A Surtout? Says Who?

Don't you just love all of those old photos of elaborately set tables? What I find most charming about them are the various table accessories that seem to have fallen out of favor with today's hosts and hostesses. I don't smoke nor do my friends, but I find the old custom of placing a silver urn with cigarettes at each place setting to be terribly chic. (I know, I know, smoking is bad for you, but has there been anything as stylish as sterling ashtrays, urns, and match strikes? My answer is a firm no.) I also think that scattering small sterling or porcelain dishes filled with nuts or candies around a table is a nice gesture and one for which I can't claim credit. It used to be commonplace to do so at formal dinners. At a dinner party a few years ago, I included a small dish of candy at each place setting, and I have to say that it actually looked quite nice.

The table accessory that I really hope makes a comeback is the surtout de table. Originally designed in the 18th c. to hold dragées and condiments like oils and vinegars, these elaborate centerpieces later became more decorative than functional. One of the more impressive examples is that created for Wilhelm I of Hesse in 1815-1820. This particular gilded bronze surtout de table measured 22 feet long:






Of course, I'm not so out of my mind that I'm advising any of you to commission something similar for your own banquets, though if you do, I will be thoroughly impressed. Fortunately for us, there are more modest surtout de tables that I think would be absolutely charming for our tables. Below, you'll see examples in which each centerpiece is comprised of multiple pieces. While some of the pieces like the porcelain birds are purely decorative, others are basically channels which can be used to hold flowers, candies (how pretty would gold Jordan almonds look in the crystal versions?), shells, or really just about anything. I think that sprigs of Boxwood in the bisque porcelain version would look terrific and might possibly be as chic as the above-mentioned smoking accessories.

I personally prefer the centerpieces that are made of crystal or a creamy porcelain so as not to interfere with one's china pattern, although I believe that Capo di Monte centerpieces (like that belonging to Mrs. John Pierrepont, at top, or a different one, below) could work with more subdued colored linen and china. And if you have a small table, especially a round one, then you might want to consider the circular surtout by Lalique. That centerpiece only consists of five vessels.

If you really want to gild the lily, you could place your surtout on a mirrored plateau as was historically done, but if you ask me, I say that's too much of a good thing.




A 31(!) piece glass centerpiece by Val St. Lambert, c. late 19th c./ early 20th c.



A 20th century Japanese example made of porcelain.



Early 20th c. Capo di Monte surtout de table.



This smaller example by Lalique (and made in the 1930s) is perfect for those of us with more modestly sized tables.




A small crystal surtout de table was used as a base for a centerpiece featuring a ceramic rabbit amidst the fronds and daisies.

Black and white images of tablesettings from Tiffany Table Settings; photo of the surtout of Wilhelm I of Hesse courtesy of Portland Art Museum.

The Ravishing Rachel Roy

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon at Neiman Marcus in honor of Rachel Roy. Lately, Rachel has been in Atlanta fairly often as she is both a SCAD Style Lab mentor, advising many of SCAD's talented fashion students, as well the Honorary Chairperson of the upcoming SCAD Seen Gala. I had the opportunity to speak with Rachel one-on-one before the event, and she is truly so kind, down to earth, and gracious. (Don't we all know that those qualities are refreshing and becoming increasingly rare!) It's impossible to be jealous of her success and her beauty because she is so nice.

One of the great mysteries to those of us not in the fashion business is how so many designers seem to present collections that all feature the same or similar trends, colors, lines, and lengths. It's as if designers are all magically on the same wave-length or something. Well, it's actually not magic. What Rachel told me was that most designers- including herself- attend the fabric shows in Paris, and it's there where designers see the latest fabrics, trends, and the colors of the moment. I suppose that they absorb what they see at the shows and then they interpret it in a way that is unique to their individual styles, aesthetics, and points of view. In Rachel's case, she created a Spring 2011 collection that embraced color blocking, but the way that she made the clothes wearable was by also mixing in neutrals. As you can see below, the clothes are very pretty, feminine, and absolutely wearable.

Rachel gave me a few sage words of advice that, although she used them in the context of fashion, I believe can be applied to interior design as well. First, she said that before you even open your mouth, you are telling a story- your story- with the way in which you dress. Do you dress colorfully? Or do you don neutrals? Do you prefer feminine frocks to streamlined suits? What is the story that you are trying to convey with your clothing? And you know, isn't this true of interior design as well?

