A New Romance

For years now, I've been madly and head over heels in love with prints. I assure you that I was discriminating; don't think that I fell for every print that came down the pike. Prints by Albert Hadley, Sister Parish, Alan Campbell, and Quadrille were my passion. And I was discreet too. I had enough sense to know that one, maybe two were enough in a room. But now, I'm looking for something different. Perhaps something a little more subtle.

One fabric collection that caught my eye was Donghia's Spring 2009 offerings. The new line, the first designed by Creative Director Chuck Chewning, is all about rich color, intriguing texture, and a few soft prints. This is the type of fabric that adds sophistication and maturity to a room. The kind that forces other prints to behave themselves and not slip into immaturity or silliness.

Of course, first loves never die, and I have a feeling I'll be buried with my Albert Hadley prints, but sometimes, it's nice to explore other options.


"Hera". The hand-embroidered medallions are feminine and sweet, though certainly not cloying.


"Bell'Insetto". Hands down one of my favorites in the entire collection. The name means beautiful insect in Italian. Come on, how can a bug not be beautiful when used on silk damask?


"Cashmere Velvet Herringbone". Or maybe this one is my favorite. So luxurious and so masculine, especially with that chevron pattern.


"Ella". A bit more casual and free-spirited than the others, this textured cotton four-leaf clover print would work well in less formal surroundings.


"Encanto". The appliqué, printing, and embroidery is all hand-finished. Oh, the flowers and vines have embroidered French knots on them as well.



"Estrella". While I tend to go for richer, more saturated color, I do think the soft color palette is soothing. Don't you want to rub your hands over that texture?

Images at top: "Ripple". First, the colors are so rich and gorgeous. And that sheen!

(All images courtesy of Donghia)

Cabana Chic

While I'm on the subject of balconies... I mean terraces, I thought I'd post these photos of two cabanas installed at Trina Turk's New York store. Turk commissioned talented designer Joel Woodard to create cabanas (also known as changing tents) based on some frames that were featured in the Tony Duquette book.

Woodard tweaked the tents and made them taller than your run of the mill cabana. He used fabrics from Turk's new fabric line at Schumacher. The exterior fabric is "Peacock" in the color pool, and the interior is lined in "Zebra" in the Bamboo colorway.

How great would it be to have one of these by your pool, on your terrace, in your dressing room. I'm convinced that the tents' height will make one look slimmer, especially in a bikini!

Deadline Decorating

Am I the only person who decorates her home's interiors first and deals with the outdoor part later? For the past three weeks, I've sequestered myself inside in order to meet a few deadlines, and the entire time I kept looking out the window at my poor, neglected balcony. Wouldn't my grotto chairs look a lot nicer with a chic outdoor fabric? (They came with Naugahyde. Who the heck puts cheap vinyl on elegant grotto chairs??) How about a tablecloth for my bistro table? And trellis- that would be awfully nice.

It's really crazy that I live in Atlanta and don't have a balcony dressed to the nines. After all, it never gets too cold here, so one can entertain outdoors about nine months out of the year. I'm turning over a new leaf, though. What I realized is that the promise of a party is what forces you to get your house- and balcony- whipped into shape. Like I said a few weeks ago, I'm having a party for my sister in August (I will continue to mention this because once something is in print, you can't go back on it.) I've also mentioned it to many of her friends as a kind of save the date thing, although to me it's a "You better get your act together and finish what you've started... or else."

I've pulled lots of photos as inspiration for my sadly neglected balcony. Can I get it together in two months? Well, do I have any choice?


I've been taken with this balcony since I first saw the photo over ten years ago. The wrought iron furniture, the sculpture, those oversized hurricanes... perfection. I think I have my work cut out for me.


"Supper on a Romantic Terrace". First, can I call my high-rise balcony a terrace? It sounds much nicer. Anyway, truth be told, I wouldn't add those butterflies to my tablesetting because I just don't go to that much trouble in my decorating. However, I would add white lights to my boxwoods (that I have yet to buy), and if I had plain patio chairs I would consider painting them in faux-marbre.


I'd nix the wooden fence- for some reason, it looks a little Trader Vic's to me. But I do love those chairs and the black and white tablecloth with pink napkins. Perhaps I've found the color scheme for my party?


Obviously, this ballroom is far grander than my outdoor space, but isn't all of that treillage just beautiful?? Elsie de Wolfe designed this space for Bessie Marbury.


Awnings are always right for a balcony, and I do like those graphic stripes.

Two months and counting...the pressure is on.

Image at top: Technically, the old Garden Lounge at Hampshire House wasn't outdoors, but Dorothy Draper's handiwork could certainly work on a patio or balcony.

