Cotswolds Charm

I'm sure that some of you read Tatler. If you're one of those people, I apologize in advance because this post will be a repeat to you. But if you haven't read the magazine's April issue yet, then I think you might enjoy seeing these photos of the Cotswolds house of designer Catherine Monteiro de Barros and family.

Some of you might be familiar with Monteiro de Barros; she once owned the children's clothing line Papo d'Anjo. The company shuttered operations last year, but fortunately for those of you with young children, the designer now heads up the new Oscar de la Renta children's line. Monteiro de Barros adheres to a traditional, proper design aesthetic, something it is evident in both her childrenswear as well as in her home. Although I usually gravitate towards interiors that have a dash of modernism to them, I have to say that I find the designer's home to be absolutely charming and inviting, not to mention comfy looking too. Can you think of a better home in which to relax and spend time with one's family?



The designer's husband is obviously passionate about hunting.




The Monteiro de Barros sons in the "Nordic inspired" kitchen. The painting is by Argentinian artist Ricardo Wolfson.




The drawing room.




The designer with some of her childrenswear. I think the canopy bed is so pretty!

A guest room with Eaton check curtains.




Another guest room, this one in plaid.





The main staircase. The clock is a Charles X sun clock.



All photos from Tatler, April 2012, Tim Evan Cook photographer.

A Timeless Interior

I just returned from Hickory, North Carolina where I gave a lecture on "Timeless Interiors". What a treat it was to spend time with people who are so kind, so warm, and so down to earth. It was a breath of fresh air!

While I'm getting caught up on work, I want to show you a preview of a story that I co-produced for the June issue of House Beautiful. The article features an Atlanta house decorated by designer Beth Webb. It is such a wonderful house, and the beautiful interiors made our work shooting it so easy. It was also a nice surprise to find out that the homeowner, who happens to read my blog, is passionate about design. Not only does she collect vintage French design books as I do, but she also is quite accomplished at Bargello. A kindred spirit!

There are many more photos in the article, so make sure to pick up a copy of the June issue when it hits newsstands this week.

PS- The vintage pendant light in the living room, at top, is from Parc Monceau Antiques.






All photos from House Beautiful, June 2012, William Abranowicz photographer.

The Legendary Barbara D'Arcy

Over the weekend, I learned of the death of designer Barbara D'Arcy. As many of you know, D'Arcy was a designer and merchandiser with Bloomingdale's where she was responsible for creating the department store's much loved and much discussed model rooms. According to many of my New York friends, D'Arcy's displays were the hottest thing in interior design during the 1960s and early 70s. While it might seem strange to us today, department store model rooms were once at the forefront of design, usually showcasing the latest and greatest
trends. And customers often made special trips to the department stores just to see the latest model rooms. I think that the only thing comparable to this today might be the 7th Floor at Bergdorf's with its ever changing displays and vignettes.

I scanned some photos from Bloomingdale's Book of Home Decorating to give you an idea of what D'Arcy's rooms looked like. Obviously, many of the rooms reek of what was hot in the 1960s, something that makes these rooms of their time rather than timeless. But of course, that was the whole point of these model rooms; they were meant to be capsules of trends and flavors of the moment, a place in which Bloomingdale's could showcase their latest offerings. I think what is most notable about D'Arcy's rooms, though, is how accomplished she was at decorating both traditional spaces as well as groovy, futuristic looking rooms. It seems that D'Arcy's creativity was truly endless.

Image at top: According to her New York Times obituary, D'Arcy's Cave Room, at top, was one of her most famous rooms. The molded walls were made of sprayed urethane foam, while the floor was covered in one-fourth-inch square mirror tiles.



This room was inspired by D'Arcy's visit to a Japanese converted country farmhouse. The walls were covered in a plaster and straw mix, something that made the walls look "hairy", according to D'Arcy. The large support beams on the ceiling were large trees, while the smaller beams were small trees and saplings.




A model room made to resemble an Early American keeping room.




D'Arcy wrote that this room was a recreation of one she saw in a Portuguese palace. The floor was made of plywood painted to resemble marble.




