Decorating and Drinks

I've always been a fan of Atlanta designer John Oetgen. Somehow, he seems to know exactly how to strike the right balance when mixing the old and the new. It's really a skill to be able to make it all seem so natural and so not forced, and John has obviously perfected this skill.

Late last year, John was asked to decorate the model apartment at The Mansion on Peachtree, a luxury high-rise in Buckhead. The unit was part of the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Christmas House tour and was recently featured in the March issue of the magazine. I can't tell you how many times I've stepped into a model home or apartment and was struck by the sterility and lifelessness of them. But John's unit was totally different. You got the sense that a real person- one who was sophisticated and worldly- actually lived there. Perhaps it was because John seemed to pay so much attention to the details. One detail in particular that I liked was the sunburst ceiling fixture in the entryway. John placed it over a ceiling medallion that he painted blue. Clever, no? I'm including a few images from the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles' article (March 2011 issue), but for the full text and images, visit the magazine's website.



The chic little foyer. I love that wallpaper combined with the black trim.



The ceiling of the foyer featured this blue medallion and sunburst light fixture.



The breakfast table was surrounded by these fabulous chairs. The nail head trim and handles really make those chairs.


And, now for some shameless self-promotion. My bar cart, my kitchen door, and my back were also featured in this issue in a special section on entertaining titled "On the Rocks". Read my quote about what to do with guests who stay forever and how to feed them. Of course, now all of my friends are asking me if they were the guilty parties.

All images courtesy of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, March 2011. Oetgen photos by Erica George Dines; bar cart and door photos by David Christensen. Images printed with permission from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles.

Charlotte Moss Decorates

Years ago, I read Charlotte Moss' Design Inspirations, Vol. 1, a terrific book which detailed four show house rooms created by the illustrious designer. The only problem was that after reading it, I wanted more. After all, Charlotte Moss' show house rooms are some of my very favorites. Her rooms at past Kips Bay show houses are legendary. Fortunately, Charlotte has a new book out, Charlotte Moss Decorates: The Art of Creating Elegant and Inspired Rooms, which features more of her show house designs as well as a few other projects. As I had hoped, this book is chock full of inspiration.

One of the things that I so enjoy about Charlotte's work is her attention to detail as well as her skill at layering, both of which are very much evident in this book. Each chapter focuses on a different room and the story behind that room. These stories are told through the book's engaging text (Mitchell Owens worked with Charlotte on the text; talk about the dynamic duo!), photographs, and scrapbook collages that Charlotte created for each project. Charlotte's collages include all kinds of inspirational material such as photos, drawings, quotations, even snippets of textiles. They give the reader such insight into Charlotte's creative and educated way of approaching design. And finally, each chapter ends with a recap of lessons learned from each room, but they're presented to the reader like a Diana Vreeland "Why Don't You" column. How fun is that?!

So, Why Don't You...check out this new book. I think you'll be as charmed with it as I was.

A scrapbook collage that tells the story of a sitting room that Charlotte designed for the 2009 Kips Bay Decorator Show House. This space was imagined for a husband and wife who were well-read and well-traveled.

The vestibule off of the sitting room at the 2009 Kips Bay Decorator Show House. Charlotte curtained this space in a magenta Michael Devine fabric. Note too the Van Day Truex drawings.

A room at the 2005 Southampton Designer Show House. The color scheme here consisted of Creamsicle colors. I think that I may have also been drawn to this room because of the dog bed in the corner. Adorable.

Two detail photos of Charlotte's 2006 Kips Bay Show House bedroom. The second photo is a perfect example of Charlotte's eye for gracious details.

All images © CHARLOTTE MOSS DECORATES, Rizzoli New York, 2011. Cover image and photographs #3, #5, and #6 by Pieter Estersohn; collage photo by Charlotte Moss; image #4 by photographer Eric Striffler.

