The Accent Is French with Penny Drue Baird

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"Our main objective was to achieve beauty and elegance in a country setting," Penny Drue Baird says of the New Jersey residence she designed for Candice and Steven Stark. Boris Baranovich was the architect.

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"The double-height entrance hall services many rooms. The challenge was to make the space less cavernous and unruly," says Baird. Antique French armchairs and two Glustin Antiques consoles frame the entrance to the library. Carlos de la Puente sconces. Stark carpets throughout.

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Milton Avery's Green Stockings , 1963, hangs above the mantel in the living room.

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The pine paneling in the octagonal breakfast room, which adjoins the family room and the library, rear, "ties the spaces together," notes Baird. Trish Reiger created the ceiling's floral motif. Robert Grothier table. Old World Weavers wallcovering and drapery fabric.

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"The library is cozy despite its size," she points out. A 1976 untitled oil by Willem de Kooning is over the mantel. The club chair and the back-to-back sofa are from Stark Fine Furniture.

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The indoor pool "has an English garden feeling," says Candice Stark. The murals, by David Barrett, blend with real plants and trellises.

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The master bedroom is filled with gold and blue fabrics from Old World Weavers. "We like to combine patterns," says Steven Stark. "The space is soft and happy," adds Baird. A drawing by Paolo Antonio Ciccolini is above the bed. Marvin Alexander chandelier.

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The terrace "is cooled on hot days by a mister located on the pergola," explains Baird. The landscaping is by Edmund Hollander.