Jean-Louis Deniot: Interiors

I am still working my way through my stack of recent book releases, but in the meantime, one book that I do want to bring to your attention is Jean-Louis Deniot: Interiors, written by Diane Dorrans Saeks. I have long been a fan of Deniot's work, especially that which is infused with a 1930s- and 1940s-era aesthetic. Deniot admits to being influenced by the work of such early-20th- century innovators as Jean-Michel Frank (especially Frank's use of natural materials and textures,) and it is this influence that helps to make Deniot's contemporary interiors classic, warm, and inviting, while at the same time imbuing his traditional interiors with flair, sophistication, and a soupçon of glamour.

Two things that I especially want to note about this book: first, Saeks treats each interior photo to an information-packed caption.  This is where you will find details as to which fabric, for example, Deniot chose for that particular room.  Second, the text is peppered with tidbits of Deniot's design philosophy, something which, in a way, makes this book read like a master class in sophisticated decorating.  Couple the compelling text with the book's beautifully-shot photos, and you have a tome that will leave you feeling inspired and informed, too.

© JEAN-LOUIS DENIOT: Interiors by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli New York, 2014. All photos © Xavier Béjot.

Blue Print Dallas

When I was in Dallas a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit a real gem of a shop called Blue Print. The store, which carries new furnishings, antiques, accessories, books, and art, is located within a wonderful old house, which sits on a lovely, tree-lined street.  I stupidly forgot to take a photo of the shop's exterior, which prominently features a stylish, bright-blue front door.  (You'll have to go to the shop's website to see it.)  However, I did take lots of photos of the inside.  The shop's five owners, all of whom are in the design business, have done a great job at styling the shop's interiors, which still feel residential to me.  With the combination of good-looking interior architecture and an updated mix of furnishings, Blue Print is the kind of store that makes you want to move right in.

I highly recommend that you visit Blue Print during your next trip to Dallas.

All photos © Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic.

The Art of Setting the Table

Even if at first glance you didn't realize that the woman pictured above was Pauline de Rothschild, you might have guessed pretty quickly that the elegantly-frocked, coquettishly-posed woman was some kind of doyenne of stylish living.  Of course, that guess would be correct, because de Rothschild was indeed a master at the art of living well.

Of her many accomplishments, it was her flair for entertaining and setting a table that was especially impressive, garnering both praise and a few magazine articles in such publications as Vogue (where the accompanying photos were taken by Horst) and L'ŒIL.  And if you look at photos of de Rothschild's table settings, some of which are seen here, you will understand why both magazines devoted space to her myriad creations.  Entertaining at Château de Mouton, the country estate of her husband, winemaker Philippe de Rothschild, was evidently an elaborate affair, thoroughly-planned and well-coordinated.  As the writer Valentine Lawford rather breathlessly noted in Vogue:

Menus are brought to her in bed.  So is a book with photographs of the luncheon and dinner services (one hundred and seventy of them, all told), and other books with swatches of the tablecloths and napkins (an equally prodigious variety) to choose from for the day.  Marie, the flower-arranger, telephones for instructions before going off on her little motor bicycle in search of moss and branches and blossoms.

Like I said, elaborate, but with one hundred and seventy luncheon and dinner services at her disposal, a book of photographs would have been a necessity, don't you think?

The photos you see below are just a few of de Rothschild's table settings.  Some of them were published in Vogue, while others ran in L'ŒIL.  But until the other day, I didn't realize that some of her table accoutrements appeared in multiple photographs and in both magazines.  For example, in a terrace luncheon setting photographed for Vogue, she used a blue and white paisley cloth to cover the table, while in another photo, a brown and white version of the same printed fabric was used on a table set for serving coffee. In L'ŒIL, the paisley fabric appears yet again, although this time, according to the magazine, in a mauve colorway.  (The brown version and the mauve version look the very same to me, but who am I to argue with Vogue and L'ŒIL?)

Then there is de Rothschild's soft-paste Chantilly décor de brindille dinner service, a wonderful blue and white china that she chose for the aforementioned terrace luncheon as well as for a different table setting pictured in L'ŒIL.  That setting included a yellow cloth and napkins, 19th-century silver and vermeil flatware, and an arrangement of moss and narcissi.  (Marie, the flower-arranger, must have gathered the moss and blossoms.)  Quite frankly, writing about all of these different combinations is making my head spin, so perhaps I should simply end it here and encourage you to look at the photos below to see the different ways in which she used what were presumably some of her favorite pieces.

And if you are anything like Pauline de Rothschild and own the amount of china that she did, then all I can say is, good luck with keeping it all straight.

*A few days after writing this post, I read the November issue of World of Interiors, which includes an article about Pauline de Rothschild and her Paris home.  The photographs of her home were taken by Horst.  The article is definitely worth reading, if you have not yet done so.

The blue and white paisley cloth and Chantilly décor de brindille dinner service, which appeared in Vogue.

Also photographed for Vogue was this table, which was set for after-luncheon coffee.  This time, a brown and white version of the paisley cloth was used.

