A Swellegent, Elegant Event

The August issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles has a terrific article about elegant entertaining à la Phoebe Howard (pictured above). The magazine photographed a cocktail party hosted by Howard and held at her Atlanta pied à terre. Honoring a new employee, the all female bash is an excellent example of how to entertain and still be as cool as the avocado-cucumber soup that was served.

First, I like the fact that the guests all attended the party in their best summertime frocks. Granted, they were being photographed for a magazine, but isn't it nice to see an event where people make an effort to look nice?

An accomplished hostess, Howard knows that simple but tasty food is the way to go. (Remember the advice of Gene Hovis: always serve something simple and straight-forward.) Guests enjoyed a menu of parmesan-pimento cheese hors d'oeuvres, avocado-cucumber soup, Tuna Niçoise, and lemon sorbet and lemon cookies for dessert. Oh, and Watermelon martinis were served too. Nothing like a good cocktail to get the fun and frivolity started.

To Howard, entertaining is an important part of being in the decorating business. It's a "very important business skill, where attention to detail is paramount." So true, and it's nice to see people keeping the art of gracious entertaining alive.

(For more images of Howard's Atlanta apartment, visit the House Beautiful website)

An elegant Summertime tablesetting


The Tuna Nicoise looks all the better amidst topiaries planted in silver buckets.


Avocado-Cucumber Soup anyone?

(All images from the August issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles; Erica George Dines photographer; text by Kate Abney and produced by Rachel Cardina)

Coleen's New Venture

Coleen Rider of Coleen & Co. was kind enough to send me some photos of her brand new showroom in Los Angeles. The grand opening was last Saturday, and distance was the only thing that kept me from attending. As you can see, the always creative Coleen has outdone herself with the new space. How great is that rattan bed? I also think the outdoor pagoda is divine. I love the avocado colored rooftop with the blue painted ceiling. If you want one too, you're in luck. They can be custom ordered through Coleen (click here for more info).

As usual, interesting and beautiful things abound at the shop. Here's a peek at some of the new items:


Early 19th c. English Chinoiserie clock (love this!)


Bone Pagoda


Large pair of Celadon pots on stands

The Silver Fund

And speaking of china and silver, have you ever visited The Silver Fund? Based in the UK, The Silver Fund is one of the world's most prestigious dealers of Georg Jensen silver. Unfortunately, I have not visited the London shop, although I did have the chance to peruse the San Francisco operation recently. Talk about manna from heaven!

The beauty of Georg Jensen silver is that it runs the gamut from Art Nouveau style to Mid-Century Modern. You can find streamlined or art deco pieces that will add some jazz to your silver collection. Or for you nature lovers, there is the legendary "Blossom" pattern- Jensen's famous Art Nouveau inspired design from the 1910s. Jensen's designs just never seem to go out of style. My parents bought a set of Jensen stainless flatware over 30 years ago- despite daily use it has held up remarkably well and it still looks fantastic today.

I've tried to show a range of what The Silver Fund has to offer, but as you can tell it's the Art Deco pieces that make my heart sing.


Georg Jensen Cocktail Shaker Set and Tray, c. 1930s


Jensen Salt and Pepper Shakers, pre-1945


Jensen Art Deco Tea Set with Ebony Handles, c. 1930


Jensen Ivory Handled Bell, c. 1930s


Jensen Toast Rack


Jensen Pyramid Pattern Cruet Set, c. 1930s


A five piece place setting of Jensen's famous "Blossom" flatware

Image at top: Blossom Pattern Coffee Set with ivory handles, pre-1945

Covetable China Closets and Cabinets

Did I ever tell you that my well-used magnifying glass not only gets a workout over photographed libraries but comes in handy to peer into china closets and cabinets too? I was reminded of this little proclivity of mine when I posted about Gene Hovis' fabulous china closet a few weeks back. I've never met a salt cellar or a champagne saucer that I didn't like, so it's only natural for me to be a bit nosy when it comes to others' collections of table accoutrements. In fact, my excitement over these things is such that I might want to don evening wear whilst in the presence of my china and silver- much like Kelly Wearstler above.

