International Set: Giancarlo Giammetti

October is not too far down the pike, and with it comes cooler temperatures, fall clothes, and House Beautiful's International Issue, which will be guest edited by Chesie Breen. It promises to be a most interesting, and most stylish, issue.

Coincidentally, I just obtained a copy of the January 1975 issue of House Beautiful, which, lo and behold, also happened to be devoted to international design. Reading this old issue made me giddy because page after page was filled with photos of the homes of style setters and aesthetes, all of whom we still admire today. So, this week's blog posts will be devoted to this one issue of House Beautiful.

Today's post features the Roman apartment of Giancarlo Giammetti, the perennially-chic, former business mastermind of Valentino. The apartment is pretty swinging, but this was to be expected in 1975. The upholstered furniture is very much of its time, while the home's objets help to soften both the contemporary furnishings and art. My favorite room of all, though, is the garden room, in which the ceiling, walls, and seating are upholstered in a Valentino-designed cotton fabric, while the floor's custom ceramic tiles echo the fabric's print.

One oddity about the article is that Giammetti's name was misspelled throughout the entire article. Someone must have been asleep on the job.


Photo at top: This colorful room was off of the entry hall, although I'm not sure of its purpose. The walls and furniture were upholstered in rose-colored silk.  I love the choice of black trim and black furniture to puncutate those sumptuous pink walls.

Giammetti's prized Picasso hung above his antique writing table and horn chair.  It is interesting to see the thin strips of mirror on the wall.

Giammetti's living room with its "undemanding beige walls", according to the article.

Giammetti's bedroom, which was also decorated in undemanding beiges. Note the lattice on the wall.

Another view of the bedroom.  I have a feeling that had this been my bedroom, I would have tripped constantly over that tiger's head.

The garden room. Aubergine isn't the first color that comes to my mind for a garden room, but I think it looks positively smashing.


All photos from House Beautiful, January 1975, Emmett Bright photographer.