Madeline Stuart meets Cedric Gibbons

All too often, we see photos of legendary houses with once-legendary interiors that have been renovated and redecorated beyond recognition.  It is so disheartening to see a prominent house's character, the very thing that made it special, be completely snuffed out by new homeowners and their overzealous architects and designers, who seem to care more about making an impression than preserving any vestiges of the past.  And yet, when it comes time to market the newly redone house to publications or real estate websites, the house's storied past is what is most often used to promote it- despite the fact that very little is left to indicate that storied past.

So when I heard that designer Madeline Stuart had recently redecorated the 1930s-era Cedric Gibbons-Dolores del Rio house in Los Angeles, I was skeptical.  It's not that I don't admire Stuart's work, because I do.  It's just that I've gotten used to fabled houses being given insensitive makeovers.  (It's just like what happens in soap operas.  A character has a disfiguring accident, and when the bandages are removed, he or she has an entirely different face.)  But when I saw photos of the house in the May/June issue of Veranda, I was very pleasantly surprised.  Stuart worked her magic on the interiors, and yet, they still feel as though Gibbons and del Rio are lurking somewhere in the background.  It's so refreshing to see a designer and homeowners respect the integrity of the house, working with its original architectural features and not against them.

It's fitting that Veranda featured this project in the issue, because the magazine has recently embarked on a new initiative on historic preservation, something that I know is near and dear to our hearts, too.  Along with the issue's theme of "Historic Homes for Modern Living", Veranda also hosted an inaugural forum on preservation at Hearst Castle.  I asked Veranda's Editor in Chief, Clinton Smith, to give me his thoughts on this new initiative. “We want this issue and our Preservation Forum at Hearst Castle to serve as a reminder that the kind of time-honored handiwork, craftsmanship, and ingenuity that have served the world for hundreds of years need to be discussed, appreciated, and looked at in order to be kept alive," said Smith. "While I know not every building can be saved, I like to remind people that once a building is gone, it’s not just the brick and mortar structure that has disappeared; the community and life around it also dissipates.”

And as for the Madeline Stuart project, Smith acknowledged that it fit the bill of the new initiative perfectly. “The Madeline Stuart project—the Los Angeles Art Deco residence of Cedric Gibbons—sort of landed in my lap, by coincidence, shortly after we decided to put a spotlight on historic preservation, but it became the cornerstone of the issue and the rest of the issue was sort of built around it. It was important to have a mix of houses featured. In the end, the assortment is varied and interesting: there’s Art Deco, antebellum, 1920s California Spanish Colonial, and a 19th-century farmhouse in the Hamptons.”

If you haven't already done so, I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of the May/June issue, which contains the photos seen below as well as Stuart's thoughts on working on this legendary house. And although the last photo featuring Gibbons and del Rio is not part of the Veranda feature, it seemed appropriate to include it here.

All photos, with the exception of the last one, appear in the May/June issue of Veranda, Max Kim-Bee photographer.

Sharp Card Tables

My friend Jean and I were recently discussing card tables. While she wishes she had one, I wish that mine wasn't quite so mundane. A collapsible thing that I purchased ages ago from Kmart, the table is far, far from chic. Thank goodness for card-table covers.

While chic card tables do exist, I can't imagine that there are as many being produced today as there were back in the early-to-middle part of last century. Back then, playing cards was what one did. There were tame afternoon card games played by the ladies, while evening card games, often dressed-up, coed affairs, were, more likely than not, accompanied by libations and a cigarette or two.

As I was recently flipping through Emily Genauer's 1939 Modern Interiors: Today and Tomorrow, I was reminded of the attention people once paid to the equipment of gracious living, including card tables.  Based on images in this book and others, I'd say that card tables were considered to be almost as important to the home as sofas and dining chairs.  And these were not your run-of-the-mill card tables, either.  Considering the Thirties was a decade in which new and novel materials for the home were frequently touted, many card tables were made of unique and interesting materials, such as crystal.

Below, you can see the modern card tables- and their modern surroundings- that caught Genauer's eye.  And since drinking and smoking went hand-in-glove with card playing, you'll also see a smattering of bars and one very stylish smoking room.

Image at top: A 1933 card game that included Mrs. Edward J. Mathews, Mrs. Charles P. Grimes, Miss Gladys Livermore, and Mr. John Wheelwright.
 

