Photography: Max bruckheimer

Styling: Lauren Sands

Tina Scepanovic, a sculptor and installation artist, seamlessly translates her artistic finesse into the design of her Pelham home, a Dutch Colonial with over a century of history. Her home reflects a balance of understated elegance and whimsical charm, filled with vintage finds and cherished family heirlooms. The carefully curated space is a testament to Tina's patient and thoughtful approach to fine art and interior design.

To know Tina is to understand the power within her purpose. Driven by a tenacious curiosity and embodying a level of patience practically unheard of in our current digital world, Tina is a sculptor and installation artist who masterfully incorporates historical painted finishes into her work. Within her practice, she fastidiously preserves centuries-old techniques, some dating back to antiquity, like a torchbearer for the fine arts. With the muddled light at her feet, Tina is entrenched in completing, by hand, the up to fifty surface manipulations her work can require.

Like her fine art practice, Tina treats interior design as a comprehensive endeavor. Using the same diligent persistence she employs in her excavation of ancient methodologies, not a single detail lacks attention. Her style is considered, layered, nuanced. "When thinking about design, I tend to honor the cues given by the architecture and surrounding landscape," she says. "For me, it's not so much about sticking to an architectural style 100% in the interior design, as much as thinking holistically and carrying an essence through to establish harmony." She likens this approach to her early days in the decorative arts: "I guess this sort of stems from the principles of furniture painting too, where you have to pay attention to elements that make up the structure and make decisions around how to enhance them." 
 

"The thing that struck me most about the property, was its undeniable austerity. In keeping with that spirit, I wanted to keep the interior design understated and add glimmers of whimsy."

Inspired by Villa Borsoni, Tina's Dutch Colonial was built over 100 years ago and she wanted the two to mirror one another. Tina took her time building around existing pieces her family had owned for decades. Timing, again, played a part in the design process when covid-related supply chain and shipping issues made sourcing vintage the most tenable option. 1stDibs and Chairish became mainstays on Tina's screens as she scoured the sites doing research and gathering ideas. Then, armed with knowledge and her ever-trusty patience, she'd follow the deals. "I have a handful of vintage shops I regularly visit in person up in Litchfield County, and I'm always making the rounds at HousingWorks in New York City. I have also met some really cool dealers off Etsy, eBay, Instagram, and Live Auctioneers," she shares. 

When it comes to the finer arts, it goes deeper for Tina. Tina has slowly dipped her toe in the collector's pond - she's been pulled to the work of LES Collection artists Evamarie Pappas and Gianfranco Briceño, among others. Tina notes, "For me, however, there's an additional catch in collecting. I generally need to like the artists whose work I collect!" More than anything, Tina doesn't want the house to feel like a museum.

"I WANT MY HOME TO BE A PLACE WHERE LIFE ACTUALLY HAPPENS, AND NO PLACE IS OUT OF BOUNDS."