Katherine Rally Textiles

If you've been out and about in the blogosphere, you've more than likely heard about Katherine Rally Textiles. The Bali-based textile company was started a few years ago by Katherine and Rally Dupps, a young American couple who sought adventure and settled down in Southeast Asia. The couple became fascinated by Indonesia's batik cloth, an indigenous method of textile printing that involves wax resistant dyeing. Katherine, an interior designer originally from Arizona, and Rally, an architect who hails from Nashville, decided to create their own line of batiks, albeit ones with a more Western aesthetic.

I recently met with Rally during his visit to Atlanta and got to see his fabrics in person. The linen prints are cheery without being giddy, meaning that they're tailored enough to work in a variety of rooms. And the colors are really rich as well. Quite a few of the prints even come in gray, a colorway that is not as easy to find as one might think. I'm trying to find a place to use either Roman or Turkish Eye in gray. Anyway, I encourage you to take a look for yourself. It's a really interesting line of fabrics produced by a very interesting (and gutsy!) couple.

Travis & Company in Atlanta carries the Katherine Rally Textiles line. For more information, contact Dolly Crafton at (404) 237-5079 or dolly@travisandcompany.com.





Back row, left to right: Roman in Terra Cotta; Pondicherry in Castle Grey. Second row: Roman in Castle Grey; Turkish Eye in Castle Grey; Mrs. Jones in Castle Grey. Bottom row: Monaco in Sahara Sand; Mrs. Jones in Sahara Sand.



Katherine Rally's interpretation of an animal print is called Madagascar, and it is printed on 100% lightweight linen. The various colorways, including Castle Grey, Bougainvillea, and Kelly Green, are printed on different colored linen backgrounds like cream, white, and mint. There is a color here for everybody.



Left to right: Turkish Eye in Chocolate Brown on Khaki linen; Pondicherry in Castle Grey on Khaki linen; Pondicherry in Sahara Sand on Khaki linen; Mrs. Jones in Midnight Blue on Khaki linen.


All photos by Jennifer Boles, The Peak of Chic.

Here Kitty, Kitty

A few weeks ago while reading through the Winter 1996 issue of Veranda, I found an article on Harry Hinson and Hinson & Company. That got me excited because Hinson fabrics and wallpapers have always been amongst my favorites. But then, I read the part where Harry mentioned that Van Day Truex once remarked that Kitty, a print introduced in 1972, was "the most stylish wallpaper I have ever seen." Needless to say, I absolutely had to see what Kitty looked like. If VDT said it was the most stylish he had ever seen, then I knew that it just had to be.

Harry was kind enough to send me scans of Kitty samples. As you can seen, it was a loose polka dot print that came in blue, brown, and green colorways. I use the past tense as unfortunately, the print has been discontinued. However, there is a similar print that is still available as part of the Albert Hadley collection for Hinson. Guess what it's called? Van. How appropriate.


PS- I can't write a post about Van Day Truex without mentioning Adam Lewis' terrific book Van Day Truex: The Man Who Defined Twentieth-Century Taste and Style . In my opinion, Truex' work is "the most stylish that I have ever seen."






Kitty in Green




Kitty in Brown




Kitty in Blue



Van in Brown



Image at top: Harry Hinson in Veranda, Winter 1996, Peter Vitale photographer; all other images courtesy of Hinson & Company.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

A big thank you to everyone who sent me emails and left comments in regards to my search for an antique textile to cover my living room's half table. That's it above, covered in a hot pink linen tablecloth, being employed as a drinks table. A lot of you sent me links to sources for actual antique textiles, while others pointed me in the direction of fabric that has the look of old but that is actually new.

I haven't made up my mind yet what I plan to do. Decisions, decisions. In the meantime, I'll share some of these sources with you- just in case you too have a table that you want to disguise.




Mary Jane McCarty has an amazing collection of antique textiles, tapestries, Aubussons, and trims that she uses to make the most beautiful pillows and accessories. In fact, she has sold her pillows through Bergdorf's for years. The photos above show her current collection for the retailer, one that was inspired by Scottish castles. Mary Jane used antique toile, metallic trim, early embroidery, and Aubusson for these charming pillows. I invite you to visit her website to see a broad range of her work which includes lamp shades, throws, and Christmas stockings. She also welcomes custom projects and counts Bunny Williams, John Rosselli, Kathryn Ireland, and Michael Smith as clients. In case you can't make it to Bergdorf's to see her pillows in person, you can always visit her Etsy shop.



A savvy reader of mine, Mary, loves Indian bedspreads and used to buy them at Urban Outfitters ages ago. According to Mary, they make great tablecloths and they fade beautifully as well. She recommends the Tree of Life tapestry bedspread from Turtle Island Imports. I'm showing the cream colorway above. They come in different sizes and colors, but the best part is the price: they range from $27-$44. So, if you're using it as a tablecloth and somebody spills red wine, you don't have to have a heart attack. You can simply throw it in the washing machine or even just buy a new one. Another website that Mary likes is Tilonia Home. They too sell beautiful Indian bedspreads that include batiks and floral prints.





