Let's Wing It

I absolutely love a classic wing chair, so much so that I have not one but two in my apartment. It would be nice, of course, to have them flanking a roaring fireplace, but alas this fantasy will have remain just that. My faux fireplace might be chic, but it's not very toasty.

The wing chair that has been on my mind over the past few weeks, though, is the one featured above, part of the Coup Studio Collection. (You can read my blog post about it here.) I love the eccentric shape of it, especially the wings that seem to flare back and that notched top. (Probably not the correct technical terms, but that's the way it looks to me.) Although this particular chair is new, its shape isn't. As I wasn't familiar with this style of wing chair, I consulted Barry Hutner of Parc Monceau Antiques. Barry informed me that this wing chair is William and Mary style with overscroll cresting and overscrolled arms.

It's not a wing chair that you see very often, something that made finding examples of it rather difficult. I was able to find two photos of a William and Mary wing chair in situ. (And honestly, I can't tell if the chair in the Castle Howard image is a William and Mary chair or not, but the shape does look similar.) In the photo immediately following the text, the bright red chair stole the show. At Castle Howard, well, not so much so, but the chair did have major competition from the room's architecture. Anyway, it's a chair that I personally would like to see more of. In fact, I'm even hoping that it supplants the now ubiquitous porters chair as the new "it" chair.




Now, who wouldn't want to cozy up to this chair? I believe that this chair might be the same reproduction piece as that below, only upholstered in a different fabric.



A 1950s reproduction wing chair upholstered in copper colored leather on the front with copper metallic chenille on the back. Available through Modlife.



A c. 1690 English Wing Chair, part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art



An antique wing chair of some type at Castle Howard.




Barry does not currently have any William and Mary style wing chairs in his inventory, but he does have these two wing chairs that I think are fetching. The leather one is an antique that he just purchased (gorgeous!) The other chair is part of Barry's custom furniture line. Based on a 19th c. English wing chair, this chair has such nice, clean lines, not to mention those terrific casters for feet. For information, email info@parcmonceau.com


Castle Howard photo from "The Great Houses and Finest Rooms of England" by Robert Harling; the photo of the red wing chair is from a 1970 issue House & Garden.

Know When to Fold 'Em

The first time a folding chair made a big impression on me was when I was a young student at the Atlanta Ballet. I remember that my rather stern ballet mistress, Miss Joanne, used to conduct class while sitting in a folding director's chair. I can't recall if the canvas back was emblazoned with her name, but considering the fact that the Atlanta Ballet was a serious ballet school, I'm assuming that it didn't. Truth be told, I have never thought that those oak directors chairs were much to look at, although I do understand the practicality of them. And for a while there, back in the 1970s and early 80s, canvas and wood directors chairs were used in quite a few homes.

While I was reading the 30th anniversary edition of World of Interiors, I was struck by the photo, above, of the tented room at Charlottenhof. Believe it or not, it wasn't so much the tented walls and ceiling that caught my attention, but rather the folding wood and metal campaign chairs that were covered in that jaunty striped canvas. It reminded me, in a way, of Miss Joanne's chair, although I find the example at Charlottenhof much more appealing.

I've rounded up some photos of metal folding chairs. Some appear to be campaign pieces, while others are slick metal versions of the modern director's chair. And the beauty of these chairs is that not only do they look great, they can also be folded up and stored away when not in use. If you live in a small space, these chairs can really be a godsend. That said, some of these chairs are so stylish, you might not want to stow them away.



Here, a folding metal chair finished with black leather was used as a desk chair. Interior by Charles Dear, c. late 1960s.



These dining chairs may not have actually been folding, but they have the look of old campaign chairs. In the Paris apartment of Mme Goldsmith, early 1960s.





A sleek take on the director's chair. The chrome and black leather chairs were used in a dining room, while a white leather version was used at a card table.



I couldn't resist showing this photo of the late Audrey Hepburn's director's chair in the home of Hubert de Givenchy.


Photo at top: World of Interiors, Dec 2011, Fritz von der Schulenburg photographer. Photo #3 from Nouvelles Reussites de La Decoration Francaise 1960-1966; Photos #2, #4, and #5 from House and Garden's Complete Guide to Interior Decoration.

San Francisco Antiques Show

Attending the San Francisco Antiques Show has become an annual tradition for me. It's an opportunity for me to see my San Francisco friends (including Diane Dorrans Saeks, Grant Gibson, and Scot Meacham Wood), to salivate over beautiful antiques, and to party. Let's face it- the show's organizers sure know how to throw one fun Preview Party!

This year's show did not disappoint. The show's theme, Hidden Treasures, served to highlight pieces that, in the organizers' words, "have something to hide." At the front of the exhibition hall, curated vignettes were displayed that featured hidden treasures owned by San Francisco collectors. These treasures included pieces with trompe l'oeil decoration or hidden compartments. Many of the exhibiting dealers also included a hidden treasure or two in their booths.

There was so much to see that, quite frankly, I could write a week's worth of show-related posts. I tried to winnow down my photos to those pieces that really caught my eye. Below is a sampling of show highlights.

So, San Francisco Antiques Show, until next year...



I always look forward to visiting the Therien & Co. booth. In addition to being one of the most attractive booths, the mix of antiques and 20th century furniture is always intriguing. You can see a few of the Therien vignettes both above and at the top of the post.




This c. 1920 Constructivist Polychrome Painted Tabouret at Therien & Co. caught my eye, as did:




this c. 1935 cabinet by the Hungarian artist, Andrew Szoeke. Trained at the Weiner Werkstatte, Szoeke's pieces "exhibit a unique combination of Mittel European iconography executed in exotic wood inlay and Moderne form."





