Everyday Elegance

One thing that I cannot get out of my mind since my conversation with designer Richard Nelson (he of the 1966 Christmas party fame; click here) is the idea of serving Chinese take-out on Chinese Export porcelain. Perhaps to some of you, it's not such a novel idea, but it is to me. People of my generation and those who are younger don't collect antique porcelain anymore. A shame, really, but understandable from an economic point of view. Collecting porcelain can be expensive! And try amassing enough to serve eight to ten people at a seated dinner. It's not impossible, but let's just say it's a challenge.

Famed Southern architect Philip Shutze was a great collector who owned that stash of blue and white Canton ware at top. He treated it as his everyday china. I like to think that perhaps he ate his morning toast or grits from it. I admire the fact that he didn't treat his porcelain as too precious to use- something that I'm sure I would be guilty of. And obviously Richard Nelson didn't think his porcelain too grand to serve Peking Duck and the like. That kind of casual attitude is impressive and something that I might need to work on.




I read somewhere that the late Manhattan caterer Donald Bruce White (he's the one seated at the head of the table) used antique Coalport plates at seated dinners. You see, when you do things like this, you end up with chic dinner guests who wear their fur hats at the table.




Gloria Vanderbilt entertains with this china that was used at The Breakers in Newport. (That's Cornelius Vanderbilt II's monogram in the center.) Do you think Anderson Cooper will someday follow in his mother's footsteps and entertain with it as well?




I can only assume that Alberto Pinto actually uses his antique porcelain for dining. God knows that he has enough of it. That wasn't a criticism, simply jealousy rearing its ugly head.



Diane von Furstenberg served a baked potato and caviar on 19th c. English china. Rich...on both accounts.



(Top image from: Philip Trammell Shutze Atlanta Classicist , Connoisseur, and Collector the Story of a Collection by Rebecca Moore; #2 from Living Well by Carrie Donovan. #3 from The World of Gloria Vanderbilt by Wendy Goodman. #4 from Alberto Pinto: Table Settings. #5 from The Table by Diane von Furstenberg.)

A Study in Glamour

One of my favorite rooms at the recent Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Christmas House was the study decorated by Hutton Wilkinson and Atlanta designer Stephen Boyd. Not only did the room look really terrific, it felt as though someone actually lived in the space- not an easy feat when decorating for a mythical client. The look that the design duo went for was one of luxury, quality, and most importantly, glamour. What might have been the most striking piece in the room was a large screen that was upholstered in Hutton's new print for Jim Thompson, Duquetterie. In fact, this fabric set the tone for the entire room. The whimsical print was derived from the door panels of that well-known cabinet that Tony Duquette designed for Elsie de Wolfe in 1941. I've included a shot of it below in case you can't quite place it.

To see what the room looked like in all of its glory, you'll have to wait for the February issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles. But in the meantime, I am able to show you detail shots of the Hutton Wilkinson designed fabrics for Jim Thompson's Tony Duquette collection. I think you'll see that Hutton and Stephen made great use of these beautiful fabrics throughout the room. These new prints will be available come Spring, so treat this as your official sneak peek.

The image at top is a small bar vestibule off of the study. The fabric on the walls is Jim Thompson's "Duquette Modern Snowflake Pattern". Tony Duquette designed the original print, "Modern Snowflake Pattern", after seeing 18th c. carved Chinese screens that were owned by clothing designer Adrian. Hutton took the original print and updated it with an industrial punched metal pattern.




Guess what? This Jim Thompson fabric, used as portières, doesn't even have a name yet- it's that new. Beyond the curtains you can get a glimpse of the study. The chandelier is the Tony Duquette "California Sunburst Chandelier" for Remains Lighting.




The screen is upholstered in "Duquetterie". Hutton duplicated images of foliage and blackamoors that graced the carved plaster, mirrored, and painted panels of the Duquette/de Wolfe cabinet and made them into this recurring pattern. The sofa is covered in a Greek Key print, originally used by Duquette in the 1940s, that has been updated by Hutton with the addition of black squares at the intersections and subtle shadings to the design.




The cabinet that inspired the fabric.




Another yet to be named print that will be part of Jim Thompson's 2011 Tony Duquette collection.


Photo credit David Christensen. Images printed with permission from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles and The Mansion on Peachtree.

