The Windows of Legends

I returned last week from Los Angeles, where I attended Legends.  To say that I had a good time is an understatement, as it took me days to recover from the non-stop socializing and inspiration-seeking that is Legends.  But the post-event exhaustion was certainly worth it, as I had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new acquaintances, such as Nicky Haslam, of whom I am in awe.  It was also very gratifying to see how close-knit the Los Angeles design community is and how vibrant the La Cienega Design Quarter remains. 

One of the highlights of this annual event are the windows of the La Cienega showrooms, which are thematically-decorated by prominent designers.  This year's theme was "Muses", and each participating designer chose a muse who (or, in some cases, which) inspires them.  Muses ranged from people (Charles de Beistegui and Slim Aarons) to places (Bali) and things, such as a blank slate.

For those of you who were unable to attend Legends, I want to show you just some of the windows that I saw during my stay in Los Angeles.  Because of the sheer number of designer windows that were featured at Legends, I'm only featuring half of the windows, which I chose at random.  But, please visit the Legends website to get the full run-down of windows.  My photos don't do the windows justice, so thankfully, I am able to share Grey Crawford's photographs with you.  And, if next year you have the opportunity to attend Legends, then I will likely see you there. 

Designer: Kristen Buckingham; Showroom: Kristen Buckingham; Muse: Lauren Santo Domingo

Designer: Timothy Corrigan; Showroom: Compas; Muse: Charles de Beistegui

Designer: Sam Allen; Showroom: Hollyhock; Muse: Bali

Designer: Young Huh; Showroom: Harbinger; Muse: La Grande Odalisque by Ingres.

Designer: Julia Buckingham; Showroom: The Rug Company; Muse: Slim Aarons

Designer: Ken Fulk; Showroom: Therien; Muse: The Movie Inside My Mind

Designer: Kylee Shintaffer; Showroom: Hollyhock; Muse: The Blank Slate

Designer: Scot Meacham Wood; Showroom: Mehraban; Muse: Shakespeare's Henry V

Designer: Susan Cohen; Showroom: J.D. Staron; Muse: Coco Chanel

Designer: Betsy Burnham; Showroom: Mecox; Muse: Animals

Designer: Platner and Company; Showroom: Stark; Muse: Rose Cumming

Designer: Gary Gibson; Showroom: Lee Stanton Antiques; Muse: Martin Puryear

Designer: Hallworth Design; Showroom: Lee Stanton Antiques; Muse: Mother Nature/ Warrior

Designer: Konstantin Kakanias; Showroom: Jasper; Muse: My Dog, Renzo

Designer: Amy Meier; Showroom: Marc Phillips; Muse: My Mother's Workroom

Designer: Cliff Fong; Showroom: Dragonette; Muse: Gertrude Stein

Designer: Nicky Kehoe; Showroom: Hollywood at Home; Muse: Wes Anderson

Designer: Molly Luetkemeyer; Showroom: Jamal's; Muse: Josef Albers

Designer: Stephen Shutts; Showroom: Jamal's; Muse: Eden, The Quest for Paradise

Designer: Elizabeth Dinkel; Showroom: Nicky Rising; Muse: Julia Morgan


All photos taken by Grey Crawford and used here with express permission of LCDQ Legends.

The Latest from de Gournay

While in Los Angeles last week, I visited the Nicky Rising showroom, where Hannah Cecil Gurney, Director of de Gournay, showed me the latest additions to the de Gournay line.  Some of the designs are new, while others have been updated in new colors, such as Fishes, shown above, which is now available in a striking red colorway.

Like the rest of the de Gournay line, the new additions are covetable and will likely have you wishing to redecorate your homes.  I discovered quite a few designs that I would be thrilled to hang in my home, especially scenic papers like Xie You Yu, Paul et Virginie, and English Landscape Design.  But while you look through my photos below, keep in mind that they don't do the papers justice.  There are subtleties such as bas relief, embroidery, and tarnished metal finishes that simply can't be captured in photographs.  That's all the more reason for you to see the papers for yourself.  If you're in Los Angeles, be sure to visit Nicky Rising, which is a jewel-box of a showroom, to see the full collection.  Or, if you live in the Southeast, you can consult Angela Patrick at Ainsworth-Noah.  These new designs are well-worth a visit.

P.S.- Some of the designs' names have escaped me, but I have included those that I do remember.

