Designing in a Louis XVI Dining Room

Working from home- especially if you don't have a room designated specifically for work- can be tough. How and where do you hide the printer, files, the Rolodex, and all of the other necessary but not so attractive work tools? If you're a designer, it can be even more difficult what with samples, swatches, boards, and plans. I found this 1966 article, featured here, that shows how one decorator managed to convert her dining room to an office by day. It all seems a little complicated, but I guess it worked for her.

So, for all of you designers who work from home, this post is for you:

Five mornings a week, the elegant boiserie paneled dining room in the Eric Mulvany's New York apartment is transformed into a hard-working office for Mrs. Mulvany- interior designer Audré Fiber. When her secretary and assistant leave for the day, the drawing board and three folding black lacquer work tables are whisked away to the file-and-storage room which the Mulvanys created by walling off the windowless end of the 20-foot-long room. Then the Bessarabian carpet is unrolled, the chandelier unhooked from its higher working-day position, the dining table pushed back to room center. The conversion takes exactly seven minutes.











Article and images from House & Garden, July 1966.

Gayle Warwick Linen

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a Gayle Warwick linen trunk show at Gramercy. Gayle's line of table and bed linen is, in two words, simply breathtaking. Made of the finest quality cotton and linen, the line is truly special thanks to the amazing embroidery that decorates the napkins, cloths, and bedding. Gayle's linens are embroidered by craftswomen in Vietnam, a country where needlework has a long and storied tradition. Using both silk and at times metallic thread, the Vietnamese embroiderers are responsible for bringing Gayle's inspired designs to fruition. Needless to say, these linens are so exquisite and so well-made that you'll be passing these down to your children.

Gayle's website is currently under construction, so make sure to check back for photos and updates on her latest collections. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the linen featured here, you can contact Gramercy for more information.

Now, if only I could figure out what I should buy. A difficult decision indeed!












These photos show napkins and mats that are part of a jewel inspired collection.






Two different runners embroidered with fruits and vines. Photos don't really capture the impressive gradation in color of the grapes. Stunning.







Other examples of embroidered borders and motifs.




Beautiful hemstitching that is all done by hand.





Bags, perfect for jewelry and delicates, are embroidered with small, colorful paisley.


All photos by Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic

Lee Bailey at Henri Bendel

I used to find it odd that there are people who buy cookbooks solely for the purpose of reading them. Actually preparing the recipes is beside the point. Strangely enough, I have now found myself as one of "those people." It's not that I don't want to cook, but I truly have no time! If there were 27 hours in a day, well, then maybe.

Some of my favorite cookbooks to read are those by the late, great Lee Bailey. His recipes look delicious, and I'm even planning to take a stab at his Rigodon soon. (It's a chicken custard with brioche topping.) But what really gives me great pleasure are the books' photos of Bailey's marvelously chic tablesettings. By the looks of the photographs, Bailey obviously preferred china, glassware, and linen that was minimal, slightly casual, not fussy, and enormously stylish. For someone with a background in design, Bailey knew the importance of creating atmosphere for one's dinner parties. He also knew that food looks its best against a simple setting.

Bailey once had a noted food and accessories shop within Bendel's (back before it was bought by The Limited) that later moved to Saks. People still talk and write about his boutique today- almost twenty-five years after it closed! It must have really been something, and I regret that childhood was what kept me from knowing anything at the time about Lee Bailey or his shop.

In the book Lee Bailey's Good Parties, Bailey included photos of some of his favorite china, glassware, flatware, and kitchen tools and gadgets, some of which were available for purchase at his Bendel's shop. Below, I'm showing just some of the items that were sold at Bailey's shop. Even if many of us never got the chance to see it in person, perhaps we can get a little taste of what the magic must have been like.





Stainless steel all-purpose pots by Opa.




A Perfect Fish measure.




Left, a 12 1/4" Stainless Steel buffet plate by Bailey-Bannett Inc. At right, an 11" khaki porcelain dinner plate by Taitu for Lee Bailey.




Matte white Japanese flatware.




Chef Master plastic-handled flatware with nonstick Chefcoat.




Bailey-Bannett Inc. stainless steel dessert bowl and saucer.




Lee Bailey all-purpose bistro glass.




Taitu burgundy/brown porcelain dinner plate.


All images from Lee Bailey's Good Parties.

Soane Pop-Up Shop

Have you ever spent time perusing the Soane website? If you haven't, you don't know what you're missing. Their furniture, lighting, and accessories are absolutely exquisite. Good thing for those of us on this side of the pond that the London-based Soane just opened a pop-up shop in conjunction with 1st dibs. (That's a shot of it at top.) Located at the New York Design Center, the temporary shop will feature many of Soane's 500 designs. All of their wall lights plus some of their upholstered furniture, desks, bookcases, mirrors, and cocktail tables will be displayed, and all will be available for immediate purchase. It's also worth nothing that the entire Soane line is crafted in British workshops.

Soane has so many American fans that this is indeed exciting news. But you better be quick. The shop is only open through May 20. Time to start shopping!




