Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams

As a child, I loved Saturday morning television. Unlike most children, I didn't watch cartoons; they always got on my nerves. My Saturday morning TV viewing started with Style with Elsa Klensch, truly the best show that has ever aired on CNN. Nobody can pronounce "Thierry Mugler" and "Yohji Yamamoto" with as much flair as Elsa. After Elsa was over, I believe that I had an hour's break before my other favorite show aired. Can you guess what it was? It was that guilty pleasure of the 1980s, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

Now I admit that the show could be a little cheesy at times, but I have to say that it made for good entertainment. How else were you going to see the homes and yachts of your favorite television (or better yet daytime television) star? I actually don't think that I ever really liked the decor of any of the homes featured, but that was beside the point. And really, if that show doesn't sum up the 1980s, then I don't know what does.

My sweet friend Jean just gave me her copy of The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Cookbook, published in 1992. Let me tell you, this cookbook is a real treasure. All kinds of rich and famous people are featured as are their favorite recipes. As you might expect, Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky are in there as are Tova and Ernest Borgnine. (Come on, you know you love Tova and Ernie.) But others like Valentino, Marylou Whitney, and Alain Ducasse are also featured. I have not yet tested any of the recipes, but they actually look quite good. Cold Avocado Soup, Hot Pepper Jelly Cheese Puffs, and Poached Salmon on Saffron Sauce are all on my list to try.

Who knows? This cookbook just might get me one step closer to champagne wishes and caviar dreams.



I guess it comes as no surprise that Dina Merrill's table is my favorite, what with the Porthault linen and the lettuceware.



Barbara Taylor Bradford serving up Veal Casserole.



The late Eva Gabor who was quoted as saying "Dahling, you can have anything you want in life. I am the living proof." Gabor's specialties included Chicken Paprikash and Hungarian Goulash.



Do you remember Jean LeClerc, the soap star? He seemed to be on the show all of the time! Here, he is taste testing some berries and creme fraiche.



That's Gary Collins and Mary Ann Mobley eating some of Marylou Whitney's famous chicken sandwiches.



Yet another goulash! I actually like Ivana's silver basket serving dishes.




Sally Jessy Raphael...because I couldn't resist.



A table set by Anoushka Hempel.



A young Alain Ducasse in Monaco.



And last but certainly not least, Joan Collins in her kitchen preparing Scottish Salmon and melon. Her other favorite dish is Spaghetti Bolognese.

A Surprise from Ned Marshall

One of the things that I love most about old magazines is that they are full of surprises. You might discover the work of a "new" decorator with whom you are not familiar. Perhaps you might find photos of your favorite fashion icon's home. Or maybe, you'll come across an old project done by a friend, a project that you have never seen before. That's precisely what happened to me last week. Imagine my delight when I saw the December 1990 issue of House & Garden, only to discover that my friend Ned Marshall's project was not only featured in the magazine but on the cover too.

Now based in New Orleans, Ned is a wonderful designer who once lived in New York. Some of you are probably familiar with Ned's New Orleans house that appeared in House Beautiful, March 2009. The design blogosphere lit up over his deft use of bold colors like ultramarine and shocking pink. Just in case you don't remember it, click here to see the article; it's definitely worth revisiting.

But let's go back to the 1990 H&G article. The featured project was an impressive Park Avenue duplex owned by Ned's longtime friends. The decor is somewhat formal and entirely appropriate for the clients' collection of fine antiques. And yet, if you look at the rooms, they appear to be quite comfortable too. It seems that the homeowners' dog agreed as he was photographed in almost every room looking quite content.

What I think is really interesting to note is the attention that Ned gave to the decorative details. Look at those curtains in the dining room, below; that took skill to both design them and to construct them. I know that elaborate curtains have fallen out of favor with today's designers and clients, and that's really a shame because there is a real art to curtain making. Ned also had the dining room's metallic paper glazed to make it less shiny. When interviewed for the article, Ned commented that it could use another coat of glaze to make it look aged. And what about the photo which shows an Adam-style faux marbre painted floor, a door frame painted with an Vitruvian wave motif, and a trompe l'oeil painting of a cow above the door? This type of decorating took time, energy, and loads of creativity; a quickie job this was not.

Now I do realize that much has changed in twenty one years, and formal living isn't quite so formal anymore. If you look at Ned's New Orleans house, you'll see that Ned's style of decorating has kept up with the times; his look is classic and yet current too. But what struck me while reading both articles is that regardless of one's style or desire for comfort, all rooms greatly benefit from thoughtful details.




















All images from House & Garden, December 1990; William Waldron photographer.

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.