So which china cabinets and closets have struck my fancy? Well, there have been many, but here are some of the more memorable ones. And remember, with the aid of a magnifying glass, you might just find some type of table oddity that you never knew existed. After all, you never know when a pudding trowel or a caster might come in handy.


The china closet of the late Geoffrey Beene. Beene obviously preferred a sleek and well-edited collection. See how great the white china looks with all of that silver and crystal? (Photo from House Beautiful Entertaining)


Christopher Spitzmiller did an excellent job of displaying his collection of china and copper cookware in his small New York kitchen. You can tell he is someone who likes to cook and entertain- my kind of guy! (Photo from Elle Decor, photographer William Waldron)




Spitzmiller was inspired by this New York kitchen of Wade McCann. Now, I know that some of you may be overwhelmed by the amount of "stuff" in this kitchen, but look at how wonderful the stuff is. I think I'm fascinated by the breadth of this man's collection. And to think that I always believed you could get away with only two or three decanters! (Photo from Private New York)


I completely get Bunny Williams. Maybe it's our shared Southern heritage, or perhaps it's our love of fine things. Whatever it is, this closet in her Connecticut home is right up my alley. First, her pressed tablecloths are stored on hangers in her entertaining closet. A very clever solution that I would like to try someday. And buying candles in bulk? I've done that too with my late, great Williamsburg candles. Basically, this closet is so well thought out that it would appeal to all neatniks. (Photo from An Affair with a House)


And for a historical reference, here is the games room at the 18th c. Music Pavilion, the last standing structure of the estate of Comtesse de Provence, the wife of the man who would become Louis XVIII. Purchased by the Bazaine family in 1960, the Pavilion has been restored to its former glory. The cabinets in the games room are filled with Vieux Paris dinner services as well as Sevres porcelain.

(Image at top from Domicilium Decoratus)

Sol Kent and his Sophisticated Needlework

As I was reading through the Fall 1994 issue of Veranda last night, I came across an article on the Atlanta home of the late Sol Kent.

Now, for those of you not familiar with Atlanta, Kent was the legendary fashion director of the late, great, and much missed Rich's department store. (You remember hometown department stores, don't you? Those stores that were owned by pillars of the local community? The ones that had clothing departments, book departments, bakeries and tearooms? The stores that were gobbled up by Federated and are now forced to wear the moniker "Macy's"? I thought you would remember!) Not only did Kent have an eye for fashion, he was a connoisseur of design and antiques as well.

He adored doing needlepoint, but homespun handiwork and corny canvases were not for he! In accordance with his polish and flair, Kent became proficient in creating geometric and graphic works of needle art. In fact, Kent avoided designs that had curves and round lines in them. His refined idiom included squares, rectangles, diamonds, and hexagons. Kent knew what he liked and he stuck with it for years.

Unfortunately, Kent is no longer with us, and I have always been disappointed that I never had the opportunity to purchase one of his pillows. I do remember many years ago when my mother told me about Kent and his passion for geometric needlework, and I believe this influenced my taste in needlepoint design. When I do find the time to engage in a little needlework, I seem to only work on geometric designs. These are the designs that speak to me, courtesy of Mr. Sol Kent.

(Image at top: A few of Sol Kent's canvases. Note how a few of the canvases feature a "XIX" and a "XI"- these are the nineteenth and eleventh letters in the alphabet, which are also Kent's initials.)




Kent's home was filled with his needlework. The framed canvas above the monkey sculpture was inspired by the work of artist Viktor Vasarely.


Here is a Kent creation which featured red accents.

(All images from Veranda, Fall 1994 ; photographer Cameron Wood)

New Sister Parish Fabrics?

I was visiting the Sister Parish Design website yesterday to check on some fabric, and I was thrilled to see the new greeting (above) on the homepage. Had the Sister Parish site been revamped???

