Architecture & Interiors
The Connoisseur
Interior designer Christopher K. Coffin reimagines his Scottsdale home with a style informed by years of world travel.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Daniel Nadelbach
STYLING
Gilda Meyer-Niehof

For the full story, pick up the March/April 2008 issue of Mountain Living.



Christopher Coffin, principal of Scottsdale-based Christopher K. Coffin Design, moved to Scottsdale in 1990 and into his current golf-course home three years ago.  Since then, the Wichita, Kansas, native has refinished his once-drab 2,800-square-foot Geoffrey Edmunds two-bedroom home with Old-World panache, appointing it with cherished antiques and collectibles from his travels.


 















Although Coffin was met with stale remnants of the past—drab carpeting, dated wall treatments and a dark, faded kitchen—when he first entered his Scottsdale home, there was no denying its good bones: spacious sun-drenched rooms, dramatic archways, a turret-like “round room” and a high-ceilinged living room.

 



The high-ceilinged living room—illuminated by sunlight that pours through matching banks of clerestory windows—features rough-hewn painted beams with tea-stained walls. Providing structure, an elongated arch frames the two-way marble fireplace and two portraits. To add interest, Coffin accessorized with collectible tortoiseshell boxes, vintage Louis Vuitton luggage and beautiful antiques. “I avoid making rooms too ‘matchy matchy’ and try to keep them interesting through art and accessories,” he says.

 



Reflecting Coffin’s cosmopolitan yet classic taste, the living room is at once eclectic and ordered, and celebrates his experiences in Italy, England, Spain, Australia and the Far East. Favorite pieces include a Trumeau mirror, Italian brass sconces and a collection of tortoiseshell boxes.

 


In the den, Coffin selected a cool brown hue—“Oregon Trail” by Benjamin Moore—as a backdrop for his furnishings and collectibles. Completing the room are a Brunschwig & Fils sofa with Cowtan & Tout orange-print pillows, a wing chair and ottoman topped with a Hermes throw, and for a bit of fun, an animal-print rug by Couristan. The room’s most fascinating piece, however, is a vintage Louis Vuitton suitcase, once belonging to John F. Kennedy, which has been made into a coffee table.
 



Coffin balances European tradition with a New-World sense of adventure; an embracing of the unexpected. “I like space that is full of personality and excitement,” he says. “I like to mix my antiques that I have acquired throughout the years with modern pieces to keep the home from being predictable.”

 



A French reproduction dining table by Trouvé is surrounded by antique high-backed chairs dressed with monogrammed slipcovers of Coffin’s design. A Welsh dresser displays Old Paris porcelain, while a dessert trolley shows off a few favorite pieces from Coffin’s collection of fine English silver.

 











In the bedroom, champagne-colored walls complement brown-and-off-white toile drapes and a more contemporary fabric by Scalamandre on the sleigh bed. European accessories, like the vintage Louis Vuitton trunk at the foot of the bed (Coffin once worked for the legendary designer), add to the room’s charm.

 



Coffin’s newly renovated kitchen features creamy-white cabinetry by Clive Christian of England, Old English silver and a whimsical apothecary jar labeled “Poison.”

 



To lighten up his originally dark and cramped kitchen, Coffin installed custom Clive Christian cabinetry, finished in “Cottage White” by Dunn Edwards, and a Carrera marble backsplash and countertops. To ensure that the kitchen fit his lifestyle, which includes lots of entertaining, he installed two Sub-Zero refrigerators, a Miele dishwasher and a Viking range.

 



An antique French iron table from Trouvé, a local antiques shop, provides additional counter space that’s perfect for baking, gathering around with friends, and even displaying a giant block of faux cheese, one of Coffin’s favorite just-for-fun accents.

 

A fluted Shaws Original apron sink and nickel-plated faucet by Harrington Brass Works “give the kitchen a little jewelry that is not too loud, but rather understated,” Coffin says. To maintain a sense of order on his countertops, he has arranged his collectibles in groups of similar items so that each vignette is an exciting experience for guests.