A Passion for Porcelain

While doing some online research yesterday, I stumbled upon these photos of Samuel Wittwer's Berlin apartment, which appeared in the Swedish publication, sköna hem. Wittwer is an art historian, the Director of the Foundation of Prussian Castles and Gardens- Berlin-Brandenburg, and a porcelain specialist.

It's Wittwer's passion for porcelain that is really the story here.  A bevy of blue and white pieces grace one room of Wittwer's apartment (alongside a blue and white painted commode, no less,) while blanc de chine figures make appearances in other rooms.  And although there are some lovely fabrics and furniture here, at the end of the day, it's all about the porcelain.  At a time when porcelain collecting isn't as fashionable as it used to be, it's refreshing to see a young man who has devoted his home to his porcelain.

All photos from sköna hem, Christian Burmeister photographer.

Carolina Irving in 1993

To most of you, Carolina Irving needs no introduction. The textile designer and recently-appointed Creative Director of Oscar de la Renta Home is featured often on blogs, and with good reason. She has style in spades, is a scholar of the decorative arts, and is a crack decorator to boot. And if you spend any time on Pinterest, Instagram, or any other social media site, then I don't have to tell you that her beguiling homes, which have been featured in an array of publications, have a tendency to elicit near-hysteria.

But what many of you may not have seen before are photos of Carolina Irving's Manhattan apartment, circa 1993.  Irving's notable melange of styles and pieces was very much in evidence here, a mix that reflected her wide-ranging interests.  Antique textiles bumped up against sterling silver, porcelain, and even a baseball.  Also, after having seen photos of Irving's most recent homes, she seems to be a champ at bringing large-scaled rooms down to size, making these rather behemoth spaces comfortable and livable.  But what I just might like best about this apartment was the book-lined entry hall.  Can you think of a better greeting?

All photos from HG, January 1993, Ivan Terestchenko photographer

John Richardson's Folly

Over the years, I would occasionally come across a photo or two of the homes of Picasso biographer and art historian, Sir John Richardson.  The few photos that I found were enough to intrigue me, such was the comfortable elegance of his homes.  One photo, which was taken in his country house, showed a table that was laden with books and objects. The wall behind it was a memorable shade of turquoise blue.  Another photo captured one room of his set at Albany, a room that was outfitted in refined antiques.  As appreciative as I was of the few photos that I had found, I was left wanting to see more of Richardson's handsome homes.

And then yesterday, while flipping through a twenty-year old issue of HG, I found an entire article that was devoted to Richardson's house in New England.  (Based on what I have read elsewhere, I believe that this house might be located in Connecticut, but I can't be sure.)  Actually, the article wasn't so much about the house itself as it was about his then-newly built folly library, which provided Richardson with a place to write, read, and relax close to the big house.

The folly was designed in the classical manner and was inspired by Karl Friedrich Schinkel's Neue Pavillon at Charlottenburg in Berlin.  The structure's classic architecture extends to its interior, whose walls are punctuated with pilasters, a beefy cornice, and pediments. And speaking of those walls, they are painted in the most beautiful, vivid shade of blue.  Richardson had wanted "the luminous verdigris tint of certain nineteenth-century Russian rooms", which unfortunately turned out to be difficult to replicate.  Instead, his talented painter came up with the solution of painting the walls an icy shade of blue and then treating them to a shagreen-colored glaze.

Richardson wrote that his folly proved so comfortable that he rarely spent time in the main house.  After studying these photos, I can understand why.

  All photos from HG, July 1993, Richard Felber photographer

Tea Time

Although I have never before hosted an afternoon tea at home, I do love the thought of doing so.  There is something about this type of entertaining that is so gracious and elegant, not to mention practical, too.  First, you don't have to be a cook nor employ a cook to host a tea.  Breads, scones, and cookies can be purchased at a bakery, while tea sandwiches require little more than spreading and cutting.  Second, afternoon entertaining means that your guests are out of your house by early evening, ensuring that you have plenty of time to clean up before bedtime.  And finally, because weekday jobs are often a hindrance to afternoon entertaining, there is always the option of hosting tea on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Someone else who appreciated tea was the late Jean Howard, still revered as one of old Hollywood's most accomplished hostesses.  Howard often hosted teas, once telling a House & Garden writer, "Tea is the most civilized way to talk to people.  You don't have to worry about who sits where or whether you have the right number of men and women.  Moreover, if two people who disagree would just sit down with a nice cup of tea instead of a martini, they could work out their differences without saying a lot of things they'd regret later."  Good point.