In L'ŒIL, a mauve version of the paisley cloth was used.  The polychrome Creil plates have hunting scenes on them.  The arrangement included catkins, dried ferns, and oak leaves.

Another L'ŒIL photograph.  That charming Chantilly décor de brindille dinner service was set on top of a yellow cloth.  The 19th-century flatware was made in England for Philippe de Rothschild's grandfather.

I included the two photos, above, simply because they were additional examples of de Rothschild's fondness for exotic-print fabrics.

Ye Olde Southern Style

I'm back.  I've been touring the South over the last few weeks, lecturing in such cities as Birmingham, Memphis, Greenville, and Dallas.  Each of these cities has its own unique style, but what they all have in common is a friendliness and ease that make visiting these cities a real pleasure.  It's also confirmation that, thankfully, our region's famed Southern hospitality is alive and well.

Something else that I discovered on my journeys is that the old Southern appreciation for color and pattern isn't entirely dead.  For a few years now, I have written about how the saturated and, at times, bright colors that marked my Atlanta childhood have fallen out of favor, with neutral tones and soft, pale colors now mostly defining Southern decor.  This isn't a local phenomenon, because I think the same thing has happened throughout much of the country.  But what does surprise me is how little color is being used in the South, especially considering our region's light.  We have the benefit of bright, warm light, which makes corals, yellows, bright blues, and acid greens, for example, look really smashing.  (Our typically sunny light is also the reason why some of those moody Belgian colors have never looked entirely comfortable in the South- at least, that's the way I see it.)  I certainly understand the appeal of neutrals, and some of my favorite homes are those which are decorated in rich, warm tones of caramel, camel, and brown.  I only wish that more people in the South would take advantage of our light and indulge in a little colorful decor.

It seems that I'm not alone, because over the last month, I have heard a number of Southerners express similar sentiments, and not due to any prompting on my part, either.  And after visiting a number of Southern homes during my trips, I can say that there are others who, like me, never forgot our colorful design roots.  Color and pattern may not be as prevalent south of the Mason-Dixon line as it once was, but it's not non-existent, and that's something in which I take comfort.

And now, for a little taste of how some Southerners used to decorate, I give you a few photos of Southern interiors from the 1970s and 80s.  Yes, a lot of the decor is dated, but look past it.  I chose these particular rooms for either their vivid colors or the great printed fabrics that seasoned them.  Looking at these photos decades after they were taken, I'd say that a lot of these fabrics, and many of these colors, haven't aged a bit.

 

Inspired by Tradition: The Architecture of Norman Davenport Askins

It's not often that I can say I have a history with the subject of a high-profile book, but such is the case with the soon-to-be-released Inspired by Tradition: The Architecture of Norman Davenport Askins.  You see, back in the late 1980s, Norman, the influential Atlanta architect and classicist, was hired by my parents to renovate our 1920s-era house.  They greatly admired Norman's work, and they trusted Norman to do a sensitive renovation, one which would respect the integrity- and the age- of our house.  Of course, back at that time, I was all of sixteen years old, so I don't remember a lot about the renovation process- except the fact that the young male architects who worked for Norman were really cute.

Years later, and my parents and I still think that Norman is one of Atlanta's best architects, one who is deserving of his new monograph.  Having lived in the South all of his life, Norman is steeped in the history of old houses and traditional architecture.  Capable of working in a number of styles, Norman's body of work includes houses executed in the Federal style, for example, as well as those influenced by rural Italian architecture.  But as diverse as Norman's work can be, what ties all of his houses together is the fact that they are rooted in tradition.

I think it's this diversity of classical styles that makes both Norman's work and his book so interesting.  Written with Susan Sully, who also served as the book's photographer, Inspired by Tradition takes the reader on a tour of Norman's work in cities, in the mountains, and at the beach.  While it's the exterior photos of each house that lull me into daydreams, it is the interior shots that make me sit up and take notice.  Norman has an incredible eye for detail, and I think that really comes through in the houses' interiors.  (These details are also highlighted beautifully in Susan Sully's photographs.)

If tradition, gracious homes, and classical architecture inspire you, then I suggest reading Norman's book.  Now that I have done so, I am fantasizing about hiring Norman to update my condo.  I'll let you know if that fantasy ever becomes a reality.

 

All photos from Inspired by Tradition: The Architecture of Norman Davenport Askins by Norman Davenport Askins and Susan Sully, © The Monacelli Press, 2014.

Serendipity

I experienced design serendipity last week. I was catching up on my World of Interiors reading when I saw the article about the Castilian home of Paco Carvajal, the Count of Fontanar.  Great decor throughout the house, but what especially caught my eye was the vintage blue and white tile-motif wallpaper that Carvajal used around a bedroom fireplace.  (See above.)  According to the article, Carvajal found the old rolls of paper in his grandmother's pantry.  Hadn't I just seen that wallpaper somewhere recently???  Why, yes.  That is the same paper that was used in the bedroom of the old Denning and Fourcade residence, which I featured on my blog a few weeks ago:

These two photos brought to mind yet another interior where the paper was so strikingly used:

Here, you can see it in the blue and white sunroom of Oscar and Françoise de la Renta.  Three chic homes, all of which featured this stylish paper.  The only trouble is that I haven't a clue as to who produced this paper.  Any ideas?