Elementary Design

My friend Dean Farris, a designer and blogger who now resides in Naples, FL, recently sent me a few House Beautifuls from the early 1930s. Yes, manna from heaven. Surprisingly, I was intrigued by an article about a very well-appointed nursery in a New York apartment. I usually don't feature nurseries on my blog because quite frankly, I just don't think about them. Alfie didn't require one when I adopted him. Still, the one I'm showing here really caught my attention. First, it was decorated by Pierre Dutel, a noted designer of the era whose work I have always admired. And secondly, look at how elaborate this nursery was, especially considering that this article was written in 1935. There was the kindergarten/ dining room, a night nursery, and a day nursery. A set up like this obviously took up a fair amount of room. It makes me wonder what the rest of the home, owned by a Mr. and Mrs. Wallace T. Orr, looked like. It also makes me wonder what became of the children who were lucky enough to call this their nursery.




This was the kindergarten cum dining room. The mural of blocks, some which feature French phrases, was really quite charming. The star ceiling fixture looks very similar to one that is currently sold through Circa Lighting.

The night nursery was really quite sophisticated stuff for the time. What I'm especially taken with is that bed. I like that the bedspread matches the upholstered headboard and footboard, both of which are finished in a nail head trim. A bed like this would work equally as well in an adult's bedroom, as would the blue and white toile wallpaper.





The day nursery was decorated with Mother Goose nursery rhyme murals. I spy Jack and the Beanstalk and the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon. And check out the painted floor. Murals like these would be perfect in a child's nursery in 2011.

All images from House Beautiful, July 1935.

The X Factor

I'd be willing to bet that most of us have upholstered headboards. It's understandable; it's quite comfy leaning against that padding while sitting up in bed. But I have to say that I do find metal campaign style beds quite fetching too. I come across photos of them frequently in my old French decoration books, and let me just say that they look really dreamy. If you have a moderately feminine bedroom, the simple, masculine shape and metal construction (usually steel) offer an interesting contrast. If your bedroom is more on the manly side, then these beds offer an additional shot of testosterone. And if you're a die-hard girly girl, then these beds probably aren't for you.

Most of the examples that I've found are daybeds like the one featured above, though I have seen a few Empire style headboards and footboards as well. I think that what I like most about them is that pleasing X motif. It's simple yet emphatic looking. And if you're worried about comfort, I would suggest piling some large Euro pillows against the headboard and calling it a day... or night.


I do admit that the footboard is a little imposing looking for such a small bed, but regardless, it's a canopy bed with a nice architectural presence.



A 1950s example. The combination of the metal bedframe and that leopard print fabric (where have I seen it before??) is a little odd, but for some reason I like it.



Oomph's Southport headboard is not quite Campaign nor Empire, but it is an interesting alternative to the padded headboard. It's evocative of a garden gate.



If you refuse to let go of your upholstered headboard, then what about this brass and steel mirror, attributed to Bagues, that is available through Parc Monceau? It's similar in feel to the campaign beds, and yet you don't have to get cozy with it.

A Taste of Royal Weddings Past

I admit that I have gotten a little swept up in the William and Kate frenzy. I have visited the official website for the Royal Wedding, wondered aloud if Sir Elton will be attending, and am in the throes of preparing my own celebration at home. Nothing elaborate mind you. I have a feeling it will entail watching from my bed with Alfie, some coffee, and doughnuts. Glamorous, I know. It makes me think of Charles and Diana's wedding back in 1981. For that wedding, my sister and I were roused at the crack of dawn so that we could watch the momentous occasion, and thirty years later I vividly remember it. I've watched every Royal Wedding since then, so there is no way that I'm missing this one.

Of course, there is a lot of speculation as to who will design Kate's dress, but what I'm also curious about is what food will be served at the reception at Buckingham Palace. Do you want to know what was served at Charles and Diana's reception? Well, I can tell you thanks to a really interesting book, A Taste Of The Past by John Lane.




For William's parents' breakfast reception at Buckingham Palace, the following was served: quenelles with fish sauce for the first course; chicken breast with buttered broad beans, creamed sweetcorn, and new potatoes for the main course; salad; strawberries and clotted cream for dessert.