Françoise de la Renta was also a fan of inviting guests to tea.  She once wrote, "Nothing is more welcoming than a delicious tea: The hour is perfect, after work, before theater, the ingredients are your choice, from simple bread and butter to the abundant tea of Nicolas Nabokov's childhood (Bagazh, The Memoirs of a Russian Cosmopolitan)."  I have shown a photo of de la Renta's Nabokov-inspired tea on my blog before, but I'm showing it again because I think it is supremely elegant.

If you're still not convinced that afternoon teas are worth the fuss, then take a look at the photo at the top of this post, which shows Jean Howard presiding over her tea table.  The pretty china, the trays of delectables, the elegant background.  Can you imagine a more lovely way to entertain?

Françoise de la Renta set this tea table, which was inspired by the childhood memories of Nabokov.

In Fifth Avenue Style, Howard Slatkin wrote that "afternoon tea is perhaps my most favorite meal."  With a tea trolley as lovely as this, I can understand why.

Tea set for the Comtesse de Paris.

A tea set in the kitchen at the château of the Duchesse de Sabran.

Tea with Sybil Connolly.

"The Uncluttered Tea Table" vignette at Tiffany & Co.

Dining Chez Kenneth Jay Lane

So many of the articles that I have read about Kenneth Jay Lane have touched upon his ardor, not to mention his flair, for entertaining.  In fact, photos from one of these articles appeared on my blog a few years ago.

And here we go again: yet more photos of Mr. Lane's apartment with his chic dining banquette.  The two photos, above, were featured in House Beautiful's Home Decorating in 1973, back when Mr. Lane's dining room was swathed in a rather exotic-looking fabric.  It was a space redolent of Scheherazade and One Thousand and One Nights.  The photo below the banquette shot, by the way, shows how Mr. Lane liked to serve after-dinner coffee and liqueurs in his living room.

According to one article, Lane preferred to serve his guests Moroccan food, a fitting cuisine for such an exotic surrounding.  However, any sumptuous dish, especially one with international flavor, would work well within these opulent confines.  Can't you just see Lane's guests' tucking into his famous Caspian Potato Salad, a decadent dish in which Osetra caviar plays the starring role?

In case you wish to try your hand at this rich potato salad, the recipe is below:

Caspian Potato Salad*
Serves 6 to 8

8 large new potatoes or Yukon Golds
4 cups dry white whine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Osetra caviar

Place the potatoes in a large pot with water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but still firm.  Drain and set aside to cool.  Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the slices in a large bowl and cover with the wine, and marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette. Place the lemon juice in a small bowl and slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified. Season with pepper.

Drain the potatoes and gently toss with the vinaigrette. Just before serving, gently fold in as much caviar as desired.

*Recipe and photo of Lane from R.S.V.P. by Nan Kempner

Seconds Sale at Christopher Spitzmiller

Summer means different things to different people, but to me, it marks the event that most of have been waiting for all year: Christopher Spitzmiller's Seconds Sale.

I've said it before and I'll say it again- you can search every inch of your Christopher Spitzmiller seconds lamp, and you'll never find the minute imperfection that has rendered it a second.  Believe me, I have tried, but to no avail.

The sale starts next Tuesday, June 10 and runs through Thursday, June 12.  For those of us who prefer to shop online, Christopher will sell the seconds selection via his website in addition to his studio.  See above for more details.

The Fresh Look of Fine Antiques

One question that I am asked time and again is, "How can you make antiques appealing to a younger generation?" My answer is always the same. You need to show people that antiques can look not only good, but great, when paired with modern furniture and accessories.

A fairly good example of how to mix antiques with contemporary furniture can be seen here in this c. 1974 Manhattan apartment, which was decorated by Michael de Santis. The apartment was built in the Tudor style, which explains the living room's ceiling beams. In an effort to neutralize the rather dark, heavy Tudor details, de Santis painted the living room's walls and ceiling (including those beams) in a shade of creamy white. This neutral, seamless backdrop allowed the room's furnishings, not its architecture, to take center stage.

The living room's color scheme was bisque and blue, a color combination which de Santis felt would show the home's antiques, especially the antique Chinese rugs and porcelain, to their best advantage. Regency furniture- one of the most versatile styles of antiques- was partnered successfully with contemporary tables and lighting, while most of the upholstered seating was covered in neutral fabrics, which didn't draw attention away from the antiques.  Mirrors added sparkle, geometric rugs introduced graphic impact, and antique pictures and contemporary paintings injected soul and personality into the entire apartment.  In fact, little about this apartment is dated, other than a few furnishings as well as the quality of these photos.

