“That’s the whole love affair, the romantic part of what we do,” Lauren confides of the mix, which foregrounds antiques both scoured and inherited. The living room, for instance, groups a 1970s Poul Kjærholm cane chair, a deep custom sofa, and a pair of 19th-century English armchairs. The same room’s 1950s Carl Malmsten side table, she says, only adds to the “surprise factor.” The neighboring den’s linen-clad walls, meanwhile, serve as a neutral backdrop to a rare midcentury wrought-iron chair designed by Darrell Landrum and a 1920s inlaid-marquetry desk found at the Paris flea markets.
Back in the sunny entry hall, which now displays contemporary artworks by Rashid Johnson and Jenny Holzer, McGrath admits the 20 hours she and her husband spent commuting each week took its toll. As their boys have gotten older, the family has relocated to the city for the school and workweek, escaping to the country on weekends. But Connecticut, she insists, will always be home. “This was such a project for us,” McGrath says, looking around the space as she reminisces about raising her babies here. “I’m so emotionally attached to this house.”