"A gaming corner and bar" that was part of the Belgian Exposition at the Paris Exposition of Arts.  Note the drinks shelves that were built in to the table's legs.  Also, look at the floor, beyond the table, and you'll see the card motif that was part of the rug's design.

Also at the Exposition was this "stunt game room" whose walls, floor, and chairs were made of porcelain.  Note the playing card motifs on the back wall.  The color scheme was gray, white, and apricot.  Genauer suggested that this room should have been labeled, "for phlegmatic players only."

Perhaps more gaming than card table, this version, featured in an unidentified American model room, was made of crystal.  The top was constructed of two pieces of crystal, which were separated by four crystal balls.  The top tier's gaming board was marked by alternating squares of mirror and etched glass.  Even the globe holder was made of crystal.  Both pieces were designed by Vicovari.

A room at what I believe was the Paris Exposition.  Everything one could want for a night of entertainment was here, including a card table and, as Genauer made an effort to point out, a ledge at the base of the bookshelf on which one could display a lamp and smoking accessories.

A game room replete with King and Queen panel and guitar-motif curtains.

A home bar, which seems as good a place as any in which to play a game of cards.  Genauer advocated this type of modern private bar, warning readers about those that resembled "a garish night-club or an English tap-room," which Genauer deemed undesirable and inappropriate.

"Apparently of much greater importance to the French in their bars than the liquor itself and the facilities for preparing it, are a beautiful setting and a most comfortable sofa so one may relax while sipping." Hence, this luxurious smoking room, intended for sipping and smoking.


All photos from Modern Interiors: Today and Tomorrow by Emily Genauer

The Private Collection of Joan Rivers

A very different woman from Susan Mary Alsop, who was featured here on Wednesday, was Joan Rivers, the legendary comedienne and home-shopping pioneer who died in 2014.  I was a longtime fan of Rivers, and I still find it hard to believe that she is no longer cracking jokes nor selling her jewelry on QVC.  But interest in Rivers remains high, which is why I predict a lot of buzz regarding Christie's upcoming sale of Rivers' personal collection.

If you've seen photos of Rivers' penthouse apartment, you might (or might not) agree with me when I say that her home was a tad grand.  That being said, I always admired Rivers' appreciation for fine-quality things, whether they were antique bibelots, furniture, jewelry, or art, all of which are featured in the Joan Rivers sale.  The lots that especially caught my eye were the Fabergé objects, of which Rivers was a noted collector, and the porcelain, sterling silver, and crystal pieces that Rivers was known to use at her elegant dinner parties.

The Christie's sale will take place June 22, 2016.  To see all of the sale's lots, or for more information, please visit the Christie's website.  Below, you can see some of the lots that caught my eye, plus numerous photographs of Rivers' New York apartment that appear in the auction catalogue.

Joan Rivers' French Silver and Silver-Mounted Desk Accessories

A Louis XVI style white-painted bergere

A retro diamond and gold brooch

A French ormolu-mounted black and gilt-japanned encoignure

Royal Crown Derby porcelain Imari dessert service







All images courtesy of Christie's

At Home with Susan Mary Alsop

I'm certain that many of you are familiar with the late Susan Mary Alsop. A descendant of John Jay, Susan Mary led a most interesting life. During her marriage to her first husband, Bill Patten, Susan Mary lived in Paris, where her husband's position at the American Embassy introduced her to an array of diplomats, artists, and sundry sophisticates. It was also during her time in Paris that she had an affair with Duff Cooper, who fathered Susan Mary's son. This fact was not revealed until the child was well into adulthood.

The Pattens eventually returned to the States, settling in Washington, D.C.  After Patten's death in 1960, Susan Mary married prominent journalist, Joseph Alsop, a former college roommate of Patten. Susan Mary and Joseph were among the leading lights of Washington society, known for their inveterate entertaining and their friendship with the John F. Kennedys. In reality, Joseph Alsop was homosexual, and the marriage eventually ended in divorce. But still Susan Mary carried on, eventually writing a number of books, including a compilation of letters between Susan Mary and her great friend, Marietta Tree, as well as a biography of Lady Sackville.

