For Your Consideration, v. 1

I have to, um, hand it to Cecil Beaton. He was awfully creative. The walls of his guest bathroom were adorned with outlines of his guests' hands (painted by Beaton, of course) that were signed by the respective hand's owner as well. Not for everyone, but it is a humorous take on the ubiquitous guest book.

(Image from The Thirties in Vogue by Carolyn Hall)

Snug Sleeping Quarters

Today's theme is...beds placed in alcoves. Sound a little claustrophobic? Perhaps, but it also seems cozy too. Obviously, a bed like this would only work for a single person. Imagine the person who is wedged against the wall trying to get out of the bed for a midnight trip to the loo? Way too complicated if you ask me. But for one person? Well, I think it's kind of an intriguing idea. And, as with many things, the French seem to do it best. At least, they did back in the 1950s when all of these photos were shot.

The photo at top is a bedroom in the country home of Jean Marais. I love the color combo and the slight bordello feel to that red velvet lined niche.



A niche that doesn't seem so confining. The lectern looking table is a clever addition with its bronze somno on it (Latin for sleep.)

One of my favorites. This one was slept in by designer Emilio Terry. Those sheets, however, might just be my favorite thing in the photo.



Tucked away in Toile du Jouy.



So French looking and so perfect. The bedroom of Mme Billotte as decorated by Henri Samuel.



I don't show children's rooms often, but I couldn't resist this one.


(All images from Les Reussites De La Decoration Francaise: 1950-1960)

Remember This One?

Let's rehash an oldie but goodie- the New York apartment of Jeff Pfeifle, former president of J. Crew, and his partner Adam Mahr. I was reminded of the fabulous apartment, featured in the December 2006 issue of House & Garden, when I saw Pfeifle's photo on New York Social Diary the other day. Now, you might think that I was taken with the home because of the children of the house (see above), children who bear a striking resemblance to Alfie. Well, perhaps it swayed me a bit, but really, the home is downright chic. Starting with...



...the tented entryway. Did someone say tented? I think perhaps that's what hooked me.



Or perhaps it was the good old-fashioned dining room that is anything but old-fashioned.

The guest bedroom? Yep, like that one too.



And the telephone room? Why, it pushed me over the edge. Time to dial 9-1-1.

(All images from House & Garden, December 2006; Hugh Stewart photographer)

Mad for Marion

Thanks to the non-drowsy decongestant I've been taking all weekend, I've been a little too revved-up to sleep. A little annoying, but on the bright side, I've redecorated my apartment...at least, in my mind. I've decided that I need a small rug in my dressing room. I already have a nice wool, Wilton weave carpet in there right now (I'm a big fan of wall-to-wall carpet in bedrooms, closets, and dressing areas), but I think a throw rug would add some zip to the space. After all, a minimalist wardrobe, though chic on the body, is too subtle to do much in the way of decoration.

So what would be perfect in my dressing area is a Marion Dorn rug. I mean, if you're going to daydream, you might as well shoot for the stars. It would certainly be in keeping with the loose 1930s look that I'm going for. And if they were good enough for Syrie Maugham and Frances Elkins- both fans of Dorn's work- they are more than good enough for me.

(Speaking of Maugham, don't forget that Pauline Metcalfe's much anticipated book, Syrie Maugham, is being released in a few weeks. Look for a review here soon.)



This Dorn rug, c. 1930, was sold at Christie's for around $4300. The pale tones would be perfect for my room's color scheme of pinks, grays, and creams. The zig-zag design is reminiscent of the Dorn rug in Mrs. Celia Tobin Clark's bedroom (c. 1929-31; seen at the top of this post), a room decorated by Syrie Maugham.



Frances Elkins chose this beige and off-white Dorn rug for the bedroom of Ruth Winslow. The rug was a nice modern counterpoint to the traditional French floral chintz.




How chic was the Lounge at Claridge's Hotel, c. 1930? Decorated by Oswald Milne, the space was a combination of Art Deco and Modernist decor. The black and cream geometric patterned rug was, yes, by Dorn.



Another stylish room decorated by Maugham, this time the London drawing room of Mr. Robin Wilson. I wonder if that was a Dorn designed rug?



This Dorn work is/was available at a rug dealer in Paris.



Not quite the right colors for my dressing area, but this Dorn rug- auctioned off by Sotheby's- is certainly enchanting.

(Clark image from David Adler, Architect: The Elements of Style, Martha Thorne editor; Elkins image from Frances Elkins: Interior Design by Stephen Salny. Claridge's photo from Martin Battersby's The Decorative Thirties; Wilson drawing room photo from The Great Lady Decorators: The Women Who Defined Interior Design, 1870-1955 by Adam Lewis.)

