Bright Lights, Big City

It dawned on me recently that I absolutely love those old interior photos that captured an interior room or a terrace landscape against a nighttime backdrop of twinkling city lights. For me, a city has such energy at night thanks to the hustle and bustle of people coming and going to restaurants, parties, or the theater. Well, that's my fantasy anyway. But a city skyline at night is a truly beautiful sight, one which reminds many of us why we choose to live in the big city. And the photos that depict a city dwelling with a view only add to the allure of urban living.

You don't see these nighttime shots too often anymore, and I'm not sure if it's because of lighting issues or something else. But you have to admit that these nocturnal photos certainly add a lot of atmosphere, and in a way drama, to these spaces.




An apartment designed by Jay Spectre.




Also in the Jay Spectre designed apartment is this terrace where Maillol's Torse de Venus resided.




The Manhattan apartment of Richard Giglio.




A table setting with a view of Hong Kong across Victoria Harbor.




A terrace with a view of Central Park.



A nighttime setting on the terrace of Mr. Churchill Brazelton.



The former terrace of San Francisco designer Anthony Hail; a view of Telegraph Hill is beyond.


Photos #2, #3, and #4 from Architectural Digest New York Interiors; #5 from Tiffany Taste; #6 and #7 from Tiffany Table Settings; #1 and #8 from House Beautiful, 1968.

Strange Fruit

On the Contributors Page of the current House Beautiful, I mention that one of my current obsessions is Italian trompe l'oeil ceramics. In fact, I've been obsessed with Italian ceramics, both of the trompe l'oeil variety and not, for years now, and my passion for it has yet to abate. (And I hope it never will, either!) I will be the first to admit that whimsical Italian ceramics can be an acquired taste. A lot of people just don't get it and even find it to be ugly. But if you do get it and it captures your fancy, then you will become mad for it. At least, that's been my experience.

I was first introduced to Italian trompe l'oeil ceramicware when I worked at Tiffany. Back in the 1960s, the great Van Day Truex introduced a line of ceramic tableware decorated with trompe l'oeil fruits, vegetables, and legumes, all of which was produced in Italy. While some of these plates are still being sold at Tiffany today, much of it has unfortunately been discontinued.

I started collecting these pieces around eight years ago after seeing my friend Kappy's enviable collection, and now I own roughly twenty trompe l'oeil pieces- and I'm not done collecting it, either. You can see part of my collection in the photo at top. I have to say that the plates are amazingly realistic looking, with the exception of those with carrots and strawberries. For some reason, the Italian ceramicists seemed to have trouble with those two.

In addition to the trompe l'oeil plates, I also love Italian ceramic tureens, garden seats, lettuceware, and, well, I'll put a lid on it because I could go on and on. But I'm not the only person who is taken with this type of ceramicware. Mid-century Italian ceramic tureens are hot sellers at my friend Barry Hutner's antiques shop, Parc Monceau. Bergdorf Goodman installed all kinds of wonderful ceramic tableware and accessories in one of their 7th floor galleries, a charming way to usher in the summer season. And rumor has it that the Italian ceramic swan tureen that alighted on Christopher Spitzmiller's Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Spring Benefit table elicited many queries of "How much will you take for it?" By the way, it's not for sale, and if I owned it, I wouldn't part with it either!

This tureen, part of my collection, is meant to look like a stack of plates with chocolates on top.




The egg plate really does look peeled hard-boiled eggs.




A plate of green beans and a pear on a plate.




This trompe l'oeil piece, one that depicts a bunch of asparagus, is a cigarette box from the 1960s.



A pair of Italian ceramic garden stools graced the 7th floor of Bergdorf's this Spring. I wonder if they're still there?




A shell tureen and a rabbit version, both mid-century Italian, are currently available at Parc Monceau.




Christopher Spitzmiller's Lenox Hill table with the highly coveted mid-century Swan tureen.


All photos by Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic, with the exception of the Spitzmiller table photo by Roberto Ricci and Marco Ricca.

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.