Drama in the Dining Room

Remember when advertisements promoting luxury items used to feature women and men in evening wear? Rarely do you see these kinds of ads anymore, but I guess it's no surprise considering that people now wear flip-flops to church and jeans to formal restaurants.

Two of the more elegant, not to mention discreet, ads that I've run across lately are those for Lenox china c. 1960. The ads, both seen here, featured prominent designers William Pahlmann and Yale Burge in their respective dining rooms. Each is dressed in a dinner jacket, one is smoking while the other is holding his reading glasses, and both have set lovely tables. What is even more striking, though, is that other than some small-print text, there is not a single Lenox logo anywhere. A quick glance and you might never even guess that it was an ad. Perhaps these were a precursor to the sneaky advertorials of today?

Along with the ads, I'm including photos of the Lenox patterns that each man chose. And in order to bulk up the post, I also added a few photos of Pahlmann's apartment and Yale Burge's studio. I would love to locate photos of Burge's apartment, so if you know where I should look, do let me know.

Image at top: William Pahlmann photographed in his Manhattan dining room.



Pahlmann's ad featured Lenox Tuxedo china, seen above. According to the ad's text, "William Pahlmann, world-famous interior designer, pauses for a moment in his handsome Park Avenue apartment to light tapers for a pre-theatre dinner for six." The ad went on to say that Mr. Pahlmann likes "drama in the dining room...sparkling guests, delicate candlelight, and the elegant glow of the china."





Although I could not find photos of the room featured in the ad, I did find these shots which show a guest room and an entryway in Pahlmann's home. Pahlmann often used the guest room for dinner parties.



Yale R. Burge, "internationally known designer, plans an after-theater dinner in his apartment off Sutton Place, Manhattan. The 18th c. French motif predominates in a warm and charming room. Fabric-lined walls are rich red." Interesting that Burge's ad featured an after-theater dinner while Pahlmann's ad was a pre-theatre occasion. (And notice that both spellings of theater were used in the ads.)




Lenox Tableau China was used for the Burge table setting.




Although I could not find a photo of Burge's Sutton Place apartment, I did find this photo of the Burge-Donghia showroom with a similar wall treatment.


Photos of Pahlmann's apartment and the Burge-Donghia showroom from Judith Gura's New York Interior Design, 1935-1985, Vol. 1: Inventors of Tradition.

Robert Lutyens at Home

You may not be familiar with Robert Lutyens, but chances are you've heard of his father, noted British architect Edwin Lutyens. Robert was also an architect as well as an interior designer and author.

I found these photos of Robert Lutyens' London home in a 1936 magazine. According to the article, the flat was notable for its modern backdrop against which period furniture stood, a background that Lutyens created by using blond wood and textured fabrics. The drawing room walls were sheathed in bleached, waxed deal which had a "silvery beige" patina. The curtains were white taffeta, while chairs were covered in rough-textured beige silk and pale blue satin. In the dining room, draped bleached linen crash covered walls. The furniture was a mix of Regency and Sheraton furniture.

It's the home's bedrooms, though, that are textbook examples of glamorous 1930s design. Mrs. Lutyens' bedroom had curtains of cream satin lined with coral shantung silk, a white mohair rug, and an upholstered sleigh bed that I assume was designed by Syrie Maugham. (In 1936, Robert Lutyens collaborated with Maugham on the design of Brook House, London where another of Maugham's fringed and upholstered beds was used.) And as would be fitting for a man, Lutyens' own bedroom was a luxurious vision of clean-lined modernism.




The image above as well as that at top depict two sides of Lutyens' London drawing room.




The dining room.




Robert Lutyens' bedroom.




Mrs. Lutyens' bedroom with that fabulous upholstered bed.



All photos from House & Garden, April 1936.

Agatha Christie at Greenway

For as long as I can remember, my mother has been an avid reader of mystery novels. At my childhood home, the bookshelves were filled with books by P.D. James, Rex Stout, and, of course, Agatha Christie. In fact, it's the Christie novels that I remember most vividly. The dust jackets of The Mirror Crack'd, Three Blind Mice, and Murder on the Orient Express are all etched in my memory.

Although I'm not a mystery reader, I've been on an Agatha Christie tear lately. My father recently bought the DVD set of the Hercule Poirot series, and I've had such fun watching the episodes which, I'm embarrassed to say, I had never seen before. Not only are the episodes entertaining, but they only run around 45 minutes each- and that's about as long as I can devote to a DVD these days anyway.

Watching the series prompted me to borrow my mother's copy of Agatha Christie at Home by Hilary Macaskill. The book is an intriguing look at Agatha Christie's passion for houses, specifically her holiday home in Devon called Greenway. Purchased by Christie in 1938, Greenway was where the mystery writer and her family spent many a holiday. By all accounts, Christie was attuned to the finer points of running a house, from painting fireplaces (see below) to hosting house parties and even making homemade mayonnaise. And while I don't think one could call Greenway's interiors grand, there is an unassuming charm about the house, something that makes me admire Christie that much more.

