Bedford Antiques & Design Show

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, why not consider attending the Bedford Antiques & Design Show?  (That is, of course, if you live in the vicinity of Bedford, New York.)  Held at Historical Hall at the Village Green, Bedford, the show runs from Saturday, 10am to 6pm, through Sunday, 11am to 4pm.  Benefiting Bedford Historial Society's Properties Fund, tickets are $10. 

The highlight of the event is sure to be Saturday evening's cocktail party and presentation by designer Jeffrey Bilhuber, who will be discussing his recent book, The Way Home: Reflections on American Beauty. The introduction will be given by Martha Stewart.  And you won't go hungry, either, as cocktails and lavish hors d'oeuvres will be served, all under a tent on the Village Green.  Sounds like a festive evening indeed.

For more information, visit the Bedford Historical Society's website, or call (914) 234-9751.  For tickets to Saturday's cocktail party, click here. 

Chuck Williams and His Earthquake Shack

A week ago today, Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams celebrated his 97th birthday.  Could an enthusiasm for good food and hard work be the secret to his longevity?

You might remember that I posted a few 1970s-era photos of Williams' San Francisco kitchen a few months ago.  (Click here to read that post.)  After that post was published, a reader, Robert Ruiz, very kindly emailed me a 1989 Architectural Digest article which featured this very same home.  I am showing the AD article photos here.

According to the article, Mr. Williams bought his "earthquake shack" in the early 1960s.  In the wake of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the city built and situated small clapboard dwellings in Golden Gate Park for those left homeless by the disaster (twenty thousand people, in fact.)  A year later, with the city's residential district mostly rebuilt, the city offered to give those cabins to those who were living in them on the condition that they move them to permanent, residential sites.  Williams' shack was moved by horse and buggy to its current location on Nob Hill, near the intersection of Sacramento and Leavenworth. 

When Williams bought the shack, it was little more than four rooms with an outside bath.  No surprise that he embarked on a renovation, one that appears to have modernized his home without losing any of its historical charm.  Part of the renovation entailed going down into the ground into a primitive storage cellar, a space that eventually became Williams' small but efficient kitchen and dining room.

What you'll see in these photos is an abundance of country antiques, many of which Williams picked up during his European travels.  There are oak gate-leg tables, Luneville plates, faience, cooking accoutrements, and books.  What a delectable combination!  The article also mentions Williams' preferred style of entertaining.  Just as he exclaimed in the 1972 article about which I previously wrote, Williams kept the size of his dinners and lunches to around four to six guests.  In good weather, cocktails, after dinner coffee, and weekend lunches were (and perhaps still are?) held on the terrace just off of his kitchen and dining room.

On another note, Robert also mentioned that the recently published biography on Williams, Merchant of Sonoma: Pioneer of the American Kitchen, is an interesting read.  The book not only includes some of Williams' favorite recipes, but it also features pages devoted to some of the now-essential cooking equipment that Williams helped to popularize, including the Kitchen Aid mixer, Le Creuset cookware, and the Apilco cow creamer.

Sounds like hearty belated birthday greetings are in order.  A happy belated birthday, Mr. Williams!

The dining room that is located on the ground floor.

A sitting area on the ground floor where guests relaxed.

An oak dresser holds Luneville ceramics.

Two views of the kitchen. When this article was written (1989), the range was over thirty years old. Williams said that he was devoted to it and knew its quirks quite well.

An exterior view of the clapboard earthquake shack.

All photos from Architectural Digest, 1989, John Vaughan photographer.

English Decoration by Ben Pentreath

Last week was mostly a waste for me as I spent it either in bed or on the sofa, nursing a terrible cold. It wasn't a complete waste, though, thanks to my copious TV watching. I learned that Victor Newman had returned to Genoa City (Hallelujah! The Young and the Restless just isn't the same without Victor) and that every episode of Remington Steele included the name "Steele" in its title. Did you know that?

