While flipping through The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration, I came across the photo above, which depicts a Manhattan living room. It's certainly attractive and elegant, but it's not extraordinary. The furnishings seem very much in keeping with that early to mid-1960s formal style that was just starting to loosen up.
And then, while looking at the pillows on the sofa, something caught my eye. It was my first indication that this apartment belonged to someone with whom we are all familiar. Can you guess?
The pillow at the far right bore the logo of Bill Blass. A little research on the internet confirmed that this was, in fact, the home of Blass. It's far different from his later homes, where strict editing and a well-defined aesthetic, coupled with the decorating assistance of Chessy Rayner and Mica Ertegun, resulted in interiors that were pretty close to perfection.
As it turns out, it was another female design duo, Barbara Brown and Clare Morrow, who decorated this apartment for Blass. Brown and Morrow were models who also decorated, working for clients such as Blass and Donald Brooks, another talented fashion designer. (Morrow mostly modeled for Norman Norell. Glamorous, don't you think?) But it seems that Brown and Morrow also had a knack for decorating for attractive, single women, with Brown once telling the New York Times, "it's a help to work for beautiful women, especially if you feel you should help them get married." Um, I think that there might be quite a few of us who could use the decorating/matchmaking services of Brown and Morrow.
The photo below shows Blass' dining room. As much as I love Porthault table linen, I have to say that I'm a little surprised to see it combined with the leaf-print covered walls and the faux-bois chair cushions. I suppose that I just never thought of Bill Blass as being a floral Porthault linen kind of guy. Nevertheless, the dining room, like the living room, has a charm that was fitting for the time. It is also a good example of how personal style and taste change, evolve, and, most importantly, mature over time.
Photos from The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration; NYT quote from September 10, 1968 article by Virginia Lee Warren.
The large canvas of horses and riders by Andre Brassiler(?) pulls the room together and tells you that the owner has the 'eye'.
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Herts
Herts, You make a good point, and it does seem that the room's furnishings were chosen with the painting in mind. I wonder if Blass kept the painting for the remainder of his life? I should visit his auction catalogue to see if it is listed.
DeleteNice detective work. I would never in a million years guessed Mr.Blass.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteInteresting. I see what you mean, especially in the dining room. I do, however, like the layout of the living room. Wish I could see it from all angles. My living room is about the same size with similar windows and door placements. I think I like his furniture placement better than mine.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly a spacious living room. The multiple seating areas probably came in handy when Blass entertained.
DeleteThe BB was the obvious. I like the living room very much and the dining room's salute to spring perhaps was unexpected but joyful. Or perhaps it was a hiccup moment. I do think that whenever we finish this project from hell (basically whole house), it will become a time capsule.Not exactly Miss Havisham, but perhaps stamped forever Me & 2013. And you know what? I don't care. Having interiors that must be changed like handbags would wear me slick.
ReplyDeleteHome, I'm of the old school- if you like your home's interiors, stick with it. Considering that Blass eventually tweaked his look, I wonder if he ultimately decided that he preferred to live with more masculine furnishings??
DeleteI was very impressed with the window treatment in the Bill Blass living room. Fascinating how the designers decided that the room, with the tall, narrow and possibly poorly placed Deco-era window needed a larger window to balance the enormous painting, and then proceeded to create one, with the built out "window" surround encompassing the original window, along with wide curtains and statuettes to help visually fill in the wall space flanking that window. The build out of molding for the other window, to the right of the painting, makes it all read as real and original architecture - very convincing. A clean and handsome room with a great idea to deal with architectural and balance problems. The fact that it all reads as one just affirms the designers abilities. Thanks for the great picture.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Brown and Morrow obviously had an eye for balance, something which could not have been achieved without creating the larger window on the flanking wall.
DeleteQuatorze is right about the windows and as you have replied, must have felt the same way! + how did you guess it was BB apt? I would have never guessed that in a million years + great work. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
ReplyDeleteThe Porthault cloth in the dining room threw me--we don't necessarily associate Bill Blass with clashing patterns,
ReplyDeleteand it seems an uncharacteristically "girly" touch for a man whose taste ran to Greek statuary and neoclassical
objects in later years. ( I will throw caution to the winds and admit that the charms of Porthault prints have always
eluded me.)
But the living room indicates a taste for restraint that was taken further as time went on and Mr Blass moved house.
In other words there are no false touches in that room. Thanks for this visit to your archives, Peak!
My guess is the 'build out's were to disguise radiator covers in what apprears to be a 20's era co-op.There is one covered in fabric in the dining room. The neutral upholstery and spare carpets are early clues to his later style. Blass loved a charming dining room. His East 57th Street apartment had one wallpapered in a tented stripe, which eventually gave way to his very spare Sutton Place apartment. Nice discovery, thank you for posting it!
ReplyDeleteToby and Foodie, So true. The seeds of restraint were evident in this early home. I would love to see photos of his tented dining room. Sounds marvelous!
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