After the reception, Charles and Diana spent the first three days of their honeymoon at the Mountbatten family home, the Broadlands estate in Hampshire. Then they flew to Gibraltar on the Royal Flight. The onboard breakfast served to the newlyweds included lobster, prawns, roast chicken and beef, salad, and a melon fruit cup. You can see the complete menu on the menu card, above.





And what has to be the most rollicking meal served was that on the Concorde during its London to New York flight on the morning of the wedding. Travelers had a bevy of wines, spirits, Bloody Marys, Whisky Sours, Gin Fizzes, Drambuie, and Macanudo cigars at their disposal. A celebratory Buck's Fizz was served before a breakfast of tournedos of beef wrapped in bacon and grilled with pork sausages and kidney, Coulibiac à la Russe, grilled tomato and mushrooms, cheese, rolls, and coffee. I feel a little drunk and sick just listing all of that. God only knows in what kind of shape the passengers arrived in New York.

All images except for that of William and Kate from A Taste Of The Past by John Lane.

Come Rain or Shine

Leave it to Treillage, a shop in which I covet almost everything, to give us shelter from the rain and sun. For those Spring showers, why not use one of these Brelli tinted umbrellas? (You can also use it to protect you from the sun, if you're so inclined.) They have to be one of the chicest umbrellas that I've seen.





And for those sunny afternoons spent lollygagging in the garden or on the patio, how about a Pink Garden Parasol with its own bamboo stand?





It even comes in blue too.

A Sneak Peek into Lyford Cay Club

Wow! Have you seen the April issue of Town & Country yet? The photos of Tom Scheerer's handiwork at Lyford Cay Club are absolutely terrific. See the Club's living room above? Those painted palm trees are twenty feet tall! The decor has that timeless, old school resort look to it that never goes out of style. Then again, I might be partial to old school as the waiter at my neighborhood restaurant recently accused me of only ordering the old school items on the menu. (In case you're wondering, that would be lasagna.) At any rate, if you haven't read the article yet, do so as soon as you get your hands on a copy. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Photo courtesy of Town & Country, Pieter Estersohn photographer.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

A big thank you to everyone who sent me emails and left comments in regards to my search for an antique textile to cover my living room's half table. That's it above, covered in a hot pink linen tablecloth, being employed as a drinks table. A lot of you sent me links to sources for actual antique textiles, while others pointed me in the direction of fabric that has the look of old but that is actually new.

I haven't made up my mind yet what I plan to do. Decisions, decisions. In the meantime, I'll share some of these sources with you- just in case you too have a table that you want to disguise.




Mary Jane McCarty has an amazing collection of antique textiles, tapestries, Aubussons, and trims that she uses to make the most beautiful pillows and accessories. In fact, she has sold her pillows through Bergdorf's for years. The photos above show her current collection for the retailer, one that was inspired by Scottish castles. Mary Jane used antique toile, metallic trim, early embroidery, and Aubusson for these charming pillows. I invite you to visit her website to see a broad range of her work which includes lamp shades, throws, and Christmas stockings. She also welcomes custom projects and counts Bunny Williams, John Rosselli, Kathryn Ireland, and Michael Smith as clients. In case you can't make it to Bergdorf's to see her pillows in person, you can always visit her Etsy shop.



A savvy reader of mine, Mary, loves Indian bedspreads and used to buy them at Urban Outfitters ages ago. According to Mary, they make great tablecloths and they fade beautifully as well. She recommends the Tree of Life tapestry bedspread from Turtle Island Imports. I'm showing the cream colorway above. They come in different sizes and colors, but the best part is the price: they range from $27-$44. So, if you're using it as a tablecloth and somebody spills red wine, you don't have to have a heart attack. You can simply throw it in the washing machine or even just buy a new one. Another website that Mary likes is Tilonia Home. They too sell beautiful Indian bedspreads that include batiks and floral prints.





