The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum

Spring usually heralds a slew of design-related events and decorators showhouses, and there is one upcoming event in which I think many of you will be most interested.  The 16th annual Charleston Art & Antiques Forum will take place in, yes, Charleston from March 13-17.  The event is one of this country's premier fine and decorative arts forums, always boasting a stellar line-up of art experts and historians.  This year's event is no exception.

With its theme of "A Grand Tour: Trade Winds of Influence", the forum will explore how the grand tour of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries influenced the decorative arts of both Europe and America.  Dame Rosalind Savill, Director Emeritus of the Wallace Collection in London, will be this year's keynote speaker, and her lecture is titled, "Twenty Years with French Decorative Arts".  (This lecture should be especially interesting to those Francophiles.)  Other speakers include experts from such august organizations as Winterthur, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.  The bonus to the event is that J. Thomas Savage, Director of Museum Affairs at Winterthur, will be hosting and moderating the forum.  Those of you who know Tom- and I know that's quite a few of you- are familiar with his charm and ebullience, both of which guarantee an interesting time!

Rosalind Savill

J. Thomas Savage


While all of the lectures look intriguing, there are three in particular that I think many of you will find inviting. Fiona Heyward of Oxford, England will speak on "Life at Haseley Court and Its Gardens: The Legacy of Nancy Lancaster".  Heyward is certainly qualified to lecture on Haseley Court considering that she and her husband are the current owners of this magnificent house, once the home of the great designer, Nancy Lancaster.  For some time, Fiona and her family lived across the courtyard from Lancaster, who spent her final years residing in the Coach House of Haseley Court.

Fiona Heyward

The dignified looking Haseley Court

The Chess topiary garden at Haseley Court. According to Fiona, it was planted in 1850 and transformed into its present design at the turn of last century.


Fiona kindly answered a few of my questions about life and gardening at Haseley Court, both of which I can only assume are magical.  Fiona has fond memories of Lancaster, who, according to the homeowner, never interfered nor criticized any changes made to the house or gardens under the new owners. (Fiona noted that much of Lancaster's work on the house's interiors had already been dismantled by previous owners, with the Chapel Room and Tobacco Room remaining intact.)  The gardens, it seems, are just as beloved to Fiona as they were to Lancaster.  Although the garden's layout remains the same, Fiona has tweaked plantings just a bit.  And in what can only be described as music to a gardener's ears, Lancaster's gardening advice to Fiona still guides her today: a garden needs both formal and informal plantings and should not look too immaculate!

There were other interesting tidbits that I gleaned from Fiona, but I don't want give away her entire talk.  I think that Fiona's lecture will be one not to miss!

And the other two lectures not to miss?  Architect Ralph Harvard, whose work is seen often in both magazines and on design blogs, will present a talk on the architectonic furniture of the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  I'm including a few photos of this furniture, below, to give you a sense of what this furniture looks like.  During the 18th century, furniture of this region was often made by the same joiners who worked on paneling and such for local houses, hence the same type of architectural details were also used on chests, cabinets, and bookpresses.  I think that the geometric patterns on this furniture gives it a robustness that seems fitting for today's interiors:

Eastern Shore blanket chest with X and "quadrant" panels

Eastern Shore blanket chest with X panels

Eastern Shore corner cupboard showing a complementary color combination of orange and blue.

Then there is Count Stefano Aluffi-Pentini, who will be speaking about on Italian palaces like Palazzo Colonna, seen below.  Is that image stunning or what?  So you see, you'll learn about English great houses and gardens, French decorative arts, Italian palaces, Southern furniture, and more.  I can't imagine a more interesting forum!

Count Stefano Aluffi-Pentini, photographed in his library.

Palazzo Colonna in Rome.


For more information on this event, or to purchase tickets, please visit the Charleston Art & Antiques Forum website.  I hope to be able to tear myself away from work to attend, so perhaps I'll see you there.


All images used with permission of The Charleston Art & Antiques Forum.

A Case for Printed Sheets

I realize that to some people, plain white sheets are the only aesthetically acceptable sheets to place on one's bed. Not so for me. While I do, of course, have some white sheets, I prefer bedding with a discreet floral or feminine print. It just seems so boring to turn down the covers, only to have plain white cotton greet me. Pink Porthault hearts, on the other hand, make my heart go pitter-patter.

