And A California Christmas

One place I've been meaning to visit in San Francisco is the Crown & Crumpet Tea Room, located in Ghirardelli Square. (I bet Grant Gibson has been there!) In time for the holidays, proprietors Amy and Christopher Dean have opened a pop up shop filled with all kinds of unique fancy goods from around the world: mini baking sets from Japan, Cath Kidston accessories, sweet treats and holiday decor. You'll need to hurry because it's only open for a few months. What better way to spend an afternoon than having tea and doing a little shopping?

(Crown & Crumpet's Holiday Shop is located in the lower plaza of Ghirardelli Square. For more information, click here.)

All images taken by Kristen Loken

Wigs and Braids

So I read something about wigs yesterday, and that got me thinking of Madeleine Castaing. (And for those of you who are sick to death of reading about Castaing and her wig with the chin strap, I know and agree. She was so much more than that wig, but what a wig it was.) One of my very favorite Castaing rooms is the Paris bedroom of composer Baron de Banfield, which I am assuming was decorated in the 1950s or early 1960s.

I think that what strikes me about this room is the architecture. The apartment itself was in a modern building, so Castaing had to employ architectural improvisations. The designer chose to imbue the apartment with an 1830s feel (think Regency, Charles X, and Biedermeier), which explains the use of arches and columns throughout the space. Because Castaing felt the bedroom was too long, she added an arched alcove at one end with closets on either side. (Don't you love those closet doors?) A bronze Directoire bed was placed within the niche, but according to the accompanying text, it rested only halfway in the alcove. Quite honestly, it looks to me like it's pressed up against the wall, but what do I know. Still, if it was positioned the way the text says it was, it would have given the perception of depth.

Another bold design gesture was the color choice: red. An unusual choice for a bedroom certainly, but the fact that the walls were covered in red fabric might mean that the effect was more cocoon-like. But to me, the most striking aspect of this room (other than those fabulous closet doors) is the "braiding" that was used on the walls. Castaing trimmed the walls with it, and cleverly created crown molding with it as well. In the top photo, notice how she took the fabric over the edge of the ceiling.


The same fabric was used in the small hall that led from the bedroom to the bathroom. Note the criss-crossed braiding on the ceiling.


If I'm not mistaken, the braiding was one of Castaing's signature fabrics. If it looks familiar, it might be because the same Castaing fabric (or one that looks awfully similar) also made an appearance in Lisa Fine's Paris flat, featured in the current issue of Lonny.



See the fabric on the little slipper chair? Looks similar to the Castaing fabric, don't you think?

Many of the fabrics that were hallmarks of Castaing's work are available through Clarence House, including my all time favorite "Coppelia". But, for a fabric with a similar feel, there's also Cassaro's "Bergama" in Wineberry.






(Castaing photos from The Finest Rooms in France; Fine photos from Lonny magazine, Miguel Flores Vianna photographer.)

Hail to the Chief of High Style

About a year ago, I first wrote about the late San Francisco design legend Anthony Hail. I received many emails from readers expressing their thoughts on Hail, a man who obviously had many fans. Most agreed that Hail was witty, worldly, and sophisticated. I suppose it's no surprise that a man like Hail would end up living in San Francisco, a city which, in my opinion, just might be this country's most refined.

When I look at photos of his home, the word that keeps coming to mind is elegance- honest to goodness elegance, something which is missing from much of design today. Hail's possessions were all of the finest quality, and one can tell that much thought was given to how best to display his pieces. One of my favorite Hail rooms is his bedroom. I found these photos in two of my favorite books, San Francisco Interiors and San Francisco: A Certain Style, both by Diane Dorrans Saeks. (If you want to see why I think San Francisco is the capital of refinement, just read these books.)

While the room is a bit more masculine than I usually prefer in a bedroom, it's just so warm and so drop-dead chic that it makes me forget about feminine, frou frou bedrooms. I think it's a great example of how elegance and comfort are not mutually exclusive design principles. In the words of the great Hail, "Beauty and pleasures are givens, but rooms must be usable, not fragile or intimidating."