To hear the way many of us talk today about mixing antique and modern furnishings, one might think that this is a novel idea.  But in reality, it's a classic concept, a tried and true way of reconciling the old with the new.

All of the photos above show different angles of the bisque and blue living room.

The apartment's bedroom, in which a pair of antique portraits preside over a very contemporary-looking bed and carpet.

The study was painted chocolate brown so as to create a "secluded effect."


All photos from House Beautiful's Home Decorating, Winter 1974.

Dominick Dunne at Home in Connecticut

And now we're on to Dominick Dunne's Connecticut country house, which he owned at the time of his death in 2009. The photos that you see here are screen shots of the documentary, Dominick Dunne: After the Party, which was partially shot at Dunne's house. Despite the fuzziness of some of these shots, you can see that Dunne's living room was filled with lovely fabrics and antiques. I spy La Portugaise fabric by Brunschwig & Fils on a sofa and two chairs as well as damask-covered slipper chairs in front of the fireplace.  There were needlepoint pillows, antique porcelain and ceramicware, lots of pictures, lots of books, and a fireplace fender.  What could be cozier?

And if any of you watched Dunne's television show, Power, Privilege, and Justice, you will recognize the living room because it was here that Dunne filmed his commentary for the show.  I would say that the room's decor was fitting for a show about privilege, albeit the kind of privilege that leads to murder and mayhem.  The decor might be too traditional to some, while others might find it a little too chockablock.  However, the one thing that I think most of us could agree upon is that the house was comfortable, cozy, and personal.

The Way Dominick Dunne Lived Then

Boy, do I miss Dominick Dunne.

I thought of him the other day as I was planning my summer reading, because his books were really the best kind of reading for a lazy summer day. Murder, high-society, and scandal. I don't know about you, but those are exactly the kind of subjects about which I want to read while lounging by the pool. (Can't you just picture being on a sunny beach- slathered in Bain de Soleil Orange Gelèe, no less- with a copy of The Two Mrs. Grenvilles in one hand and an Evian Brumisateur in the other?) But salacious subject-matter aside, Dunne's books remain compelling because they were well-written.  Dominick Dunne was no hack writer.

This stroll down memory-lane prompted me to pull my copy of Dunne's memoir, The Way We Lived Then: Recollections of a Well-Known Name Dropper, down from the shelf. Of course, Dunne's reminiscences of his life in 1960s-era Hollywood are fascinating as are the many photos of the rich and famous who frequented the Beverly Hills home that Dunne shared with his wife and children. But what really captures my attention are the photos of Dunne's house, which was furbished in an elegant and rather formal style. This really doesn't come as a surprise considering that the Dunnes and their friends often dressed in formal attire to attend weeknight dinner parties.

When you look at these photos, you'll notice quite a bit of trellis, some of which had been installed especially for the Dunnes' Black and White Ball in 1964. When My Fair Lady was released, the Dunnes had been enchanted by the film's Cecil Beaton-designed Ascot scene, which was famously decorated entirely in black and white. This scene inspired the couple to host a Black and White Ball, which was attended by Hollywood's A-list crowd. The ball was also attended by Truman Capote, who by the looks of Dunne's photos appeared to have had a very good time. Capote, of course, went on to host his own Black and White Ball, to which the Dunnes were not invited. As Dunne once said of Capote, "he was duplicitous."  But back to the trellis. The Dunnes chose to keep some of their trellised-party decorations in situ, a decision which is completely understandable.  That trellis looked too beautiful to dismantle.

And later this week, I'll take you on a brief tour of Dunne's Connecticut home, which might have lacked the beautiful trellis but which was no less striking.

The Dunnes house, which was located on Walden Drive in Beverly Hills.

The exterior of the house on the night of the Dunnes' Black and White Ball.

Dunne and his wife, Lenny, photographed as they awaited their guests.  Dunne referred to their Black and White Ball as the high point of their social life.

The Dunnes' daughter, Dominique, posed in front of a trellised-backdrop.  Sadly, Dominique was later murdered by her boyfriend, an event which impelled Dunne's career in journalism and his advocacy for victims' rights.

A glamorous shot of Dunne's wife, Lenny.


All photos from The Way We Lived Then by Dominick Dunne and the documentary, Dominick Dunne: After the Party.