Frederick P. Victoria & Son

Have you ever wanted a touch of Elsie de Wolfe in your home? Or wanted to channel the cool elegance of Babe Paley? Well, you can do that, in a way, with furniture from the venerable firm Frederick P. Victoria & Son. F.P. Victoria has been in existence since the 1930s, and their clientele has included design and style icons alike- Billy Baldwin, Cole Porter, Duchess of Windsor. Fortunately, F.P. Victoria has maintained an extensive archive of their custom pieces, many of which are named for the particular client. I also believe that some of the items are inspired by famous pieces.

Below are some of the designs that F.P. Victoria currently lists on their website. I've tried to include what information that I could, but for those of you who are well informed about de Wolfe, Maugham, Porter, and the like, I would appreciate it if you could share with us any additional information. I know that I'm quite curious!

Elsie de Wolfe

Elsie de Wolfe side table

Cole Porter


Cole Porter side chair


Baldwin/Porter Coffee Table

Syrie Maugham


Syrie Maugham model reproduction Louis XV step magazine table

The Windsors


Chippendale style Chinoiserie Bookcase


The original- George III style japanned etageres from the collection of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor


Windsor Hurricane Lamp, originally made for the Windsors by F.P. Victoria in the 1950s

Babe Paley


Paley Venetian Mirror, based on a mirror sold to Babe Paley in the 1960s.

Image at top: Elsie de Wolfe mirrored bench after a Serge Roche design for de Wolfe

Spirited Design

Well, we talked about bar carts yesterday, so inevitably my thoughts went to those cozy rooms that invite one to sit a while and have a few drinks. Evidently, one of the chicest places in which to see and be seen and enjoy some libations was El Morocco, above. From the photos I've seen, I wouldn't call El Morocco cozy, but I'm sure those zebra banquettes alone guaranteed an exciting time.

It may be a cliche, but "clubby" type rooms can be some of the most comfortable in which to relax and socialize. I think that the British excel at this look. Think rich dark woods, deep colors, and comfortable upholstered furniture. This type of room is perfect for a single malt scotch.

Or, you could go the exotic route à la White Webb. Once again, the room envelopes you, but this time the feel is a bit more Oriental (with some Western undertones). What to imbibe in this type of room? Something decadent and mysterious (any thoughts??).

And for something very American, look at the room below by Alessandra Branca. The look is clean and crisp, just like a gin martini.

Although many of these rooms below are rather different in appearance, they are quite similar in feeling: they have comfortable upholstered furniture, the fabric and pillows are interesting and inviting, and they beg for one to sit a while and relax.

The Brits:


A view of Annabel's in London. A rather hodge-podge mix of colors and fabric, yet it still looks quite inviting (photo courtesy of New York Social Diary)


I believe I've shown this photo before, but truly, could you not spend hours lounging in this room?? Room by John Stefanidis

The Exotic:

Room designed by White Webb. All of the fabric is a paisley print in cotton- how luxurious!

The American:


Design by Alessandra Branca (Southern Accents, Jan/Feb 08)

Avery Noll

I'm always looking for fun new shops and online retailers, so it was with much excitement that I learned about Avery Noll, a great online retailer of vintage furniture and accessories. Owned by Dee Gardner and Delores Gardner-Thompson (a mother-daughter team- how great is that?), Avery Noll carries a fun mix of traditional antiques and contemporary pieces from the 1960s and 70s. Many of the pieces have been "refreshed" with new upholstery or lamp shades.

I recently purchased the bar cart (above) from Avery Noll, so I can attest to their excellent customer service (I had wanted to use an image of the bar cart in my home with all of my "stuff" on it, but unfortunately I haven't had time- so, I had to borrow the image from Avery Noll's website!). I had been searching for a stylish drinks cart, so I jumped when I spotted this one on the site. As much as I like the brass, I'm thinking about possibly replating it in chrome and adding antiqued mirror shelves to it (you know, for that glam 1930s look!). And this brings me to my next point- with such reasonable prices, you can buy a table or desk and tweak it to fit your design scheme... and you still won't break the bank.

Here are a few of my favorites from the site:


Faux bamboo metal end tables


Parchment table


Bamboo desk


Hand-painted fabric wall hanging

In with the Old, In with the New

A few months ago, the New York Times published an interesting article on Newport, Rhode Island society decorator John Peixinho. I was really quite curious about him as he counts the inimitable Oatsie Charles as a client. In fact, Peixinho upholstered Charles' late husband's Barcalounger in a Scalamandre Chinoiserie print. Now, how can you not like the decorator who adorns the 800 pound gorilla in the room in Scalamandre?

So it was interesting to see the recent article in House Beautiful (Jan. 08) about Peixinho's own home in Newport. The 1730 house is owned by the Newport Restoration Foundation, which strictly limits what Peixinho can do to the house (i.e.- no painting!). It seems, though, that Peixinho overcame these restrictions by filling the home with pieces that he loves, and this to me is what makes the home interesting. Amongst the Chinese export, the Hitchcock chairs, and other antiques are more modern pieces- a bright yellow Bungalow 5 coffee table, contemporary paintings, and mirrors from Ballard Designs.