Soane founder Lulu Lytle. Click here to see Lulu's feature on 1st dibs.



The Pineapple Light



The Bascule Desk



The Star Mirror



The Vendome Sofa


All images courtesy of Soane.

Paul Rudolph and the Wallace House

Watching the coverage of last week's devastating tornadoes has been very difficult. To see the destruction and suffering that the storms left behind is absolutely heart-wrenching. One area that was hard hit was that around Athens, Alabama, a small city located in the northern part of the state. For a while now, I had been planning to write a post about a house located in Athens, one that was designed in the 1960s by the late architect Paul Rudolph. The house, striking in its resemblance to a modern Greek temple, seemed unusual for a region known more for its more traditional architecture.

I debated about whether I should publish this post in light of what happened in Alabama and throughout the South. Discussing architecture might seem a little callous under the circumstances. But if you think about it, a post on a Southern house is important right now. Some Southerners might prefer traditional houses while others favor contemporary, but what almost all Southerners have in common is our love of home, that cherished place where we spend time with family and friends laughing, celebrating, eating, and often reminiscing about the good old days. For many people right now, the days are not good and won't be for some time. Perhaps if we do our part- in a big or small way- these people will once again have places to call home.

Click here to see a list of charitable organizations that are providing relief for the victims of the tornadoes.


About the house:

When I first learned about the Wallace House in Athens, I thought it odd that Paul Rudolph, former chairman of Yale's School of Architecture and architect of such noted modernist houses as the legendary townhouse of Halston, would have been called upon to design a house situated amongst the Loblolly pines of Alabama. It makes sense, though, seeing that Rudolph spent his childhood years there. It was during his high-school years in Athens that he met Frances Garth Wallace who, with her husband John, later commissioned this house in the early 1960s.

The house's architecture is based on Greek Revival architecture (so prevalent throughout the South), though Rudolph later compared it to Corbusier's Villa Savoye. Noted for its double row of 32 simple columns (faced in brick, no less, and built more for decorative purposes), the U shaped house has a central courtyard that is flanked by an open porch on its fourth side. Because Rudolph was raised in the South and was familiar with the oppressive summertime heat, he chose to paint everything white so as to reflect sunlight. It's open to the outdoors, yet it also provides sheltered spaces to escape the heat.

All photos from House & Garden, April 1966.

A Peak of Chic Party

Tara Guérard and her team at Soirée certainly know how to throw a party. After all, they are responsible for some very stylish parties and weddings, events that have been breathlessly covered by blogs and magazines far and wide. With offices in Charleston and New York as well as a stationery line called The Lettered Olive, Tara and Soirée are who many a stylish gal has turned to plan their own royal weddings. Make that royal looking weddings.

I thought it might be fun to have Tara help me organize a Peak of Chic Party. Well, not a real one, but rather a pretend, "what might be" party. I see it taking place outdoors with shelter provided by a tent- a fanciful tent, of course. And I would probably go old-school with the music and hire Liquid Pleasure. Their tag line is "The more you drink, the better we sound", but I've heard them sober and not completely sober and they always sound good. And speaking of drink, I would serve all of the usual suspects plus something fun like Gin Fizzes.

The food? Tara came up with a menu that really makes me want to take this party from the virtual world to the real world.






TAPAS PRESENTED ON TIERED GRAZING BUFFETS

Crepes of Duck Confit
Cipollini onions, garlic, ginger, cherry reduction

Ahi Tuna Tartare
House made sesame oil, edible wonton “spoons,” lotus roots

“Deviled” Eggs
Sweet pickle-egg mousse, pencil asparagus tips

Bamboo Skewers of Local Creek Shrimp
Toasted hazelnuts, Grand Marnier aioli

Grilled Croissants
Grilled beef tenderloin, tarragon pesto, arugula, heirloom tomatoes, Old Amsterdam cheese

Cornbread Encrusted Pork Tenderloin
Chopstick skewers, caramelized Granny Smith apples, Saigon cinnamon, cherry chutney

The Composed Cheese Course
Artisan cheeses and accompaniments

Miniature Cupcakes
White cake with butter cream and chocolate cake with vanilla icing





She also came up with another menu option for me:

ALFRESCO CHEF’S TABLE FOR FIVE

Petit Black Angus Filet Mignon and Risotto “Pears”
Wild mushrooms, English peas, roasted shallot-Marsala demi-glace






And just to make sure that my party goes smoothly, Tara gave me the following suggestions:

1. Print or create cute signs for passed appetizers & the cheese cart. Invest a little in custom printed napkins styled to match the invitation - guests always appreciate the details!

2. Make sure napkins can't blow off tables at outside events by wrapping pretty ribbon ties around napkin bundles.

3. Using lots of one decor item makes a big impact! Example here is using lots of glass cylinders, pillars and orchids throughout the party.

4. Comfortable lounge seating areas make parties more fun, cozy and intimate. Then no one wants to go home!




Sounds doable to me. So, who's ready to party?





Menu and tips courtesy of Tara Guérard; photographs by Adrienne Page Photography.