Montclair Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 49

home THE MOUNTSIER HOME (Opposite) This addition to the original home was built using a plan designed by Christopher Wren, the famed English archi- tect of the seventeenth century; per Hardie, the chimney’s distinctive style is attributed to Wren. The affixed seagull is made of aluminum. In the center of the photo, a Leonard Cave sculpture arises from the remains of an ancient oak tree. (Clockwise from above) Originally the living room, the home’s entrance hall features chairs taken from the ocean liner SS Normandie; antique Japanese metal pieces grace both sides of the mantelpiece portrait. The current living room lies beyond the fireplace. Behind the blue couch, three works by Picasso are seen hanging on the green wall directly above the roses on the table, which features an antique tray from Egypt and a walking staff used by actual vikings. Mountsier inherited his bed from his French ancestors; the carpet was restored after the acid in the brown dye dissolved, and was placed on the ceiling. The walls are coated with Venetian plaster. > MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE FALL 2017 47