Also at Therien, a c. 18th century Spanish Mudejar Giltwood Drop Front Arca.






One of the most decorated booths at the show has to be that of Galerie Steinitz, based in Paris. Walking through it, you feel as though you're in someone's very elegant Parisian drawing room.







In keeping with the show's theme of hidden treasures, Engs-Dimitri showed this 18th c. Mexican painted marriage chest. Opening the chest's lid reveals a charming painted scene of a betrothed couple. On the front of the chest is nail head decoration.





This English naive painting of a coaching horse and dog is what drew me to the booth of Earle Vandekar of Knightsbridge Inc. I always find naive art so interesting because oftentimes, a painting can look slightly contemporary despite its old age. This painting dates to the 19th c.



Vandekar sells all kinds of wonderful antiques including porcelain, one of my weaknesses!









Another specialty of Vandekar is Sailors' Woolworks, needlework that was done by British sailors while at sea. I'm fascinated at how they depicted the water, especially the chevron-print sea in the first example. If you look at the detail shot (the photo immediately above this text), you can see that the stitches were quite long. The examples seen here date to the late 19th century.






And finally, Vandekar had the most amazing set of Chinese watercolors of insects. Look closely, and you'll see that the insects were painted on lacquered leafs. These date to around 1850.





Not everything at the show is old. This Alexander Gorliziki miniature painting, The Hero Departs (2010), was displayed at the John Berggruen Gallery booth.





Being a dog lover, I couldn't resist photographing this 19th c. English engraving titled "The First Lesson"; available through the Daniel Stein Antiques.







The Lucy Johnson booth boasted this 19th c. Italian or Spanish scagliola tabletop, one that is decorated with trompe l'oeil maps of the Persian Empire circa 500 B.C. I don't know if the bronze table base is of recent vintage or not.

All photos copyright of The Peak of Chic

Antiquing with Barry Hutner

Like most Southerners, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home filled with antiques. And, again, like many Southerners, I don’t think that a house is really finished until there are at least a few antiques placed throughout the house. Perhaps an antique console or an old oil painting. To me, a house devoid of anything old is rather sad. So why do some people avoid antiques altogether? If you’re a die hard contemporary furniture devotee, then I understand why antiques might not fit your lifestyle. And if you’re shying away from buying antiques because the whole process gives you fits of anxiety, well, I get that too. I admit that I’m not completely confident when buying antiques. I feel as though I have a good eye and that I can pick some nice pieces, but when it comes to making a final decision, I get a little nervous. Is the table I’m buying really a Regency era piece? Am I overpaying for it?

That’s why I have enlisted the help of Barry Hutner, proprietor of Parc Monceau Antiques in Atlanta. Barry is considered to be one of the top antiques dealers in the country. (Lucky for me that his shop is right around the corner from my home!) In the past, I have gone to Barry for advice on collecting. He is always so knowledgeable and, more importantly, he understands how best to decorate with antiques. He is not one to advocate a period room look. Rather, he advises designers to mix antiques with classic 20th century pieces or fresh looking fabric and colors to create a tension between the old and the new. Barry believes that it’s this tension that adds so much life to a room. And you know what? I agree with him wholeheartedly.

Barry told me that it's a great time to purchase antiques as their prices are at 1990s levels. That said, he advises building one's collection over time. Buy one good piece a year and in ten years you have ten wonderful things! The important thing to remember is that you should buy antiques that are good quality and that are timeless looking. That way, your heirs will fight over your collection, something that will validate your purchases. Joking aside though, the goal is to think of these antiques as friends you'll live with all of your life. Just look at people like Bill Blass, Nan Kempner, and Jackie Onassis. Did they redecorate and start completely anew every few years? Of course not. They lived with their collections for years!

I asked Barry to provide me with a list of those must-have pieces that should form the core of one's collections. I've included the list below with Barry's thoughts on each. I also chose examples in each category and, when possible, included a 20th c. example. You know, just to add a little tension.

Parc Monceau is located at 425 Peachtree Hills Ave, No. 15, Atlanta, GA 30305. For inquiries, call (404) 467-8107 or email info@parcmonceau.com. To view more inventory, visit their website.









Italian Giltwood Mirror with Birds


Mid-century brass mirror attributed to Mastercraft

A Mirror: "I can't imagine a room without a mirror. They make such an architectural impact in a space."




Pair of 19th c. Italian armchairs


Set of four 19th c. English hall chairs

A Set of Chairs: "A strong pair of chairs balances everything. And, one can never have too much seating."




18thc./19thc. Italian Giltwood Console with marble top


Mid-century silvered horse head and hoof bronze console

A Classic Console: "Consoles can be very glamorous and they add instant impact to a room. Perfect for a foyer, a dining room, a bar..."




19th c. French Louis XV silver over bronze chenets



Late 19th/ early 20th c. brass and iron andirons

Andirons and Chenets: "Andirons are the jewelry of a room. The fireplace is usually the focal point of the room, so you want to make it look its best. A fireplace without andirons makes a room look totally unfinished."



19th c. Louis XVI style French settee


Louis XVI Style settee

A Settee: "Settees are not just for living rooms anymore. Considering using one in a bedroom or even a dining room."




Pair of crystal lamps attributed to Baccarat, 19th c.


Contemporary obelisk lamps of mounted marble

A Great Pair of Lamps: "Lamps are one of the easiest ways to start your antiques collection. A good quality pair of lamps can set the tone for an entire room."