Well, not exactly, although it seems that there are new fabrics featured on the site. Perhaps I should not say "new" as these fabrics might be reissues. And I can't confirm if Sister actually designed these fabrics, or if she had simply used similar prints for some of her projects. What struck me was how different these prints are from the classic designs in the Parish line. When I think of SPD, small, graphic prints such as "Chou Chou", "Burmese", and "Desmond" come to mind. The newer patterns such as "Auchincloss" and "Waldingfield" are florals that seem more intricate and detailed. Perhaps they were added in response to the renewed interest in floral prints?

I've emailed SPD and hope to have some answers for you soon. In the meantime, what do you think of these prints below? And as many of you are so knowledgeable of design history, perhaps you can shed some light on these patterns.

The Recent Additions:



"Auchincloss" in Blue and Red


"Waldingfield" in Green and Beige


"Palmetto" in Green, Blue, and Beige

The Oldies but Goodies:


"Chou Chou" in Blue, Red, Tete de Negre, and Green


"Burmese" in Blue, Green, and Tete de Negre


"Desmond" in Green, Blue, and Tete de Negre

Not Your Garden Variety Accessories

I knew that Lunt was creating a line for the New York Botanical Garden, but I did not know how great the pieces were going to be. Most of the items are silver-plated, and many of them have a Chinoiserie theme- how apropos! More importantly though, many of the designs were inspired by drawings and prints found in the Rare Book Collection of the Garden's LuEsther T. Mertz Library.

And what's even better is that many of the items are quite affordable. So... what will you be buying?





The silver plated Garden Pagoda teapot and cream and sugar make me want to host a tea party. The inspiration for these pieces came from architectural designs found in William Halfpenny's 1752 publication "Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste".


Feather Shot Glass and Cocktail Picks. Inspired by the feathers of a bird. And after seeing the shot glass, I think I'm liking flame-stitch again.


Pomegranate Paperweight, based on an illustration by Georg Dionysius Ehret in "Plantae Selectae" (1750-73).


Cocktail Shaker with a head of a Bahamian Titmouse, a bird documented by Mark Catesby in his legendary book "Natural History of the Carolinas, Florida, and the Bahama Islands" (1754).


Isn't this lacquer and silver plate tray beautiful? The garden design featured on the tray was drawn by Georges-Louis le Rouge in "Détail des Nouveaux Jardins à la mode" (1776).


And I had to include these Umbrella Cocktail Picks as they look a bit like my logo at top, don't you think? This particular umbrella design came from a drawing of a garden folly found in Charles Over's "Ornamental Architecture in the Gothic, Chinese and Modern Taste" (1758).

Image at top: A view of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden

Neutral and Neoclassical

You know how a lot of people are scared to have color in their homes? Not me. I love color, especially rich, vibrant hues. And prints and patterns? Yes, I feel confident in mixing them too. But when I start to think about neutral palettes, well, let's just say that I don't have the same self-assuredness as I do with color. Many people say neutral colors and tones are the easiest to work with, but I'm not quite so sure. You have to know what you're doing because otherwise the result can be dull, lifeless, and boring. And perhaps this is why my tear-sheet files contain only a few homes with neutral color schemes.

One designer who is quite adept at executing a chic and warm neutral room is J. Randall Powers. I just love his project that is featured in the August issue of House Beautiful. I won't spoil the article for you, but the images above are just a few of the many gorgeous rooms in this Powers designed Houston home. While I was reading the article, it finally dawned on me that the neutral homes that appeal to me the most are those with a Neoclassical feel. It's not really the contemporary, neutral rooms that strike my fancy but rather the homes where the past is very much alive and well and serving up doses of inspiration.

The Powers article made me think of Bill Blass' home- one in which a neutral palette seemed to be chosen to better display his fine collection of antiques and objects. In fact, Powers' Houston clients chose him because they felt his work resembled that of Blass. The Blass home has long been inspiration to many so it really should be included in a post on neutral color schemes. Don't you agree?









(Images of the Powers' project from the August issue of House Beautiful; photographer Luca Trovato. Images of Bill Blass' home from House & Garden's Best in Decoration.)