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Home / The Museum of Mid Century Material Culture / favorite mid century designers

The whimsical Carol Janeway midcentury modern fireplace at Field Farm

pam kueber - October 29, 2008, Updated: July 5, 2021

carol janeway tiles used on a fireplace surround commissioned for Lawrence and Eleanor Bloedel
Carol Janeway tiles commissioned for a fireplace surround for Lawrence and Eleanor Bloedel at their Field Farm in Williamstown, Mass., now owned by the Massachusetts Trustees of the Reservation.

Our good friend Sue recently surprised her husband Pete with a weekend at Field Farm, a mid century home turned boutique B&B in nearby Williamstown, Mass. Pete was turning 50 — so I guess “mid century” was the theme! David and I went up to visit and of course, went gaga over the place, a 1948 Bauhaus-inspired masterpiece with a separate guest house, Folly Farm, which is its own amazing story.

carol janeway tile at field farm williamstown massachusettsUpdate: The fireplace shown above features commissioned tiles from artist Carol Janeway. Masterpiece!

Today – I want to focus in particular on the fireplace, which is so clever and wonderful. It’s quite a simple affair – one course of field tiles around the firebox, all set against fine wood paneling. But the tiles — all funny little animals of, I presume, the surrounding forest. Quite whimsical and engaging. Of course, the fireplace is a focal point – and you know me, I love that it does not take itself so seriously among all this Very Serious Modern Architecture. 

Photo of artist Carol Janeway in 1949 holding doorknob she designed and
Here’s a photo of Carol Janeway taken in 1949. She’s holding doorknobs she created. Five Janeway doorknobs were in Marilyn Monroe’s estate. Image: Library of Congress.

All about Folly Farm from the website of its owners, nonprofit Trustees of the Reservation:

Featuring an unparalleled view of Mt. Greylock, Massachusetts’ highest peak, the Guest House at Field Farm is a refreshing change from your usual bed & breakfast. Edwin Goodell, Jr. designed the 1948 Bauhaus-inspired house for Lawrence and Eleanor Bloedel, avid modern art and furniture collectors of the time. Modern artwork adorns the interiors, and the surrounding landscaped gardens boast thirteen sculptures, including works by Richard M. Miller and Herbert Ferber. The house itself is almost a museum of modern furnishings, featuring reproduced Eileen Gray tables and George Nelson saucer pendant lamps in the Master bedroom, and a Noguchi coffee table, Kagan sofas, and an original Eames chair in the living room.

The Guest House is situated in the middle of Field Farm, 316 acres of conserved land with four miles of trails that can be enjoyed by foot or cross-country ski.

This patchwork landscape features cropland, pastures, mixed forest, marshes, and a stream and pond. The Folly, a three-bedroom, pinwheel-shaped shingled guest cottage, designed in 1965 by noted modernist architect Ulrich Franzen, overlooks the pond and still contains furnishings designed by Franzen. Tours of the Folly are offered to B&B guests June through October upon request.

CATEGORIES:
favorite mid century designers The Museum of Mid Century Material Culture vacation spots, historic homes, museums

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7 comments

Comments

  1. Vicki Jenssen says

    December 15, 2015 at 7:36 pm

    you can learn more about Carol Janeway and her ceramic art by visitng my website: http://www.caroljaneway.com

  2. Ellis R says

    January 18, 2010 at 9:47 pm

    I also believe it was the work of Carol Janeway. I have a painted tile tabletop (4.5′ x 2′) composed of 6″ tiles depicting a scene of a fox chase in a style very much like the fireplace tiles.

    • Victoria Jenssen says

      June 18, 2010 at 11:27 pm

      To Ellis R
      I am writing a book about the art of Carl Janeway and I’m interested to know more about your table. I have few examples of her tables although I have several period photos.
      There is a foxhunt fireplace but the table would be fascinating to see.

      Vicki
      vickijenssen@gmail.com.

      • Victoria Jenssen says

        February 19, 2012 at 7:09 pm

        To Ellis R
        I am writing a book about the art of Carl Janeway and I’m interested to know more about your table. I have few examples of her tables although I have several period photos.
        There is a foxhunt fireplace but the table would be fascinating to see.

        Vicki

        My correct email address is victoriajenssen@gmail.com

        Read more: The whimsical midcentury modern fireplace at Field Farm — Retro Renovation

  3. pam kueber says

    May 7, 2009 at 1:06 am

    Ahhh, interestingly, I was contacted today be a research who said these tiles were made by ceramicist Carol Janeway. I googled her and she was a very talented artist of renowned…

  4. Femme1 says

    October 30, 2008 at 1:59 pm

    On the close-ups of the tile that Pam put up on Flickr, you can see the artist’s signature…looks something like “Janeway” but I can’t see it clearly. If you go down to the bottom of Pam’s blog, there are little photos of the tiles you can click on to get to Flickr.

  5. BungalowBILL.com says

    October 29, 2008 at 2:18 pm

    The tiles in the fireplace appear to be by Kenneth Townsend, an English artist who designed animal series and London series tiles in the 1960’s and 70’s.

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