
sizable
13,000-squarethe Gold Coast
to Orient
Point
picks up a stick
foot floorIsland
plan and
homeowners’
at some point—the
hasthe
been
transformed
desire
for aneach
edgyyear
yet functional
into a lacrosse
factory,
mass-producing
style,crop
saidof
Andrew
Suvalsky
, principal
a new bumper
elite players.
High
school
designer
Manhattan-based
Andrew
teams across
Nassauofand
Suffolk are consistently
Suvalsky
Designs.
wanted
ranked among
the best
in the“They
nation
and college
feel thewith
greatness
the house,
rosters aretolittered
Islandofnatives.
But the
butsport
in a setting
that was warm
and and
apex of any
is the professional
level,
familiar,
where
each
space
feltteam—consisting
inviting rather of
that’s where
New
York’s
pro
than
intimidating.
The biggest
manyoverwhelming
born and bredorLong
Islanders—has
shown
challenge
was to create
intimacy
and
warmth
just how dominant
our region
is at
the
sport with
among
rooms
all quite
large…to
really
the rubber
ballthat
andare
crooked
sticks.
The New
York
create
homeone
where
each
space was
valuable
Lizardsa were
of the
founding
members
of and
Mausable
[in] their
day-to-day
while still in
jor League
Lacrosse
when lifestyle,
it was established
looking
super
glam and
2001, even
winning
the fun.”
inaugural championship.
To customize
space,
looked
no
Since
then, they the
have
beenSuvalsky
a mainstay
in a league
further
homeowners’
personal
style.
that hasthan
seenthe
several
teams fold
and have
consisHe
juxtaposed
the tastes
of the
tailored,
sporty
tently
drawn strong
crowds
to their
home
field at
and
stylishJames
lady ofM.
theShuart
house with
the more
Hofstra’s
Stadium.
Yet for all
conservative
and scientifi
man
their early success
(four cally-minded
championship
appearof
the house
craftStranahan,
a cohesive and
luxurious
ances
in theto
Jason
a physical
educa-
tion teacher at Manhasset High School during the
design.
“I understood
that
their
wereIt was
1930s, introduced
a new
sport
totastes
his pupils.
defi
more
with boldatfusions
of
one nitely
he picked
upmodern,
as an undergrad
Union College
color,
but color
never
overpowers...each
in upstate
Newthat
York,
consisting
of a rubber ball
piece
had to feel
uniquely
special
ratherStranahan
than
and crooked
wooden
sticks.
The game
just
for the
The
inspiration
was once
to
was ‘nice
teaching
hisdesign.’
students
was
lacrosse, and
consider
the overall
design
like the [curating]
it was unleashed
upon
an unsuspecting
groupofof
art-like
pieces.”
teenagers,
Long Island would never be the same.
Suvalsky
started
by completely
gutting
the has
Fast forward
a few
decades and
lacrosse
interior,
leaving
intact only
strongest
original
become as
synonymous
withthe
Long
Island as
heavarchitectural
elements:
the
curved
stairway
enly bagels and
snarling
traffi
c. Every
kid and
from
fl
oor-to-ceiling
throughout
the
the
Gold Coast windows
to Orientpresent
Point picks
up a stick
home.
Hepoint—the
selected neutral
for the
walls in
at some
Island tones
has been
transformed
the
areasfactory,
of the home,
for daring
intomain
a lacrosse
each allowing
year mass-producing
accent
colors tocrop
makeofa elite
dramatic
statement
a new bumper
players.
High school
without
overwhelming
theSuff
space.
Splashes
of
teams across
Nassau and
olk are
consistently
purple,
andthe
metallic
gold
ranked red
among
best in
thebrightened
nation andthe
college
living
withoutwith
detracting
from
theistrue
rostersroom
are littered
ex of any
sport
the prostar
of thelevel,
room:and
thethat’s
26-foot,
full-length
window
fessional
where
New York’s
pro
overlooking
the Sound.
Unexpected
bursts
team—consisting
of many
born and
bredofLong
color
continued shown
with thejust
dining
room
painted our
a
Islanders—has
how
dominant
rich
purple,
withball
reds,and
region
is at the
thefamily
sport room
with colored
the rubber
yellows
oranges,
andYork
the kitchen
crookedand
sticks.
The New
Lizardsdecorated
were one of
with
lime-green
hues. of Major League Lacrosse
the founding
members
“I think
of colors
as my strongest
building
when
it was
establishedIsland
natives.
But the
blocks
a design,”
Suvalsky
said. “Evenlevel,
in and
apex ofinany
sport is
the professional
some
my less
colorful
I’ll be bold in of
that’s of
where
New
York’sdesigns,
pro team—consisting
choices
and and
use colors
to both
graphically defi
ne
many born
bred Long
Islanders—has
shown
the
as well asour
to open
upisand
energize
the
justobject
how dominant
region
at the
sport with
other
colorsball
andand
pieces
around
it.” The
the rubber
crooked
sticks.
The house’s
New York
color
scheme
(a mix
of fresh,
bright,
bold and
Lizards
were one
of the
founding
members
of Mawarm
tones)Lacrosse
was accentuated
withestablished
rich fi nishes.
jor League
when it was
in
The
lighting
window
treatments
2001,furniture,
even winning
the and
inaugural
championship.
L O N G I S L A N D P U L S E 83
ABOVE TOP
The dining room’s customized glass Maille chandelier by world-famous designer
Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz features ombre shading of clear, gold and purple.
BOTTOM
Color and texture prevail in each area of the home including the bathrooms. A mix of
solids, patterns and touchable materials adds depth and warmth to the design.
were all selected to create a layering effect
balancing grandeur and warmth. Suvalsky’s
criterion was that “each fabric had to pass
three tests: natural, luxe looking (and feeling)
and richly hued.”
The curved staircase was another focal
point. Suvalsky enhanced its original splendor by applying an espresso chocolate toned,
high-gloss Venetian plaster to its body, as
well as the walls above the columns. “The
choice for this was twofold: a rich and deeply
lustrous version of this color that would add
to the sexy quality of the sweeping curve, plus
[it’s] a material that would be repairable if
ever scratched or dinged. It succeeds on both
accounts.” And it helps reflect light.
Keeping the needs of the homeowner in
mind, Suvalsky incorporated child safety
features, an oft-overlooked task in designing
palatial homes. He embraced the challenge
of adding both luxury and safety by cleverly
shielding designer pieces under sleek, easy-toclean laminate.
“I feel the entire house really accomplishes
what we set out to do: create a livable work of
art that feels homey and warm, playful and
authentic to the clients living there in terms of
their taste and lifestyle, all while transforming an existing house into something that feels
fresh and unseen in other designs.” p
E R I C L AV E R T Y