A Master of Entertaining

You know that I love my vintage design magazines, and I mention often that there is much inspiration that can be drawn from their photos and articles. But inspiration aside, these old mags can also pull you into a fantasy world, one in which thoughts of "Wow, I'd love to live in a glamorous apartment like that" or "Good grief, I'd give my right arm to be able to host that kind of party" prevail. It's the latter sentiment that I felt when I first read a 1967 House & Garden article about a Christmas party hosted by designer Richard Nelson. In fact, I was planning to post about this gorgeous party when I found out that Richard is one of my readers. I figured what better way to turn fantasy into reality than by speaking with Richard to find out the whys and wherefores of this captivating party.

A little background first. Richard is a noted interior designer who began his career in New York in the late 1950s. In fact, he was Sister Parish's assistant for a few years, helping her with such projects as the famous White House redecoration for Jacqueline Kennedy. After his stint with Parish, Richard decided to strike out on his own, setting up shop in Manhattan and later in Newport, the city that Richard now calls home. Richard recalls that the 1960s were a heady time for a young New York decorator. It was not uncommon for him to spend most nights out on the town- in black tie no less. And if he wasn't out and about, he was entertaining at home. Richard remembers hosting seated suppers for 12 to 13 guests on an average of four to five nights a week. Yes, you read that correctly.

Now let's stop for a moment and think about that. Four to five nights a week. When Richard told me this, I actually didn't know what to say. Can you imagine? Of course, I had to ask him how in the world he entertained with such gusto and maintained his business. He said that he usually had help when he hosted dinners, although he always participated in the preparation of the meals. And sometimes to keep things simple, he would order in Chinese from a neighborhood restaurant and serve it on his Chinese export porcelain to make it special. Now that must have really been something else.

The 1966 Christmas soiree featured here took place at his former apartment on the Upper East Side, part of two Civil War brownstones that had been combined in 1917. Richard's apartment consisted of a dining room and a music room that was connected by an enclosed walkway. (That's the festive looking walkway above.) The music room had a 20' high ceiling, making it the perfect setting for a very tall Christmas tree. The dining room, decorated in the 1920s by Charles of London, had a ceiling that was covered in painted canvas meant to look like leather. (You can see it in a photo below.) The walls had been decorated with old japanning and antiqued mirror, but by the time Richard moved in the walls were beyond repair, hence the painted finish that you see below.

Seeing that this was to be Richard's first large party in his home, he opted for a lavish and elegant black-tie affair. He hired Donald Bruce White to cater the event. In 1966, White was just beginning his career, later becoming one of Manhattan's premier caterers. (In fact, I've shown his apartment on my blog. Click here to see it.) The delicious menu included smoked turkey, pâté en croûte, shrimp and parsley tree with curry dipping sauce, and of course, that croquembouche. If that wasn't enough, his friend Mabel Mercer entertained his guests for an hour and a half, after which everyone danced until 4:30 in the morning. But after the last guest left, Richard did not have much time for relaxation. A few days later, he hosted a party for friends' children so that they could see his Christmas tree. The event was replete with little presents, cookies, and juice, something that he still does to this day.

Though the setting of Richard's dinners may have changed- he now lives in an 18th c. Colonial house in Newport- his style of entertaining hasn't. He still makes sure to serve delicious food. And more importantly, he never forgets the point of entertaining: to have a good time with good friends.




That is Richard, above, wearing white-tie and tails. The footmen's liveries were made at a shop around the corner from his apartment.



The music room decorated for the party. The small tables and gilt chairs gave guests a place to rest between dances.



A view from the music room to the garden courtyard beyond.



The buffet was laid in the dining room. Note the painted canvas ceiling.



The smoked turkey was sliced quite thin and then reassembled for serving.



During the early part of the party, a harpist played while guests drank champagne and chatted.



After the 11pm buffet supper was served, Mabel Mercer sang for guests.



A few days later, friends' children visited to see Richard's Christmas tree.

All photos from House & Garden, December 1967.

My Fashionable Holiday Helper

Ask me what a woman wants for the holidays and I can give you a list a mile long. But what to give to a man? Well, my list shortens considerably as I haven't a clue. Thank goodness that I have John Auerbach to turn to for help. Not only is John is a native Atlantan (you knew I had to mention that!), but he is also General Manger of Gilt MAN, having been with Gilt Groupe since the very beginning. Yes, it is John who has helped to make Gilt MAN one of the hottest things on the web. I guess Details magazine agrees since they named him a 2010 Maverick for his work with Gilt.