(Image 1: In the Pink: Dorothy Draper--America's Most Fabulous Decorator. Images 2 & 3: Tiffany Table Settings. Image 4: HOUSE AND GARDEN'S NEW COMPLETE GUIDE TO INTERIOR DECORATION: FIFTH EDITION. Image 5:Manhattan Style. Image 6:House & Garden's Complete Guide to Interior Decoration

I'll Miss You!

I'm going to have to sign off for a few weeks while I work on a project that demands my attention. If only there were more hours in the day, I might be able to work, blog, and get my trash TV fix. But, for right now, the blog and the trash TV will have to be put on the back burner. (I guess that means no Real Housewives of New Jersey, which is probably a good thing. My IQ won't suffer in the process!).

See you back here after May 18th! Don't have too much fun without me.

Orlando Diaz-Azcuy

Sometimes it's easy for the ennui to set in. You know, you see images of interiors and think "Been there, done that". Sometimes, you just want to be shown something new. Well, I found that in Diane Dorrans Saeks' upcoming book Orlando Diaz-Azcuy. Of course, Diaz-Azcuy is not a Johnny come lately. In fact, he has been in the design business for more than forty years. And while I was familiar with his name, I knew nothing about the Cuban born, San Francisco-based designer's work- until now.

I certainly wouldn't call Diaz-Azcuy's look traditional, but there is a luxuriousness to his interiors that appeals to this traditionalist. Some of his interiors are spare, some are edgy. But on the whole, they make me want to step outside of my comfort zone and try a little something new. I think that the rooms that appeal to me most, though, are the richly layered ones. There is one media room that had me swooning. Unfortunately, I can't show the image here, but trust me, it's to die for (think dark green silk walls, gold painted ceiling, and marbleized door frame).

I've long been a fan of Diane's books, so I had high hopes for her newest tome. Fortunately, the book did not disappoint. The author gives the reader great insight into Diaz-Azcuy's design process- both the nuts and bolts and the inspiration too. I love how she described Diaz-Azcuy's work as minimal but with a "touch of va-va-voom". Each chapter focuses on a specific project, including the designer's own homes, and there is also an interesting section titled "Talking Design", a conversation between the author and the designer. And the icing on the cake? Diaz-Azcuy has included a brief list of books that have inspired him. Beautiful images, a story well-written, AND a book list? What more could you ask for?

(Diane Dorrans Saeks is currently at work on her upcoming blog, The Style Saloniste. Look for the official debut in the next few weeks. I'm confident that not only will it be well-written (would you expect anything less?), but supremely stylish as well!)




This tableau seems quite poetic. In fact, it's Diaz-Azcuy's Pacific Heights penthouse. (© David Duncan Livingston, reprinted from Orlando Diaz-Azcuy by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli New York, 2009)


A closet cum media room. Definitely va-va-voom. (© Tim Street-Porter, reprinted from Orlando Diaz-Azcuy by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli New York, 2009)


The lush outdoor terrace of one of Diaz-Azcuy's homes. (© Matthew Millman, reprinted from Orlando Diaz-Azcuy by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli New York, 2009)

Image at top of Orlando Diaz-Azcuy, © Tim Street-Porter, reprinted from Orlando Diaz-Azcuy by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli New York, 2009.

I Want Everything In This Room!

I can't stop looking at this photo of antiques dealer Louis Bofferding's (former?) Manhattan living room that was featured in the 1996 book The Table. One reason of course is because the room is just so good looking- clean, uncluttered, airy, masculine, restrained, and immensely chic. What I also like about it is that there isn't a shred of mediocrity in this room. Each piece is magnificent on its own, but when mixed with other important pieces? Decorative Arts Heaven! Would you expect anything less from such an admired dealer?

When you start to dissect the room and study each piece, it's hard not to be impressed by the provenances. A 1950s Jansen table with blue steel legs. Fornasetti faux malachite plates. An iron elephant mounted on a red silk pedestal from Geoffrey Bennison (on table). A Louis XVI armchair with antique Chanel purple silk velvet. And barely visible in the far left hand corner, an iconic "Bird Table" by Meret Oppenheim, c. 1939. Yep, I swooned too. But rather than seeming ostentatious or even "full of it", the room- gold chip furniture and all- comes across as personal and well-thought out. It is truly the room of an erudite man who really knows his stuff!



This Royal Dining Table by Maison Jansen looks similar to that of Bofferding except for the legs which are black steel rather than blue. (Available at Todd Merrill Antiques)

Gold leafed Bird Table by Meret Oppenheim, available at Eccola. The listing on 1st dibs says this specific table is 21st century, so obviously this table is a much later version than that of Bofferding.

Bofferding's table was set with these Fornasetti plates. Also, you can get a better look at the Bennison piece.

A pair of Fornasetti gold and malachite plates, available at Gallery 25.