It's this mix of the old and the new that I find inspiring. I've been fortunate enough to receive some early American antiques from my parents, and will inherit more some day. As much as I adore these antiques, I don't actively collect early American. But that's okay because they work with my other furniture. I'm here to suggest that with a little imagination and a critical eye, you can mix American antiques with Louis XV chairs or 1930s furniture for example. And really, isn't this the modern way of living?


The card room with the Ballard Design mirrors and newly painted Queen Anne Chairs.


Another view of the card room with a modern painting.

Covetable Pieces

How many times do you see something in a designer's home and think "That's perfect! Just what I've been looking for." As I wrote in a previous post, I say this often when I look at photos of Albert Hadley's homes. I want everything he has! But Hadley is not the only designer with a good eye. Here are some other pieces that I covet:


Markham Roberts designed these faux-horn etageres (which technically are not in his home, but you get the idea). They look like something Billy Baldwin might have used. I'll take two please!


I've admired this table, designed by Alexa Hampton, for years. It has a marble top; it's painted with a Greek Key- what's not to love?

This little shell encrusted turtle candlestick has been seen in many fashionable homes. Made in France and sold at one time through Hollyhock (sadly, I don't believe anymore), these turtles are examples of whimsy done right:


In the home of Joe Nye


And at Todd Romano's home


Don't forget about Christopher Spitzmiller's coffee table

And can anybody tell me where I can find one of these glazed urns? Miles Redd seems to use them in many of his projects, and all I know is that I want one!


In orange on Redd's bar


And in blue in Redd's old apartment

Paisley with some Punch

Here's an early Valentine's present: red and white paisley. I'm seeing it everywhere, and it's not hard to understand why. When rendered in red and white, paisley becomes clean, crisp, and graphic. Alessandra Branca has used it in her office (above), and it's the perfect backdrop for black and solid red accessories. And designer Kim Zimmerman used only red and white prints (including a paisley) from Les Indiennes in this Atlanta living room below. Bottom line- it's a great way to add some zip to one's room.



Design by Kim Zimmerman (photo from Cottage Living, Jan/Feb 08; photographer Jeremy Samuelson)


"Paisley Linen" in Brick, Suzanne Rheinstein for Lee Jofa


Paisley Print from Les Indiennes


"Paisley Park" in Garnet from Lewis and Sheron


"Spiral- Lipstick & White" from Buy Fabric

Image at top from Traditional Home, Dec 07.

Merry Christmas

To each and every one of you, a very Merry Christmas. I hope your holiday is full of happiness and joy!

And I look forward to seeing you later next week!

(Christmas greeting above courtesy of Bernard Maisner)

Kazumi Yoshida

Clarence House has long been known for its gorgeous fabric and wallcovering, but some of the line's most inventive prints over the past twenty years have been designed by Kazumi Yoshida. A renowned textile designer and multimedia artist, Yoshida also serves as design director for this venerable textile firm. Yoshida's prints, most of which incorporate bold and unusual colors, have a charming, painterly quality to them. And while many of the prints are quite contemporary, some of them have an Art Deco feel to them. Yoshida is also the mastermind behind the print "Flowering Quince", a much loved print that has been a hit in the blogosphere.

If you're an avid Kazumi Yoshida fan, you might be interested to know that he has designed a limited edition bottle for Estee Lauder Pleasures which will be available in January 2008.


"Flowering Quince"


"Las Palmas"


"Pot de Fleurs"

"Japonerie"


"Kourin"


"Anouk"


"Balthazar"


"Cry of Love"


"Java Beige"


"Diaghilev"


Limited edition bottle designed by Yoshida

Fabric at top: "Jembala"

Gifts of Style for December 19

The holidays are the perfect time to forget calorie-counting, and I can't think of a better way to do so than by indulging in some decadent chocolate cake from Chocolate Cake Charleston. Baked by owner Christen Reese, the chocolate cakes are truly some of the best that I have ever had. And if you're afraid of the temptation of having a whole cake on your counter, Reese also bakes mini-cakes too. Yum!

The Glory of Shells

I have loved shells for as long as I can remember. During my childhood summer beach trips, I remember religiously checking the tide report in the newspaper so that I could plan my daily shell hunting (sounds a little nerdy, no?).

If you're like me, then you must check out the beautiful new book The Shell: A World of Decoration and Ornament by Ingrid Thomas. This highly informative book covers the history of shells and the shell motif in art and decorative art through the ages. Chapters include shells in jewelry, art, architecture, furniture, and porcelain, to name a few.

What I find most fascinating are the objects that were created using actual shells. Some of the most amazing images (at least to me) are the rooms and grottos that are decorated entirely in shells! Can you imagine the time and labor that went into these rooms? The craftsmanship in all of the objects featured in the book are just remarkable. Of course, after reading the book I have all types of fanciful ideas about what to do with my collection of shells. But in reality? Perhaps I should stick to something simple like a small mirror!


Shell Gallery at Rosendael Castle, Netherlands, c. 1730.


"The Sharpham Shellwork", c. 1770. Created by Jane Pownoll with shells collected in the West Indies by her privateer husband, the work is a replica of Sharpham House.


A carved mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell jewelry casket, 19th c. English.


Shell obelisks by Tess Morley, 1999


Pair of Olympic torches created by Peter Coke, 2001


Arcimboldesque Shell-Head Fountain in the garden of Petit Chateau, Parc de Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, France.