With street cred like that (or might that be web cred?), John seemed the perfect person to turn to for help in figuring out what men may be pining for this holiday season. And as I suspected they would be, John's holiday gift ideas are both super stylish and super fun too. I may not be able to wear that Martin Greenfield for Gilt suit, but I'd sure be happy with some E. Braun bedding or that Fornasetti incense burner. What about you?

"Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Watch. Audemars Piguet is the oldest, family owned watch company in the world and the Royal Oak Offshore is the hallmark of any great watch collection. Dress it down with a rubber band and you're good to go for a day at the beach or a black tie affair."




"LED book sculptures by artist Airan Kang, available through Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery in NYC. With the recent migration to digital books like the Kindle, Kang's pulsating light sculptures are not only beautiful but also provocative statements about the future of the written word."




"Stop counting sheep and start counting thread count with E. Braun's super stylish and indulgent line of bedding. Not only are the sheets beautiful but they hold up incredibly well wash after wash. Go with the Sateen finish for extra comfort."




"Apple iPad (with Gilt Groupe App, of course)! I travel a lot for work and the battery life on this thing is like the energizer bunny! I can check my email, surf the web and watch multiple movies all on one charge. It's also extremely portable and easy to pack. "




"Unleash your inner hippie with the Fornasetti pistol incense burner. Fornasetti's iconic and whimsical designs translate perfectly here, making this wooden box with a decorated ceramic burning tray the chicest way to infuse any environment with a seductive and inviting scent. In a characteristically witty Fornasetti gesture, as the incense stick burns, the ashes fall neatly onto the barrel of the gun."




"A well respected fashion editor once told me that you can always tell a well dressed man by his socks. I couldn't agree more. Nothing expresses individual style as much as a brightly clad ankle. Happy Socks (available on Gilt MAN) are my favorite."




"Stop counting carbs and start counting carbon!! With damage to the environment quickly becoming an irreversible fact, it's important that people try to understand ways to minimize their impact. A big part of this is calculating your personal carbon footprint which is basically the total sum of your carbon producing activities i.e. driving, air travel, household energy use and even food and other products that are shipped long distances to be consumed . Cut back where you can and also investigate purchasing carbon offsets from companies like Patagonia Sur (www.patagoniasur.com), who plant trees that sequester carbon naturally thus helping to mitigate the release of CO2 into the environment. Patagonia Sur will even provide geotag coordinates and a google earth link so you can check up on your little forest from the comfort of your home or office. It's a great gift for anyone on your list and for the environment too."




"Martin Greenfield for Gilt. Fashion elite and those in the know have been flocking to Brooklyn Based tailor Martin Greenfield for the last 50+ years, for tailored clothing that promises an impeccable fit and exquisite old world tailoring. In fact Greenfield is responsible for producing many of the best made suits on the market, sold under many of the designer labels you know and love. Recently Greenfield designed a collection just for Gilt – with all of the handwork that he's known for – but at a fraction of the price. The fit is amazing and should be a staple in every man's fashion arsenal. "




"Lanvin Sneakers. Best selection is at the Webster in Miami. They're incredibly comfortable and look good with just about everything."




"Momofuku “Birthday Cake”. For a gastronomic experience beyond compare, this amazing cake, available in the Momofuku bakery in New York City, is nothing short of a diet assasin. Calorie counters enjoy and proceed at your own risk!"

Photo at top courtesy of John Auerbach.

The Boles Family Christmas Tree

Last week was spent decorating my family's Christmas tree. Now, in years past, the tree trimming went something like this: buying the tree, loading it on top of the car, poor Dad schlepping it inside and getting it into the Red Devil (the super duper Christmas tree stand), stringing it with lights, decorating it with ornaments that we've had forever, and my mother vowing that "Next year, we're going to do this differently. Your father can't keep dragging a 7 foot tree into the house." Fortunately for Mom and Dad, this year's tree is a godsend.

I was contacted a few weeks ago by Green Valley Christmas Trees and was asked if I was interested in having them send me a tree to decorate. Believe me, it didn't take long for me to email a resounding "Yes!" I admit that I had never thought about ordering a Christmas tree or wreath online before, but now I'm a convert. You order your tree which is harvested and shipped on the same day to ensure freshness, and within a few days it is delivered to your doorstep via FedEx. I chose a 6-7' Fraser fir, and sure enough, within a few days, it was delivered to my parents' home. The tree was absolutely beautiful and fresh, and the shape was pretty close to perfect. And the best part was that my father's back was spared the pain of tree hauling duty.