What perked me up immensely, though, was the receipt of two books that were both food for the soul and feasts for the eyes. (Bear with me and the spate of recent book reviews. Just two this week, but I promise that they're good!) First up is British architectural & interior designer Ben Pentreath's new book, English Decoration: Timeless Inspiration for the Contemporary Home.

I have been a fan of both Ben's work and his eponymous shop (or at least its online version) for a few years now. I have to say that after reading this book, I'm even more of a fan now. Although I don't know Ben, I do think that we are kindred spirits as we both find vast inspiration in the past, but we reinterpret it for today. At least, that's the way I view it.

English Decoration: Timeless Inspiration for the Contemporary Home profiles a range of English homes owned by the author himself as well as an assortment of creative types. What makes this book so interesting is that the homes, for the most part, have not been decorated by professional designers, but rather were concocted by the homeowners themselves. And personal looking is what these homes are. There are family portraits, children's artwork, treasures found at country house auctions, and the "accretion of decades." These homes are not decorated to perfection, and yet, a kind of perfection is found in these homes' loosely mannered appearances.

In addition to a very complimentary forward written by the great Nicky Haslam, the book is divided into chapters on Entry Halls, "Comfortable Rooms", Kitchen and Dining Rooms, and even Utility Rooms. Each chapter is filled with lush photographs as well as Pentreath's charming and sometimes humorous captions, all of which go a long way to explaining the essence of English Decoration. And after reading this book, I really do feel as though I have a better sense of what makes up the DNA of this style of decorating. As Ben writes in the book, one attribute of the English style is "the unstudied way in which we have in an instant achieved both comfort and cosiness, grandeur and simplicity, sense and sensibility: in short, a place the English can call home." Sounds like the best of all worlds, don't you think?

After reading this book, I felt both uplifted and inspired. I have a very strong feeling that this is a book that I will return to often, and in my opinion, that's the very best kind of book there is. I hope that you'll give this book consideration, because I really do think you'll enjoy it.

Book number two, Gil Schafer's The Great American House: Tradition for the Way We Live Now, will be featured in the next few days.

All photos from English Decoration: Timeless Inspiration for the Contemporary Home by Ben Pentreath, Jan Baldwin photographer. Ryland, Peters, & Small publishers.

My Beverly Hills Kitchen

I recently received a review copy of the new cookbook My Beverly Hills Kitchen: Classic Southern Cooking with a French Twist, by Alex Hitz, and I can't begin to tell you how anxious I am to start cooking from it.  (I had hoped to cook one of the recipes over the weekend, but I was stuck in bed with a bad cold.)  So, which recipe should I try first? Chicken Country Captain? "She" Crab Soup? Salmon Pot Pie?

One of my biggest complaints about a lot of entertaining and party cookbooks is that the authors tout recipes that are supposed to be novel, new, and FUN, when in reality they come across as being fussy and cute.  This is why most of us are such fans of Ina Garten.  Her recipes are classic, tried and true, and tasty.  And although I haven't yet cooked any of Alex's recipes, I have a strong hunch that the same thing can be said of his.

The book is chock-full of recipes for Hors d'Oeuvres (Crab Tarts, Dorothy's Cheese Straws), Soups (Cold Pea Soup with Mint, Shrimp Bisque), Salads (Crab Salad with Bloody Mary Aspic), Eggs, Cheese, Grits, and Quiches (Soufflé "Suissesse", Brooke's Confetti Grits), Vegetables and Side Dishes (Hash Brown Cake, Stewed Tomatoes), Seafood (Pecan-Crusted Salmon with Sauce Gribiche), Chicken, Turkey, and Pheasant (Chicken Pot Pie, Robert's Turkey Hash), Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork (Erlinda's Exquisite Short Ribs, Pulled Pork with Carolina Barbecue Sauce), Biscuits, Rolls, Bread, Pastry, and Crepes (Yeast Rolls, Sally Lunn Bread), and finally, Dessert (Peggy's Apricot Mousse, Priceless Pecan Bars).  See what I mean about chock-full?  What I also appreciate is that there is a chapter on sauces, including recipes for Orange Mayonnaise, Cucumber Sauce, and Hollandaise Sauce and its many variations.  While I often serve beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin, or poached salmon at my dinner parties, I will admit that I don't always serve a sauce on the side.  I'm certainly going to now.