Greenway is now owned by the National Trust and open for tours. The National Trust has also produced a short video about Greenway which features audio of Christie reminiscing about the purchase of her house. And if you're looking for something entertaining to watch, you should consider those Poirot DVDs. They're a welcome relief from network television.




A view of Greenway



The Morning Room at Greenway



Christie painting her bedroom's fireplace.



Christie's bedroom at Greenway.




The Drawing Room held Christie's Steinway piano. The mystery writer had trained as a concert pianist.




Greenway's kitchen with a blue Aga.




The dining room.




During World War II, Greenway was requisitioned by the Admiralty; during that time, Lieutenant Marshall Lee of the U.S. Navy painted the library's frieze, seen here.



The drawing room at Greenway.



Shelves filled with first editions of Christie's novels.

All photos from Agatha Christie at Home by Hilary Macaskill

Trifles at Tiffany's

Last week, a friend took me to an outdoor film series where we watched Breakfast at Tiffany's. Heaven knows how many times I've seen that movie, and yet, I never tire of it. I covet Hepburn's Givenchy wardrobe (who doesn't?), not to mention Hepburn's perfect shade of pink lipstick that she wears throughout the movie. I've been looking for a similar shade for twenty years and have yet to find it.

Of course, one of my favorite scenes is when Holly and "Fred" are at Tiffany in hopes of finding a trifle that costs under $10. The salesman shows them the now famous sterling silver telephone dialer that Fred/Paul declines in hopes of finding something more romantic. Granted, a telephone dialer might not be romantic, but it sure was snazzy looking.

I remember when Tiffany used to have all kinds of trifles, ones that could elicit a snide "How could I have lived this long without it?" from some unimaginative wiseacre. Trifles like a sterling silver toothpaste key which one placed at the end of the tube so as to help dispense the paste with stylish ease. (My parents actually own one of these, and I've always thought it was the most fabulous thing ever.) There was also the sterling noisemaker that you could spin around to add a little noisy merriment to one's New Year's Eve celebration. And what about the sterling whisk-like stirrer that helped to get rid of bubbles in champagne?




The now famous telephone dialer.




A vintage Tiffany & Co. Toothpaste Key




Elsa Peretti Padova Bubble Blower which is currently sold at Tiffany




A Tiffany & Co. Sterling Noise Maker




The now discontinued Tiffany & Co. yo-yo




Tiffany & Co. champagne stirrer




Tiffany paper cutter




Tiffany & Co. sealer




Tiffany stamp holder

Celestial Seasonings

It might seem a little early to mention Christmas, but I'm already mulling over what my holiday decorations are going to look like this year. One tree ornament that has caught my eye are these tinsel comet ornaments from D. Blümchen, above. Not only are they striking, but they reminded me of this:





This fabulous velvet evening jacket was designed by Schiaparelli for her Winter 1938-39 collection. That gorgeous celestial embroidery was, by the way, done by none other than Lesage.

I get positively starry eyed (sorry!) with anything adorned with comets and shooting stars. But darn it if I was a little stumped trying to find items decorated with the motif. Chanel's iconic shooting star jewelry was a given, but it's not easy to find fabrics, wallpaper, and china depicting shooting stars. I did find an embroidered shooting star Sarah Palin 2012 baseball hat, but I figured it best to leave that one out!

Shooting Stars Ceiling Paper from Carter and Company



Baize Green Comet Mug from Starch Green



Comet Sketchbooks from Starch Green



Vintage Shooting Star Andirons

Chanel Shooting Star Diamond Bracelet

Great Gentlemen Cooks Part II

Continuing with the great gentlemen cooks...

On the other end of the entertaining spectrum was Chuck Williams, founder of Williams-Sonoma. Although his hosting skills and menus might not have been as dramatic and lavish as that of Mr. Guth, Williams was no less an impressive cook. In the 1972 House & Garden article, Williams said that his twice monthly parties were always held in his spacious and comfortable kitchen. Dinners were usually for six and did not consist of numerous courses. Said Williams, "I don't go in for numbers of courses, it's too difficult to manage." Pre-dinner cocktails were often accompanied by finger food like Endive and Crab Legs with Curry Mayonnaise. Many of Williams' recipes were inspired by James Beard and Elizabeth David, although Williams noted that he used little seasoning with his recipes. He noted that he preferred to serve vegetables with a simple squeeze of lemon juice rather than herbs. Simple, yet still delicious.



Williams charming San Francisco kitchen.




The dining area of the kitchen with a rustic dining table and chairs.




It's no surprise that Williams had an abundance of tools, gadgets, and cookware.




A centerpiece of clove-studded lemons and limes. On each plate was a Grapefruit Souffle.




Williams' enviable larder.

All photos from House & Garden, July, 1972.