A Bonus

I couldn't resist snapping photos of this set of four vintage chairs, also available at Travis & Company.  I love both the faux-malachite finish and those shapely saber legs.

Dennis Schuhart, President of Travis, always finds the best vintage and antique furniture, which is sold alongside the showroom's many fabric, furniture, and accessory lines.  To inquire about the malachite chairs, please contact the Travis showroom at (404) 237-5079.

Nan Kempner in the Country

When I first saw these 1983 Architectural Digest photos of Nan Kempner's house in Purchase, New York, I was a bit surprised at how low-key its interiors were. I had assumed that this doyenne of high-fashion would have had a high-style country dwelling. It seems that some of Kempner's friends assumed the same. "I suppose they have a certain perception of me, and when they see this casual, even cozy setting, they're rather surprised, even shocked," admitted Kempner.  But rather than be disappointed by the home's somewhat plain interiors, I actually find them refreshing, even if they're not quite to my taste.  It's nice to see a country house that doesn't try to be something it's not.

One reason for the home's casual tone is that it was a converted 1930s-era barn, which was located on an estate owned by Kempner's in-laws.  Inside the house, rustic elements, such as barn siding, wooden beams, and sisal rugs, mingled with antique furniture that, while refined, seemed at home in the country.  Kempner, by the way, credited the home's decoration to John Fitzgibbons, although she admitted to adding pieces picked up on her many travels.

"It's not a done house, it's undone," said Kempner.  "Luxury comes in the special country details- fresh flowers, homemade preserves, and vegetables from the garden, for my guests."  These might be simple luxuries, but they sound pretty grand to me.

The living room had barn siding on its walls.  The deer head is made of carved wood.

The living room also had a comfortable mix of upholstered and antique seating.

In the dining room, the Dutch marquetry dining chairs were purchased in London.

The screened terrace served as a summertime dining room, where guests were seated at a demilune dining table.

Next to the stairway, a Fleur Cowles painting was displayed.

Another country luxury?  Porthault linens, which dressed the master bedroom.

Casual French flair on an outdoor dining table.


All photos from Architectural Digest, April 1983, Peter Vitale, photographer.

Dorothy Draper Fabrics & Wallcoverings

When I published last week's blog post about Dorothy Draper, a number of readers reminded me of the Dorothy Draper Fabrics & Wallcoverings collection, which is sold through a few designer showrooms across the country.  I was familiar with the collection, which I think is absolutely terrific.  But, shame on me, I had never written about it on my blog before.

So, off to the Ainsworth-Noah showroom I went, where the collection is presented with the kind of flair that is fitting for any collection bearing Draper's name.  As might be expected, there are all kinds of robust prints, from big, blooming florals to tropical greenery.  Stripes are a big thing, too, as is bamboo.  But if confident-looking prints aren't your thing, the collection's woven and embroidered fabrics, whose photos don't do them justice, likely will be.  The downside to the collection?  There are so many great fabrics (and wallpapers, too) that making a decision on which one to choose will be difficult at best.

For more information on the collection, please visit the Dorothy Draper Fabrics & Wallcoverings website or contact Ainsworth-Noah or your local showroom.

 Brazilliance

 Mediterranean

 Bamboo Roller Blind

 Shannongrove

 Shannongrove

 Les Fleures de Toulon

 Small Tobacco Leaf

 Francie & Grover

 Summer Shells

 Woodlawn Strike


And wallpaper too:

All photos copyright of The Peak of Chic/ Jennifer Boles

A Timeless Townhouse

The Manhattan townhouse featured here today is the not the kind of home one sees very often these days, and that's a shame. Some might deem it too formal and stuffy, while others will simply declare it "grandma", the now-popular term of derision for any home that has antiques and traditional fabrics in it. But it's precisely those attributes- antiques, beautiful fabrics, and traditional furnishings- that make this townhouse remarkable. Oh, and the fact that the interiors, seen here in photographs from a 1984 issue of Architectural Digest, had changed very little since they were first installed in the 1920s.

The townhouse belonged to Mrs. Edgar W. Leonard (Adelaide), a popular figure in society who can be seen in the painting above. According to the AD article's author, Susan Mary Alsop, Mrs. Leonard was vivacious and fun, known for her "celebrated parties in the 1920s and 1930s."  Mrs. Leonard's friend, Mr. Winston "Winky" Thomas, concurred, admiring the food she served ("Old-fashioned American food of the best kind- the first tiny green peas, the first corn, the first soft-shell crabs, and plenty of everything.") and the mischief she fostered ("Adelaide, who was flirtatious herself, loved to encourage her friends' flirtations. Nothing serious, you know- a man might have a summer's dalliance while his wife was somewhere else.") So even if you find the dining room, below, just a tad bit stuffy-looking, you now know that the dinner parties were anything but.

