One of my very favorite things to pore over is the catalogue from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor auction that Sotheby's organized back in 1997. I know that they were certainly a controversial couple, but it can't be denied that they were quite stylish. With Elsie de Wolfe as a mentor and the firm of Jansen as her decorator, the Duchess of Windsor couldn't help but be surrounded by beautiful things. I thought I would share with you some of my favorite rooms and images from the catalogue. Enjoy!
This is great! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAs they say…facts are facts. They may have been a controversial couple, but they were quite stylish. Do you have the book The Power of Style? There is a great section on the Duchess.
ReplyDeleteGreat posting!
Thanks Style Court!
ReplyDeleteATB- That book is on my want list, but there are so many books on the list that I haven't gotten around to getting it. Will def. check it out!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great book...Mona-Countess of Bismark, Pauline de Rothchild, Babe Paley, Slim Kieth, Elsie De Wolfe...
ReplyDeleteSend me an email if you get a chance, I have an off topic question for you.
You can send it from my blog.
Thanks for posting these. I loved their style. It was a great exhibit at the MET and I love the auction catalog! I especially love the pug pillows!
ReplyDeleteWhoops forgot to mention if anyone is interested in reading a book about The Windors, I am in the middle of one now. It's factual fiction if that makes any sense. Anyway, it's called "Gone with the Windsors" by Laurie Graham. It reads like a diary. So far it's been enjoyable.
ReplyDeletePreppy Princess-
ReplyDeleteI've seen that book before, but haven't read it. Will being adding that to my must read list!
I am fortunate to own an original Maison Jansen coffee table, in fact, it's the same style depicted in the painting of the Duchess at the top of this topic! It's steel, brass, with a glass top, the hoof feet. It's mid-century. I have to say, it's my favorite piece. Seeing it on your blog made me realize how fortunate I was in finding it.
ReplyDeleteLouise!!!!! How wonderful that you own a Jansen table. I'm speechless! That would truly be a dream come true for me to own something, anything, Jansen! Do you mind me asking if you found the piece at an antiques store, or is it an inherited piece?
ReplyDeleteDear Peak of Chic, I got the table at auction, bidding against a number of people, absolutely determined to possess it. I had just sold my home and had some extra money and, fortunately, I won! I needed it to bridge a once entirely traditional look to achieve an eclectic look. When I sold my home, moving to a smaller condo, I took that opportunity to reinvent my look. I am nearly 60 and had been collecting antiques since I was 18, so I had a lot to get rid of. Fortunately antiques hold their value and I was able to sell all to local dealers, keeping only the best and by adding a few contemporary pieces, I had an "eclectic" look, but that cocktail table was the one piece that pulled it all together and I just love it! It sits on a good-quality Turkish rug. I would love to send a pix for you to see, if you will give me an address.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at your posting of 1/27, a similar cocktail table is shown in the living room you featured by Celerie Kemble, although it is not exactly the same for I see a middle leg and my table is not as long, with only two sets of legs, the legs are the same, but I do not see the brass casing that the glass sets into on that table, so I am unsure if it a Jansen. Mine is like the one in the header painting showcased in the posting on the "Windsors."
Louise,
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a photo, if it's not too much trouble! My email is thepeakofchic@comcast.net
It's so funny- when I posted that Celerie Kemble photo and saw that table, it made me think of your table (even though they're different). I don't know if that particular table is Jansen, but at least your table is!