Top photo from World of Interiors, September 2014, Pablo Zuloaga photographer.

A Tribute to Jane Marsden

Jane Marsden, one of Atlanta's preeminent antiques dealers and interior decorators, was a fixture in our city's design community for decades. In addition to decorating some of Atlanta's finest homes (one of which I featured on my blog a number of years ago,) Marsden also founded her eponymous antiques shop, which she ran with her daughter, Janie Marsden-Willis. (You can see mother and daughter in the photo above.)  Jane Marsden's shop became a coveted source for French and English furniture, Chinese Export porcelain, and antique lighting, just to name a few of the areas in which Marsden specialized.

Sadly, Marsden died last week, and it's a loss that Atlanta designers and collectors have felt immensely.  As a tribute to the talented Marsden, I am featuring these photos of her Atlanta residence, which was located above her shop.  As you can see, Marsden had real flair and a taste for beautiful objects, both of which influenced the way Atlantans decorated their homes.  Her legacy will live on in the many homes she decorated, not to mention the myriad antiques that left her shop for places far and wide.

All photos from Paper City, Erica George Dines photographer.

Two More Books for Your Consideration

Two fall book releases that I have highly anticipated are The Drawing Room: English Country House Decoration by British historian and writer, Jeremy Musson, and The Private Houses of France: Living with History by French writer Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery.  I collect books by both authors, and their latest efforts were well worth the wait.

As the title of Musson's book implies, The Drawing Room explores "one of the defining spaces of the English country house."  The author's introduction gives a concise history of this room, which evolved from the modest, early seventeenth-century "withdrawing" room to a space that, by the late seventeenth century, stood almost equal in importance to the dining room, thus earning the drawing room the sometimes expensive, usually well-appointed decor that defines these rooms today.  Musson has divided his book into chronological sections that trace the evolution of drawing room decor from the sixteenth century up to today, using numerous examples of well-known (and perhaps not so well-known) country house drawing rooms.  In the section devoted to the sixteenth- to eighteenth-century drawing room, expect to find photos of South Wraxall Manor, Kedleston Hall, and Broadlands.  Attingham Park and Renishaw Hall represent the elegant nineteenth-century drawing room, while the "opulence" of the later nineteenth-century can be seen in the rooms of Knebworth and Madresfield Court.  The drawing rooms of David Hicks, Detmar Blow, and Nancy Lancaster are prime examples of how tastemakers decorated and used these rooms during the twentieth century.  Finally, the book ends with a look at what the twenty-first-century drawing room looks like, specifically rooms decorated by Veere Grenney and Chester Jones.  (All of the country houses I have mentioned are but a fraction of the houses featured in Musson's book.)

As tempting as it might be ignore the text in favor of the book's beautiful photos by Paul Barker, don't.  Musson's brief but illuminating surveys of each drawing room are chock full of architectural history, social history, and descriptions of furnishings and decor, all of which tend to interest people like us.  And one more thing- Musson's book will make a nice companion to Mark Girouard's Life in the English Country House, a book that many of us own.

 The South Drawing Room at Althorp

The drawing room at Renishaw Hall, home of the Sitwells.

Deene Park 

The drawing room of Stanway House, with its pair of Thomas Chippendale Chinoiserie daybeds.

Veere Grenney's The Temple, whose drawing room is always a crowd pleaser.

Moving on to France.... I'm an ardent fan of author Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery, whose books give readers an insider's view of life in aristocratic French residences.  Although the concept of her latest book, Private Houses of France, is not markedly different from that of The Finest Houses of Paris or even The French Chateau, that's okay with me.  I never grow tired of looking at big, beautiful photos of sumptuously-appointed French homes.

De Nicolay-Mazery's latest endeavour profiles such private houses as Château d'Anet, Champchevrier, and the Paris apartment of Princesse G. There are also chapters on Hubert de Givenchy's Paris residence, Hôtel d'Orrouer, as well as Baron de Redé's first floor residence of Hôtel Lambert. (I believe that the book's photos of both residences have never before been published.)  Like Musson's work, the text in this book deals mostly with the history of each residence, although the author does delve into how the various aristocratic homeowners live in their luxurious abodes.  But it's the book's photos that might well send the reader into a reverie.  In addition to large, overall room shots, there are plenty of detail photos as well, which capture the personal details that say so much about a home.  Just take a look below:

The Paris residence of Hubert de Givenchy 

 A guest room at Château d'Anet

 The dining room in a hôtel particulier in the Marais

At Château d'Anet

*The Drawing Room is available via Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and IndieBound. Private Houses of France also available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and IndieBound.

Photos from The Drawing Room by Jeremy Musson, copyright © Rizzoli Publishers 2014. Photos from Private Houses of Frances by Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery, copyright © Flammarion Publishers 2014. Francis Hammond photographer.