While I have a weakness for Porthault printed sheets, I also like some of the prints available through Schweitzer Linen. Not only are their patterns feminine and sweet, but their bedding is quite affordable too. And although I don't own any bedding from the Lulu DK for Matouk collection, I do really like the upbeat designs that Lulu has created. If you have never before considered patterned sheets, perhaps now is the time for you to take a look at some bedding with personality.

It wasn't too long ago when patterned sheets were all the rage. During the 1960s and 1970s, many fashion and interior designers boasted bedding collections, a popular form of branding (did they call it branding back then?) during the early days of product licensing. As you might expect, the prints were often evocative of their era: colorful, exuberant, busy, and wild. David Hicks, you might remember, had a bedding collection as did Bill Blass. Some of these designer bedding collections look pretty atrocious, at least to twenty-first-century eyes. And what makes this bedding seem even more dated is that it was usually photographed alongside other interior fashions of the day that, like the bedding, hasn't held up very well.

It wasn't hard for me to find photos of designer sheets as my vintage magazines were chock full of editorial features and ads touting these collections. I think that if you take a look below, you might be surprised at some of the prints that these designers churned out, although I do wonder just how involved some of them were in their bedding collections.  All I can say is thank goodness that we now have more demure and classic looking printed sheets than what you see below.

And although I don't care for Mr. Blass's sheets, I do think that he redeemed himself with his 1979 edition of the Lincoln Continental Mark V.  That was such a fabulous car that I wouldn't mind driving one today!

David Hicks's collection for Stevens-Utica might be one of the better designer bedding collections. In fact, it doesn't look terribly different from his fabrics. The bathroom of the David Hicks Suite at the St. Regis Hotel in New York featured his H-logo sheets used as shower curtains, a basin skirt, and a lamp shade.

Bill Blass designed sheets for Springmaid. Those exotic printed sheets, photographed in Blass's bedroom, were named "Nemuri". Perhaps more representative of Blass's masculine style is the brown and gray plaid sheeting that "creates a penthouse environment in your home."

Just as Blass had his bedding collection, so too did Oscar de la Renta, though Cannon Mills produced his line. For one of the Oscar de la Renta-Cannon ads, the designer wrote, "My designs are for the woman who believes her bed and bath should be as well-dressed as she is." His sheets might look rather dated today, but I think that they might have been kind of chic back in the mid-1970s.

Missoni's sheeting collection doesn't look far removed from their classic clothing prints.

The problem with this bedding collection by Halston (yes, Halston) is that there are too many frills on this bed. Halston's rose pattern was, according to the modest designer, "the prettiest rose pattern that anyone's ever done." I'm not sure about that, but I do find that the pattern was inspired by some Joe Eula paintings to be interesting.  I believe that this print also appeared on some of Halston's dresses.

Would you be surprised to learn that these "Rose Elegance" sheets were designed by Yves Saint Laurent? I was, but I really wonder how much of a hand he had in this collection.

Both of these bedding sets were designed by Angelo Donghia and were photographed in Rita Moreno's bedroom.  The plaid version is really not bad.  In fact, I might say that Donghia did one of the better designer bedding collections. 


Slim Aarons photo at top from A Wonderful Time: An Intimate Portrait of the Good Life; David Hicks/ St. Regis photo from David Hicks: Designer by Ashley Hicks.

Lady Mendl's Invention

I was flipping through my copy of The Twenties in Vogue the other day, and I was reminded of how much I enjoy the book. (The Thirties in Vogue is also quite good.) It's fun to pore over the old photos of socialites wearing chic fashion as well as to read about the hijinks, the frivolity, and the trends of the day.

One of my favorite sections of the book is that which covers the food and cocktail crazes of the era. Back in the 1920s, of course, most people were cocktail mad, drinking such libations as the Corpse Reviver, the Between the Sheets, and, of all the crazy names, the Bosom Caresser. At least, this was what Vogue was reporting at the time.  And canapes were also starting to come into fashion, something that was also, evidently, covered by the magazine in great detail.  A canape that got an honorable mention in Vogue was one served at Somerset Maugham's home on the Riviera.  His canape consisted of "a green olive stuffed with a nut dipped into Gentlemen's Relish, wrapped in a strip of bacon." That sounds tasty to me, but finding Gentlemen's Relish in Atlanta isn't the easiest endeavor.

