The Shell Grotto at Margate

Thanks to my neighbor David, I just got my mitts on the June 2004 issue of World of Interiors. In the issue, there is an article on the Shell Grotto in Margate, England. The underground grotto's origins remain a mystery. There are some who believe its roots lie in ancient times; in fact, there are shell symbols and patterns on the walls that resemble those used by ancient Hindu, Egyptian, and Zoroastrian civilizations. Others, however, wonder if the shell grotto was a folly created during the Regency era. This debate will continue as carbon dating isn't an option. During the 19th century, the grotto was lit by gas lanterns, thus rendering carbon dating impossible. And by the way, the grotto was discovered in the 1830s by two school children who fell into the grotto while playing in their garden.

The grotto is really quite stunning as almost every surface is decorated with shells- 4.6 million shells, to be exact. Surely this is an estimate; who in the world would and could count all of those shells? An even bigger question for me, though, is how long it took to craft this marvel? Inquiring minds want to know.



This lancet arch leads to the altar chamber.



The altar chamber.




Designs on the altar chamber's walls include the Shield of Dionysus and the Tree of Life.



In this passageway, the designs resemble the lyre of Apollo on top of a flower motif.




Twin passageways lead to a rotunda.




The rotunda.




A "sacred ogee" in one of the passageways.




In the entry passageway, you see a three-pointed star, believed to represent a Vishnu turtle.





Etchings on a piece of slate.


All photos from World of Interiors, June 2004; Bill Batten photographer.

Hotel Inspiration

Over the last few years, much has written about how hotels have influenced the way in which people decorate their homes. You know the look. A home's entryway that's made to look like a hotel lobby thanks to the circular center table holding an oversized floral arrangement. Or the bedroom that looks straight out of a mid-range hotel. It's generic and, I hate to say it, boring too.

I think that if you want to make your home feel like a hotel, you should replicate (to an extent) the look of a hotel that has real style. There have been a few hotels that have influenced my aesthetic: The Carlyle in New York; The Stafford in London; and The Hotel Gritti Palace in Venice. My stay at The Gritti Palace occurred eleven years ago, but I haven't forgotten its elegance. I recently read that the hotel is currently closed for a renovation, something that had me worried until I learned that Chuck Chewning of Donghia was overseeing it. Knowing Chuck, he will be respectful of the hotel's history and will update it in an appropriate and yet stylish way. When it reopens in 2013, I really should try to travel to Venice to see the refreshed hotel for myself.

While we wait for the Gritti Palace to reopen, we should take a look at another Venetian hotel for design inspiration: Bauer Il Palazzo. I found these photos in a December 2001 issue of French AD, so I'm not sure if all of the interiors seen here look the same today. Regardless, these are some beautiful photos of some beautiful rooms. And I for one would not mind if my own home resembled Il Palazzo.





























All photos from French AD, Noelle Hoppe photographer.

The Peak of Chic Entertains

For years, I've wanted to own a retail shop, one that sells all kinds of great things for the home. For the time being, I think that this fantasy will have to remain just that- a fantasy. But, I am dipping my toe into the retail world with my new Amazon store, The Peak of Chic Entertains. You can link to it by clicking on the photo on the left-side of my homepage that says "The Peak of Chic Entertains". (If you're reading this by email, you can click here to be taken to the site.)

The focus of my shop is accessories for entertaining including china, swizzle sticks, cocktail shakers, cheese straws, and cookbooks. I've divided items into categories like "The Cocktail Party" and "The Epicurean Pantry", and most of the items that I am featuring are those that I either own or ones that I would like to own. I included a range of price points in hopes of including something for everybody. I even wrote my own comments on some of the items with tips on how best to use them.

It's a shop that I've been working on for the past few months, so I hope that you'll take a look. I plan to change the merchandise frequently, so do try to stop by often. Who knows? You might be inspired to throw a party!

That Must Have Been Some Toothpaste

One reason that I love my collection of 1930s magazines is because of the advertisements. The range of ads is fairly diverse. I'm not particularly interested in the down home style of ads, especially those that feature grandma rocking in her chair while shivering underneath an afghan because the water heater is broken. (Or whatever the 1930s equivalent of the water heater was.) Some are a little hokey like the linen ad which featured Snowy the cat snuggled in bed with his head on a pillow while covered in a percale top sheet.