The book is being released today, so if you're looking for a new book that will entice you to start cooking and entertaining, get thee to the bookstore and check out Alex's new book.  If you live in Atlanta, you might want to consider attending one of Alex's book signings next week.  Click here for more information.

Albert Hadley: A Heritage of Riches

I want to invite my New York readers to join me on Monday, September 24 at the Avenue Antiques, Art, & Design Show at the Armory. I am very excited to be participating in a panel discussion titled Albert Hadley: A Heritage of Riches. Moderated by Inge Heckel, the presentation will also feature Bunny Williams, David Kleinberg, Britton Smith, and Diana Quasha. The event will include remembrances of the great Mr. Hadley as well as an overview of some of his most memorable interiors. Needless to say, I am honored to be included in a tribute to the designer who has so inspired me.

The event starts at 10 a.m. There are also many other interesting events that are part of this show. For more information, please click here. I look forward to seeing you at the Armory!

Ann Getty Interior Style

One of the most beautiful and engrossing books that I've read lately is Ann Getty Interior Style. Written by the talented Diane Dorrans Saeks, the book profiles the work of San Francisco based Ann Getty, considered to be one of this country's most accomplished and rarefied designers. Getty's work is a prime example of serious decorating. Not serious as in boring, but rather representative of decorating in the most classical sense of the word. In Getty's interiors, sumptuous fabrics, glorious antiques, and unique fine finishes all come together to create worlds of fantasy that somehow remain comfortable and livable. That takes skill, you know.

For some time now, Getty has been regarded as a well-informed collector and connoisseur, one whose collection, as the author notes, spans countries, periods, and styles. But rather than reading as a disparate grouping of items, her collection is really quite harmonious and dazzling. Saeks' captions that accompany the book's photographs often include detailed descriptions of these treasures, serving as an education on the best of the best antiques and decorative arts. Provenances aside, Getty's use of antiques and art, whether they be in her own home or those of clients, is something that should be studied. History obviously plays a role in her work, and yet, one could never call her interiors staid.

The book's photographs are lavish and colorful, a testament to the depth of Getty's work. But whatever you do, make sure to pay attention to the book's text. Saeks' writing is the perfect partner to Getty's work, lyrical, engaging, and magical in its own right. Reading the book transported me to each of the featured homes, making me feel as though I had a very special perch from which to view these rooms.

If you're looking for a book that both inspires and informs, I urge you to take a look at this book. I think you'll find that it's a special addition to your library.




A holiday table setting inspired by Ann Getty's love of Chinoiserie. (Copyright Ann Getty Interior Style by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli, 2012)




The Living Room, with curtains crafted in three shades of Indian silk and a pair of George I gilded armchairs covered in antique blue damask. (Copyright Ann Getty Interior Style by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli, 2012)




The Trainas' bedroom, with a japanned and gilded Venetian secretaire, which was a family heirloom. (Copyright Ann Getty Interior Style by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli, 2012)




The dining room, set for a fall dinner honoring illustrious scientists. (Copyright Ann Getty Interior Style by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli, 2012)




Hand-painted, gilded, and semiprecious stone-ornamented Syro-Turkish paneled room, carved and adorned with marble and colored stones, featuring a gilded canopy bed. (Copyright Ann Getty Interior Style by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli, 2012)



All photographs and captions reproduced with express permission of the author and publisher. Copyright Ann Getty Interior Style by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli, 2012. Lisa Romerein, photographer.