Another suggestion was the new Timeless Linen collection from Calico Corners. These pretty linen and cotton blend fabrics, made in either the US or the UK, look like something you might find in an old English cottage. The print above is Llyta Firecracker. It's so charming and feminine...and it's currently on sale too through the end of March.




Then again, Calico Corner's Vintage Plumes is awfully good looking as well.







And finally, a lot of you encouraged me to use some Braquenié fabric for a cloth. You know that I have a weakness for Braquenié, and I did find a few options. Not that they were difficult to find! I'm very taken with the new Embroideries collection, due to be released in the US on September 1. The collection consists of embroidered linens, cottons, and silks. Here's a peek at part of the collection. Aren't the fabrics stunning?


Photos courtesy of Mary Jane McCarty, Turtle Island Imports, Calico Corners, and Braquenié.

And One More Good Idea

I tend not to talk too much about gifts that I've received from people or companies because I worry that it might make me seem like, well, a braggart. However, I did recently receive a gift from Tory Burch that I want to share with you because I think it's really clever. They're cotton travel socks that you can wear while going through the airport security check.

In the past, I've used footie stockings because I can't bear the thought of walking barefoot through the security line. It's the thought of all of those germs that makes me shudder. The Tory socks are much better looking than my drugstore stockings, and the best part is that you can then put them away in the little pouch. Oh, and you don't have to worry about sliding in the socks because the Tory logo on the bottom is made of little grippy silicone dots. Very stylish and hygienic too!

Tony Duquette Tastemaker Tag Sale

The weekend could not come soon enough. Big plans for me? Yes. I've got a date tomorrow morning (that would be Saturday) at 11am EST with One Kings Lane. They're hosting a Tony Duquette Tastemaker Tag Sale co-starring Hutton Wilkinson. The sale includes treasures from Duquette's home Dawnridge as well as from his personal collection and warehouse. The items seen above are included in the sale. I cannot wait!

If you want a tour of Dawnridge, one hosted by the chicest and most charismatic characters I know (that would be Hutton), check out the YouTube video below.

Entertaining with Eleanor Lambert

Those 1970s House Beautifuls that my friend Barry gave me are the gifts that keep on giving. While flipping through the October 1977 issue, I found this charming article on Eleanor Lambert's style of entertaining. The late, great fashion publicist (she died in 2003 at the ripe old age of 100) not only had style in spades; she must have had boundless energy as well. She was responsible for creating the International Best-Dressed List in the early 1940s, started the Coty Awards in 1943, founded the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1962, and organized the still talked about fashion show at the Palace of Versailles in 1973. It was at this show that the American designers- Halston, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, and Anne Klein- stole the spotlight from France's cream of the crop couturiers including Givenchy, YSL, Ungaro, Cardin, and Bohan. Now that was a triumph!

When it came to entertaining, it sounds as though Lambert was no less energetic. In the article, she said that she hosted seated dinners for 8 to 20 guests as often as eight to ten times a year. In addition, she also gave numerous buffets throughout the year. But it was the sit-down dinners that Lambert liked best because she loved "antique silver and china and a sit-down dinner lets me show off my treasures." Those treasures included Imari plates, Ming lacquer trays used in place of place mats, silver flatware and candlesticks, and fresh flowers. The dining room itself was equally as elegant with its salmon colored walls, Turkish rug, antique porcelain displayed in the niche, and a stunning Chien L'Ung porcelain screen hung on the wall.

In terms of food, Lambert mentioned billibi being a favorite dish of hers. In case you're wondering (and I was), it's a French soup made from mussels and cream, although Lambert used clam broth in place of the mussels. She also liked to cook with liquor, although she didn't drink. One salad that she served was composed of mixed fruit, each type marinated in a liqueur of the same flavor. She also like to put gin in her stews and bourbon in her chili. I've never tried flavoring my chili with bourbon, but I must say that I'm intrigued.









All images from House Beautiful, October 1977.