As part of the master suite, Mr. Ladew’s sitting room is perhaps most known for its
extraordinary wall color. With the help of Baltimore born interior designer and long
time friend, Billy Baldwin, Mr. Ladew created a made-to-order aubergine-colored lacquer
paint, which is possibly the first time the color appeared in an American home.
Baldwin said Ladew’s rooms were like “un-weeded gardens…a mess of chaos and confusion,
evidence of his Catholic taste and insatiable intelligent curiosity.” We have a wonderful
example of his full-blown eclectic taste in this room with its inspired combination of
modern and antique elements.