Color Inspiration

Last week, I attended a luncheon at which Charlotte Moss was the guest speaker. If you've read any of her books, you know that Charlotte finds inspiration in almost everything: travel, architecture, books, flowers, fashion. It was interesting to learn what sparks her imagination and how that spark might manifest itself in a later design project. Take, for example, Madeleine Castaing's pink and black bathroom (at top). Charlotte has long been a devotee of Castaing, and the particular color combination used by Castaing intrigued Charlotte- so much so that Charlotte later used a pink and black color scheme for her table setting that was photographed for At Home with Wedgwood: The Art of the Table. You can see that Charlotte chose a pink cloth and napkins as a backdrop for her black basaltware. Very striking just as Castaing's bathroom was.

Inspiration can be a funny thing. There are times when we see a photo or a color combination, for example, and might actively find a way to incorporate it into whatever it is we're working on. But then there are times when inspiration can be more passive. You might be struck by the mood or feel of something, and only much later do you realize that that "thing" has found its way into one of your creations- maybe a piece of art if you're an artist, or perhaps a dress if you're a fashion designer, or even a table setting if you like to entertain. This not so "deep thought" occurred to me after Charlotte's lecture. When thinking about the Castaing influence on her Wedgwood table setting, I remembered this photo of the Maharaja of Jaipur, featured in The World in Vogue, that I first saw well over a year ago.




This image is all about dazzling color- vibrant pinks, oranges, blues, and golds. It's really quite magical. Every so often, I would pull the book from the shelf just to take a good look at the Maharaja and soak in the gorgeous setting. But you know, I never really thought too long and hard about the photo. I never made a concerted effort to strike up a room in a bevy of pinks and blues because that's not my style, nor did I ever think to write a blog post about this photo. I made no plans to do anything with what I saw. And then it dawned on me a few days ago- this photo has indeed had an effect on me, though I never realized it. I now believe that it inspired me to:



1) Buy these Rajasthan table linens by Le Jacquard Francais. My linen closet is filled with solid-colored hemstitch napkins and some Porthault here and there, but when I saw Rajasthan last Fall, I was so taken with the pinks and the oranges that I had to have them. The Maharaja never once crossed my mind while making this purchase, though. Or did he?





2) Arrange my books by color. Well, at least on one shelf. Now you know that I'm one of those people who will not arrange books by color. I have a system that works for me and organizing by color would mess that up. But on one shelf of books on fashion, I found myself stacking rows of pinks mixed with some reds. How did that happen? Maybe the photo had something to do with it?




3) Pull fabric samples that seem to fall in the pink, coral, orange, or peacock blue range. They tend to all be velvet, which isn't very Indian-like, but the colors certainly are. Now, where should I use this fabric???

Of course, there very well may have been other factors, and obviously I'm not the only person currently influenced by these particular colors. But, perhaps that photo of the Maharaja was the spark that I needed to branch out and experiment with a new color palette.


(Castaing image from The World of Madeleine Castaing; Wedgwood photo from At Home with Wedgwood: The Art of the Table; Maharaja from The World in Vogue)

Reflections on Corners

Corners of rooms can, at times, be tricky. Depending on the layout of the room and the furniture placement, one can end up with dead space in the corner. It's kind of like an awkward silence in a room.

It's an issue that I'm currently dealing with in my study. On one of the long walls, there is a sofa, and against the adjoining wall, there is a sliding glass door and enough wall space for a small chest. The result is that the corner looks empty and boxed in. Screens can be a great option for hiding desolate corners, but unfortunately there just isn't enough space for one in my study. I think that I found the answer to my particular problem. I plan to display a tall painting, one done by my sister, on an easel in the corner. Now the only glitch is finding a decent looking easel that goes with the rest of the room, but that's an issue for another post.

I suppose that because this design challenge has been on my mind lately, I've become attuned to how others have dealt with corners. And one of the more interesting solutions that I've seen is the use of mirror to obscure the corners altogether. The most common approach to mirror is to sheath entire walls in it. In the photo at top, designer Louis Tregre mirrored chimney breast and wall in squares of mirror and extended it to window. It worked well because it minimized the jogs of the chimney breast, niche, and support column, making the wall seem a bit more uniform.



I am absolutely smitten with this image of an apartment decorated by the late David Barrett. Barrett mirrored an awkward corner, then extended the reflective surface by placing a mirrored screen next to the mirrored corner. And if that wasn't enough, he used a mirrored cube table and a mirrored pedestal in this corner as well.