D'Arcy wrote, "This room would certainly belong to a member of the Saturday Generation." By designing hyper modern model rooms, Bloomingdale's hoped to entice young, hip customers to visit the store on weekends- hence the term, "Saturday Generation".




According to D'Arcy, this room "combines everything." Indeed, it did, including Chinoiserie chairs, a brushed nickel and mirror cocktail table, urns holding flowers, and gunmetal patent vinyl wallcovering.




Another memorable room was this room in which everything- furniture, walls, and floors- were made of cardboard. The furniture was designed in collaboration with Frank Gehry.




This was the "Mary Wells Lawrence Room". The color palette was tonal, and yet D'Arcy introduced texture to give the room dimension.




I suppose this is another "Saturday Generation" room. Plastic furniture and a flokati rug were placed against a backdrop of a wall upon which a projected image of a deep sea diver was shown.


All images from Bloomingdale's Book of Home Decorating by Barbara D'Arcy.

Ounces of Hangover Prevention

I recently found this 1934 ad, above, for Martini & Rossi Vermouth. What captured my attention was the neat little cocktail setup with those frosted cocktail glasses (which, by the way, were available at Bergdorf's). I'm not used to seeing Martinis and Manhattans served in thick, stemless glasses like those in the ad, and I have to say that they're not what I would use when serving cocktails. I can only imagine that the cocktail would become warm if the glass was held for any length of time.

One nice thing about the glasses, though, was that they were the proper size for a cocktail. Back during the 1930s and 40s, cocktail glasses were small and light enough that you could hold the stem using just a few fingers. Not anymore. Cocktail and martini glasses today are enormous, as big as Alfie's head, in fact! And they require a whole hand grip, too. The problem with these large glasses is that they hold too much cocktail. The urge is to fill these big glasses with enough cocktail so as not to appear chintzy. Only problem is that by the time you finish your drink, you've had the equivalent of two cocktails- not a good thing if you're serving drinks before dinner.

Ideally, a cocktail glass should hold between 4.5 and 5 ounces of liquid. While it's worth seeking out vintage cocktail glasses for both their jazzy designs and their economical sizes, there are, fortunately, some new collections that include correctly sized glasses too. William Yeoward's glassware is never super-sized, but that might be because he's British. His new American Bar collection is quite handsome and affordable too. But if you insist on drinking from those monster 12 oz. glasses, fine. Just don't blame me in the morning.






William Yeoward's Greta glassware includes a 5 oz. martini glass.






William Yeoward's Vesta glasses are the appropriate sizes for the beverages they were designed to hold, including martinis and champagne. (These are not, by the way, part of the new American Bar collection.)







C. 1930 Mappin & Webb set of cocktail glasses, available through Foundwell.

The Genteel Geranium

I've heard some awfully disparaging remarks about geraniums, and for the life of me, I just can't understand how such a well-mannered and proper plant could elicit unkind comments. Thanks to their cheery and good-natured blooms, geraniums are guaranteed to bring one out of the doldrums, something else that means this flowering plant deserves a little respect. (I should add that I'm guilty of making disparaging remarks about gladioli, but that's a post for another day.)

While I'm partial to red blooming geraniums, pink, coral, and white are fine by me too. And did I mention how easy they are to care for? They only require some sun, a good watering, and the occasional deadheading. But I'm certainly not the only one who is a fan of the geranium. Take a look at some of the others who admire this most genteel of plants.

Image above: Lady Diana Mosley (née Mitford), had pots of geraniums including this one scattered around her garden at her Paris home, The Temple of Glory at Orsay.




During the annual Festival of the Patios in Cordoba, Spain, townspeople decorate their patios, terraces, and balconies with geraniums and other plants.



Cecil Beaton grew scarlet colored geraniums- and lots of them- at Reddish House.




The very elegant drawing room at Bentley in Sussex, owned by Mary Askew. Note how the red of the geraniums, pillows, and book end tables punctuate the room.






Countess Margaret Willaumez and her dog Moppet enjoyed the geraniums at their home in Capri, Casa Lontana.