The pineapple on Bofferding's console appears to be tole. This pair of lamps from John Salibello Antiques have a similar look.

(Images of Bofferding's apartment from The Table, Diane von Furstenberg)

Hall of Mirrors

And it's not the one at Versailles. Those clever guys at Downtown- David, Robert, Onik, and Carlos- as well as Elizabeth Dinkel and Kim Alexandriuk created a fabulous entrance hall (see above) at the recent Los Angeles Antiques Show. The array of mirrors included examples of Art Deco, Modernism, and French 20th century. Note too the trompe l'oeil painted walls. Wouldn't this be great to do at home in a hallway, an entry hall, or even on an outdoor terrace?


Downtown's booth included pieces by Arturo Pani, Jay Spectre, Line Vautrine, and Mito Block. David and Robert are always on the cusp of the next hot thing, so it's no wonder that everyone pays attention to what they display.

Don't Spare Me The Symmetry

One thing I notice about pre-1970 interiors is the rather rigid symmetry on and around fireplace mantels. I suppose that one reason for this is because rooms used to be more formal than those of today, and formality many times begets symmetry. The other explanation may have been the popularity of garnitures- porcelain or other decorative objects that were sold as a group and meant to be displayed together. Many of the garnitures I've seen are comprised of two identical objects plus one central object. I suppose garnitures have gone the way of period rooms- out of style. Still, they did make an impact.

Today, I still like a symmetrical grouping of objects on mantels and flanking fireplaces. There is something very calming and orderly about this fireplace-centric symmetry. That said, things do have to be loosened up a bit. Call me uptight, but I have to have bookend symmetry, meaning that the outermost objects on a mantel have to be identical and symmetrical. I then loosen things up by displaying unique items in between, placing them to the right or left of an imaginary central axis. Basically, the central objects are artfully off-kilter while the outermost objects serve as sentries. Heaven forbid if this formula is reversed and the symmetry is in the middle rather than the ends- that would truly send me into orbit!

So after that little explanation of what my symmetry sensitive mind can and cannot handle, I'm curious if you decorate your mantels using strict symmetry, relaxed symmetry, or absolutely none at all!

(All images are from Decoration (Vol II); the book goes to great lengths to explain the importance of symmetry.)


The composition at Petit Trianon, Versailles was as tight as a drum. According to the book, "The objects surrounding the centre piece are strictly aligned like soldiers on parade."


The drawing room at Château de la Lorie, where the symmetry was described as being "precise".


Château de la Verrière. Woah! There is a lot going on here. The author wrote, "A profusion of ornaments creates a fantastic display on Romantic mantelpieces. The little symmetry that remains is hardly perceptible: small objects are huddled together, merging with the background so that they become almost indistinguishable." Do you agree?


While I think there is too much stuff on the mantel, there is some symmetry here which I do find appealing- like those two candlesticks at both ends of the mantel. The off-center fireplace and the varied composition of paintings keeps things from being too rigid. (Room by J.P. Hagnauer)

Image at top: The drawing room of Charles de Beistegui. Major symmetry here...and yet, it looks fabulous.

(All images from Decoration (Vol II), Librairie Hachette, 1963)

Picnic on My Balcony

Have any of you caught the recent airings of Picnic on Turner Classics? I have, and it's one of those movies that sucks you in. If you're not familiar with it, the 1955 movie stars William Holden and Kim Novak as two people in a small Midwestern town who find themselves mighty attracted to one another. One of the most famous scenes in the movie- and one of the sexiest dance scenes of all time- is when Holden and Novak share a charged dance together during the town's Fourth of July celebration. Had I been a teenager back in '55, I know that I would have been on the floor after seeing that scene. Not out of shock mind you, but because I know that I would have been wishing that I could live out that scene in real life!! Even in 2009, this movie seems to have held up pretty well.

Every time I see this scene, I'm captivated by the music and the attraction between the two characters. But the other thing that gets me are those gorgeous lanterns that were strung along the dock of the river. Those colors! The shapes! The tassels! It's so beautiful that I find myself struggling to pay attention to the acting. I'm planning a party for my sister this summer, and I've decided to string a few on my balcony for some colorful illumination. Am I trying to recreate the Picnic scene? I don't know, but I'd sure be willing to try!


I like this accordion style lantern from Pearl River. Great color combo.


The upside is that these lanterns come with LED lights that flicker. But, they lack the interesting shape and pattern that those from Picnic had.


Nothing like the movie, but this reminds me of that great Clarence House print "Flowering Quince".


This silk lantern is a bit more along the lines of those in the movie. At $19 each, a little pricey, though.

And though I don't usually include You Tube videos on my blog, here is the scene that got everybody hot and bothered fifty years ago. Just try to ignore the fact that Holden wasn't the world's best dancer: