Pea Green with Envy

Lately, I've really been drawn to weird and unusual shades of green. Yes, it may not sound particularly appetizing, but shades like moss, loden, and pea green can be quite beautiful. Still need convincing? Well, for me, it was the room at top, designed by Mario Buatta, that made me reconsider green (usually not a favorite color of mine). Of course, the fact that Buatta covered the walls in mossy green velvet makes it a rather easy sell. I don't think I'm alone, because others were won over by Nick Olsen's room below (I'm crazy for Nick's room too, but I saw the Buatta one first).



What I've noticed, though, is that the designers who have used these odd shades tend to be quite creative in their use of it. Buatta and Carolina Irving have both chosen mossy and murky shades of green fabric to upholster walls. Miles Redd chose a lacquer finish for the olive colored walls in one of his projects. And designer Richard Adams did not hold back with his use of green- he painted the walls, upholstered the banquettes, and covered the lampshades in the same shade of green.

Bottom line- after years of bright, happy colors, maybe it's time to inject a little moodiness into our homes.

(Nick Olsen used Benjamin Moore's "Oregano" for his apartment. My friend Clinton Smith used "Kyoto Green" from Valspar in his guest room to great effect.)


A room by Miles Redd (photo from Southern Accents)


A sliver of a shot of Carolina Irving's entrance hall.


Living room of London designer Richard Adams

Call of the Wild

The blogosphere has been atwitter over the fabulous leopard print-clad room designed by Mary McDonald (in the Feb. issue of Domino)- and understandably so. This homage to Madeleine Castaing is stylish and fun. And while McDonald used the same leopard print for the walls, curtains, sofa, and armchairs, it's not animal overload. Fortunately, McDonald has not abused the leopard print, something which some people so cruelly do in the name of style (and if you need proof of this, then read my book review of "Dictator Style" for some truly terrible examples of animal prints gone bad). But I digress.

If you want to dip your toe into the sea of animal prints, you could add some leopard or tiger print pillows. Elsie de Wolfe did so at Villa Trianon, and they look quite smart against the caramel colored velvet sofas. Nan Kempner obviously thought so too.


Villa Trianon, Elsie de Wolfe's home



If you're feeling confident and want to mix your prints, you should see the apartment of writer and stylist Julie Fowler. I had to take photos from the TV as this apartment was featured in an old episode of Sheila Bridges show, so forgive the quality. Anyway, Fowler has a very small apartment, and she chose to incorporate various animal prints (something which she has always been drawn to) mixed with shots of bold color. I especially like how she has draped the ottoman with the leopard fabric. (If any of you readers know Julie Fowler, have her email me because I'd love to have photos of her apartment to show you. I think many of you will really like her home.)


Living room of writer Julie Fowler


A vignette from Fowler's home

Or, you could throw restraint out the window (like Mary McDonald), and embrace the animal print. Betty Sherrill of McMillen did, and how chic is this dining room?


(Photo courtesy of New York Social Diary)

Of The Young and the Restless

Yesterday's Home & Garden section of the New York Times introduced me to a new fabric line- Of the Young and the Restless. (OK, so the name is what first caught my eye. After all, "The Young and the Restless" was my soap of choice as a teen- the Sturm und Drang in Genoa City was just too good to ignore.)

Designed by friends Pearce Williams and Courtney Loadholt of Charleston, the hand-printed line is comprised of a range of designs, some of which are subtle ("Woodgrain"), edgy ("Thorny Rose"), or graphic ("Houndstooth"). I've ordered some samples, so I'll report back to you when I receive them. And for the record- the line was conceived during a period in the friends' lives when they were young and restless, hence the name.

"Nesting Shells" in Coral


"Woodgrain" in New Money


"Birdhouse" in Floridian


"Houndstooth" in Black


"Thorny Rose" in Holiday

Image at top: "Thorny Rose" in Honeymoon

Ashley Whittaker Design

I have really been curious about the work of New York designer Ashley Whittaker, who was named one of the Domino 10 in 2007. I could tell from the photo of her apartment that her look was tailored and traditional- but with a twist. She incorporated just enough color and pattern (and fun accessories) to make her home au courant, but she managed to maintain a classic rather than trendy look. I think that this was the hook for me! Fortunately, we can see more of her work in the February issue of House Beautiful.

The house, located in Southampton, is yet again a striking mix of color and pattern. The furniture consists of many timeless pieces, but the boring is banished with Whittaker's use of playful prints. I think my favorite room is the dining room- I love the turquoise fabric on the walls combined with the pink/coral fabric on the chairs. And, as Whittaker is a former protege of Markham Roberts, I think you can see a bit of his influence in her work, but the look is wholly Whittaker.



The cheery sunroom with lattice, wicker, and various fabrics in orange!


The use of blue in this sitting room inspired the use of it throughout the house. I like the various shades of blue- from ice blue to turquoise to navy.


A very feminine and cozy bedroom-I love that Cowtan & Tout print on the vanity skirt and the pillows.


The living room; the ottoman fabric is "Nairobi" from China Seas through Quadrille

Top images: Views of the dining room. The turquoise linen on the walls is from Quadrille; the coral linen fabric on the chairs is by Travers.

(Photography by Eric Piasecki)

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