One of the great pleasures in working with historic structures is the way their past directs their future — provided the owner and everyone involved heed its voice. This was always the case in the work done at the home of Walton Goggins and Nadia Conners, whose home was recently featured in Architectural Digest (article, video). Ben shares a reflection on this multi-year project and the small part Quittner played in bringing the homeowners’ vision to life.
We first met Nadia and Walton while selling antiques, and the very first pieces of our own design, at an outdoor market in Hudson, NY. We had not yet begun designing lighting for use outside of our own home, at this point, and had only just refreshed the whole Quittner ‘look’.
Running an antique-focused business has the tendency to pull you in waring directions. We learned that, as a small store focused on accessibly priced pieces, it was hard to maintain a ‘look’. We struggled to source the styles we love most, English, Arts + Crafts, a bit of Georgian, lots of well-worn dark wood and a frequent Gothic Revival tilt, with a touch of painted furniture (but not too much). ‘Chippy’ has rarely been a word we’re excited to tag to furniture, but was often the state of what we could access in the market to bring to our store floor.
Shortly before meeting Walton, Nadia, and their son, we pulled back and assessed the situation. If what we were offering wasn’t what we were personally excited about, something had gone wrong. So, we decided to reset. Parting with the slightly performative country-store aesthetic, we chose to instead adopt the straightforward, practical, and somewhat magical look we felt was more truly our own. We like considered decoration on pieces that will last centuries longer, well-cast bronzes, and a good bust — Walton, it turns out, agrees.
When they walked by our small stand in a Hudson, NY parking lot, flanked by a scented candle seller and a cold brew keg, they did a double take. It was very much an instantaneous “click.” I remain immensely proud that objects that we had at that first meeting now sit on the shelves of the “gun room” of their awe-inspiring old Lodge, welcoming visitors and helping to set the tone.
When Walton learned that the Quittner practice is grounded in a focus on the restoration of antique and vintage lighting, he was excited to work with us on a multitude of fixtures he’d sourced for the project. There were also pieces original to the home that needed a refresh, like a collection of wonderful copper and glass exterior lanterns, pictured here. Over time, we restored, rewired, and retouched lights and lamps throughout the home, helping, in our small way, to support the captivating ambiance Walton, Nadia, and architectural and interior designer Shawn Henderson created.
It is always a joy to work with clients who carry a clear design vision, and who simply need a little help bringing what they see in their heads into the real world. Nadia and Walton have had a wonderfully tangible vision for their property and have pursued it with persistence and creativity.
The final product, as seen in the piece for AD, styled by our friend Raina Kattelson, it really shows. We have enjoyed every minute working on this house, and I am thrilled that it is finally getting the recognition it so richly deserves.
— Benjamin Davidson, Lead Designer and Co-Owner of Quittner
Watch the AD Video Tour with Walton to see pieces we worked on for the interior:
