The Private Collection of Joan Rivers

A very different woman from Susan Mary Alsop, who was featured here on Wednesday, was Joan Rivers, the legendary comedienne and home-shopping pioneer who died in 2014.  I was a longtime fan of Rivers, and I still find it hard to believe that she is no longer cracking jokes nor selling her jewelry on QVC.  But interest in Rivers remains high, which is why I predict a lot of buzz regarding Christie's upcoming sale of Rivers' personal collection.

If you've seen photos of Rivers' penthouse apartment, you might (or might not) agree with me when I say that her home was a tad grand.  That being said, I always admired Rivers' appreciation for fine-quality things, whether they were antique bibelots, furniture, jewelry, or art, all of which are featured in the Joan Rivers sale.  The lots that especially caught my eye were the Fabergé objects, of which Rivers was a noted collector, and the porcelain, sterling silver, and crystal pieces that Rivers was known to use at her elegant dinner parties.

The Christie's sale will take place June 22, 2016.  To see all of the sale's lots, or for more information, please visit the Christie's website.  Below, you can see some of the lots that caught my eye, plus numerous photographs of Rivers' New York apartment that appear in the auction catalogue.

Joan Rivers' French Silver and Silver-Mounted Desk Accessories

A Louis XVI style white-painted bergere

A retro diamond and gold brooch

A French ormolu-mounted black and gilt-japanned encoignure

Royal Crown Derby porcelain Imari dessert service







All images courtesy of Christie's

At Home with Susan Mary Alsop

I'm certain that many of you are familiar with the late Susan Mary Alsop. A descendant of John Jay, Susan Mary led a most interesting life. During her marriage to her first husband, Bill Patten, Susan Mary lived in Paris, where her husband's position at the American Embassy introduced her to an array of diplomats, artists, and sundry sophisticates. It was also during her time in Paris that she had an affair with Duff Cooper, who fathered Susan Mary's son. This fact was not revealed until the child was well into adulthood.

The Pattens eventually returned to the States, settling in Washington, D.C.  After Patten's death in 1960, Susan Mary married prominent journalist, Joseph Alsop, a former college roommate of Patten. Susan Mary and Joseph were among the leading lights of Washington society, known for their inveterate entertaining and their friendship with the John F. Kennedys. In reality, Joseph Alsop was homosexual, and the marriage eventually ended in divorce. But still Susan Mary carried on, eventually writing a number of books, including a compilation of letters between Susan Mary and her great friend, Marietta Tree, as well as a biography of Lady Sackville.

The photos you see here show Susan Mary and her Georgetown townhouse in 1980. Taken by Horst, the photos capture a home that is the essence of WASPy city living. Family portraits and antiques communicated Susan Mary's illustrious family history, while traditional fine fabrics, such as Brunschwig's La Portugaise, added a layer of well-mannered comfort.  Decorated by the talented society decorator, Mrs. John Pierrepont, the townhouse is just as I pictured Susan Mary Alsop's home to be.

If you're interested in learning more about the life of Susan Mary Alsop, I highly recommend you read American Lady: The Life of Susan Mary Alsop.  It's fascinating and would make for a great beach book.

All photos from House & Garden, November 1980

A Bucolic Virginia Residence

If you read the May issue of British House & Garden, you'll likely remember the article about Anne Massie's historic Virginia house, whose master bedroom, with its striking pink-and-white print curtains, was featured on the cover. The house was memorable to me, and not just because of its Virginia setting. What pleased me most is how personal-looking the home's interiors are. It seems strange to write that, because houses are supposed to reflect their owners' interests and personalities. But how often do we see interiors that offer not a clue as to who lives there?

Anne purchased the late-eighteenth-century house decades ago with her brother, Will, who is also her business partner; the two siblings are founders and owners of McKinnon and Harris, the outdoor furniture maker. After a restoration of the house, Will bought out his sister's share of the house and lived there with his family. But in 2004, the house was purchased back by Anne, who now resides in the house with her husband.

I thought you might enjoy seeing additional shots of the home's interiors, which seem to capture Anne's creativity (she is a painter, too,) and reflect her collector's eye.  I'm also including photos of the grounds, which look like the ideal spot to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend.  How nice it must be to relax by the pool or on the terrace, especially if lounging in that enviable McKinnon and Harris furniture.   