Rouen Suite on the Normandie

To those of you who are cruise devotees, forgive me if it seems as though I'm raining on your parade. You see, I'm cruise-ship averse. One reason may be because I get motion sickness at the drop of a hat. Then again, it might also have to do with the fact that the idea of being stuck on a ship in the middle of the ocean kind of freaks me out. And then there's the Norwalk virus. Have you ever seen those news interviews with passengers returning from a Norwalk afflicted cruise?? Talk about a cruise from hell.

However, there are certain ships that might entice me to overcome my cruising apprehension. One is the small but luxurious ship upon which Diane Dorrans Saeks recently traveled during her sojourn to Myanmar. (She wrote about it last week.) The ship that really strikes my fancy, though, is the late French ocean liner, SS Normandie. I don't wish the ship were around today, because traveling on it would be nothing like it was in the 1930s. There just wouldn't be the same sense of style, gentility, and decorum today as there was back then. But, for a taste of what might have been (had we lived back then, of course), take a look at the Rouen suite on the Normandie. Decorated by the French firm Dominique, the suite's decor is an example of the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles that were used throughout the ship's interiors. It's sad to think that just seven years after these photos were published, the ship was destroyed by fire in the port of New York as it was being converted to a U.S. troopship, having been seized by the U.S. government in World War II. Such a shame, especially considering how beautiful and well-appointed these rooms were.

Image at top: The suite's dining room had walls covered in parchment and pallisander.



In the bedroom, lacquered blond wood walls had engraved mirrored panels. The color scheme for the room was bisque and brown.



The blue bedroom had silk paneled lacquer walls and sharkskin furniture.



The salon.



Another bedroom with "laced pigskin...ruddy tones...coarse textures."

All images from House & Garden, August 1935.

Chocolate Cordial Cups

In my cache of vintage magazines, there are certain advertisements that appear often. In my 1930s magazines, there are the ads for Heinz tomato juice that feature the Aristocrat Tomato Man (Google it to see what I'm talking about), while the 1950s-era magazines promoted Fostoria glass. And my 1960s issues harbor numerous ads for Chocolate Cordial Cups made by the Astor Chocolate Corp. of Brooklyn.

I think that I've seen these chocolate liqueur cups before, but I never thought much about them until I kept seeing the Astor Chocolate ads time and time again. A search on the internet led me to the Astor Chocolate website, where they are still selling these chocolate cups bound in gold foil cups. According to their website, the company's owner devised these edible shot glasses in response to 1960s-era laws that prohibited the sale of liqueur filled chocolates. In one's own home, though, one could play mixologist/chocolatier without any fear of breaking any laws. Hence, the chocolate cordial cup.

I'm curious- have any of you served these cups when entertaining? If so, what kind of liqueur do you pour into them? I'm intrigued by the idea of them and am thinking of ordering some. I might serve them with a shot of Framboise seeing that chocolate and raspberries go hand in hand. Amaretto or Frangelico might be nice, too, although I'm thinking that Midori might look a little radioactive in those chocolate cups. What do you think?

Using My Little Grey Cells

I don't know about you, but recently I have found myself having a little difficulty with my memory recall. I doubt that it can be attributed to a physical condition (at least I hope not,) but rather it's a result, I think, of too much information via the internet.

While consulting Martin Battersby's The Decorative Thirties, I discovered the 1932 photograph, above, that depicts the home of Professor Adolf Rading. What is most striking, of course, are those metal sculptures attached to the home's wall. According to Battersby, the metal works, once called "a space-enlivening element", were fabricated by Bauhaus artist Oskar Schlemmer.

Looking at that photo, it dawned on me that I had seen the sculpture to the left quite recently. But where??? Wait! I know where. An episode of Poirot. It only took me an entire afternoon and hours worth of Poirot episodes to locate it:




See? The very same Schlemmer wire sculpture, though here it was located in a ruthless film director's Art Deco home in "The King of Clubs". Do you think it's the same as that in the Rading home or a replica?

While watching all of those episodes, I did find yet one more space-enlivening element that was similar to the other sculpture in the Rading home. It's not quite as Bauhaus in feel, but you get the gist:




Photo at top from The Decorative Thirties by Martin Battersby.