At Home with Robert Couturier and Jeffrey Morgan
By Joseph Montebello
Perfection. A word that best describes interior designer Robert Couturier—his talent, his taste, and his homes. Since arriving in his country 30 years ago he has created extraordinary interiors for some of the world’s most celebrated and influential people. He has been included in Architectural Digest’s prestigious list of the best decorators and architects in the world and his name conjures images of the most spectacular abodes. The house he shares with his husband Jeffrey Morgan is no exception. Situated on 12 acres in South Kent, it is a place of consummate luxury and a bit of paradise.
Couturier and Morgan, who have been together for 37 years, met on a blind date in Kent. Morgan, who is not fond of New York, relented and did visit Couturier but ultimately made Connecticut their home. Morgan, who has lived in Kent for over 50 years and is a much sought after preservationist and an expert on American decorative arts, resided in an 850-square-foot 18th century house surrounded by undeveloped acreage. When he found the house, one of the oldest in Kent, he knew it was worth saving. The space was alien to the way Couturier was used to living. Morgan still maintains the house and uses part of it as an office.
“It was small and uncomfortable,” recalls Couturier. “The 12 acres of land around it was for sale and so we bought that and we decided to build a house. We designed the house together and over the years it has changed as we have adjusted our needs.”
“Yes,” adds Morgan. “It grew a little here and a little bit there and a whole lot outside.”
To say that their house is opulent would be an understatement, but underneath the luxurious furniture and the accouterments there exudes a feeling of comfort and serenity, enhanced by the presence of the couple’s five irresistible shih tzus, who have total run of the house.
Although Couturier insists their country retreat is very simple (it’s not), the grounds include magnificent gardens that have developed over the years and continue to evolve.
“The original gardens never quite worked,” explains Couturier. “When we did the original plans no one realized how cold it gets and many of the original plants did not survive. Then we hired Clive Lodge, who gave new life to the gardens.”
“Robert and Jeffrey gave me the canvas to produce what I always call my signature garden,” says Lodge. “The design element was intended to be of a natural woodland, which opens up to the most formal of gardens next to, and framing, the house. It’s designed with the aim of being able to walk around the garden as if being given a guided tour.”
Couturier loves to entertain and does it magnificently. But that ceased when the pandemic began.
“We have two sets of friends we saw all the time,” says Couturier. “I love the quiet and I may not go back to the way we used to entertain. I love having dinner at home, I love the garden, and going for walks. Once the habit is broken, you say how/why did I do all of that?
“I am incredibly impatient,” says Couturier, “and Jeffrey is very patient. I like things to be done quickly and he doesn’t and our tastes differ in many cases. But together we have created a special place that we both love. And even after the years we’ve lived here the house continues to evolve, reflecting our changing tastes and needs. That, I think, is the secret to a wonderful home—a refuge where I am profoundly happy.”
