Jacques Grange Interiors

I've spent the past few nights in bed with Jacques Grange.


Photo by Jérôme Macé, from Jacques Grange Interiors by Pierre Passebon (Paris: Flammarion, 2009).


Can you blame me? He's awfully handsome...and so are his interiors.



Photo by François Halard, from Jacques Grange Interiors by Pierre Passebon (Paris: Flammarion, 2009).

Like this 1920s Park Avenue apartment, above.




Photo by François Halard, from Jacques Grange Interiors by Pierre Passebon (Paris: Flammarion, 2009).


Or this Paris apartment that I fell in love with when I first saw it published a few years ago.



Photo by François Halard, from Jacques Grange Interiors by Pierre Passebon (Paris: Flammarion, 2009).


I wish I could show you more, like this home, above, in Paris...




Photo by Marianne Haas, from Jacques Grange Interiors by Pierre Passebon (Paris: Flammarion, 2009).


...but unfortunately, I can't. But take my word for it, Jacques Grange: Interiors by Pierre Passebon (Paris: Flammarion, 2009) is truly fantastic. If you weren't already a Grange fan, I think you'll become a convert.

Mad about Mad Men Style

Aren't we all anxiously awaiting Sunday when season 3 of Mad Men begins? Just what have Don and the gang been up to?

House Beautiful is running a feature on their website about decorating the Mad Men way. You can learn how to add a little 1960s dash to your home, view photos of House Beautiful homes from the era, and help Betty with the redo of her home. (Can we please get rid of her kitchen?)

House Beautiful editor-in-chief Stephen Drucker was kind enough to answer some of my Mad Men questions, all for the sake of understanding that Mad Men allure.



What is it about the Mad Men era that still captivates us today? Is it the cavalier attitude towards drinking, smoking, and sex? The fashion? The cocktails?

First, we envy them: They could smoke, drink, and say inappropriate things without any guilt. And then there's the whole schadenfreude thing: Their world is about to fall apart, and they don't see it coming.

Design wise, which looks from that era still seem fresh today? Which looks should remain shelved?

I love the Sterling Cooper office with all those colored doors and Selectric typewriters. Nobody likes Betty's spinning-wheel-and-butter-churn Early American suburbia. Everybody thinks all the midcentury modern stuff seems fresh, but they got tired of it, and I think we will too.



What was with all of that orangey, stained wood paneling and cabinets in homes from that era? Betty has it in her kitchen, so I'm assuming it was de rigueur for the time?

Maple was the wenge of 1960. Let's not be judgmental. They'll be laughing at 2009 in a few years.

What three colors sum up Mad Men style?

Any of Joan's dresses.

Any idea of what that generation did to get rid of cigarette odor? Or did they not worry about it?

They didn't think of it as an "odor." It's just what everything smelled like. There was no stigma to smoking, and non-smokers were the minority, so if you didn't like that ciggy smell, it was sort of your problem.



If you were one of the Mad Men, what would your "pad" look like?

Get me the key to Pete's penthouse. His 1950s white brick building is down the block from my apartment in Manhattan, so I have a soft spot for it.

Were they really more sophisticated back then?

Back then, everybody aspired to being grown up and wanted a sophisticated, adult stage to live life on. Now everybody wants to be 25 forever. And we feel sorry for Don and Betty?!

(All images via House Beautiful's website.)

Shades of Prunelle

Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have seen my YouTube link to an old Harper's Bazaar video. Titled "The Fashion Message for Fall 1971", the video featured China Machado interviewing Bill Blass, Halston, and the like for their thoughts on Fall fashion for 1971. When Machado asked Geoffrey Beene for his color forecast, he mentioned teal blue and "a color the French call prunelle". Prunelle? That would be a plummy, prune color. At first I thought how very Seventh Avenue to use the French word for this color, but then again, wouldn't you prefer to wear a prunelle dress rather than a prune dress? It reminded me of an interview I saw with Vera Wang in which she described the color of her living room as "moutarde" rather than mustard. And I'm guilty of slapping fancy names on colors. Have you ever heard me say that I adore an eggplant lacquered room? Nope. I always say aubergine. I suppose it just sounds more exotic than it really is. Pretentious? I think it just might be.

Anyway, I started to think about prune in the home. I wonder why this color is not seen more often in interiors? Are we biased towards the color because of its name? Do we shudder at the thought of its medicinal effects? (When I see the word prune, I immediately think of the prune juice that was on the menu for years and years at The Cloister. I bet when they decided to go after the glamorous set a few years ago they got rid of that item on the menu!) Or, is it just an ugly color?