Since buying the tree required so little effort, I decided to give this year's Boles family tree a whole new look. I had a large remnant of Rubelli fabric called "Tea Introduction", an exotic print filled with blues, pinks, and aubergines, which I used as a kind of slapdash tree skirt. It also served as inspiration for the color scheme of the tree. For the ornaments, I chose blue, silver, and pink ball ornaments mixed with peacocks (I don't think they were present for the tea introduction, but hey, they're exotic), pagodas, and aubergine colored feather-like things. When your tree has a theme, you have to be pretty flexible when buying ornaments. Finding exotic ornaments-especially in an aubergine color- in two days ain't easy!

The best part? My father's back is in one piece and my mother left the decorating to me. I'd say we're starting off the holidays on the right foot.



Rubelli's "Tea Introduction" was the inspiration for the tree's theme.

These peacocks were right up my alley- a gorgeous shade of blue and covered in little sequins.

The pagodas are reminiscent of those found in the fabric remnant.

I think this is a feather, but it was the aubergine color that sold me on them.

(All photographs by Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic)

A Hauntingly Beautiful Dessert

I'm being haunted by the Croquembouche. This tower of spun sugar and cream puffs has been on my radar for quite a while, but lately, they seem to be everywhere.

I got started on a roll with the Croquembouche that graced the lavish dessert table, above. That Christmas party took place in a gorgeous Upper East Side apartment in 1966. Amazingly enough, the host reads my blog, so I've had the chance to speak with him about his holiday hosting skills. I'll post that within the next week. But in the meantime, you gotta admit that that Croquembouche was quite the show stopper.

Mary McDonald obviously agreed. She served one up to her guests at her formal Christmas party from a few years ago. In fact, this Town & Country photo made an appearance in one of my very first posts way back when.

The version found in Tiffany Christmas is decked out with chocolate leaves and sugared almonds.

I also come across this one that is holding court with a glazed Smithfield ham.

And then, I was at the bookstore where I saw the cover of Fine Cooking magazine. Yep, a Croquembouche.


Last night at 3am, I had the great idea that I would make my very own Croquembouche and photograph it to share with all of you. And, at 7am, I thought better of it. Some things are better left to the pastry chefs of the world. Otherwise, I feel it is a recipe for disaster.

Back in the Olden Days...

While making my bed this morning, I was thinking. I have a lot of time to think while making my bed because there seems so much to do. There's the tucking in of the sheets and blanket, putting the blanket cover back on top of the bed, and arranging the mohair throw at the end of the bed. Then there's fluffing of the four (yes, four) standard pillows and placing them neatly at the head of the bed, not to mention the two Euros and the boudoir pillow. We just seem to have so much "stuff" on our beds today. And beds are high off the ground now. I used to have my bed perched up on those plastic cones that you get from the hardware store, but then I realized that that was just plain stupid. I'm no pygmy- I'm 5'8"- but it's silly when I have to stand on my tip-toes just to get into bed. And forget about Alfie. There would be no way that my canine short stuff could even make it up on the bed if I still had it jacked up. (And by the way, that's not my bed at top. Pretty linens, though. A lot of pillows, too.)

So what I was thinking about this morning was this:





Remember when we used to make our beds up like this? When we tucked our pillows (usually just one layer) under the bedspread? This was the way I learned to make my bed. In fact, I believe that I spent much of my childhood doing it this way. It's as if one day, this simple bed making method just went "poof!" and the next thing you knew, there was an explosion of pillows, duvets, covers, and throws.

I'm not necessarily advocating a purging of our bed accoutrements. I like my pink and white Schweitzer Euro shams and Yves Delorme mohair throw too much. All I'm saying is that it used to be much easier when our beds were minimalist.

And I'll let you know where my thoughts take me tomorrow morning when I repeat this daily exercise.

A London bedroom by designer Joseph Braswell.




This bedroom decorated by Louis Bromante is rather Mad Men.





This bedspread is a look that does not need revisiting.




A master bedroom designed by Arthur Smith





Thomas Jefferson's bed at Monticello.

(Second image in post is the bedroom in the Madrid apartment of designer Duarte Pinto Coelho.)