Tagged- I'm it!

Looks like I've been tagged by All The Best (great blog, by the way), so now I will share with you six weird things about me. This list, unfortunately, was not too difficult for me to come up with!

1) I love to sleep under a pile of blankets in the summertime and then crank up the air-conditioning so that it's like an icebox!

2) I'm a nut for symmetry, and I always have to buy or display things in pairs.

3) I have great taste in tv shows. So great in fact that every show that I like ends up being cancelled after a few months (anybody remember that late great nighttime soap "Savannah" from the mid-1990s? I thought not!).

4) I can't leave dirty dishes in the sink after a party. I'm the fool who is up until 4am handwashing the china and silver.

5) I love china and can't have enough of it. I have my formal china, everyday china, breakfast china (seen above- love it but don't use it enough), dessert china, great aunt's china, and am now looking for luncheon china and holiday china. It's a disease!

6) And finally, I have organized my want list of books in my laptop, alphabetized by author's last name and with publisher and publication date included! Am I a Type A or what???

Anyway, enough about me. Now I would like to tag Maryam at My Marrakesh. Maryam, if you have already been tagged, then my bad!

Leontine Linens

OK, admit it, how many of you would give your right arm for some Leontine Linens??? I'm crazy for linens, and Leontine ranks up there with Porthault (in my opinion) as the ultimate in linens! Fortunately for those of us in Atlanta, they have just opened a showroom where we can see these gems in person (or, if you're in NYC, check them out at Bergdorf's). Until I get the chance to run over to the showroom, I'll just stare at these beautiful photos of custom orders, courtesy of their website.

Winter Antiques Show

The Winter Antiques Show , one of the most prestigious antiques shows in the country, is currently underway in New York. Held at the Seventh Regiment Armory, the show benefits the East Side House Settlement and runs from January 19-28. Exhibitors include some of the most illustrious antiques dealers in the country: Hyde Park Antiques; Kentshire Galleries; Leigh Keno; and Mallett.

I was looking at NewYorkSocialDiary.com's coverage of the event, and there were two booths that caught my eye: those of Elle Shushan and Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz.

Shushan, based in Philadelphia, deals in American, English, and Continental portrait miniatures. Her site features a wide array of these miniatures which are truly charming. I like how she painted her booth pink and then added faux architectural features in black. Although the booth is far more theatrical than those of other dealers, I thought it was the perfect backdrop to display her wares.

Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz is an antique wallpaper panel dealer with offices in New York and Paris. Unfortunately, her website is still under construction, but you can see some examples of antique paper panels on her homepage. The two examples below are also on her homepage. How amazing would it be to see her inventory in person?

(Photos courtesy of newyorksocialdiary.com)

Windsor Style

One of my very favorite things to pore over is the catalogue from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor auction that Sotheby's organized back in 1997. I know that they were certainly a controversial couple, but it can't be denied that they were quite stylish. With Elsie de Wolfe as a mentor and the firm of Jansen as her decorator, the Duchess of Windsor couldn't help but be surrounded by beautiful things. I thought I would share with you some of my favorite rooms and images from the catalogue. Enjoy!

Lorely Furniture

I'm sure many of you are familiar with Laura Yaggy's Lorely Furniture line, especially her popular python telephone table. I finally got around to checking out her website, and I truly love her furniture collection. The pieces are so simple, but what is so great about it is that you can choose amongst a multitude of finishes and colors- lacquer, crackled lacquer, lacquered linen, python, faux emu... the list goes on! She will even finish some of the pieces in faux tortoise- my current fave (as seen in my post from this past Monday). You can go as wild (or as tame) as you would like.

Here are some of the selections from her website:

Todd Alexander Romano

Todd Alexander Romano is one of those well-known designers who still manages to fly under the radar. It had been a few years since I had seen his work profiled. Fortunately, his Manhattan apartment can be seen in the current Elle Decor.

Romano's work is characterized by touches of the traditional and the urbane. I like that while his apartment is formal, it is also quite comfortable. I think he "warmed" things up with his use of sumptuous velvets in shades of brown and red. At the same time, he adds a crispness to everything with the antique mirrored panels, the mirrored garden stool, and the wonderful Queen's Ware displayed in the black bookshelves (very graphic).

Romano has a fabulous shop on Lexington Ave.- it's filled with wonderful antiques, and I believe he also carries de Gournay wallcoverings (reason enough to visit). The next time you're in that neighborhood, you should definitely check out his shop!

Carrot & Stick Press Stationery

Was anybody else taken with the leopard print note cards featured in the February Domino? Any and all animal prints catch my eye. The note cards were designed by Carrot and Stick Press in Oakland, CA. Their website has so many great graphic note cards, place cards, and place mats, all in bright, cheery colors.

