Tressard Fabrics

After publishing last week's post on Zajac & Callahan designed interiors, Danny Recoder of Waterhouse, Wallpapers and Fabrics informed me that the metallic floral wallpaper in one of the photos was an old James Ware/ Tressard design. Well, that certainly piqued my curiosity because I had never heard of James Ware nor Tressard before. And when Danny mentioned that both lines "were all the rage in the 1970s", I knew that I needed to learn more.

According to Danny, James Ware wallpaper and Tressard fabric were sister firms that produced wallpaper and fabric versions of the same designs. James Ware was run by James Ware and his partner Bill Fried, while Tressard was founded by Doy Rittgers. Danny wrote that while both firms shared the same designs, both the paper and fabric were printed to order in custom colors, something that is rather unusual today.

While both firms were indeed all the rage in the 1960s and 70s, they seem to have faded into obscurity. Ware died tragically in a car accident, while Rittgers passed away as a young man as well. Danny's enthusiasm for James Ware/ Tressard designs proved fruitful when he was able to track down some of the old screens and fabric samples, some of which you can see in this post.

I consulted my old magazines and have yet to find any photos in which a paper is credited to James Ware. I did, however, find some old photos of Tressard fabrics which I am including here. The photo at top is most interesting as it shows the home of Doy Rittgers, one that was designed by Rittgers' partner, prominent designer Louis Bromante. As you can see, Tressard fabric was used everywhere.

I'll keep hunting for more photos, but in the meantime, I thought you might like to see some of these old James Ware/ Tressard designs. While some certainly evoke a 1960s aesthetic, others still look fresh today.



The metallic floral print wallpaper in this Zajac and Callahan designed dining room was a James Ware/Tressard design called "Renee" in honor of the designer Renee Lynn Leonard. Danny drew the color separations and made the wallpaper screens for this print when he worked at James Ware during summer vacations from school.



This yellow and white bamboo on sailcloth Tressard print was called "Mado"



A brown and white latticework print



"Newport"



"Dassah", a vinyl with cotton stitching by Tressard.




"Lisette"





"Sabrina"



"Monte", previously named "Bromonte"




"Serure"




"Odette Stripe"


All fabric sample photos courtesy of Danny Recoder; all other photos from House & Garden.

Someone's in the Kitchen with Craig Claiborne

I just finished reading the new biography on Craig Claiborne, The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance. The book is certainly an unvarnished look at Claiborne's rather turbulent life, but the sections of the book that I found most interesting were those that focused on Claiborne's passion for food and cooking. And really, that's what I want to remember most about him.

The book's author wrote that upon Claiborne's first retirement from The New York Times, the food critic set out to write and publish his own Craig Claiborne Journal. That endeavor, however, was put on the back burner after Claiborne met an accomplished Chinese cook living in New York, Mrs. Virginia Lee. Claiborne was so taken with Mrs. Lee that not only did he take Chinese cookery classes from her, he also coauthored The Chinese Cookbook with her. In fact, the book is still considered to be one of the definitive works on Chinese cooking.

Funny enough, just a few days ago I happened to find an article on Claiborne and Lee in a 1971 issue of House & Garden. Talk about fortuitous timing. The article shows Claiborne and Lee in the kitchen (could it be Claiborne's kitchen in East Hampton?) preparing a seven dish Chinese luncheon for ten guests. Lee noted that "The advantage of a Chinese meal is that so much can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, then just brought to room temperature before cooking quickly in a Chinese wok." The menu included Aromatic Spiced Beef, Chinese Chicken with Nuts, Snow Peas and Straw Mushrooms, Steamed Flounder, Lettuce Packages, Smoked Duck, and Best Fried Rice. Sounds like quite a feast, and a delicious one at that. And after looking at the article's photos, I think that one can really see the camaraderie between Claiborne and Lee.

While I've never considered cooking a Chinese meal at home before, I have to say that after reading both the Claiborne biography as well as this House & Garden article, I am now inspired to try my hand at it. Not all seven dishes, mind you, but perhaps just one. No need to bite off more than I can chew.

All photos from House & Garden, July 1971.

Decorating with Norma Kamali

There are so many fashion designers from the 1970s and 80s who unfortunately no longer receive the media coverage that they once did. Remember Jean-Charles de Castelbajac? He used to be everywhere. Same with Laura Biagiotti. One designer who still keeps on keeping on, though, is Norma Kamali. Although I suppose it could be said that Kamali's heyday was a few decades ago, she is still designing and innovating, a remarkable achievement in the fickle fashion world.