Earlham

Hixmore Triangles

Earlham

Magnolia

Xie You Yu

Flamingos painted in Ghost style on Deep Rich Gold gilded paper

Le Bresil in Ghost style on sterling silver gilded paper

English Landscape Design in Intaglio Painting

Paul et Virginie

Whistler Peacocks

Flamingos in full custom color

Cupid & Psyche


All photos the copyright of Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic

Le Temple de la Gloire

Although built in 1800 for the French military hero, Jean Victor Moreau, Le Temple de la Gloire, a historic house located near Paris, might be better remembered by some as the residence of Oswald and Diana Mosley, a couple who needs no introduction.  Conceived as a pavilion for entertaining and relaxation, the rather grand-looking Le Temple de la Gloire is deceiving, consisting mainly of a central block comprised of a drawing room and a dining room beneath it.  Located on either side of the drawing room are two small rooms, each with its own tiny bedroom.  As imposing looking as the structure's façade might be, behind it is a house that could be described as compact.

I first found photos of Le Temple de la Gloire in the 2000 book, The Finest Houses Of Paris, which clearly stated that the pavilion then belonged to Diana Mitford Mosley and her late husband, Oswald.  (I featured these photos on my blog back in 2013.)  Recently, I found additional interior photos in a 1981 issue of Architectural Digest, although curiously lacking in the magazine article is any mention of the Mosleys.  Instead, the residence is referred to as "the house of an Englishman."  Did the Mosleys prefer anonymity in hopes of avoiding controversy?  Then again, the Mosleys were ones who seemed to court controversy throughout their adult lives, so perhaps the absence of names was a decision made by the magazine.  Whatever the reason may be, the article provides us with additional photos of this glorious architectural gem.

The drawing room, which was furnished with an Empire chandelier and a daybed that was made for French actor, François Joseph Talma.

One of the more striking decorations in the pavilion's dining room is the black and white checkerboard carpeting. The dining table is Empire, while the dining chairs are Louis XVI.

A small sitting room, which is located to one side of the drawing room.

The flower garden, which was based on the original 1800 plan, was planted with cheerful delphinium, pansies, and roses.


All photos from Architectural Digest, May 1981, Bruno de Hamel photographer.

Please Join Us

I hope that you will join Gary Searle, Vice President of Sales and Merchandising for Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils, and me next Tuesday, May 19th, as we present Design Trend: Creating Inspired Contemporary Interiors Using Traditional Elements.  As its title implies, our talk and slide presentation will focus on the versatility of classic furnishings- especially beautiful fabrics- and how to use them to create fresh-for-today interiors.  We will also discuss some of the latest design trends.

The talk will begin at 11 a.m. in the Lee Jofa- Brunschwig & Fils showroom at ADAC, with a light lunch to follow.  If you plan to attend, please RSVP by May 15th to julie.kimbel@leejofa.com

We hope to see you next week.

Justine Cushing's Home- Now and Then

Show of hands- how many of you became enamored with Justine Cushing's Manhattan apartment while reading the May issue of House Beautiful?  I know that I certainly did.  At the time of this post's writing, I had read the article three times, and I suspect that I will have looked through it at least once more by the time this post has published.

While reading the HB article, the word "refreshing" kept popping into my head.  Cushing's apartment is refreshing not in the sense that it presents anything new or novel, but rather because its furnishings don't follow any current trends.  There are no statement-making interiors here, nor are there furnishings and fabrics which are preening for the camera.  Instead, the home seems decorated with its owner's comfort and pleasure solely in mind.

Speaking of the home's furnishings, they represent the best of the best of classic design.  Bamboo shades, swing-arm lamps, Chinoiserie, a needlepoint rug (done by Cushing herself), and quilts.  Equally as striking are Cushing's antiques, some of which have been handed down to her by family, as well as paintings done by her grandfather, Howard Gardiner Cushing.  But what might be most impressive is the fact that much of her apartment has remained the same since 1970, when Cushing made this apartment her home.  The living room and dining area's orange walls, the living room's furniture arrangement, and the bedroom's wallpaper and canopied bed haven't changed throughout the years.  Based on a 1988 HG article about the same apartment (photos are shown below the House Beautiful ones), it seems that only some of the fabrics, accessories, and rugs have been refreshed.  Considering that so many homes are redecorated every few years (or sometimes even rebuilt, as the case is in Atlanta,) don't you find Cushing's sensible approach to decorating to be... refreshing?

The apartment as it appears today...:

...and as it appeared in 1988:

Photos 1-3: House Beautiful, May 2015, Thomas Loof photographer. Photos 4-6: HG, November 1988, Michael Mundy photographer.