Another suggestion was the new Timeless Linen collection from Calico Corners. These pretty linen and cotton blend fabrics, made in either the US or the UK, look like something you might find in an old English cottage. The print above is Llyta Firecracker. It's so charming and feminine...and it's currently on sale too through the end of March.




Then again, Calico Corner's Vintage Plumes is awfully good looking as well.







And finally, a lot of you encouraged me to use some Braquenié fabric for a cloth. You know that I have a weakness for Braquenié, and I did find a few options. Not that they were difficult to find! I'm very taken with the new Embroideries collection, due to be released in the US on September 1. The collection consists of embroidered linens, cottons, and silks. Here's a peek at part of the collection. Aren't the fabrics stunning?


Photos courtesy of Mary Jane McCarty, Turtle Island Imports, Calico Corners, and Braquenié.

Let's Table the Textile Discussion

Back in my mid-twenties, I bought a vintage Kittinger Regency dining room table that came with two leaves. It seemed quite grown up at the time, and I just knew that I was going to host seated dinners for 14. After I moved into my condo a few years ago, I realized that this grown-up table was, well, a little too mature and staid. Not really my style anymore. And those dinner parties for 14? Turns out that 8 tended to be the maximum number of guests at my dinners.

So, I set out to sell the table. Have you tried to unload a Kittinger dining table recently? Nobody seems to want them anymore. It's a shame, really, because the table is really well made and actually quite attractive. But nobody wants something this traditional anymore. Realizing that I was stuck with the table, I took it apart and now use one half as a small breakfast table in my kitchen. The other half got moved into my living room where it serves as a drinks table, a repository for books, and at times a small dining table for two.

I'd love to find some type of cloth for the living room half as the table is a tad too dark brown for me. What I would love to find is an antique textile to drape over the table.


I'm absolutely in love with this cotton mezzara from Genoa, c. 1860s. It's available through Soane Antiques. That gorgeous shot at the top of the post is from Soane Antiques' website as well, and it shows the mezzara in the background. Of course, if I were to use something like this on my table, the overall design would kind of get lost. But still, it's awfully beautiful.



This is only a fragment of an antique Palampore from India, early 18th c., also available through Soane Antiques. Perhaps I could find a reproduction Palampore that would be large enough to use a cloth.



What about something similar to this Indian export 18th c. chintz panel from Cora Ginsburg?



Switching gears a bit, this early 20th century Chinese wedding blanket, available at Kathleen Taylor The Lotus Collection, might work as a more modern looking alternative to the more traditional Indian prints seen above.

Of course, it doesn't have to actually be an antique. I've thought a lot about Nick Olsen's hand-block print bedspread from William Wayne. It's really good looking. Why couldn't I use a bedspread as a table cloth? I may have to call William Wayne and inquire about one.

Top image from Soane Antiques; Olsen photo from New York Social Diary, Jeff Hirsch photographer.

Jim Thompson's Animal Menagerie

After a wild and woolly week, I needed something to put a smile on my face. Thanks to Jim Thompson, I found it. The fabric company enlisted Douglas Little to create fanciful windows for its Paris showroom. Using fabric from Jim Thompson's newest collections- The Rite of Spring, Curtain Calls, Opus, and Tony Duquette for Jim Thompson: Part II- Little conjured up exotic animals that appear to be making mischief. The damask lioness (don't you love her nailhead trim?) has made a mess of a down-filled pillow, while the colorful monkeys seem to be flitting around and are probably up to no good. Oh, and you know what? I really like the fabric too.














All images courtesy of Jim Thompson.

Blind as a Slat

One of my all-time favorite fabrics is Venetian Blind, a trompe l'oeil chintz designed by the late, great John Fowler (see it above.) If you've read Martin Wood's book John Fowler: Prince of Decorators, you've seen the print; it makes appearances throughout the book as Fowler used it quite often in his projects. I've always wanted to make shades out of Venetian Blind ever since I saw Clarence House's version many years ago. Alas, Colefax & Fowler discontinued Fowler's original print years ago, and Clarence House's version is, yes, discontinued too. I think that's why Nicky Haslam's version was met with great fanfare when it was introduced last year.

Nicky's talented Creative Director Colette Van Den Thillart was kind enough to send me samples after I inquired about the fabric. Nicky's interpretation is printed on linen, and the various colorways are gorgeous! Dovecote Grey has my name written all over it. Now I just need to find some naked windows in my home that I can dress in this fabric. Or, I can do as Colette did and have an actual dress made from the fabric. (If you want to see Nicky, Colette, and the entire staff posed in front of the print, click here.)

Funny enough, on the same day that I received the samples, I happened to find a photo of a room designed by Madeleine Castaing in which the wallpaper looked Venetian blind-esque. It may not be a blind print per se, but you can see below that it somewhat resembles blinds. You know how I love design happenstance, so how could I not write a post on such a charming print?