Image at top from The Finest Houses Of Paris; Cordoba, Spain photo from House & Garden, November 1971; Beaton photo from Celebrity Homes: Architectural Digest Presents the Private Worlds of Thirty International Personalities; Bentley photo from Country homes (The Worlds of Architectural digest); Willaumez photo from House & Garden, January 1970.

The Collection of Edward Zajac

When I'm looking through my old magazines from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, it's inevitable that a project by designers Zajac and Callahan will catch my eye. Back in the 1970s, the pair were known for their daring mix of bold color and pattern, something that was very much in vogue at that time. But what was especially notable about their work was their frequent use of furniture and accessories that they designed themselves. Their fanciful chairs and fantastical mirrors always seemed to add a lot of dash to a room.

I recently learned that part of Edward Zajac's collection will be auctioned off at Bonhams on May 22. While some of the lots are antiques, mirrors (see the pair at top), a sofa, screens, and bookcases, all of which were designed by Zajac, are also included in the auction. What a terrific opportunity to own something designed by one of the most noted designers of the 20th century. And just in case you weren't aware of it, Mr. Zajac was a protégé of the great Billy Baldwin.

Mr. Zajac was kind enough to send me some photos of some of his favorite rooms plus his thoughts about each. You can read what he wrote, below. But in the meantime, visit Bonhams website to see the full range of lots that will be up for sale.





“Blanc Niege et les Sept Nains” . One of my early mirrors trembles and twinkles against walls of midnight blue, inspired by Madeleine Castaing and, of course, by Line Vautrin. The entrance foyer to the magical brownstone where I lived in the 80s is filled with treasured objects and beloved cats. The rope chair in which Little Eddie resides is my design as is the featured mirror. Cecil, himself a work of art, perches amidst a collection of Oriental lacquer boxes.




Fantasy in a Regency Folly. This house in Florida was designed after an English Regency house where one often might find a whimsical folly, capturing the exoticism of far away places and pleasures. The Indian folly in this classical house captures the exotic lure of the East with murals painted in the Indian style. A perfect setting for parties filled with the flavors and sounds of Jaipur, Delhi and Hindustan.





One of my favorite houses when I first visited Germany was Schloss Bruhl. It was the inspiration for this version in miniature which my partner, Richard Callahan, and I created for a charity auction. It has resided for many years in our apartment and now has moved on to be enjoyed by 3 generations of Richard’s family.




I could sit for hours in my living room filled with mirrors reflecting the many wonderful treasures which represent a lifetime of collecting. Presiding over it all, my dog George!


Photos courtesy of Edward Zajac.

The English Dog at Home

When I last wrote of dogs, many of you suggested that I buy a copy of Felicity Wigan's book, The English Dog at Home, as you felt it was one of the best books to profile two of our favorite things: dogs and English interiors. Well I did so, and you were right. It's a completely charming book that profiles pampered pooches in posh houses. Forget the life of Riley; I want these dogs' lives!

I admit that at first, the book's occasional dark humor threw me for a loop. In the first chapter alone, Sir Tatton Sykes mentions an uncle who had a penchant for "heroin shooting, lipstick, powder and paint." Then there was Sykes' beloved bull terrier, Lambchop, who despite being loving towards her master was a murderous mother. "She only allowed one puppy to survive as a crippled monster which now lives in the village." I suppose that Lambchop wasn't cut out for motherhood.

But really, this isn't a book that is full of black humor. It's just a little tongue in cheek, that's all. And as any dog lover knows, living with our four-legged friends requires both a sense of humor as well as the patience of Job.




Matthew and Mollie with Mrs. Nutting at Chicheley.






Humphrey with Mr. David Metcalfe. According to the book, "A fascinated crowd has been known to gather in the street below to see Humphrey's daily trick of chasing the blind up the drawing room window."




Mr. Loudon Constantine with Mr. Whistle, Lady, and Puzzle.



Phoebe in bed with Caroline Keith.




The Queen Mother held the rapt attention of her Corgis thanks to a box of chocolate biscuits.




Sir John Wiggin with his pups at Honington Hall.





Mozart with Mrs. Charlie Palmer-Tomkinson


All photos from The English Dog at Home by Felicity Wigan; Geoffrey Shakerley photographer; 1987.