The late T. Gordon Little mirrored the support column in the corner of his Plaza Towers living room. To be honest, I don't think that the mirror really does an effective job at hiding the column (and perhaps that wasn't Little's objective), but I do like the way it looks. The mirror added some shimmer to what could have been a clunky corner.




A more restrained use of mirror is seen here in the London flat of Walter Lees. At first it seems a little odd to use two slivers of mirror to decorate a corner, but here, I think it worked. If Lees had not balanced out the mirror with drawings and sofas on either side, the mirrored corner might have seemed too forced and obvious.


Tregre and Barrett images from House Beautiful, January 1971. Little image from Southern Accents, Winter 1977.

T. Gordon Little and the Decorator Dorm

Decorator Dorm...that's what some people call the building in which I live. It makes sense as we have many designers, showroom owners, antiques dealers, a lighting expert, and a few design bloggers who call Plaza Towers home. I guess you could say safety in numbers. This isn't a recent phenomenon, either. Designers have long gravitated to Plaza Towers because of the location (so convenient to ADAC) and the "blank canvas" appeal of the apartments. You can make them contemporary, midcentury modern, traditional, or, to use a term that I'm not crazy about, transitional.

The apartment that I'm showing here is what we non-New Yorkers might call a "New York apartment." That's a compliment that many of us bestow upon chic apartments that have that Manhattan look to them. You know, a sophisticated apartment that comes to life at night thanks to a clever use of mirror, reflective finishes, and luxe objects. This particular apartment was the home of the late, well-known Atlanta decorator T. Gordon Little, a man known for his great style. Like so many designers of his era, he had a very fine collection of antique furniture and porcelain and artwork. But what gives his home snap is the way in which he mixed in contemporary pieces like a glass and chrome cocktail table and a Mies van der Rohe Barcelona stool. While most of the furniture and accessories might be deemed traditional, there was a sophistication to everything that made his home seem quite cosmopolitan rather than stuffy.

Keep in mind that these photos are over thirty years old (they appeared in the first issue of Southern Accents in 1977), so the colors might seem a little drab. Still, I think the photos prove that traditional antiques don't have to be as old-fashioned looking as some people might think.

One more thing- I couldn't resist including Little's thoughts on "eclectic", a look that many of today's designers strive for and a term for which Little did not care. He said, "I believe that the truly eclectic interior contains pieces that seem unrelated yet, in fact, are related, either intentionally through scale or connotation (historic, literary, romantic or intellectual) or simply by the personality and idiosyncrasies of the person who assembled them. I feel that so many rooms professing to be eclectic are merely a mishmash of totally unrelated objects thrown together cavalierly in the hope that, by some miracle, or just because they are unrelated and therefore fashionable, they will look wonderful." Just some food for thought.




A very good antique Chippendale card table stood amongst a mirrored wall and bookshelves in the home's entryway.




A daytime view of the living room, a space in which Little managed to include a fair amount of furniture. Thank goodness for these photos because furniture placement in my living room has, at times, given me fits.




And the living room at night.




A William Kent console holds an antique terracotta figure, porcelain cachepots, and antique French candelabra.




A glass top dining table was supported by an old stripped pine Corinthian capital. The chairs were Irish Chippendale. I think that my favorite part of the dining room was Little's porcelain collection displayed amongst the bookshelves.




Remember, it was 1977, so the Mylar paper on the kitchen walls was quite chic at the time. My kitchen still has the original lights like that seen here.




The chocolate brown study was the most modern looking room of the apartment. The closet's louvered doors were covered in panel wallpaper (new at the time), making the doors look like a screen. Now that was clever.


Photography by Sutlive/Warren.

A Deep Purple Medley

The Baton Rouge house featured here is quite attractive, don't you think? It's light and airy, and yet the layering of antiques and objects gives the home substance. Those white walls and upholstery certainly help to bring the homeowner's artwork, books, and bibelots into sharp focus. So much so, in fact, that in almost every photo, my eyes immediately zoomed in on the cut Hydrangea. How stunning are those mopheads in that rich, blue tinged shade of purple? Hydrangea in shades of white and green seem dignified and even a tad matronly (I mean that as a compliment), while periwinkle and pink show off Hydrangea's fun-loving side. But the deep purple seen here? Va-va-voom!













All images from Southern Accents, May/June 2009, Antoine Bootz photographer. Interior design by Jeff Woosley.

