The Glam Pad

elegant living and interior design

Mad for Madcap Cottage!

It’s Madcap Cottage week at The Glam Pad! I am a huge fan of John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon, the dynamic duo behind the design firm Madcap Cottage. Known for their whimsical use of color and pattern, John says “If you are looking for beige and boring, bark up someone else’s tree. We live and breathe whimsy…” Now that is my kind of design!

Based in North Carolina and New York, The Madcap Cottage gents are a whirlwind of activities including a recent renovation of their 1930s Regency style home in High Point, North Carolina, a bedding and home goods line for HSN, a garden inspired fabric collection for Robert Allen, and specially curated vintage and antique collections for 1stdibs and One Kings Lane.

Today, let’s tour Jason and John’s incredible High Point home, which was featured in the April issue of Traditional Home.  After 25 years in New York City, they decided it was time for a change… The pair had visited High Point twice annually for more than 15 years to attend Market, the furniture industry’s “fashion week.” The community spoke to them, and kismet led them to find their dream home. They dove into a renovation, removing early 1990s “improvements” and channeling a modern-day English country estate…. 

The 5,000-square-foot, white-brick, 1930s-era Regency Revival is situated on almost three acres with a meandering stream. Diehard anglophiles, Jason and John fell under the spell of the exterior’s plucked-from-across-the-pond sensibility, crafted by noted North Carolina architect Louis Voorhees. Its elegant proportions and gracious flourishes appeared to have stepped straight from Bath, England.

The foyer gleams with decorative-paint wall treatments inspired by British muralist Rex Whistler that march up the main stairway and play off the whimsical, hand-painted floor.

Inside the architecturally rich home, period motifs continue with lovingly crafted fluted moldings, plus a Greek key pattern wrapping the grand living room’s mantel. 

The living room nods to fabled Anglo-American interior designer Nancy Lancaster. The gathering space marries scenic, bespoke Gracie wallpaper with varnished papers that date from the home’s 1930s origins. Beautifully scaled, low-slung furnishings—a Hickory Chair sofa and vintage armchairs covered in Madcap Cottage fabric from Robert Allen—pair deliciously with a red-lacquer secretary and an antique Nichols rug.  

Inspired by the bar at Venice’s fabled Gritti Palace hotel, the formal dining area pairs bold florals—from the vintage wallpaper to the Portuguese needlepoint rug—with rich silks, jewel-tone leathers, and plenty of mirrored sparkle, including a vintage Murano glass chandelier. 

Today, the house is rich with antiques, color, and patterns, many culled from the just-launched Madcap Cottage for Robert Allen fabric collection.
Taking a page from the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England, Jason and John chose rich green tiles from Ann Sacks and trellis wallpaper from Thibaut, which pair swimmingly with an antique fretwork table and new pieces like Century Furniture stools, a BlueStar range, and a Big Chill “Fridge.” 

The inviting kitchen island is an 18th-century Chinoiserie fretwork table purchased at an auction and then raised to its current height. Overhead, elegant vintage lanterns are another nod to the Royal Pavilion’s great kitchen.

What was once the pantry was transformed into an inviting arched bar space. Vintage tiles picked up on a trip to Lisbon offset white subway tiles from Ann Sacks. The vintage metal sconce pairs wonderfully with a Moroccan-style pendant to illuminate the space. 

Madcap Cottage fabrics in exuberant patterns and colors create an inviting retreat, where reimagined vintage furniture mingles with eye-catching Thibaut wallpaper.

Three closets were removed to create the arched, upholstered alcove, which now holds the vintage canopy bed. 

An 18th-century chinoiserie panel anchors the tub surround and a Nichols rug serves as the bath mat in this enticing sanctuary. 

Pale yellow doors and green trim enliven a chic laundry… Bob Collins wallpaper adds an additional dose of whimsy. The Greek-key embellished doors were salvaged from an estate designed by the late Otto Zenke. Click here for additional sneak peeks! 

John Loecke (left) and Jason Oliver Nixon tote art into their new home.

John and Jason have truly turned this architectural gem into a masterpiece through their historical appreciation, attention to detail, and impeccable taste.  It is positively stunning! Did you notice the salvaged Otto Zenke Greek key doors? Throughout the home, there are many additional Zenke treasures… Are you familiar with the mysterious Mr. Zenke? Stay tuned to learn more about this legendary decorator on Wednesday… Jason is guest posting at The Glam Pad! And Friday I will feature another Madcap/Zenke treat.

To learn more about Madcap Cottage, please visit their website. You will also want to follow their blog and Instagram. To read more about their High Point home renovation, please visit Traditional Home. Additional images and details can also be found in the May issue of O.Henry magazine (beginning on page 72).

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Comments

  1. marsha mason says

    Andrea, what a BEAUTIFUL post! Thank you so much! I'm dying over the red chinoiserie secretary- perhaps this is what I will treasure hunt for next????

    Reply

  3. Dean Farris says

    Andrea,
    How exciting this post is! The firm I work with, MP Interiors, represents Madcap Cottage, and I worked on some Zenke projects when I lived in Winston-Salem…

    Reply

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