What I plan on ordering, though, are their stylish note pads, perfect for a bedside table or by the phone. The brown and white striped one reminds me of a Bendel's bag!

Think Pink....In the Dining Room!

I was looking through my style file last night and came across this photo of Mathilde Agostinelli's Parisian dining which was featured in the May 2006 issue of House and Garden. I love the fact that it's pink- pink fabric walls, pink table linen, pink orchids (you can even see the pink sofa in the living room beyond). Pink can be hard to pull off, but it certainly doesn't look saccharine here. I think the neutral patterned carpet and chairs temper the pink and make it look sophisticated. And what about that spectacular chandelier??? C'est magnifique!

Prince of Chintz

In the current issue of Vogue Living, there is an article about the current popularity of floral chintz in both fashion and home design. I know that most people have a love/hate relationship with these traditional florals. Used in moderation, however, they can actually be pretty, feminine, and stylish. The article even shows one print, "Delphinium" by Rose Cumming (the one in the top left-hand corner), that I could actually see myself using.

That being said, I tend to prefer floral prints that are either bold in color or graphic in design. Of course, I think that Dorothy Draper was the queen of floral prints. While some of her designs are quite tame, there is one in particular that I truly love. "Baroque Bouquet" (part of Carleton Varney's fabric line) incorporates two of Draper's favorite things- floral prints and Baroque architecture. I first saw this print used on pillows at the mini Dorothy Draper boutique at Bergdorf's, and I have to tell you that this print has some major wow!

Josef Frank, the Austrian architect and designer, designed some very exuberant fabric for Svenskt Tenn in Sweden during the mid-20th c. His floral prints are over-the-top, but I think that they would look pretty wonderful as an accent to a room. I particulary like "Milles Fleurs" and "Nippon".

Milles Fleurs

Nippon

Frank did design one floral print that is actually somewhat tame but is striking nonetheless. "La Plata" is such a beautiful blue and white floral print. I could see this print being used for cushions on white wicker furniture, or even as a tablecloth with plain white china or better yet blue and white porcelain!

And finally, what about this Leslie and D.D. Tillett floral print? It is so graphic and yet very classic! Jackie O. was a fan of the Tillett's fabric, and I can certainly see why. I have tried to find out if this fabric is still being made, so if anyone knows anything about it, please let me know.

Classic Design- Tortoise

These Jansen chairs (sold by Benjamin Stork Ltd.) are fabulous and so inspiring! Of course, the Regency style of the chairs is very Jansen. But what really makes these chairs so striking is the tortoise print oilcloth.

Tortoise print is such a classic and sophisticated way to add zip to a room. Tortoise furniture and accessories were long considered to be a luxury, and we can now recreate that luxury with faux tortoise painted furniture. Markham Roberts designed the faux tortoise mirror below using warm, rich tones. Jeffrey Bilhuber, on the otherhand, used more neutral tones for his tortoise bookshelf.











To add some major wow to your room, why not give the tortoise treatment to your room's architecture? One designer created this knockout faux tortoise door using dramatic red and brown tones as well as a lacquered finish.

For a more stylized and whimsical approach to tortoise, Tyler Hall has designed a witty tortoise print called "Sardinia Tortoise Shell" which comes in five colorways, including a cool platinum.

William Haines Lamps on 1st Dibs

Dragonette Ltd. has just listed some unusual William Haines lamps on 1stdibs.com. Made for Armand and Harriet Deutsch, the table lamps incorporate Chinese figures on wooden bases. The green painted lamp contains rather ancient looking terracotta Chinese figures that, according to the site, represent the zodiac signs of the Deutschs. The other lamp has a white base with blanc de chine figures and is more "stylized" than the other one.









William (Billy) Haines was one of the most prominent decorators of the 20th c., although much of his work was concentrated in the Los Angeles area. Haines spent his early days in Hollywood as a silent film star, but when his career stalled he chose to pursue interior design. Haines' glamorous style was a perfect fit for the Hollywood stars of the 1930s; in fact, Joan Crawford was one of his earliest and most ardent devotees.

Haines was known for incorporating custom-made lamps and lampshades into his interiors. Many of the lampshades were a bit over the top. The excessive fringe and pom-poms on the shades seemed to have been phased out early in his career. The custom-made lamps, usually Chinoiserie in style, were a constant throughout the years.

I thought I'd share with you some images of his lamps that I found in Class Act: William Haines, a really thorough book that highlights some of Haines' most striking interiors. As you can see, the elaborate lamps and shades from his early career gradually gave way to a more sophisticated look.