Stan Topol : Card Carrying Designer Since the 1970s

Stan Topol is a designer who has intrigued me for years. While growing up in Atlanta, I knew him "Elton John's designer." This was back in the late 1980s or early 90s, and for a Southern city that was starting to boom, Elton buying a high-rise apartment in Buckhead was huge- really huge. And that, to me, made Stan huge too. But what really did it for me was something that happened during the '96 Olympics. I remember driving through one of the busiest intersections in Atlanta, and standing high alongside the road was a billboard featuring an Amex ad. But this wasn't any ordinary Amex ad. Oh, no. It had Stan Topol leaning back with his arm draped over a chair, flashing a grin. And then it said "Buckhead is my neighborhood. This is my card.... Stan Topol, Cardmember since 1984." Now seriously, how great is that?! How many interior designers do you know who have been featured on a huge billboard smack dab in the middle of a metropolitan city?

Flash forward to 2011 when I recently got to help produce a House Beautiful shoot of Stan's Midtown Atlanta office. I know that you rarely see offices in House Beautiful, but this one is completely different. First, it looks more like a home, a very chic one. The office is filled with classic pieces like Bielecky Brothers cane furniture, glass tables and lamps, and wonderful artwork. And these are pieces, mind you, that Stan has had for years. Just goes to show that good design never goes out of style. But what also captivated me about the space is Billy Baldwin's influence on it. Stan was an assistant to Baldwin and learned a great deal from the master. You can see bits of the Baldwin look throughout the office, but Stan certainly has put his mark on the decor as well.

The article highlights many of Stan's design rules and secrets, but if there is one thing that I learned from it, it's that the classic contemporary American look from the 1960s and 70s still looks positively au courant in 2011.


To read the entire article, pick up a copy of the May issue of House Beautiful.



Stan with his English Cocker Spaniels, Oliver Twister and Oskar North.




A sitting area in Stan's office. The throw pillow is embroidered with Stan's motto: "Having style doesn't mean one has to be stylish."


All photos by Thomas Loof, House Beautiful, May 2011.

Atlanta Decorators Show House

In addition to Duane Hampton's lecture at the Atlanta Decorators Show House, there are many other show house events that you should be aware of...that is, if you plan to be in Atlanta over the next few weeks.

On Wednesday, April 20, designer extraordinaire Charlotte Moss will be the featured guest at a luncheon, lecture, and book signing at the Piedmont Driving Club. For more information on purchasing tickets to this event, contact sarah.levin@woodruffcenter.org.

In addition to Moss, another favorite author, Florence de Dampierre, will present a talk about her newest book, Walls: The Best of Decorative Treatments, on Thursday, May 5 at 4pm. The lecture will take place at the site of this year's Show House, the Lotus House. Tickets are also required at this event, so use the same contact info as above. (I'm currently reading "Walls" and it's a great book. I'll be writing a post about it very soon.)

Finally, there is a Connoisseur Series of lectures related to the decorative arts. Speakers include Atlanta's own Spalding Nix, who will be discussing ten rules for collecting.

And don't forget to visit the designers' rooms at the Lotus House. There is a great line up of some of Atlanta's top decorators.

For additional information on this and other show house events, please visit the official website.

A "Rite of Spring" Table

My friend Jonathan Preece's creativity never ceases to amaze me. A very talented designer on staff at Bunny Williams, Jonathan is known for creating the most amazing and theatrical tablescapes. I think that what fascinates me most about Jonathan's handiwork is that it's not just about striking colors, pretty linen, and fetching china. There is always an underlying theme that inspires the various elements of the table decor. And believe me, the theme is always well researched. When Jonathan tells me about his various inspirations, I usually have to visit Wikipedia to figure out what he is talking about.

A few years ago, Jonathan was responsible for decorating the Passover table for clients of Bunny Williams. The apartment was in the throes of demolition, undergoing a major transformation that was recently unveiled on the cover and in the pages of the February/March issue of Elle Decor. As Jonathan assisted Williams on this project, it was only natural that for the clients' Passover celebration, he would be responsible for creating some semblance of order and beauty in the midst of construction chaos. I'm sure that creating an elegant table in a demolition zone was a challenge, but I would say that Jonathan pulled it off with aplomb.

For this particular table, Jonathan combined traditional Passover symbolism with references to Spring, ones that were specifically inspired by the ballet "The Rite of Spring" (Le sacre du printemps). With music composed by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Nijinsky, the piece is one of the most iconic (and when it debuted in 1913, one of the most controversial) ballets of the 20th century. Jonathan's ode to Spring included many natural materials like moss, daffodils, bell flowers, lilies, succulents, and seasonal fruits.




Several long tables were placed end to end to accommodate around 40 guests. The table was set with plain bone china with gilded detail and pale green water and wine glasses. The ivory linen napkins were folded in what Jonathan calls the "traditional Bunny Williams Style." Covering the table was a wide striped linen fabric in shades of hot pink, orange, brown, and celadon. Jonathan also chose to use acrylic amber colored ballroom chairs so that when the sun set, the light would shine through them.



At the center of the table was a large painted driftwood plinth on which Jonathan placed a large date palm, one whose base was covered in chicken wire and sheets of Bull Moss. Jonathan repeated the use of white painted driftwood along the length of the table and incorporated different mosses, spring grasses, flowers, and fruit into the wood. The result, as Jonathan noted, was an above-ground surreal root system. A French Deco 1940's Aubusson rug with stylized pagodas and borders (part of Bunny Williams' extensive antique textile collection) was hung as a backdrop behind the table. This allowed a prep area to be hidden from guests.




Holding court at either end of the table were blanc-de-chine camels whose backs provided just the place for hammered copper bowls of Daffodils. The other copper bowls on the table held pyramids of clementines and lemons as did mercury glass compotes.



Nestled at the feet of the camels were pots of variegated foliage, spring grasses, and chartreuse potato vines.




White lacquered screens were employed throughout the space to partially obscure the guts of the construction as well as to help bounce light around the space. At each side of the room stood tall French metal garden plinths with craquelure celadon temple jars from Treillage Ltd.





In lieu of place cards, Jonathan chose silvered metal birds, fruits, and Mudras Hands which held each guest's name constructed of wire. The scrolls you see on each plate are vellum prints of engraved illustrations taken from an antique illustrated Haggadah, the book that sets of the order of the Passover Seder. The book is traditionally read throughout the evening's celebration. Each scroll was fastened with laser cut seals.



One of the Passover symbols that Jonathan incorporated into the "Rite of Spring" table was the plagues of locusts and frogs. Here, a locust (not a real one) is perched atop a clementine, while white painted frogs also make appearances on the table. Although not associated with Passover, white painted toy turtles and hummingbirds helped to celebrate the arrival of Spring.



In order to soften the space, the floors were covered first in plywood and then in seagrass. Colorful Moroccan rugs, borrowed from Bunny Williams, were placed over the seagrass.



Clusters and bunches of spray roses, Bell Lilies, and Hypernicum as well as birds nests made of moss feathers rounded out the Spring look. Within the mercury votives, electric candles gave off a realistic glow.


All images courtesy of Jonathan Preece, Elizabeth Swartz photographer.

A Springtime Fête

As noted in yesterday's post, Halston's home begged for a slick and spartan style of entertaining. Acid greens or hot pinks would have looked ridiculous in his contemporary townhouse, and ornate china on that lucite table would have absolutely been out of place. But if you're hosting a dinner in the Southern outdoors, color and layered accessories are apropos. After all, your table should reflect the party's setting.

Over the weekend, I found the May/June 2009 issue of Southern Accents, and there was a great article about a Charlotte dinner party hosted by Erin Vorhoff and John Bossard. I sat up and took notice for two reasons. First, John has got to be one of the most fun and exuberant people around. Every time I see him at an event, I know that I'm going to have a good time. The other reason this article intrigued me were the colorful table settings.

John is a die hard maximalist, while Erin's taste is "eclectic with clean lines." But somehow, these two different aesthetics seemed to have mixed beautifully at this party. Erin and John first settled on a color theme for the party: royal blue and apple green, an appropriate choice as the dinner took place outside of Erin's cottage. Tables were covered in lime green skirts and topped with a suzani print of greens and blues. In the center of the tables were tall blue and white ceramic vases filled with bright green Bells of Ireland. I need to remember to use a tall vase like this because while I do love this flower, its height can make it tricky to arrange. Pretty cream and gold Wedgwood china placed on gold chargers added a note of elegance to the tables as did the silver flatware. And finally, hanging over each table were Moroccan paper lanterns.

The Springtime menu, prepared by Charlotte caterer Porcupine Provisions, consisted of split pea soup, pan-seared salmon, and strawberry trifle, while the house cocktail that evening was a Lemon Drop. All in all, it sounds like a delightful and delicious evening. Just something to think about when you take the party outdoors. That is, after the pollen subsides. Otherwise, you'll just have to incorporate yellow into your color scheme.



Hostess Erin Vorhoff applies the finishing touch.



A detail of the table setting.



I'm not sure which I like more: the well appointed table...or host John Bossard's pants.


All images from Southern Accents, May/June 2009, Brie Williams photographer.