Cooling Effects

After every walk that we take during the hot summer, Alfie marches inside my apartment and immediately collapses on my entryway's tile floor. I don't blame him; it's such a quick and easy way to cool off. This summer has been so hot and muggy that there have been times when I have considered lying down on the tile floor as well, although a modicum of decency has prevented me from doing so. But, there really is something appealing right now about things that are cool to the touch. To me, that usually translates to ceramic or porcelain and white, of course.



Like this 1930s French Patisserie Table from Soane Antiques. It's the perfect size for Alfie! Seriously though, I am charmed by this table.




In terms of garden stools, this drapery and tassel version is completely unexpected. (from Palm Beach Antique & Design Center.)




Who knew that firewood could be so cool? It is when it's made of bisque porcelain. (Still Life Logs from Klein Reid)




How cool are these ceramic wall brackets? (from Dixon Lane Antiques)




Just wanted to see if you were paying attention (Ceramic turkey from Kirk Albert Vintage Furnishings)




A little blue is perfectly acceptable, especially when it's on a table as terrific as this. (from Carlos de la Puente Antiques)

And finally, if I had a floor made of this Barbara Barry tile for Ann Sacks, I suspect Alfie and I would be fighting for space on the floor.

Inside "Inside Design"

I'm feverishly working on an article right now, so I'm going to rely upon Michael Greer to carry this post. You remember Michael...his 1962 book was on my top ten book list last week. For some, the mention of Greer's name prompted a walk down memory lane, while for others, his work was entirely new.

His book, Inside Design, is chock full of practical design advice that still holds true today. And the photos of his work that accompany the text? Well, truth be told, a little of it is dated. Most people just don't live like that anymore. But to me, that's beside the point. He had a well-honed sense of color, a predilection for decorative flourishes, and a way with curtains and valances. Sounds okay to me.

Decorative painting and trompe l'oeil were seen often in a Michael Greer interior.



According to a very knowledgeable reader of mine, this is the living room of Charlton Heston. Yes, the man who starred in "Planet of the Apes" had curtains made from one of our favorite Pierre Frey prints.



Here's the dated look that I was talking about. Still, there's an interesting use of color here. And see what I mean about those valances?



How I wish this were my terrace.



A masculine, restrained, and symmetrical composition.



Love that royal blue screen.



Greer used this photo to demonstrate his use of vinyl tile flooring. I'm starting to rethink vinyl...

(Top photo by Jennifer Boles. Remaining images from Inside Design by Michael Greer.)

A Beaton Beatification

It was a Cecil Beaton kind of week. Not that that's a bad thing- far from it. It just seems as though everywhere I looked, there he was.

First, I bought a book that showed his London home from the early 1960s. It was not what I expected as I'm more familiar with Beaton's romantic, eccentric style of decor. (Or perhaps I should say "romantical"...a term coined by Paula Deen. Actually, every time I hear her say that, it drives me up the wall.) This particular version of Beaton's home has a French Billy Baldwin kind of feel to it. That is, if Billy Baldwin had been born and raised in France.

The two images at top were Beaton's living room in which the walls were covered in black velvet. Yes, black velvet- how great is that? What might be even more interesting is that the velvet is trimmed in gold and silver Spanish embroidery. Fortunately, you do not need to imagine what it looked like. Here is a detail shot:

The marquetry floor was saved from a Rothschild house that was demolished. The corner banquettes are vermilion with pillows made of obis. Both the floor lamp and the cocktail table were by Diego Giacometti. And notice too (in the photo at the very top) the painting of Beaton by Christian Bérard.




Vermilion made another appearance in Beaton's bedroom, though this time in the form of flocked walls. The bed is a rather simple affair of steel with brass pineapple finials, and according to the book's text it was covered in white draperies in the summertime. Both the bedside cabinets as well as the room's doors (not shown here) were white with gilt detail. I admit that I'm not too crazy about the carpet, but it was a different era and perhaps we would have found it attractive at that time.




Beaton's bathroom with sumptuous silk curtains and a gouache by Denis Hawkins. The mahogany bath fixtures were from Wilton House.



A grainy photo I know, but this landing sported animal print chairs and a jardinière filled with plants.

So after having studied these photos, I later attended an event at my friend Jared's showroom which fêted Cecil Beaton fabrics. More Beaton, but just in the flesh. Well, Beaton wasn't there in the flesh, but the textiles inspired by his sketches were. Here are a few that caught my eye:




(Beaton home photographs from The Best in European Decoration)