And secondly, she said that one point she stresses with her SCAD students is that while you should pursue your passion, you need to be smart about it. As an up-and-coming designer, you may have honed your technical skills, but you need to engage the other side of your brain as well. It's a balancing act of art and commerce, and you have to be willing to do both. Again, I think the same applies to interior design. You're only going to get so far if you can't run the business side of things.

Finally, I asked Rachel what pieces should be in every woman's wardrobe. She believes that we should all have a nice trench coat (so classic), a men's style shirt that has been tailored at the waist, and pencil skirts for a touch of femininity. And in case you're wondering how to achieve Rachel's smokey eye, it involves shadow, liner, mascara, and a lot of blending and smoking it out. Actually, that was my very first question I asked her because I couldn't get over how dramatic her eyes looked.

Rachel will be back in Atlanta on May 24 for the SCAD Seen Gala. For more information on the event or to purchase tickets, visit SCAD's Gala website. And of course, to purchase Rachel's Spring collection, visit Neiman Marcus.com.











All photos by Philip Shone Photography.

A Conversation with Charlotte Moss

While Charlotte Moss was in Atlanta last month, I had the chance to spend an afternoon with her touring the Atlanta Decorators Show House and chatting about design, show houses, inspiration, the design process, and her latest book. In fact, I had so much to ask Charlotte and she had so much to share that our conversation was taped for a podcast. Charlotte's show house rooms are some of my very favorites, so it was a real treat for me to be able to sit down and learn more about how Charlotte works her magic to create such inspiring rooms.

I do hope that you'll listen to the podcast below as I think the conversation expands upon many of the themes in her latest book, Charlotte Moss Decorates: The Art of Creating Elegant and Inspired Rooms. And if you're in Atlanta this Wednesday, May 18, be sure to stop by Mrs. Howard for Charlotte's book signing event. Charlotte will be signing books from 5 to 7pm. Hope to see you there!

For more information on the book signing or to RSVP, please email lkennelly@jmhoward.net.

Connoisseur Lounge at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Atlanta is also abuzz about this week's Atlanta Food & Wine Festival which will take place May 19 through 22. A first for Atlanta, the festival will celebrate the best in Southern food and food culture. But, it won't all be about BBQ and fried chicken, although, of course, both Southern foods will be well-represented. There will be tasting tents where such delicacies as Low Country and Cajun foods, Tabasco, and Bourbon can all be sampled. (Yes, we do consider those things to be delicacies!) There will also be plenty of tasting seminars and cooking demonstrations with some of the area's top chefs.

But, if design is more your thing, then you really should check out the festival's Connoisseur Lounge where some of the event's reserve tastings and demonstrations will be held. The hostess of the Lounge, author Danielle Rollins, has been responsible for the design and build out of the Lounge. With the assistance of designer Mallory Mathison Glenn, Danielle and Mallory have created a space that embraces Southern hospitality and graciousness. Inspired by both Lyford Cay and Round Hill, Danielle and Mallory wanted the lounge to look like a loft inhabited by a Coca-Cola heiress. (Think of her, the heiress, as a modern day Scarlett O'Hara who lives in a modern space but decorates it with her family silver and antiques.) The color palette of the space is lively, while the fabrics (all of which are by Schumacher) are very Palm Beach chic. Contemporary art, including pieces by artist Carolyn Carr, will punctuate the walls of the lounge. And the showstopper will likely be the tented bar topped by a striped awning.

You can see some of the fabrics, colors, and artwork that will be used below. I will be showing images of the lounge once it's completely finished, but I urge you to visit the Lounge and the rest of the Festival in person. For more information, visit the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival website. If you can't make it, you can follow Danielle's updates on Facebook and Twitter.






Photo at top by Sara Hanna

3525 Turtle Creek in the 1990s

Over the weekend, I mentioned to Clinton Smith that I was working on a few posts about 3525 Turtle Creek, and of course he knew: 1) exactly which building I was writing about 2) that Greer Garson had once lived there and 3) that Elle Decor had published an apartment in the building back in 1999. (If you know Clinton, then you know that this kind of knowledge is hardly surprising. He has a mind like a steel trap.) He was kind enough to loan me the May 1999 issue of Elle Decor in which the apartment of real estate investor Pat Patterson was featured. Ms. Patterson purchased her penthouse unit at 3525 from the estate of Greer Garson. (You know, Mrs. Miniver.)

What is striking about the home- besides the brise-soleils outside of the windows, of course- is the blend of traditional antiques, modern furniture, and contemporary artwork. Who knew that Flora Danica and Yves Klein would get along so well together? But what I think that I admire most are those chairs covered in an animal print pony hair. The pair of chairs, as well as the living room's curved sofa, were purchased from Garson's estate. Obviously, Ms. Garson was one chic character, and I think it fair to say that Ms. Patterson is too.