All photos courtesy of Anne Massie

A Billy Baldwin Bonus

And one more interior that seems oh-so-right for the summer: this Nantucket living room, which was decorated around 1980 by Billy Baldwin.  The house belonged to Michael Gardine, the writer behind Baldwin's memoir, Billy Baldwin: An Autobiography.  Gardine lived in the house with his partner, the makeup artist Way Bandy, while their friend Baldwin lived out his last years in a small cottage on the property.

I'm not bothering to show you the rest of Gardine's house, because Baldwin did not seem to be involved with decorating the other rooms.  And if you saw the other rooms, you would have wished that he had been.  Still, this room is so quintessential Billy Baldwin that I couldn't resist showing it to you.

My Idea of Real Comfort Is...

I recently found a fun 1980 House & Garden article in which top designers were asked to define comfort. Not surprisingly, most designers linked comfort to comfortable seating, including Billy Baldwin, whose Nantucket bed-sitting room, seen above, exemplified the designer's notion that comfort is "a first-class upholstered chair and everything within easy reach."

Designer Robert Lewis, with whom I'm not familiar, also believed comfort involved a well-upholstered chair, but comfort was atmospheric, too: "Wonderful fabric, herbs, flowers, good music- a place to unwind."

For Michael Taylor, comfort was "a seating arrangement that really works."  One such successful arrangement can be seen here, on Taylor's own terrace.  The wicker furniture was also designed by Taylor.

I agree wholeheartedly with William Hodgins' thoughts on comfort: "A casual stuffed sofa and a good mystery book."  I could easily relax- and read mystery novels- in this room designed by Hodgins.

No surprise that Denning and Fourcade showed rather elaborate upholstered chairs to illustrate comfort.  For Denning, it was "a chair where you can slump, put your feet up and make a telephone call," while Fourcade called for "a chair that you can sink into so that it completely enfolds you."

"Easy-to-move extra chairs that make your furniture arrangement flexible," said designer John Dickinson.  Such an important design consideration, and one that Dickinson acknowledged in his San Francisco home, above.

For Mario Buatta, comfort was linked with scent.  "A good piece of furniture, with pillows to rest your feet on- and a wonderful fragrance in the air."  In this photo of Buatta's home, you will find Freesia, potpourri, and pomander balls on the table next to the fireplace.

For Bob Patino, comfort was a soak in a "large deep tub full of hot water."

And finally, for Sister Parish, comfort meant "a room where one can relax and have tea with friends," something which, by the looks of it, she could do easily in her bedroom.


All photos from House & Garden, February 1980.

Veere Grenney for Schumacher

London-based designer Veere Grenney recently visited Atlanta to introduce his second collection for Schumacher.  While I knew that he was immensely talented (I've long been an admirer of his work), I was delighted to discover that he is immensely charming as well.

Grenney's latest collection of linen fabrics and wallcoverings comes in such a pleasing color palette: soft shades of sage, straw, and lilac, for example, joined by more robust hues of burnt orange, berber brown, and peacock blue.  But, hands down, my favorite color in the collection is Temple Pink, which has to be the most perfect shade of pink.  Not too sweet nor feminine, this mature version of pink also graces the drawing room walls of Grenney's eighteenth-century, Palladian-style temple folly, which has garnered accolades far and wide because of its architecture, its decor, and those splendid Temple Pink drawing room walls.

Equally as enticing are the collection's sophisticated prints.  In a world where screaming for attention has become the norm, it's refreshing to see a collection of small-scaled prints that are subtle yet striking.  But, should you wish to make a bold statement, you can do so thanks to the fact that some of the prints, such as  Belvedere and Kiosk, are available in coordinating fabrics and wallcoverings.

To see the entire range of this collection, please visit the Schumacher website.  And the next time you're in a Schumacher showroom, make sure to peruse the collection in person.  I think you'll be as impressed with it as I am.

Folly linen fabric in Burnt Orange

Folly linen fabric in Temple Pink

Folly wallcovering in Orpington Blue

Temple wallcovering in Berber Brown

Belvedere linen fabric in Peacock Blue

Belvedere wallcovering in Berber Brown

Belvedere wallcovering in Lilac

Berrydown wallcovering in Berber Brown

Burley wallcovering in Peacock Blue

Burley wallcovering in Straw

Ferne Park wallcovering in Sage

Kiosk linen fabric in Orpington Blue

Kiosk linen fabric in Temple Pink

Kiosk wallcovering in Peacock Blue

Pavillion linen fabric in Peacock Blue