A Very Grand Little House was the title of this feature in House and Garden in December of 1985.  “Somewhere in Switzerland,” neither a designer nor owner were identified.

The house was built in the 1960’s, so it is not old.  

It is just so pretty.  You know me, “Hail, Britannia!”  Normally all this Frenchiness doesn’t turn my head.  It is just so pretty.  That dreamy little tabouret above “retains its original broche de Lille upholstery.”  Oh, my.

There are some clearly exceptional things.  I think this chair is the fauteuil wearing its original Beauvais tapestry.  I don’t want to sit in it, I want to sit in front of it, cross-legged so I can get a little closer, and just look at it.  (I’m assuming the owners didn’t have three grade school boys.)

How many chairs must there be in this room? Not that I can criticize someone for having a thing for chairs.

Heavens.  I mean, really.  You could almost miss that console as it blends so perfectly with the 18th-century (natch) Chinese wallpaper.

“Two of eight magnificent candlesticks on a Meissonnier model in a shimmering thick of equally rare English 18th-century air twist glasses.”  The whole place is a little 18th-century history lesson.

Of all of it, what would I be stuffing in my duffel?  (Other than the fauteuil, which would have involved Mr. Blandings creating a disturbance )  “An honor guard of earthenware horses, manufactured in Leeds, England.”

“Made for saddlers’ windows, they stand up to 19 inches high.  This is the largest private collection of these much-sought-after horses.”  Um-hmm.  That would be just the kind of thing I would want.  Sakes.

All images photographed by Oberto Gili, sparkling text by Rosamond Brenier.