A Platner table and chairs. (Did I ever mention that the first time I sat in a Platner chair was in the ladies clothing department at Neiman's? I sat there often while my mother tried on clothes.)

A view from the top.






Impressive looking bookshelves.






Patterson's collection of antique Flora Danica hangs above a traditional dining table and chairs. Greer Garson's circular sofa is in the foreground.





I love the juxtaposition of Flora Danica china and King Edward flatware against the backdrop of the brise-soleil. It gives the table setting an edge.





The kitchen still retained the original cooktop, ovens, and cabinets.

All images from Elle Decor, May 1999; Ka Yeung photographer.

3525 Turtle Creek circa 1966

Continuing with the Howard Meyer designed high-rise in Dallas...

This apartment, featured in the July 1966 issue of House & Garden, was owned by a Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lambert, Jr. Thanks to Google, I learned that Joe Lambert was a prominent landscape architect, and his wife Evelyn was a socialite and noted art collector. Looking through the photos, it appears that the apartment was quite large, had high ceilings, and boasted a spacious terrace. All of this makes me wonder if the Lamberts lived in a penthouse apartment. You'll also see that many of the windows only had the concrete sun screens on the upper portions, meaning that these windows were not on the West side of the building. (You'll recall from yesterday's post that only the West side had continuous screens.) As soon as I saw the photos of the windows shielded by the perforated concrete, I knew that it had to be the same Dallas building as the apartment of designer Christopher Ridolfi, and in fact, it is.

Update: After I wrote this post, a reader of mine confirmed that in fact the Lamberts' apartment was one of two penthouse units. The other one belonged to Greer Garson.

In the living room, the Lamberts hung a Stanley Hayter painting on the ceiling. A dining/garden room lies beyond the glass partition.




The drawing room boasted white and black artwork including a few Castellanis, a Mathieu, a canvas by Lucio Fontana, and a work with white wood beads and tennis and ping-pong balls by van Hoeydonck.




The morning room with more artwork.


All images from House & Garden, July 1966.

3525 Turtle Creek circa 2000s

I have always believed that had I not been born in Atlanta, I would have wanted to be a native of Dallas. Why? First (and maybe most importantly), it's the hometown of Neiman Marcus, my very favorite store in the world. Also, Dallas women love to wear makeup and jewels- and the heavier the makeup and jewelry the better. And finally, most Dallas people seem to love small talk and chit-chat just as much as I do. I will never forget calling the Porthault store in New York a few years ago to order additional pieces of my breakfast china. The surly saleswoman could have cared less that I wanted to buy more place settings. After giving up, I decided to call the Porthault store in Dallas, and not only was the saleswoman nice as pie, we proceeded to have a five minute conversation about how the espresso cups would be perfect for serving eggs en cocotte at a ladies brunch. See what I mean about chit-chat?

And let's not forget about the homes of some of Dallas' most stylish citizens. Look through a copy of Domestic Art: Curated Interiors (one of my very favorite design books) and you'll see some very sophisticated homes. One that has really fascinated me is the high-rise apartment of designer Christopher Ridolfi. I'm showing images of the apartment below, and perhaps you might feel as I do that the home has a well-edited flair. But it's not just the interiors that caught my eye; it's that perforated concrete screen that covers the windows and terrace. How cool is that?

The book mentions that this apartment is located in a Howard Meyer building, so I did a little research. Meyer was a modernist architect who moved to Dallas during the Depression. I'm pretty sure that the apartment featured here is in a 22-story building located at 3525 Turtle Creek Boulevard, one that was built in 1957. What makes the high-rise unique are its "brise-soleils", those cast concrete screens that were constructed to shield each unit from the intense Texas sun. Three sides of the building have screens that only cover the top portions of windows, while the West-facing side has continuous screens in order to help protect from the intense afternoon sunlight. The striking building is one of the few Modernist high-rises in the country that has earned a place on the National Register for Historic Places. And in case you're interested in a little trivia, the actress Greer Garson and entertainer and sausage maker Jimmy Dean both lived there.

Funny enough, I was looking through my old 1966 House & Gardens last weekend and found photos of a Dallas apartment that had the very same sun screens. A little sleuthing uncovered that this apartment was also in the same Howard Meyer designed building. I'll show those images tomorrow.











Image of building's exterior courtesy of Briggs Freeman; apartment photos from Domestic Art: Curated Interiors by Holly Moore, Ka Yeung photographer.

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