Although I was fairly familiar with Kamali, I did not know that she also designed home furnishings until I read a December 1988 HG article, the photos of which are seen here. At first glance, I assumed the photos depicted Kamali's grand apartment. I mean, I knew that Kamali was successful, but successful enough to live in such lavish surroundings? Turns out the Manhattan triplex was owned and occupied by someone who insisted upon anonymity. Kamali did, however, help to decorate the sumptuous apartment with pieces from her then new OMO home collection. The collection included upholstered pieces done up in black velvet, a wheat shaft table, and a fabulous mirror and ebonized wood dining table.

One thing that can be said about 1980s-era fashion is that the designers were not afraid to express their exuberant and at times over the top points of view. I suppose the same could be same of home furnishings of the era. And because I do have a nostalgic love of 80s fashion, I included a few vintage pieces from past Norma Kamali collections. Just read the captions with an Elsa Klensch accent and you'll swear you've been transported back to 1985.



The upholstered chairs, ottoman, and sofa were part of Kamali's Shape and Silhouette Collection.



Norma Kamali Plaid Pantsuit



The Wheat table and chairs, displayed in one corner of the salon, were part of Kamali's furniture collection.



Norma Kamali Metal Micro Studded Dress




Peering into the dining room.



Norma Kamali Leopard Print Dress



The ebonized wood and mirror inlay dining table, part of Kamali's OMO Home Collection, was set with the homeowner's collection of antique and vintage silver.



Norma Kamali Goddess Dress



The Salon. The crystal basket on the mantelpiece was once a chandelier.




Kamali's glamorous and eccentrically decorated dressing table.


All photos from House & Garden, December 1988; Eric Boman photographer.

The Hamptons and Hickory Chair

In my speech on "Timeless Interiors" that I presented a few weeks ago, I mentioned two designers whose work I believe will stand the test of time. Those two designers are Mario Buatta and Mark Hampton, two of the best decorators this business has ever seen. I have already written much about the two in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

But not until the day before I gave my lecture did I realize how appropriate it was to include Mark Hampton in a speech presented in Hickory, North Carolina. As you probably know, Mark Hampton created a wonderful line of furniture in collaboration with Hickory Chair. In fact, it was my friend Will Merrill who, while working at Hickory Chair as Design Director, was responsible for bringing Mark Hampton to the venerable furniture maker back in the 1980s. I was fortunate enough to have been given a fantastic tour of Hickory Chair while up in North Carolina, and while I certainly appreciated their furniture before the tour, I have even greater respect for it now. How impressive to learn that almost all of the furniture is still made in America! While on my Hickory Chair tour, I saw how furniture designed by the likes of Thomas O'Brien, Mariette Himes Gomez, Suzanne Kasler, Mark Hampton, and Alexa Hampton are made. While Mark Hampton's line has been edited down to a smaller number of items, Alexa's line is filled with all kinds of wonderful chairs, tables, and casegood pieces.

So, in the spirit of timeless interiors, the Hamptons, and Hickory, North Carolina's own Hickory Chair, I thought I would highlight a few pieces from the Hamptons' collections and also show a few of them in situ. While I had a heck of a time trying to find Mark Hampton designed interiors where his Hickory Chair line was used, I was able to find some great photos of Alexa's work where Hickory Chair furniture does make appearances, including a photo of a room in which she used a writing table that was part of her father's collection.

Mark Hampton Collection:




Regency Bamboo Writing Table, part of Mark Hampton's collection for Hickory Chair. According to Will, the table was part of the very first collection that Hampton did for Hickory Chair. Alexa used the table in one of her projects, seen above.



Faux Bamboo Bench, which I have always loved.



Tufted Victorian Pouff. Only Mark Hampton could make Victorian look good.



Alexa Hampton's Collection:



Ash Cocktail Table





Nadine Chairside Table






Chris Set of Four Trays



And I couldn't find an interior photo where the Susannah Side Table was used, but I'm showing it anyway because I absolutely love this piece:

Susannah Side Table


Alexa Hampton interior photos from Alexa Hampton: The Language of Interior Design.

More Zajac & Callahan

When I posted about the Edward Zajac auction week before last, a few of you requested that I share more photos of Zajac & Callahan interiors. It wasn't hard to find photos of their work as it was published quite frequently during the 1970s. In fact, all of the photos featured here came from just a few 1970 issues of House & Garden.

There really isn't much I need to add to the photos as they speak for themselves. However, I will say that it's important to keep in mind that such a heady mix of patterns and prints- a signature look of Zajac and Callahan- was really novel for the late 1960s and early 70s. And if the number of times their work appeared in shelter magazines is any indication, the look must have been quite a crowd pleaser as well.