To Plan or Not To Plan

I've been thinking about something a lot lately (and yes, that may come as a shock to some of you...). The look that I gravitate to is the undecorated look. I'm not crazy about rooms that are too perfect and too pristine. That's not to say that I'm a fan of rooms that seem a jumble. But I prefer rooms that look as though they evolved over time. They just seem a lot richer and well, much more interesting.

I've also noticed that some of my favorite homes are those of designers. I believe that some of their best work can be found in their own domiciles. Of course, designers use their homes as laboratories, and sometimes it's easier to take risks in one's own home. But here's what I'm wondering: do designers really have a master plan when it comes to their own homes? You know the old adage "the shoemaker's children are often shoeless". Well, I know that many decorators are so busy that sometimes it's hard for them to tackle the design of their own homes, and this might force them to take a more organic approach.

So where am I going with all of this? I wonder if design schemes might sometimes get in the way of great decorating? Obviously if you're a designer, you can't just wing it with a client. You have to have a plan so that the customer knows what he or she will be getting. And, there are certain things that absolutely have to be planned for. I'm not saying that plans and schemes should be abandoned. Hardly. But, do you think that the best design happens when the process evolves over a longer period of time and when it lacks a firm game plan, something that might at times prove to be a constraint?


Who isn't inspired by Albert Hadley's apartment? Do we ever tire of seeing it? No, we don't. (This version is c. 1990)


We're in the midst of another Rose Cumming revival- and I think that's a good thing. Was there ever a more unique- and eccentric- home than that of Cumming?



I think Miles Redd's home is the most blogged about home in the last few years- and with good reason.


Frances Elkins decorated some very grand homes, but I find her homes, especially her Monterey, CA home, to be some of her best work.


In "Keith Irvine: A Life in Decoration", some of the prettiest photos are those of the ballroom wing of Irvine's country home.

Image at top: Do you think William Pahlmann took his sweet time decorating his home?

Saving Ways Can Become Saving Graces

Or so House & Garden told its readers back in 1948. It seems that whenever there has been a downturn in the economy, magazines have made sure to include money saving tips amidst the images of beautiful and aspirational interiors. And in this sixty year old issue, H&G had all sorts of frugal tips. Of course, the one suggestion that came up throughout the article was the impact of a fresh coat of paint. Slap some paint on an old piece of furniture and voila! Instant and chic update.

Some of the tips they gave are a tad dated, but there are some nuggets of wisdom here. And I love how creative Mrs. Gerard Lambert was. Just how much free time did she have to come up with such clever ideas? Who knows, but it makes me wonder what other tricks were up her sleeve. But I think the real reason I'm showing these images today is because the illustrations by Charles Heilemann are just charming, don't you think?


"Line an alcove with a bold pattern. A jog or an alcove becomes an asset if you give it a personality of its own by lining it with an assertive motif."


"Dramatize a picture with shutters."



"Match your closet interior and bedrom walls by lining them with the same flowered wallpaper."


"Paint a headboard, add a ruffle"


"A towel rack of a gay color is used by Mrs. Gerard Lambert to hold magazines."

"A wicker stand, brightened by paint, holds Mrs. Gerard Lambert's garden shoes."


"Paper your walls with plaid chintz. The dashing wall and ceiling treatment which William Pahlmann used for the boy's room...dramatizes odd pieces of furniture."


"Frame a door in growing ivy."


"Paper a chest to match walls and ceiling."


"Transform a bombé chest with black lacquer."

Revisiting the Career of William Pahlmann

Isn't it amazing how people who were once celebrities can fade into obscurity? The same thing can be said for celebrity decorators, especially William Pahlmann. Okay, so perhaps he's not an obscure designer, but he does not have the name recognition of Dorothy Draper or Elsie de Wolfe. If this were 1950, we would all be talking about Pahlmann. After all, he was one of the most famous decorators of the 1940s through the 1960s.

Pahlmann, who was educated at Parsons in the late 1920s, first gained notoriety after designing a mirrored bed for the first Mrs. William Paley (this according to Legendary Decorators of the Twentieth Century by Mark Hampton). Getting her seal of approval was the impetus he needed to go onward and upward, eventually landing him the job of head of the decorating and antiques department at Lord and Taylor. Pahlmann became known for his model rooms for the department store- rooms which garnered attention by the press and brought flocks of customers to the store. After a brief hiatus during World War II (serving in the Air Force), Pahlmann returned to New York where he set up his own decorating firm. He even had his own syndicated newspaper column titled "A Matter of Taste".

Pahlmann's interiors after WWII are quite evocative of the post-war era. While Pahlmann was quite capable of designing in the traditional style, much of his work celebrates mid-century modernism. Pahlmann was a champion of modern materials, including rubber flooring and rayon and other synthetic fabrics. The exotic also played a role in his interiors. Artifacts and objects of various cultures and countries mixed freely, lending his rooms a sort of well-traveled look. And let's not overlook Pahlmann's love of color. There was nothing primary about his chosen color schemes. In fact, in his book The Pahlmann Book of Interior Design, he wrote about various color combinations that he had used thus far in his career. These included cerulean, lime, magenta pink and white as well as deep sage, ripe persimmon and French blue.

Pahlmann was so well-regarded in the design world that when a young Albert Hadley first ventured to New York seeking a job as a designer, he sought out a meeting with his design idol. Hadley describes Pahlmann as "a man of great charm with a flamboyant personality and certainly he was not shy about anything."* Pahlmann encouraged Hadley to enroll at Parsons School of Design, just as he had.

While many of Pahlmann's room may seem a bit dated today, don't you think it's worth revisiting the career of this late, great decorator?

(Pahlmann's work is featured in the upcoming Acanthus Press release New York Interior Design, 1935-1985. Another "lost" designer whose work I greatly admire is George Stacey. I'll be writing about him soon!)



A great example of Pahlmann's fearless use of color. This bedroom's colors were inspired by a vineyard.


The mod floor in this living room was rubber! The mix is a bit unexpected: modern furniture with a Victorian sofa and Spanish altar candlesticks mixed with French candle sconces.


This was Pahlmann's own living room. I love the gunmetal gray walls and the robin's egg blue leather chair. According to Mark Hampton, the cabinet is actually a snakeskin Victrola.


I couldn't resist this image of an Empire-style tented room. Pahlmann admired Napoleon and Malmaison- might this have influenced the design scheme of this room?


Pahlmann designed this living room for Mrs. Walter Hoving in 1948. In my opinion, this room is one of Pahlmann's more elegant designs. Much of his later work seemed to be more casual, much in keeping with the times.

(*Hadley quote from Albert Hadley: The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer)