Homes & Estates Digest Homes & Estates Digest 2015 | Edition 2 | Page 11

S

tanton recently took some time out from helping plan the La Cienega
Design Quarter’s marquee event “Legends of La Cienega” and
writing his style memoir to give us insight into his collecting process,
his beautiful things and, of course, his beautiful spaces—which are

as unique and varied as the antiques living within them. His condo in West
Hollywood’s 1960s Sierra Towers, for example, seems “an unlikely spot for a
renowned antiquarian,” as Elle Decor noted in its March 2015 issue. Yet, 1810
Swedish stools and 1780s Italian bookcases effortlessly coexist with 1970s
lighting fixtures. His Laguna Beach manor home, by contrast, transports
its visitors back to Britain during the Arts and Crafts era with architectural
elements from centuries-old villas and one-of-a-kind antiques collected from
decades of travels, like a corduroy-covered 19th-century English sofa in
the drawing room. In a way, his residences represent Stanton’s capacity for
straddling two worlds seemingly at odds with one another: the old and the
new, city life and a private coastal existence.
“I was drawn to Sierra Towers because of the architecture and the views,”
recalls Stanton. “It is the perfect canvas to showcase how effectively antiques
can be used in a contemporary environment. The full-service amenities make
it a perfect pied-à-terre when I am not at my home in Laguna Beach. I never
tire of the crashing waves in Laguna, the amazing sunsets and the constantly
changing colors of Pacific blue.”
In that vein, Stanton scoffs at the notion that antiquarians live in the past
(“We’re not all stodgy traditionalists!”). One doesn’t need to look far to see this
decorating philosophy at work. He mixes antiques in a nontraditional manner
in both homes. His secrets—“clean straight lines, a proper color palette and,
most importantly, restraint”—result in spaces that feel lush, private and layered
with history.

“Good style transcends time, and
good antiques transcend style.”
“Good style transcends time, and good antiques transcend style,” he
proclaims. “Antiques provide a sense of depth, substance, character and soul
to what can otherwise be a shallow environment.”
These are the words of a seasoned collector, the kind of wisdom that comes
from decades—three to be exact—of scouring the world for 17th-, 18thand 19th-century British and European one-of-a-kinds. Stanton, who was
practically born into the world of antiques, learned to appreciate antiques from
the age of eight (his grandfather restored them, his parents collected them, his
sister once sold them). And though his tastes have evolved over the years, the
evolution of antiques “is endless,” he says.
His houses and his eclectic showroom are the clearest evidence of this
evolution. Each objet d’art, each collectible, each treasure residing in Stanton’s
world represents a moment in time—an opportunity he seized and held on to,
with no intention of letting it go. To that end, he leaves us with this advice: “If
you love it, buy it. Do not think twice. If you change your mind, you can always
sell it or give it away. It is better to have admired and owned, than to have
admired and lost.”