In "San Francisco Interiors", Hail said that the antiques in this room were either Russian, Danish, or French. He wanted pieces that were "architectural and understated. The last thing I'd want in my bedroom are antiques or colors that are flamboyant or over-the-top."


The fabric is a French striped silk. A pair of c. 1790s Danish commodes flank the bed. The black lamps were a gift from friend Billy Baldwin.

(Photo #1 and #3 from "San Francisco Interiors" by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Alan Weintraub photographer. Photo #2 and quote on beauty from "San Francisco- A Certain Style" by Diane Dorrans Saeks, John Vaughan photographer.)

Dempsey & Carroll Tablets

Remember how we all lamented the loss of those fabulous Mrs. Strong house tablets? Well, if you're down to the last few sheets as I am, don't distress. Dempsey & Carroll has recently introduced a whole line of tablets in two different sizes. The tablets come in two different sizes and bear gorgeous engraved motifs like pineapples, airplanes, elephants, and crescent moons. My personal stationery is from Dempsey & Carroll, and the quality is really fantastic.

Off to order a few tablets for my home!


Petite Eiffel Tower Tablet


Petite Elephant Tablet


Golden Pineapple Tablet

Image at top: Petite Tablets Deluxe Gift Set

From the Archives of...Léron Linens

Some say luxury and quality are dead. A rather dire statement perhaps, but one that warrants discussion.

But, all is not lost. There are linen companies, stationers, fabric makers, and the like who have for decades catered to a knowledgeable, often well-heeled, and exacting clientele. These companies have been in business for years, long before the internet and corporate outsourcing became part of our lexicon. And, they're still doing business much as they have for generations. I thought that I would start a series that profiled these venerable firms in hopes of introducing them to a wider audience.

So, first up is Léron linens. Every time my travels took me to New York, I would stop by Léron's jewel box of a shop on Madison Ave (now located at the D&D Building). Imagine being surrounded by bedding, table linen, and blankets adorned with custom monograms and embroidered motifs. Holiday linens with embroidered nutcrackers on them. Sweet baby blankets and coverlets. For this girl, it was manna from heaven!

What makes Léron unique is not only its quality custom linens (although in today's world that does make one unique) but also its history. It is believed that Léron is the oldest luxury linen company in the United States, with its centennial anniversary to be celebrated in 2010. And amazingly enough, the company has remained in the same family since its inception. Now run by third-generation owner David Forster and his wife Dale, they have positioned Léron to remain viable in the 21st century by moving its showroom to the D&D building, the mecca for all designers.

Over the years, Léron has had clients ranging from royalty, socialites, and others who appreciate fine quality. In fact, it's still like that today. Léron specializes in custom linens that hearken back to the way they used to make them ages ago. Many of the linens are hand embroidered and hand appliqued. And because they've been in business for as long as they have, there is a large archive of designs from which to choose. That's not to say that you can't commission something completely new; Léron welcomes the chance to work with its customers on custom design. The sky's the limit. If you can't wait for your beautiful custom linen, there are also in-stock items that can be purchased immediately. (Check out the gorgeous holiday linens on their website.)

To learn more about Léron, I encourage you to visit its website. Or, if you're in New York, swing by its showroom at the D&D building. If you don't live in New York, there are opportunities from time to time to schedule an appointment in your home with one of Léron's sales representatives. For more information, call 800-954-6369 or email sales@leroninc.com. Now regarding my Léron wish list- do I choose bed linens embroidered with a floral motif? Perhaps table linens with an ornate, embroidered monogram? Better yet, how about custom mats and napkins to match my discontinued china?


Beautiful linen and organdy table linen


Camille


Beauvais tablecloth


Toile birds bedding


Tara bed linen


Emily bedding


Fantastic monogram made of Beauvais embroidery, some of the finest in the world. Note the embroidered cherubs.


A beautiful example of Italian lace.


How fabulous is this? Bedding designed for a Sun Valley ski lodge c. 1950s.


The new Graphique collection will appeal to those whose tastes are more contemporary.


The classic Léron pink box. It might be almost as beautiful as the linen.

