Tiger Tiger!

I always look forward to new No. 9 textile collections thanks in large part to designer Richard Smith's inventive and sometimes whimsical designs. Smith's extensive knowledge of history and the decorative arts coupled with a curiosity for the exotic seem to provide endless, not to mention fruitful, inspiration for his collections, and this seems to be the case with his latest, named Tiger Tiger.

The collection sprang from Smith's interest in Tibetan tiger rugs, specifically a 1990 exhibit, "The Tiger Rugs of Tibet", that was held at the Hayward Gallery, London.  The star print of the collection- at least, to me- is Tiger Tiger, which depicts a tiger ensconced in a bamboo forest.  These tigers really do look like Tibetan tiger rugs come to life.  Other fabrics include Lhasa (a trellis print), Xara (a fretwork woven fabric), and Tibetan Maze.  Additionally, there are two embroidered tapes.

For more information, please visit the Jim Thompson Fabrics website.  And to learn more about Tibetan tiger rugs, click here to read my recent blog post.

 Tiger Tiger

 Lhasa

 Tibetan Maze

 Satori

Peony Trellis

Xara

Shigatse

Maze Border

Elements Border


All images courtesy of No. 9/ Jim Thompson Fabrics.

Bonfire of the Vanities

Quite a few people have told me that Tom Wolfe's 1987 best-seller, Bonfire of the Vanities, is right up my alley. I have not read the book, nor have I seen the 1990 film version, so I don't know whether to take their "right up your alley" comments as a compliment or not. However, the book has been on my to-read list for years, and after recently finding a November 1990 HG article about the film's set, I am moving both the book and the movie to the top of my to-do list.

The article's photos, which are shown here, depict the fictional Park Avenue apartment of the book's lead characters, Sherman McCoy, a Wall Street tycoon played by Tom Hanks in the movie, and his wife, Judy, who was portrayed in the film by Kim Cattrall. Judy, by the way, is a socialite/decorator, who was responsible for her apartment's decoration. So believable was this movie apartment that had I not told you otherwise, you might very well have assumed that the photos showed a real Park Avenue apartment, circa 1985. That is how well-decorated this fictional apartment was.

The production designer, Richard Sylbert, spared no expense nor detail in conjuring up the archetypal Manhattan apartment of an 1980s-era master of the universe. The set's abundance of chintz, English furniture, elaborate draperies, and traditional pictures were all hallmarks of that affluent 1980s-look that Sylbert referred to as "a 'chopped salad' of English country classics". But, using your 21st-century-eyes, start peeling back the layers in each photo, and you'll find a number of classic elements that are still compelling today. One such example is the now-discontinued Brunschwig & Fils wallpaper in the set's dining room.

The article's author, Donald Albrecht, wrote, "In the future we may look at Bonfire as representing the essential look of the booming, greedy eighties." Although I have not read the book, I am familiar enough with it to know that Albrecht's comment was indeed prescient, because the book has become a modern classic, one which captured the excess that was the 1980s.

The set's living room was decorated with 18th-century antiques.

The dining room, so vivid thanks to Brunschwig & Fils's trellis wallpaper and floral chintz.

The breakfast room was painted with four coats of yellow lacquer.  The parquet used on the set was real and not imitation.

The kitchen.

The master bedroom was furbished with an 18th-century Aubusson rug and chinoiserie wallpaper.

The bathroom.  Very 80s, and very dated-looking today.

A glimpse into the English-style library.


All photos from HG, November 1990, Grant Mudford photographer.

Alain Demachy, Polymath Designer

Although I haven't seen a great deal of the work of French interior designer Alain Demachy, I have seen enough to know that I admire both his style and his skill. I was first introduced to Demachy's work thanks to my 1980s-era French design books. Many of those books featured photos of Demachy's decadent-looking green velvet dining room, which I consider to be one of the all-time great dining rooms.  This room must have struck a chord with people, because that dining room appeared in many design books and publications.