I don't think I would want a prune colored room. Instead, I'd choose either brown or aubergine. I mean eggplant. But, what about a chair seat covered in prune colored leather or mohair? The chair frame would need to be something other than brown wood, perhaps a creamy ivory or even a smoky gray would be pretty. Or, I could see a glossy ceramic lamp in prunelle. And prune might look pretty smashing mixed with glints of gold and hand rubbed brass. I'm certainly not trying to sell you on coloring your world prune, but it's not that bad of a color. You only need it in small doses- like prune juice.



Do a search on Neiman Marcus for prune and this Ferragamo shoe pops up.


What do you think? Is Farrow and Ball's "Pelt" a shade of prune?


This Calvin Klein fabric from Kravet is Ligne in Prune.


A prune commode by Cote France via Decorati

Image at top: Good luck finding a room with prune accents in it. Perhaps there's a reason for it. This room is kind of pruney, although perhaps it's more plummy. And guess who's responsible for it? Billy Baldwin.

Julia Child at Home

All of you who saw "Julie and Julia" over the weekend raise your hands. It was a cute movie, although I would have enjoyed it even more had it only been about Julia Child. I swear, Meryl Streep is Julia Child, and Stanley Tucci was so fantastic that I now want a Paul Child of my own!

So, in the spirit of the movie that everyone is talking about, I thought it would be fun to see photos of Julia and Paul's former home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I must admit that I liked the Child's Paris apartment featured in the movie a bit more than their Cambridge house shown here, but, the Paris apartment did not have that famous blue pegboard wall in the kitchen!


The exterior of the gray clapboard house.


The dining room. The painting "Kunming Street Scene" was by Paul Child. Julia and Paul preferred to entertain in the kitchen rather than the dining room.


The Music Room, where recitals were often held with Julia on the piano and Paul on the violin. Again, the painting was by Paul.


The Living Room.


The Pastry Room with the Pantry beyond. Don't you love those copper casseroles?


The famous pegboard wall with Julia's pots and pans. Julia said "We rejoice in the shapes of tools."

(All images from Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes)

Moore & Giles Leather

I've always liked leather and have thought of using it for a few different applications, but I never went gaga over leather...until now. I recently had a chance to see Moore and Giles leather in person, and now I'm ready to upholster anything I can get my hands on in one of their sumptuous skins.

Moore and Giles, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, has been in the leather business since 1933, first as a supplier to the footwear industry and later the home furnishings business. Only recently have they entered the residential design arena. Many of you have seen Moore and Giles leathers in person, but perhaps you didn't realize it. For instance, those oft-photographed and commented on blue and avocado colored leather chairs in the Kelly Wearstler designed BG restaurant? Yep, Moore and Giles leather.

What first caught my eye were the yummy colors. Sure, you can stick to the basics if need be, but if you want a shade that is bright or moody or mysterious, this line has those too. And the textures are amazing. Buttery leathers, pony hairs, embossed, and laser cut. I suppose that I just wasn't aware of the array of finishes available...and the variety of ways in which you could use these leathers in your home!

(Moore and Giles leather is to the trade. To request pricing and samples, contact Greyson Kirby at design@mooreandgilesinc.com)

(ed. note: I just found out that Style Court likes Moore and Giles leather too! Check out her post on the line.)

Teju Lizard


Shark


Royal Vine


Palace Point


King Croc


Echo


Barrington


Amazon


Chair upholstered in Amazon

Image at top: Cottswald leather samples and a sumptuous leather chair.

Entertaining with Tara Guerard

Many years ago, I started hearing whispers about an events planner in Charleston who was creating some very stylish affairs. Word spread like wild fire throughout the South, and Southern brides were clamoring for this planner to work her magic on their weddings. Great press and a book followed (Southern Weddings: New Looks from the Old South), and then before you knew it, the cat was out of the bag. Our Southern party planner Tara Guerard of Soiree became known across the country. And now Tara's fresh and colorful take on parties is so much in demand that she recently opened a studio in New York!

So I thought who better to ask for advice on entertaining at home than Tara. It's no coincidence that so far both people I've asked for advice hail from Charleston, a very social town. (Mitchell Crosby, if you recall, was featured in a post a few weeks ago.) What I found refreshing is that Tara is actually quite laid back about the way she entertains at her home. Of course, for someone who is in the party planning biz, having a few friends over for drinks should be easy. And with Tara's advice, it should be easy for the rest of us too.