The ones that really catch my eye, though, are those ads that are all about high style and glamour. Car advertisements from this era usually showed men in tails and top hats and women in satin gowns and fur jackets. Cigarette ads also tapped into this sense of glamour by featuring socialites and debutantes who touted the smooth taste of their favorite cigarettes. But it wasn't just glamour and luxury that advertisers used to sell their products. These ads promoted a type of aspirational living in which elegance and civility were the rule rather than the exception.

What about ads today? What many of today's advertisers and consumers consider to be luxury and aspirational living is far different from that of the 1930s. Case in point: this 1935 ad for Listerine toothpaste. I find it utterly amazing compared to the ads that we're used to today.

The woman featured in the ad was Mrs. Kendall Lee Glaenzer, "member of the immortal Lee family of Virginia...noted for her beauty and talent- her reputation as a hostess in Paris and New York. Adores music. Has many friends among modern composers. Loves the outdoors and has a shooting box in the Adirondacks. Her sister is married to Rockwell Kent, famous artist." Yes, that was a mouthful, but the typical female reader of the day would have been captivated by Mrs. Glaenzer's glamorous lifestyle. Why, I'm captivated by it too!

The ad went on to say, "All hers...the appointments of luxurious living- yet the beautiful Mrs. Glaenzer pays only 25 cents for her tooth paste." Mrs. Glaenzer is quoted as saying, "It gives my mouth a new-born feeling... and a sense of well-being." But the most interesting thing about the ad were the examples of Mrs. Glaenzer's luxurious lifestyle. There was a photograph of her mink cape and her 10 karat diamond ring, but even more incredible is the fact that the ad included examples of the woman's antiques collection! Can you imagine an ad today featuring a celebrity's rare Louis XV French commode? I guarantee you that the Kardashian sisters don't own one.

It fascinates me that you used to be able to sell toothpaste with photos of diamond bracelets and Ming dynasty porcelain. It's really a shame that we can't sell it that way today. If aspirational living in 2011 means pricey vodka and even pricier handbags, then I'll just read my old magazines and fantasize about Ming dynasty porcelain and French commodes. Oh, and 25 cent toothpaste that gives one a sense of well-being.




"Corner console of the Louis XVI Period in Mrs. Glaenzer's apartment. Also Chinese crackle glass porcelain jar from the Ming dynasty."



"Rare Louis XV French commode. Behind it a rich Ming Period Chinese painting on silk, together with porcelain vase of the Chien Lung Period."



"Mrs. Glaenzer's 10 karat diamond ring and solid gold cigarette case given by Napoleon to a Russian princess, and her three diamond bracelets."




"Rivaling Mrs. Glaenzer's ermine and silver fox evening wrap in grace and beauty, is her mink cape, constructed of beautifully matched skins, collected over a period of twenty years by a famed furrier."

R.I.P. Loulou de la Falaise

Over the weekend, I was saddened to learn of the death of Loulou de la Falaise. Certainly one reason why I admired her was because she cut quite a stylish figure. De la Falaise was one of the few who could make bohemian chic look elegant. And of course, being part of Yves Saint Laurent's inner circle only added to her allure. In recent years, de la Falaise designed a line of jewelry. I own a pair of her earrings, and while I always get compliments when I wear them, I don't think that I have ever been able to channel de la Falaise's style. I'm far too American for that.

I thought it appropriate to show photos of her Paris home, one that was featured in the book Paris Interiors by Lisa Lovatt-Smith. I've shown these before on my blog, but it seems worth repeating. And although her apartment was a bit too eclectic and cluttered to me, I find it interesting to see just how well-defined her style really was.



The massive crystal chandelier that hangs in the salon came from a grand Paris hotel.




In the living room, the 18th century American day bed was a gift from de la Falaise's mother, Maxime de la Falaise. The magazine table was designed by Loulou's brother, Alexis.




In the dining room-library, the mirror on the far wall was found by Jacques Grange, while th gilt ballroom chairs came from the Yves Saint Laurent atelier.




A treasure trove of de la Falaise's jewelry is prominent in the bedroom.


All photos from Paris Interiors by Lisa Lovatt-Smith; Roland Beaufre photographer.

Creating Painted Beauty

I am so excited to share with you the work of my friend Edward Schaefer, a very talented decorative painter who lives in the New York City area. I have long been fascinated with the art of decorative painting. In fact, I have checked out the late Isabel O'Neil's book The Art of the Painted Finish for Furniture & Decoration: Antiquing, Lacquering, Gilding & The Great Impersonators from my local library at least three times. Seeing that I have absolutely no experience in this type of painting, I read the book not so much for the instruction but rather to look at photos of all types of marvelous finishes.