(All images courtesy of Léron)

Working with Style

There are some designers who say they have little to no time to devote to their own homes, and others who treat their abodes as opportunities to make statements. Just think about how Miles Redd's home (and most especially that David Adler bathroom) helped to build his glamorous reputation. Well, one could say that a design office is yet another opportunity to show potential clients that you know what you're doing and that you mean business.

Take, for example, Kelly Wearstler. That's the Kelly Wearstler Studio boardroom featured at top. Yes, the chandelier is glam, the painting bold, and the wallpaper striking. But for me it's all about the Kelly Wearstler folders arranged neatly on the boardroom table. The next time the Peak of Chic holds her annual meeting, she just might have to follow suit.


This yummy room is the Materials Library at Wearstler's Hillcrest Estate. OK, so technically it's not an office, but wouldn't you love to spend a few hours rifling through all of that fabric?


Back in 1934, the decorating firm Beverly & Valentine had "foyer trouble" in their Chicago office. They installed a niche and placed painted mirror within it; a basket of greenery was placed at the base. The chicest thing about this space are the walls painted to resemble venetian blinds. Love that detail!


The former office of Heather Hoyt and Alison Levasseur (photographed in 2002) makes me want to rethink my own office. And keep in mind that this was early on in the coral craze, so it looked really fresh at the time.


Sybil Colefax had a studio at 29 Bruton Street which was really more of a showroom rather than office. Still, it must have been heaven to have worked here on a daily basis. Be sure to check out the radiator covers, some of the most stylish I've seen. (Photo c. 1940)


(Top Wearstler photo from Hue, Grey Crawford photographer; 2nd Wearstler photo from Hue, Francois Halard photographer. 1934 photo from House Beautiful. Hoyt/Levasseur office from House Beautiful, 10/02, Buff Strickland photographer. Colefax photo from John Fowler: Prince of Decorators by Martin Wood.)

And Yet Another...

Today we have another installment of "The Tented Room", this one brought to you courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Jay Lerner. The renowned lyricist and his wife were devoted Francophiles, which might explain their tented dining room- a nod to Napoleon and Malmaison. (Mrs. Lerner's family was "associated" with Napoleon. Not so sure what the connection was.) The rest of the home is quite grand and well, quite French. But it's the dining room that really speaks to me. Or rather, seeing that it was Alan Jay Lerner's dining room, I should say it sings to me.


Mr. and Mrs. Alan Jay Lerner.

(Images from Town & Country, Fall, 1962)

Darling Nicky

How easy it is to forget about preparing a blog post when you're reading Nicky Haslam's new memoir Redeeming Features. Forget delving into my design archives and actually researching something scholarly. I've only been interested in reading about things that are a bit more prurient.

I had anxiously awaited my copy because I knew it would be provocative. Actually, I ordered both Redeeming Features and The Queen Mother: The Official Biography, but I passed the Queen Mum along to my mum because I wanted to read the book with the naughty bits first. In the first three chapters alone, Haslam has gained more, um, experience than most garner in a lifetime and has spent the weekend with Tallulah Bankhead- all this by the time he was a young teenager. Hmmm....

So, while I continue to read about who did what with whom and where, I leave you with a few photos of Haslam's work from his previous tome Sheer Opulence.


The salon in a New Orleans home designed by Haslam. The design of the magnolias on both the wallpaper and armchair fabric was taken from a hunting schloss. Haslam lacquered corrugated paper and hung it beneath the room's chair rail.


The entrance hall in a London mansion apartment. Haslam says that he got the idea to drape the stairwell in white fabric from Christian Dior's Paris home.


A London dining room. The wallpaper is actually "cheap" textured paper that Haslam had silvered and hand painted.


Haslam installed the overscaled columns and pillars in this London dining room. What I find most interesting is the chinoiserie panel that can be seen in the mirror. It was inspired by the Chinese Palace at Oranienbaum (more on that this week) and was made of silver mica paper made to look like beadwork.


The study in Haslam's former London apartment. The wallpaper was painted by George Oakes, the famed decorative artist who worked with John Fowler. Can you imagine anything more comfortable than curling up in this room and reading a book? Perhaps a book like "Redeeming Features"?

(All photos with the exception of the image at top from Sheer Opulence)