This is one blog post that you'll want to read with the aid of a pair of glasses, a magnifying glass, or the zoom function of your mouse, because the photos, like the interiors they depict, are jam-packed with so much to see. And you will want a good look at these rooms, for they belong to everyone's favorite fashion doyenne, Iris Apfel, and her late husband, Carl.
Photographed for the 1976 issue of Architectural Digest, the Apfels' Manhattan apartment is a treasure-trove of luscious fabrics, Continental furniture, and objects that run the gamut of Western culture, from singerie to Chinoiserie. Describing herself as a "visual gourmet", Iris Apfel described her home as a "multilevel experience. Almost everything I've ever acquired is still here somewhere." She also refers to her apartment as a "collage", a word that we should consider using in lieu of that tired term, "layered".
What really struck me- other than the visually-rich rooms, of course- was Apfel's lamentation about the diminished emphasis on quality and education: "So very little has the solidity of experience and the tangible benefits of knowledge slowly learned...Quality is under siege today, and I doubt whether it can survive the onslaught. Our only hope is that those of us who do care about standards will fight to keep them." Forty years later, and we're still grappling with these same issues.
Living Room:
The Master Bedroom:
The two-room Guest Apartment, which was located downstairs from the main residence:
Photos from Architectural Digest, March/April 1976, Richard Champion, photographer
A great icon of personal style! Park Ave and Fifth Ave in NY have always been havens for collectors, and many of the apartments are chock full of exquisite objects. This is because not long ago, the rich in NY lived in private houses- so the apartments became like jewel box repositories.
ReplyDeleteDean, I'm sure that you saw many of these apartments while living in NY. It must have made quite an impression. :)
DeleteMarvelous, just like Iris! She has a great eye for quality, unlike most of the monied elite these days. Wouldn't it be fun to have her give a tour of her home? Every item probably has a story.
ReplyDeleteVery true. And yes, I would love to tour her home.
DeleteI have known Iris (and knew Carl) for over 27 years and, to this day, the apartment maintains the same aesthetic it had in 1976! Other than minor cosmetic and maintenance alterations, the only changes have been to ADD to the "collage", or layers. Never a fly in amber, however, as both of the Apfels, as well as the apartment, have matured and maintained the elegance, high standards of beauty, and continued to grow and improve with age. Even after losing her beloved Carl, Iris has continued to evolve and add to her remarkable patina.
ReplyDeleteI first became intrigued by her apartment from the old Old World Weavers ads, and I have watched the documentary "Iris" twice in order to get a better look at her home. How lucky you are to count her as a friend. It's a home of which I would never tire!
DeleteToo, too wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWhat's NOT to love and admire here?
Especially the blue...
I'm especially keen on the shade of blue in the main living room. So lovely.
DeleteActually, the living room is a Venetian green. The photograph has, as always, slightly distorted the actual colors. The master bedroom, of course, is blue but a much gentler and more beautiful blue than what appears in the photo. Iris always prefers ""ooky"(rhymes with kooky) colors. That is, colors that are very complex and aren't clearly any true color. Again, layered. Like the master herself.
DeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteYes, I did! When I would visit the OWW showroom, before Stark acquired OWW, it was like being in Italy- in a private home- in Venice or Florence or Roma! The walls were upholstered with a very soft jade green antique velvet- and edged in a small gold braid! It was beyond fabulous! Also- it was always kind of deserted- very mysterious, dark and shadowy- and a handsome black man would bring the samples out. Really sublime, so hushed and quiet. The old Rose Cumming showroom was also like this. Ditto the old Fortuny one! Ah the good old days!