Of the five or six cocktail recipes that appear in this book, one in particular caught my eye: Lady Mendl's Invention. The book fails to mention the origin of this recipe, but a Google search identified this cocktail by another name, Pink Lady.  Did Elsie de Wolfe invent this cocktail? Or, did she adopt it as her own? I can't say, but I mixed one up over the weekend to see what the fuss was about.  The cocktail isn't really bad, but it did remind me of the pink penicillin I had to take when I was sick with strep throat as a child. If you liked that taste (and I didn't), you might enjoy this cocktail.

And if any of you know what exactly Lady Mendl's connection was to this cocktail, do tell!

Lady Mendl's Invention
*Recipe is based on a 1 1/2 ounce measure. Shake well with broken ice and serve while frothy.

3/4 gin
1/4 grenadine
juice of half a lemon
1 white of egg

This Hoyningen-Huene photo shows the Cubist bar that was designed for home of the Vicomte de Noailles, c. 1928. How dashing was that?


Hoyningen-Huene photo and Fish illustration from The Twenties in Vogue

No. 9 Thompson Grand Vizier Collection

Recently, I got a peek at the new No. 9 Thompson Grand Vizier collection while the fabric was being photographed for their "official" portraits. All of the fabric looked snappy yet soft and eye-catching without being eye-popping. One print in particular stood out to me: Grand Paisley. The splashy print features exuberantly sized paisley framed by bands of leopard print. That combination might sound unusual at first, but it's really not.  In fact, Grand Paisley reminds me of some of those great old prints like Brunschwig & Fils' Chinese Leopard Toile in which leopard print is combined with an unexpected pattern to create a very striking fabric.

Grand Paisley comes in a red colorway that is rather bold and daring.  I could see using the red version in a small nighttime room like a study or library where it could be used for curtains, upholstery, and, perhaps, on the walls, too.  For those more inclined to live with softer or more neutral colors, the print does come in other colorways including a pretty blue version.

In addition to Grand Paisley, there are many other prints in the collection that were recently introduced at Paris Deco Off.  Take a look below to see the range of the collection, or visit the Jim Thompson/No. 9 Thompson website.

Fabrics in photo at top: Sofa and curtains, Papave; Roman shades and sofa cushion, Agiasos; rectangular pillow, Zabadani; pillows, Tea Party; Chair, Plain Rong; Ottoman, Topkapi.

Sofa in Grand Paisley.  No. 9 Thompson's Design Director, Richard Smith, was inspired to create Grand Paisley after finding a small document of a paisley fabric that lined an old Uzbekistani robe.  Smith blew up the scale of the paisley, something which makes it seem modern.

Pillows covered in Grand Paisley and Zabadani, at right.

Curtains in Grand Paisley and chair cushions in Tesserae.

No. 9 Thompson's Design Director, Richard Smith, attended Paris Deco Off to present his collection. In the photos above, Smith is seen with Agiasos and Grand Paisley, at the bottom.

All photos used with express permission of No. 9 Thompson.

Spotlight on Art

Before the week gets away from me, I want to mention that the Trinity School Spotlight on Art Artists Market is now open through February 9.  One of Atlanta's favorite winter events, the Artists Market features the work of both prominent and soon-to-be prominent Southern artists-and it's all for sale, too.  Work includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, and jewelry, ranging in price from $5 to $5000.

Held at the Trinity School, the event helps to raise funds for the school's teacher education fund as well as a scholarship fund.  For more information, please visit the event's website.  And take a look below to get an idea of the type of work that is found at the Market.

Andrea Costa, artist

Huff Harrington Gallery

Denny Holmes, artist

Palme d'Or

Last Thursday, half of Atlanta- literally- turned out for Miles Redd's lecture. Looking at the packed pews of the Cathedral of St. Philip, one could be forgiven for thinking that it was Easter Sunday. Well, the talk was most interesting, and Miles was most charming. I think that I could have listened to him speak for an additional hour, especially considering that Miles packed his slide presentation with numerous photos of interiors and swells of yesteryear.

One memorable part of the talk was when he referenced the photo, above. As you can see, it's the dust jacket for the highly coveted book, Jansen Decoration. According to Miles, that photo shows the Jansen decorated dining room of designer Mary McFadden's grandmother. But connections aside, what struck Miles were those plaster palms, so much so that he chose to indulge his home's entry hall with plaster palms too:

If you look through Miles' book, The Big Book of Chic, you'll see a black and white photo of his entry hall where you can just barely make out the plaster palm to the right side and at the end of the hall.