The Paris-based designer has had an illustrious career as a designer, an architect, and an antiques dealer.  During the 1960s and 1970s, Demachy teamed up with prominent Paris antiquaire, Didier Aaron. During their partnership, in which Demachy tended to the architecture and interior design side of the business while Aaron focused on antiques, the two men hired a young designer, Jacques Grange, who credits both Demachy and Aaron as having had a profound influence on his work.  (If you compare the work of Demachy and Grange, I think you'll see a few similarities.)  Demachy eventually went solo, first opening his own design firm and later becoming proprietor of Galerie Camoin Demachy, a much-lauded antiques gallery.  (Check out the gallery's website.  You have to love an antiques business that has "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" playing on its website.)

What I appreciate about Demachy is his ability to mix disparate-yet-like minded furnishings in a way that ultimately fosters stylish, harmonious rooms.  "Eclectic" is often the term used to describe rooms that are decorated with a lavish array of styles and periods, and yet, I don't think that term fits the sophistication and elegance that define Demachy's work.  The designer obviously has an appreciation for early-20th-century design, most notably Arts and Crafts and the Art Deco style.  But then he might introduce African masks, Oceanic art, and 1950s-era furniture to the mix.  The result are interiors that reflect Demachy's skill as a designer and his connoisseurship.

The photos below, which were taken from Elle Décor: The Grand Book of French Style and an Architectural Digest article, show Demachy's residence, which is located above his antiques gallery. I admit that I'm a little confused about the dining room.  The AD article shows a green velvet dining room with painted doors, which, by the way, came from Pavillon Colombe, Edith Wharton's estate located outside of Paris.  The Elle Décor book also shows a green velvet dining room, furbished with a banquette and Turkish ottomans, which looks slightly different- this is the version that appeared in all of those 80s-era publications.  Is it the same design scheme that was simply photographed from different angles, or did Demachy tweak his dining room over the years?  I guess it doesn't really matter, because both versions are successful thanks to Demachy's sumptuous use of green velvet.

And finally, the photo below shows a former apartment of his, located on the avenue Montaigne.  I included it because I think it's so attractive:

Jean-Louis Deniot: Interiors

I am still working my way through my stack of recent book releases, but in the meantime, one book that I do want to bring to your attention is Jean-Louis Deniot: Interiors, written by Diane Dorrans Saeks. I have long been a fan of Deniot's work, especially that which is infused with a 1930s- and 1940s-era aesthetic. Deniot admits to being influenced by the work of such early-20th- century innovators as Jean-Michel Frank (especially Frank's use of natural materials and textures,) and it is this influence that helps to make Deniot's contemporary interiors classic, warm, and inviting, while at the same time imbuing his traditional interiors with flair, sophistication, and a soupçon of glamour.

Two things that I especially want to note about this book: first, Saeks treats each interior photo to an information-packed caption.  This is where you will find details as to which fabric, for example, Deniot chose for that particular room.  Second, the text is peppered with tidbits of Deniot's design philosophy, something which, in a way, makes this book read like a master class in sophisticated decorating.  Couple the compelling text with the book's beautifully-shot photos, and you have a tome that will leave you feeling inspired and informed, too.

© JEAN-LOUIS DENIOT: Interiors by Diane Dorrans Saeks, Rizzoli New York, 2014. All photos © Xavier Béjot.

Blue Print Dallas

When I was in Dallas a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit a real gem of a shop called Blue Print. The store, which carries new furnishings, antiques, accessories, books, and art, is located within a wonderful old house, which sits on a lovely, tree-lined street.  I stupidly forgot to take a photo of the shop's exterior, which prominently features a stylish, bright-blue front door.  (You'll have to go to the shop's website to see it.)  However, I did take lots of photos of the inside.  The shop's five owners, all of whom are in the design business, have done a great job at styling the shop's interiors, which still feel residential to me.  With the combination of good-looking interior architecture and an updated mix of furnishings, Blue Print is the kind of store that makes you want to move right in.

I highly recommend that you visit Blue Print during your next trip to Dallas.

All photos © Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic.