Steven Stolman at Discover ADAC

I hope that by the time this post publishes, I am rested and full of energy.  You see, I have a busy week ahead of me.  This week is Discover ADAC, and the stars of the decorating world are alighting on Atlanta.  Mario Buatta, Ellie Cullman, Michael S. Smith, Jan Showers, Chuck Chewning, and many, many others will be speaking at ADAC this week.

Also at ADAC will be Steven Stolman, style provocateur and president of Scalamandre, who will be interviewed by yours truly this Thursday, October 17 at 1:00 in ADAC's Presentation Room.  Our on-stage chat should be lively and fun, especially considering that we will be discussing Steven's new book, Scalamandre Haute Decor.

We hope to see you on Thursday!

Creative Cooking

I can easily spend hours looking through decades-old issues of Gourmet. I don't necessarily look through them searching for recipes, although many of them do seem quite appetizing. Rather, I enjoy looking at the magazine's photos. Whoever styled those old food photos, which are so staged-looking and yet so charming, must have had one heck of a good time doing so.  I know that I would have.

Take, for example, that photo seen above.  When I first glanced at it, I thought that whatever creamy food was nestled within that puffed pastry must be something good.  Well, it's not.  Or at least, I don't find Brains to be something good.  But the styling of that photo certainly made what seems to me a vile dish look downright delicious.

Then there's the Swordfish Mirabeau.  Yes, the plated dish looks a little too man-handled, but those strips of anchovies and sliced olives do create an interesting-looking pattern.  And check out the photos of Boeuf à la Mode en Gelée and Leg of Lamb in Aspic.  A little too precious?  Perhaps.  But both dishes, especially the lamb in aspic with that herb and vegetable garnish, took skill and artistry.

Now, I doubt that many of us are going to start decorating our food with floral-motif garnishes, strips of anchovies and sliced olives, and peas in aspic, but I do think that these old Gourmet photos are great examples of how design can enhance food immeasurably.


 

Mr. Hadley Goes to Washington

I think that I'm familiar with most of Parish-Hadley's projects, probably due to the fact that I have read both Adam Lewis's Albert Hadley:The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer and Christopher Petkanas's Parish-Hadley: Sixty Years of American Design roughly half a dozen times each. However, until I obtained the March/ April 1975 issue of Architectural Digest, I was not familiar with the work that Albert Hadley did for the noted Washington hostess Buffy Cafritz and her husband, William.

Hadley decorated the Cafritz's suburban Washington house in a manner that was in keeping with the house's suburban locale. As Hadley noted, the house "could be in the English countryside, but it is American with strong continental overtones." Also, the house was "sparsely furnished" in order to give it "scale and scope", something that had been lacking in the house that had once been deemed too small.  Because the house was minimally furnished, it seems that each piece was chosen with great care, especially considering that the furnishings were given such prominent roles.  By the way, my favorite decorations in the Cafritz house have to be that flame-stitch rug in the living room and the dining room's blue and white dhurrie rug.

The house was certainly attractive, not to mention well-mannered in appearance, something which was probably appropriate for Cafritz's frequent entertaining.  I can just imagine the Washington power-brokering that went on in these Albert Hadley-decorated rooms.

All photos from Architectural Digest, March/April 1975, Richard Champion photographer.

Join Me in High Point

If you plan to be at High Point Market on Tuesday, October 22, I invite you to join me at the Currey & Co. showroom (IHFC M110 on Main Street, Street Level) for the debut of my new book.

I will be signing copies from 3 to 5pm.  Books will be available for purchase.  While there, you can browse the Currey & Co. showroom to see their exciting new products.  And at 5pm, there will be a champagne toast in honor of Currey & Co.'s 25th anniversary.

I do hope that you can join me and the Currey & Co. team for a fun afternoon at High Point!

Mario Buatta: Fifty Years of Fabulous

Over the years, there have been certain sentiments that I hear expressed time and time again. One of those sentiments is, "When is Mario Buatta going to do a book?" Well, thankfully for us, that question has been answered in a really grand way.

Written by Mario Buatta with Emily Evans Eerdmans, Mario Buatta: Fifty Years of American Decoration is a hefty tome (seriously, you need to use both hands to pick it up) that covers the decades-long career of the great designer. Thanks to beautiful color photos of numerous projects, the reader can witness the evolution of Mario's career from young designer of the 1960s to the legendary Prince of Chintz of today. But the sense that the reader will likely get, I think, is that Buatta's evolution as a designer has been incredibly subtle. Mario obviously knew what he liked from a young age and stuck with the chintz, dog paintings, porcelain, and English antiques, even when these furnishings weren't always the rage. (I would argue, though, that these furnishings never really go out of style. They're too classic to do so.) And what is also quite impressive is that the same client names appear in the book over and over again. Mario's clients are very loyal to their designer, and their repeat business must be a testament to Mario's talent, not to mention his charm and sense of humor.

And speaking of that legendary sense of humor, Buatta's comic relief is evident throughout the book. (You would be disappointed if it wasn't there, wouldn't you?) When you get your copy of the book, you must read Mario's introduction. It is laugh-out-loud funny and off the wall, too. All in all, this is a book that you'll thoroughly enjoy. You'll also be glad that you added this soon-to-be classic to your design library.

I first saw this photo as a child in the 1980s. I didn't know who Mario was back then, but I remember thinking that whoever he was, I wanted to know him. He looked like a lot of fun.

You'll notice that most of the photos I chose to use here show bedrooms. Mario is a champ at decorating bedrooms, which always look so feminine and so comfy.

Mario also has a wonderful sense of color.

One of Mario's more recent projects: the Manhattan apartment of Hilary and Wilbur Ross.

I'm predicting that the pennant valance is going to make a comeback.


All images from © Mario Buatta: Fifty Years of American Decoration, Rizzoli New York, 2013.

In with the Old: Bookplates

Before I started to write In with the Old: Classic Decor from A to Z, I compiled a list of "things"- fabrics, styles, motifs, objects- that I considered to be great examples of classic design and timeless style.  One of the criteria for making the list- the main criterion, in fact- was whether that decorative element was something that I would be proud to have in my own home.  And one decorative element that can be found throughout my home (specifically, in my library) is the bookplate.  In fact, I'm so crazy for bookplates that not only did we photograph one for my book, but we also incorporated an illustrated bookplate, which was drawn by my sister, inside the front of the book.  That way, you can add your name to the plate to mark your copy's ownership. (The photos seen above offer a few glimpses inside my book.) 

I own all kinds of bookplates, which I apply to all kinds of books.  My floral motif bookplates are used for books on flowers and gardening, while those that depict antique Chippendale chairs can be found in my furniture and decorative arts-related books.  (Both of these versions, by the way, are the fill-in types on which I must write my name.)  I also have custom bookplates, purchased on Etsy, which feature a pagoda with my name printed below.  Considering my fondness for all things Chinoiserie, I choose to use these pagoda plates in some of my very favorite design books.

Of course, the ultimate luxury is to have custom engraved bookplates that have been printed by some fabulous stationer.  Perhaps one of these days, I will have those ultimate bookplates.  Until then, though, I will continue to mark my books with my current stash of plates, which give me joy every time I open my books.

P.S.- I would like to thank Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles for featuring my book in their October issue as well as Southern Living and Zoe Gowen for including my book in their The Top Design Books You Need Now feature.  Also, thanks to Margot Shaw, editor-in-chief of the fabulous flower magazine, for mentioning my book in an interview with StyleBlueprint.

Order In with the Old: Classic Decor from A to Z at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.

In gardening books like Peter Marston's Garden Room Style, I use these peony letterpress bookplates from Jonathan Wright and Company.

For my architecture books, including my copy of New Classicism by Elizabeth Dowling, I chose these Palladian Capital bookplates from Ars Antigua.  You can see my Ars Antigua Chippendale Chair bookplate in the photo at the top of this post.

And this is my Pagoda plate, which I purchased on Etsy.  Looks good against that pink background, don't you think?

Photo at top from In with the Old: Classic Decor from A to Z by Jennifer Boles, Erica George Dines photographer.

Inspired by Gavin Houghton

Much to Alfie's chagrin, I often spend my Sundays doing a little decorating and fluffing of my apartment.  You see, Alfie hates change, and anytime I move something around, he stops in his tracks and starts to bark at whatever it is that is new or different.  Perhaps it's not change that he doesn't like.  Maybe he simply doesn't like my decorating.

Anyway, last weekend I hit the internet in search of decorating inspiration, and I fortuitously found the website of British designer, art director, and furniture designer Gavin Houghton. Houghton is clearly a talented designer who is adept at mixing that classic British country house style with vibrant color and modern-minded pattern. For those of us who like this "mix" (a term that I realize is getting really tiresome,) there are lots of great ideas that we can take from Houghton's interiors.

So, in case you're looking for inspiration for your weekend decorating projects, do take a look at Houghton's site. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I only wish there were more photos of his work.
  

Thank You Bunny!

Thank you Bunny Williams Home!  I was very happy to learn that I was one of three winners in their Tote Debris contest.  In order to enter the contest, I had to take a photo of a spot in my home where I could use a Tote Debris wastebasket from Bunny Williams Home.  I decided that Bunny's brass shopping tote-shaped bin would be the perfect spot to hide hold my mess of needlepoint canvases and thread, hence my photo of my wing chair and needlepoint supplies (see top right.)

Although I didn't have time to take a photo of my new Tote Debris in situ, trust me when I say that my study, not to mention my needlepoint mess, has vastly improved!

Arbiters of Style: Anthony Hail and Charles Posey

Thanks to my friends Dennis and Mattie, I recently learned of an exciting upcoming auction at Christie's New York. Titled "Arbiters of Style", the October 8th auction features the collection of the late designer Anthony Hail and his partner, Charles Posey.

Hail, about whom I have written before, was an impeccable designer. His interiors, which were both elegant and immaculate, were often appointed with antiques of storied pedigrees. One of my favorite Hail-decorated houses was that of the designer himself. Located in San Francisco, the house was a rather restrained backdrop for the grand furnishings that he collected, many of which are featured in this auction.

I plan to order a catalogue of the sale as I think it will be an important addition to my design library. Even if you don't anticipate bidding on any of the lots, I think you'll still appreciate the catalogue's many photos of Hail and Posey's exquisite home.

Anthony Hail, seated to the left, with his partner, Charles Posey.

A Swedish gilt-metal and cranberry glass chandelier, late 18th c./ early 19th c.

A Louis XIV ormolu-mounted engraved brass and tortoiseshell traveling box

A North European white painted and parcel-gilt table, early 18th century.

Two Vuitton suitcases with Hail's last name and initials painted on them.  Now that's stylish.


All photos courtesy of Christie's.

A True Connoisseur

"A Choice Chateau for a Renowned Connoisseur". That was the title of a 1975 House Beautiful article on the French vacation home of the late Peter Wilson, former Chairman of the Board of Sotheby's.  The article's title really stated the obvious, because upon first glance at the accompanying photos (which you can see here,) one immediately understands that this home was indeed that of a connoisseur.  The photos capture the range and depth of Wilson's collections, which included 17th and 18th century paintings, blue and white porcelains and Imari urns, antique furniture, and many other choice pieces. 

The article made me think about the term "connoisseur".  There was a time when a number of men and women strove to be connoisseurs in such areas as food, wine, antiques, books, and art, just to name a few subjects.  There was once a much lauded magazine whose title was simply Connoisseur. (Yes, it was geared to connoisseurs.)  In my hometown department store, the late, lamented Rich's, there was the Connoisseur Gallery, which was known for its exquisite furnishings.  In fact, many Atlantans still mourn the loss of the Connoisseur Gallery. 

But, in the 21st century, are connoisseurs a dying breed?  How many people take the time to learn- really learn- about antiques or art?  Unfortunately, I think the answer is not many.  And at a time when many homeowners want their houses to be decorated instantly and with furnishings assembled entirely by somebody else, are there still people who might possess the patience and fortitude to assemble collections over years, if not decades?  And finally, would a shop like the Connoisseur Gallery be viable in today's age?  (I think we sadly the know the answer to that one!) 

Well, anyway, it's something to ponder.

Peter Wilson's chateau was built in 1790 by a leader of the French Revolution. During the 1920s, the chateau's then-owners entertained such artistic guests as Diaghilev, Cocteau, and Picasso, who created the entrance hall's mosaic floor. Also note the stone slab console table by Emilio Terry.

The drawing room featured an amalgam of 17th and 18th century paintings, 19th-century Anglo-Indian chairs, a Directoire backgammon table, and a bookcase painted in the faux bois style.

The dining room walls were painted in faux marbre. The Sheraton table boasted intricately matched wood grain.

In the study, the checked upholstery invigorated the surrounding furnishings. I also think that vignette is very handsome.