Welcome to Montage Collage 

For the past six years I have watched Montage Antiques grow with an ever evolving set of clients, customers and friends, using this source to supply and inspire the spaces that they live in. Though Montage itself may appear to be ‘only’ a source for antiques, it has become so much more; it has become a source for inspiration in so many people’s homes and interiors, in ways that its founders never imagined. Dana and Fritz Rohn have spent the last 35 years in the business developing their own personal styles, tastes and eyes for antiques and art, yet each individual who comes into Montage brings with them their own set of experiences and tastes, taking this set of carefully selected items in contexts and styles that Montage’s founders never could or would have imagined. 

The idea behind this new online magazine ‘Montage Collage’ is to share just that with our audience. We want to share the process by which people, from all walks of life have designed and curated the spaces that they live in and love. Each person goes about this differently, and comes to entirely different conclusions upon seeing a similar item, and we have much to learn from the people who open their doors to us and tell us about the way they see the objects around them! 

Each month we will bring you into a few houses filled with fabulous antiques, beautiful art, and superior craftsmanship, and learn about the characters who have created them. The Collage is broken down into three sections; the first ‘Inspiring Homes’ is just that, the second ‘A Brief History Lesson’ is a monthly column written by our resident academic, Fritz Rohn, who studied art history before spending his life devoted to the betterment of his historical knowledge. The final section of the Collage ‘I Can Do That’ will go into more detail on an interior design challenge or project that we have witnessed and offer an easy to follow guide to achieving the theme yourself. 

This month we have been invited into the homes of two very different homes. The first, a beautiful Victorian home in Norfolk Connecticut, which is owned and decorated by British born real estate agent Rebecca Ward has a wonderful romantic appeal with it’s high ceilings, peeling paint and beautiful artwork by the designer’s late husband Bruce Hanke. The second home this months is in complete contrast to the first; it is a mid-century house which has been decorated and remodeled by Marella Consolini, an art administrator, who’s resume includes projects for the Whitney, Chinati , Knoedler Gallery as well as many others and her husband James Rodewald, former drinks editor of Gourmet magazine and author of the book American  Spirit: An Exploration of the Craft Spirit Revolution. 

We hope you enjoy this inaugural edition of the Montage Collage, and look forward to bringing you many more fun, interesting, and inspiring articles in the future! 

Phoebe Rohn – Editor of the Montage Collage