Nicky Haslam's version is Shutter Stripe. Colors include Dovecote Grey, Moonlight Beige, Pomegranate Red, New Mown Green, Cloudy Lilac, and Unearthly Brown. For more information on Shutter Stripe, visit NH Design's website.




Here, Fowler used the fabric for shades in the home of Anthony Ayscought at 14 Gayfere Street, Westminster. Don't you love how you can see the sheen of the glazed cotton?




Venetian Blind also made an appearance as, what else, blinds in Fowler's early showroom at 292 Kings Road.




Here, the chintz was made into a roller shade at Yarty, a country home decorated by Fowler.




I wonder if this vignette was located in Castaing's Rue Bonaparte showroom? I'd love to know what this wallpaper's print actually is. Might it be Venetian blinds?




This Nobilis paper named "Les Jalousies" graced the entryway of the apartment of M. et Mme Yves Halard.

(All Fowler images from John Fowler: Prince of Decorators; Shutter Stripe samples photo by Jennifer Boles; Castaing photo from Decoration, Volume I (Connaissance des Arts Collection); Halard photo from Les Reussites de la Decoration Francaise, 1950-1960)

Unforgettable Fabric

I have a mind like a steel trap. Or, the memory of an elephant, depending on how you'd like to say it. It's something that has vexed various boyfriends through the years. Because let me tell you, if they said something that didn't sit well with me, I never forgot it. And I never let them forget it either. Not that I endlessly nagged them about their lapses in decorum or chivalry. No, I filed it away in my mind and then brought it up when and only when it seemed appropriate...like in the heat of battle.

Well, the steel trap has come in handy again, though this time not in a romantic entanglement. This time, it helped me piece together photos of a really chic use of corduroy. I was flipping through Architectural Digest International Interiors yesterday and read the chapter on a London townhouse decorated by Billy McCarty, an American designer residing in England who, the book noted, had once worked for David Hicks. There was an accompanying photo of the home's entrance hall in which the walls were lined in beige wide-wale corduroy (fabulous.) The chapter's text also mentioned that McCarty used the same corduroy for matching draperies that boasted 14 inch wool fringe. My first thought was "Where is the photo of the curtains? I want to see the curtains! Why do articles and books mention something intriguing in a room, and then they don't include a photo of it!" But then it came to me. Hadn't I seen a photo of wide-wale corduroy draperies in one of David Hicks' books? I consulted David Hicks on Decoration--With Fabrics, and voilá, there they were. Too bad the photos aren't in color, but you still get the idea. And that 14-inch bullion trim? While I'm not so crazy about it, I know that I'll never forget it.

A Study in Glamour

One of my favorite rooms at the recent Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Christmas House was the study decorated by Hutton Wilkinson and Atlanta designer Stephen Boyd. Not only did the room look really terrific, it felt as though someone actually lived in the space- not an easy feat when decorating for a mythical client. The look that the design duo went for was one of luxury, quality, and most importantly, glamour. What might have been the most striking piece in the room was a large screen that was upholstered in Hutton's new print for Jim Thompson, Duquetterie. In fact, this fabric set the tone for the entire room. The whimsical print was derived from the door panels of that well-known cabinet that Tony Duquette designed for Elsie de Wolfe in 1941. I've included a shot of it below in case you can't quite place it.

To see what the room looked like in all of its glory, you'll have to wait for the February issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles. But in the meantime, I am able to show you detail shots of the Hutton Wilkinson designed fabrics for Jim Thompson's Tony Duquette collection. I think you'll see that Hutton and Stephen made great use of these beautiful fabrics throughout the room. These new prints will be available come Spring, so treat this as your official sneak peek.

The image at top is a small bar vestibule off of the study. The fabric on the walls is Jim Thompson's "Duquette Modern Snowflake Pattern". Tony Duquette designed the original print, "Modern Snowflake Pattern", after seeing 18th c. carved Chinese screens that were owned by clothing designer Adrian. Hutton took the original print and updated it with an industrial punched metal pattern.




Guess what? This Jim Thompson fabric, used as portières, doesn't even have a name yet- it's that new. Beyond the curtains you can get a glimpse of the study. The chandelier is the Tony Duquette "California Sunburst Chandelier" for Remains Lighting.




The screen is upholstered in "Duquetterie". Hutton duplicated images of foliage and blackamoors that graced the carved plaster, mirrored, and painted panels of the Duquette/de Wolfe cabinet and made them into this recurring pattern. The sofa is covered in a Greek Key print, originally used by Duquette in the 1940s, that has been updated by Hutton with the addition of black squares at the intersections and subtle shadings to the design.




The cabinet that inspired the fabric.




Another yet to be named print that will be part of Jim Thompson's 2011 Tony Duquette collection.


Photo credit David Christensen. Images printed with permission from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles and The Mansion on Peachtree.