Designer Visions: John Saladino and The Girl with a Pearl Earring
by habituallychic
11 . 13 . 09
The final townhouse in the Designer Visions series was designed by John Saladino for Veranda and was inspired by Girl with a Pearl Earring. Apparently Mr. Saladino does not normally participate in showhouses so this was quite a coup.
Girl with a Pearl Earring is set in 17th-century Netherlands and this showhouse has more literal translations of the theme than the others.
Girl with a Pearl Earring was a painting by Vermeer and this table reflects that the fictional owner of the townhouse also has an artistic bent.
Mr. Saladino used a lot of his own furniture in the townhouse as well as a lot of natural wood elements. 
The wall treatment is Mr. Saladino’s signature “scratch coat” plaster which gives this newly constructed townhouse an older patina. My absolute favorite element in the house is the antique engineered oak flooring by Exquisite Surfaces. Dark floors have been very popular but they show every speck of dust and dirt so these lighter floors are a much better option and would be amazing in a beach house!
You could easily replicate the hanging plates as artwork idea in your own home.
While there is color in this townhouse it’s grounded in every room by neutrals.
Since dining rooms tend to be the least used room in the house, I liked that Mr. Saladino included a sofa so that you could also use this room to read or relax.
The wooden shoes in the entry foyer definitely reflect the Dutch inspiration for this space.
These chair look like they came straight out of a Vermeer painting. Mr. Saladino also created his own artwork above them.
It says, “For me, that which is divine, rests in the persuit (sic) of beauty.” – John F. Saladino
Now that you’ve seen all three townhouses, you can compare how each dealt with some of the modern design elements like those in the bathroom. I love the paintings in this one.
All of the designers created wonderfully decorated areas on the long wall that runs the length of the first floor. 
John Saladino created what a large piece of art with an inset of his “scratch coat” plaster on the stair landing.
I loved that all the designers thought about what you would see when you descended the stairs.
On the second floor landing, this antique mirror and bench sit on the right side.
On the main wall, Mr. Saladino used a rug to hide the door to the laundry room. I’m not sure how I feel about rugs on the wall but you could hang draperies to hide the doors that are on each of the walls in this area.
Because the laundry room is in this area, a dresser was placed here for convenience.
The bathroom on the second floor looks very zen.
All the windows in the master bedroom were covered with shutters tat relate back to the shutters used as screens downstairs.
The bedroom was very simple but also very elegant. I loved the delft pieces on the dressing table below. I think the Designer Visions Showhouses are an excellent source of ideas since you get to see how three very different designers treated the exact same layout. Hope you enjoyed the tour!
Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic
12 Comments
The hands of a master…I love his work! So unpretentious yet always elegant and appropriate. Thanks for posting, excited to go back and look at the other two.
Best,
Jaime
Have loved Saladino’s ancient modern aesthetic for decades- he has always been a true visionary.
Thanks for sharing these with us….Robin
Wow these spaces are so beautifully done!! I love that so much of what he did is re-doable. Especially the hanging plates and the hand written quote on the wall…brilliant!
xoxo Greta
http://www.worldlyinspiration.blogspot.com
Wow, a sofa in the dining room. You don’t see that every day! What a lovely home and tour. Thank you.
xo,
cristin @ simplified bee
Beautiful space – love those little touches of Saladino purple in the living room.
Love the painting, love the book, love Saladino’s interpretation. What a treat. Hope you have a fabulous weekend. I’m going to see Falling Water with the fiance—reading in your interview what an impression it made only got me more excited to finally see the place. Hope November’s treating you well : )
XXX Kate
I really love the 17th century chairs, arm chair in living room and the pair of studded leather chairs. These chairs help evoke the Dutch feeling in the room, although chairs such as these were used in this country as well in the 1600s.
heather this is a wonderful post … i have been so fortunate to see john’s amazing design work in person in a wonderful home here in seattle and am literally in awe each time i see it. the attn to detail is fabulous..
have a wonderful weekend x
Heather,
I have done almost the same post of John Saladino a few days ago!
I also love the work of Saladino!
Have a nice weekend!
Greet
So enjoyable seeing the work of a real master of his craft at his peak.
To be perfectly honest, much that we see today in magazines and online is in my opinion rather ordinary or trendy, even vulgar and ugly, and definately overrated. Seeing once again the work of one of the greats is reassuring and pure visual pleasure, thanks Heather.
You are right that Saladino’s take is “literal.” When scanning through the images, that’s exactly what popped in my head.
I was a bit surprised by this take on Vermeer to be honest. I associate his paintings with what goes unsaid, what is outside the window or where the letter that the young woman holds has journeyed from. . .
Hi,
Love the work of mr. Saladino.
Thanks for the post, i had already seen a little video on Youtube, but your pictures are great.
David