A preprandial glass of wine

On bar carts and mixing cocktails:
"I have a bar side table...always prepared to mix a drink...even for an unannounced visitor. When we have close friends over for drinks or dinner, my husband and I always try to make their drinks, but I want them to feel comfortable enough to help themselves if that is what they prefer! For daytime events, I love having my famous Bloody Marys available. Otherwise, I stick to the basics."


Sweet Tea Vodka, perfect for a hot summer evening

On serving food with drinks:
"Because I do events for a living, I am a slacker for my personal events and usually have cheese, nuts, olives...something simple!"


Hors d'oeuvres at one of Tara's events

And some additional tips:
"Use great glassware. I prefer something a little unexpected- like chilled juice glasses for beer, stemless Riedel for wine (so that it doesn't get knocked over) or beautiful, very thin rimmed glasses for cocktails. And wonderful linen napkins are a must at my home! Dim the lights, even in the kitchen, and have upbeat, get you in the mood music! I always pick my favorites on the ipod and have them ready to go. Gypsy Kings, Cesaria, Miles Davis, and the Buena Vista Social Club are a few of my favorites.

Tara Guerard's Bloody Mary Recipe

1.5 oz. premium vodka
6 oz. tomato juice
1 tablespoon prepared Horseradish
Dash Worcestershire
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Dash Lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
Dash Celery salt
Fresh cracked black pepper - to taste
One Teaspoon fresh chopped Dill
Garnish with pickled okra and enjoy!

(Photo at top taken at Soiree's New York outpost. Drinks photos by Liz Banfield. For more information, contact Tara Guerard, 54 Chapel Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29403, p- 843-577-5006, f- 843-577-0095; 37 West 20th Street, Suite 1205, New York, New York 10011, p- 646-329-6258, f- 646-329-6986; www.soireebytaraguerard.com)

I Want, I Need, I Have To Have...

Yesterday, in response to the shell post, a reader mentioned that I might like the shell sconces, above, that are available at Rose Uniacke in London. Rose Uniacke? Why had I never heard of her nor her chic shop before? Better late than never, I suppose.

And regarding those shells- the reader was right. I'd like a pair of the sconces, as well as many other items on the website.



Like these chairs. Slipper shape, green velvet, bouillon fringe. Divine!


And this 17th c. Louis XIV Ebony and Brass Inlaid Commode.


This Bagues chandelier would look perfect over my dining table.


I don't have a bar, but I'd have one built in a jiffy in order to accommodate these stools.

Oddly enough, my favorite thing on the entire site is not a chair nor a table, but rather a bespoke range hood (or should I say cooker hood).


Truly, is this not one of the best looking hoods you've seen? Even if it meant that the rest of my kitchen had to go naked, I'd buy this hood in a heart beat! (It certainly beats the 1968 GE hood that graces my kitchen right now.)

A Really Swell Bedroom

Okay, so the shell bed from earlier today went over like a lead balloon. Let's end the day with this bedroom designed by Anne Coyle. It reminds me of those fabulous rooms featured in the old House & Garden books from the 1950s and 60s- the colors, the zig zag painted floor, the decadent bed. Very glamorous!

Visit Anne's updated website for more gorgeous photos.

Rococo Revery

I love shells.... both the real thing and the motif.


This Soane shell sconce has been on my wish list for years.



I have grotto chairs on my terrace. OK, so I'm not fooling anyone into thinking we're in a Venetian grotto, but they do beat basic patio furniture.



The Reed and Barton Double Shell Server, a popular registry item amongst Southern brides, is one of my favorite serving pieces. Believe me, it can hold a lot of ham biscuits.



I've got shell porcelain...



and shell hand towels.

But what I don't have is a shell bed.


It's so big, so bawdy, and so rococo. And yet, there's something kind of fascinating about it. You don't want to keep looking at it, but you just can't help it.

This is a bed with a history. (Not that kind of history.) The sculptor Bernini and Italian furniture maker Schor made a similar bed in 1661 for Princess Maria Mancini. It was from that bed that the Princess' first born son was presented to the Italian public. And So To Bed, the British bed maker, created this version seen here based on an antique engraving of the bed.

In what other bed could you serve yourself up on the half shell?