When Edward first told me about his profession and his training, I was really intrigued. How many decorative painters do you know who received their education at the famed Isabel O'Neil Studio? After attending classes there, Edward now teaches at the Studio as a way to both impart his knowledge to others and further hone his skills. I asked Edward to share his thoughts on his profession:

"This year marks my thirtieth year since I started taking courses at the Studio. In college I majored in Applied Arts and minored in Secondary Education. This required taking just about every art related course, everything from painting and drawing to commercial illustration and fabric design. This was perfect for me since I was always creative and loved making things. Since then, I have even taught myself bookbinding, silkscreening and sewing.

Then one day I wanted to learn how to paint tortoiseshell. I bought Isabel O'Neil's book, which by the way, was probably the only book on painted finishes available at that time. Little did I know that this was a rather difficult finish. I completed my project but was eager to learn more. That's when I decided to start taking classes at the Studio. Isabel was still alive at the time, so I was fortunate in that I began under her guidance.

She developed a system that was based on the guild system of training. Everyone, regardless of training, begins with taking Furniture Painting 101. This sets the foundation for everything to come in order to achieve the finest results. The next course was Gilding and I was hooked.

Almost immediately, you are encouraged to assist in classes in order to further your knowledge and training and eventually to start teaching others and thereby passing on your skills. I still teach there and have taught Glazing and Marble and continue to take classes and even assist in classes. There are always new techniques and tips and things to learn. Since various environmental requirements have changed many paint formulations, we have had to make some adjustments in our techniques. So, we use a lot more water based media rather than oil, for instance. Something that would have been anathema in Isabel's time. Some products have just been discontinued.

After reaching Journeyman status and further training I eventually became a Master. A requirement for becoming a Master is to develop a new finish. Mine was Russian Karelian Birch.

Over the years one starts to gravitate toward the finishes that you really enjoy doing. Some of my favorites are Shagreen, Breche Marble and Malachite and I execute these quite often. My latest fascination has been for Straw Marquetry which I am still trying to perfect my technique.

From the beginning I often incorporated stencilling and decoupage in my work which hadn't been taught before and is now fully accepted along with murals, vinegar and icon painting, to name a few new additions to the curriculum."

Edward has painted everything from floors to flooring cloths to boxes and walls. In addition, he has sold his painted accessories to stores across the country. In fact, his painted place mats are available for purchase at Leta Austin Foster in Palm Beach. (You can see a photo of them at the bottom of the post.) And of course, he does many private commissions. What I'm especially excited about is Edward's upcoming line of fabrics and wallpapers that are set to debut next year.

Below are photos that show the range of Edward's work. And if you really want to see the difference a decorative finish makes, just look at the images at top. They are before and after shots of chest that Edward painted.

To inquire about Edward's work, you can email him directly at icreatebeauty@yahoo.com. And indeed, Edward does create beauty.




































These are the place mats that are available at Leta Austin Foster. These are the three most popular colors, though they can be custom colored.

No. 9 Thompson Dynasty Collection

I always look forward to No. 9 Thompson's new fabric collections. Yes, part of my excitement is due to my love of Asian prints, but I also find it interesting to learn what inspired Richard Smith, the line's design director. The fall collection is called Dynasty, and the various prints represent a fusion of the energy and glamour of modern China and the country's rich artistic history. I'm especially taken with Enter the Dragons and Qinglong.

All of these designs are printed on either linen or a linen/cotton/modal blend fabric. For more information, visit the Jim Thompson Fabrics website or your local fabric showroom.



Enter the Dragons. Inspired by a hand-knotted 17th c. silk carpet from the Ningxia region in China.



Qinglong. Smith reworked the scale and colors of Enter the Dragons and created the tonal version seen here. The tones were taken from an antique blue and white ceramic piece found at the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok.




Eastern Seas. Based on the traditional water pattern found often on textile borders and ceramics.





Imperial China. An updated take on the classic porcelain print. The designs of the vases, bowls, and plates were inspired by a traditional crane print and a cloud print that decorated an Imperial silk robe.




Chinese Steps. This fretwork pattern refers to that seen in Enter the Dragons and Qinglong.

All images courtesy of No. 9 Thompson