For a couple on Mercer Island, Washington, designer Kelly Wearstler creates an atmosphere of dark and moody glamour, shot through with glints of gold. When the 11,000 square foot home was purchased, it was in dire need of total revamping, so the homeowners, who own their own venture-capital fund, Sanderson Ventures, wanted an artist who takes design risks. He has a passion for music and she has a passion for art, so the house is a manifestation of their combined passions, with an art-filled salon, a music room lined with pages scribbled by the likes of Beethoven and Mahler, and a warm, sprawling kitchen. The master bath is clad in a beautiful onyx fantastico stone. One room in particular seems to have been dreamed into existence, the double-height library. To create it, the ceiling was punched through to a small upstairs bedroom. Wearstler designed its massive partner’s desk and the brass-railed spiral staircase.

Even though the homeowner’s wished to have their home reflect themselves, they also wanted it to bear witness to the work and passion of the people who collaborated on it, from the artists who hand-painted the wallpapers to the stonemasons who set the marble floors in the entry hall. There are unique surprises at every turn, including a guest bedroom that has been done in a neutral palette, infused with Wearstler’s artistic flair of a giant pattern of concentric rings splashed across the walls and ceilings, inspired by the cross section of tree trunks. The dining room, too, represents a unique alchemy between client and decorator. The dining room has been done with a purple palette at the request of the client, with a pair of Venetian-glass chandeliers picked up from a dealer in New York. Via

Photos: Mikkel Vang