The photos you see here show Susan Mary and her Georgetown townhouse in 1980. Taken by Horst, the photos capture a home that is the essence of WASPy city living. Family portraits and antiques communicated Susan Mary's illustrious family history, while traditional fine fabrics, such as Brunschwig's La Portugaise, added a layer of well-mannered comfort.  Decorated by the talented society decorator, Mrs. John Pierrepont, the townhouse is just as I pictured Susan Mary Alsop's home to be.

If you're interested in learning more about the life of Susan Mary Alsop, I highly recommend you read American Lady: The Life of Susan Mary Alsop.  It's fascinating and would make for a great beach book.

All photos from House & Garden, November 1980

A Bucolic Virginia Residence

If you read the May issue of British House & Garden, you'll likely remember the article about Anne Massie's historic Virginia house, whose master bedroom, with its striking pink-and-white print curtains, was featured on the cover. The house was memorable to me, and not just because of its Virginia setting. What pleased me most is how personal-looking the home's interiors are. It seems strange to write that, because houses are supposed to reflect their owners' interests and personalities. But how often do we see interiors that offer not a clue as to who lives there?

Anne purchased the late-eighteenth-century house decades ago with her brother, Will, who is also her business partner; the two siblings are founders and owners of McKinnon and Harris, the outdoor furniture maker. After a restoration of the house, Will bought out his sister's share of the house and lived there with his family. But in 2004, the house was purchased back by Anne, who now resides in the house with her husband.

I thought you might enjoy seeing additional shots of the home's interiors, which seem to capture Anne's creativity (she is a painter, too,) and reflect her collector's eye.  I'm also including photos of the grounds, which look like the ideal spot to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend.  How nice it must be to relax by the pool or on the terrace, especially if lounging in that enviable McKinnon and Harris furniture.   

All photos courtesy of Anne Massie

A Billy Baldwin Bonus

And one more interior that seems oh-so-right for the summer: this Nantucket living room, which was decorated around 1980 by Billy Baldwin.  The house belonged to Michael Gardine, the writer behind Baldwin's memoir, Billy Baldwin: An Autobiography.  Gardine lived in the house with his partner, the makeup artist Way Bandy, while their friend Baldwin lived out his last years in a small cottage on the property.

I'm not bothering to show you the rest of Gardine's house, because Baldwin did not seem to be involved with decorating the other rooms.  And if you saw the other rooms, you would have wished that he had been.  Still, this room is so quintessential Billy Baldwin that I couldn't resist showing it to you.

My Idea of Real Comfort Is...

I recently found a fun 1980 House & Garden article in which top designers were asked to define comfort. Not surprisingly, most designers linked comfort to comfortable seating, including Billy Baldwin, whose Nantucket bed-sitting room, seen above, exemplified the designer's notion that comfort is "a first-class upholstered chair and everything within easy reach."

Designer Robert Lewis, with whom I'm not familiar, also believed comfort involved a well-upholstered chair, but comfort was atmospheric, too: "Wonderful fabric, herbs, flowers, good music- a place to unwind."

For Michael Taylor, comfort was "a seating arrangement that really works."  One such successful arrangement can be seen here, on Taylor's own terrace.  The wicker furniture was also designed by Taylor.

I agree wholeheartedly with William Hodgins' thoughts on comfort: "A casual stuffed sofa and a good mystery book."  I could easily relax- and read mystery novels- in this room designed by Hodgins.

No surprise that Denning and Fourcade showed rather elaborate upholstered chairs to illustrate comfort.  For Denning, it was "a chair where you can slump, put your feet up and make a telephone call," while Fourcade called for "a chair that you can sink into so that it completely enfolds you."

"Easy-to-move extra chairs that make your furniture arrangement flexible," said designer John Dickinson.  Such an important design consideration, and one that Dickinson acknowledged in his San Francisco home, above.

For Mario Buatta, comfort was linked with scent.  "A good piece of furniture, with pillows to rest your feet on- and a wonderful fragrance in the air."  In this photo of Buatta's home, you will find Freesia, potpourri, and pomander balls on the table next to the fireplace.

For Bob Patino, comfort was a soak in a "large deep tub full of hot water."

And finally, for Sister Parish, comfort meant "a room where one can relax and have tea with friends," something which, by the looks of it, she could do easily in her bedroom.


All photos from House & Garden, February 1980.