Miles mentioned that the plaster palm trees of the Jansen Decoration photo reminded him of those at Spencer House. Now that he mentioned it, they do look similar to those at Spencer House, the magnificent 18th century London house built by John, First Earl Spencer.  What makes the palm trees and fronds of Spencer House so spectacular is their lavish gilding, as you can see below.

I consulted my guide book to Spencer House, and it notes that The Palm Room was designed by architect John Vardy and was intended for use by gentlemen after retiring from dinner. (The ladies retreated upstairs to Lady Spencer's Room.) According to this guide, the design for the Spencer House Palm Room was based on the King's Bedchamber at Greenwich Palace, conceived by John Webb. Vardy's interpretation can also be seen in the c. 1755 drawing, above. One interesting tidbit about the palm motif with which I wasn't familiar is that the palm tree symbolized marital fertility.

Funny enough, just days before Miles' talk, I was reading through Biedermeier to Bauhaus, a wonderful book suggested to me by Quatorze, a very knowledgeable reader of this blog.  Quatorze advised me not to let the book's rather dry title dissuade me from buying it. I am still going through the book, but so far it is very interesting. And one of the book's beautiful photos portrays yet another Palm Room, this one at Neues Schloss in Bayreuth, Germany. Don't you think it's beautiful:

This particular Palm Room dates to 1757. Here, carved and gilded palm trees stand alongside walnut veneer walls and a ceiling dotted with gold stucco dragons.

I am sure there are many more Palm Rooms in some of the great European palaces and houses, and if you are familiar with them, please tell me about them. I did find a few more photos of rooms in which palm trees- of the decorative kind, of course- play prominent roles.

The private dining room of the ocean liner Ile-de-France was decorated by Atelier Martine around 1927. The walls were decorated with some type of mural or, possibly, wood veneer or inlay. You can just make out the palm trees that appeared on the room's walls.

Here, an American room from 1938 captures the design trends of that time, from the Serge Roche-type plaster palm floor lamp to the zebra upholstery.

And finally, the Palm Room of Schloss St. Emmeram, the Bavarian estate of the Thurn und Taxis. The striking palm tree was inspired by Brighton Pavilion.


Miles Redd photos from The Big Book of Chic, Paul Costello photographer; Neues Schloss photo from Biedermeier to Bauhaus; Atelier Martine photo from The Decorative Twenties and the following photo from The Decorative Thirties, both by Martin Battersby. Thurn und Taxis photo from Private Splendor: Great Families at Home.

Entertaining with Charlotte Ford

I love to read old articles on hostesses and their styles of entertaining. Sometimes, I glean practical tips, while other times, the sheer elaborateness of their dinners and parties provides me with moments of escapism. Try as we might, duplicating some of these old parties often requires the patience of Job and a bank account worthy of Croesus.

One hostess who seems refreshingly practical is Charlotte Ford. I found this article about her in a 1977 issue of House Beautiful, and at the time the article was published, Ford was a busy working woman designing a line of clothing. With her hectic workday schedule, Ford admitted that she was only able to entertain about once a month.  Taking a more casual (for that time) approach to entertaining, Ford eschewed long, laborious dinner parties of numerous courses.  Instead, she said that she preferred to serve an appetizer, an entree of turkey (according to Ford, men particularly seemed to love turkey) and a vegetable, and, to end the meal, either a salad and cheese or dessert.

What especially caught my eye were Ford's lovely dining tables.  Preferring to set two round tables for six, Ford laid her table with French-made china designed especially for the Ford family, Baccarat crystal, and those lovely Porthault embroidered mats and napkins.  I think Ford's table linens are my favorite part of the entire article.  You'll also notice the little cigarette holders, an accessory that, at that time, were practically a requirement on well-set tables.

Times may have changed, but a beautifully set table never goes out of style!

All photos from House Beautiful, June 1977

A Reminder

I do hope that my Georgia readers will have the opportunity to attend Miles Redd's lecture this Thursday, 11 a.m., at the Cathedral of Saint Philip. Just one of the many highlights of this year's Cathedral Antiques Show, Miles' lecture is sure to be entertaining. The bonus of attending the lecture is that Miles' book, The Big Book of Chic, will be available for purchase at a discount: $55 per book, a $20 savings.

For more information, please visit the Cathedral Antiques Show website. And don't forget to visit the Inspiration House as well!


Image at top courtesy of Assouline Publishing