While the article credits Mrs. Nancy Pierrepont, the talented society decorator, with assisting with the interiors, Mrs. Pierrepont insisted that she only helped Mrs. Leonard refresh fabrics and furniture every now and then.  What is extraordinary is that when you study the painting above, done by Troubetzkoy in 1925 and capturing Mrs. Leonard in her drawing room, and then compare it to the 1984 photo of the drawing room below, you'll see that very little changed through the years.  The furniture placement, and, in fact, much of the furniture, remained the same.  And speaking of the drawing room, have you ever seen such an elegant and gleaming room?  The paneled walls positively glowed thanks to ample candlelight.  Now, this is how a room used for nighttime entertaining should be done.

With a home like this, it's no wonder Mrs. Leonard's parties were first-rate.

The townhouse's entrance hall was the first indication that much of the home retained its early interior finishes.

A corner of the drawing room, with its antique French furniture and Chinese Export porcelains.

The drawing room.  Susan Mary Alsop described it as having a "cosmopolitan sensibility."  And it does.

The dining room, where good food and mischief was served up.  During one dinner party, a young Yul Brynner provided violin music.

The library, where guests were entertained during small parties.

A guest room, furnished with fabrics and wallpaper by Brunschwig & Fils.

All images from Architectural Digest, December 1984, Billy Cunningham, photographer

Returning to My Roots

When I started my blog back in 2006, I wrote frequently about Dorothy Draper, who remains my all-time favorite decorator.  From the time I first saw her work, I was enthralled with Draper's sense of theatricality, which, still today, exhilarates me.  But after referencing her in those old blog posts every chance I could get, I reluctantly had to put Dorothy on the back-burner.  All of a sudden, it seemed that Dorothy and her work were everywhere, splashed all over the internet.  Although I didn't grow tired of her work, I felt that I needed to give it a rest.  When something you love becomes ubiquitous, it means it's time to focus your attention elsewhere.

But then, a few days ago, I flipped through my copy of The High Style of Dorothy Draper, the catalogue that accompanied the Museum of the City of New York exhibition on Draper, which I attended back in 2006.  Becoming reacquainted with those great, old black-and-white photos of The Carlyle, Hampshire House, and her apartment at The Carlyle especially, I was reminded of how much I love her work- and how much I miss writing about her.  There isn't a lot more to be said about Draper that hasn't already been said before.  And, likely, you've seen most, if not all, of the published photos of her work.  But now that the Dorothy Draper-mania of recent years has simmered down, it seems like now is a good time to cast my focus back to this legendary original.

 The Lobby of 117 East 72nd Street, 1929.

 Draper's apartment at The Carlyle, c. 1960.

 The Carlyle

 The Blumenthal apartment at Hampshire House, c. 1937.

 Entrance to the hospitality suite at Hampshire House, c. 1937.

 Terrace outside of The Camellia House Supper Club, The Drake Hotel, Chicago; c. 1941.

The Greenbrier, c. 1948.

All photos from The High Style of Dorothy Draper

Julia Reed's South

Before some of you check-out for the summer, I must tell you about one of my favorite Spring book releases: Julia Reed's South. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Julia, and I know many of you feel the same. Not only are we Southerners devoted to her and her recipes, but non-Southerners are, too. I put Julia in the same category as Ina Garten, both masters of easy, delicious, and fuss-free recipes that practically guarantee successful entertaining.

The focus of Julia's latest book is parties, both elegant, pull-out-your-best-china soirees and casual, rollicking bashes. There is a "Cold Creole Supper" with Daube Glacé and Shrimp Rémoulade, and "Tomatopalooza", a celebration of everyone's favorite Summer vegetable with Gazpacho, Tomato Tarte Tatin, and Sliced Chicken Breast with Tomato Vinaigrette. One of my favorite chapters is "The Visiting Dignitary Dinner", whose menu of Rib-Eye Roast and Horseradish Mousse is made even more memorable thanks to Julia's amusing story about the dinner's origins.

As with all of Julia's books, the text is a hoot, but it's informative, too, with practical suggestions on entertaining and delightful anecdotes about the origins of certain recipes. (Trust me, you will want to read the text.) Equally compelling is the book's photography, shot by Paul Costello. It's refreshing to see tables, sideboards, and entire rooms, for that matter, decorated with antiques, practically a novelty these days. But not every party is quite so dressy. In fact, that's the charm of Julia's book. The author is a down-to-earth, Southern cook who knows that sometimes, the best fried chicken comes from the neighborhood grocery store and that for some dishes, crushed Ritz crackers make an excellent crumb topping.

Since my kitchen is out of commission at the moment, I have not been able to try any of the recipes for myself. But as soon as I can do so, I'm going to test out the Mock Cheese Soufflé, Green Goddess Soup with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, and Nancy Peterkin's Summer Squash Casserole, which I have featured below. And if these recipes are half as good as those featured in her previous books, I've got some happy cooking in store for me.

Nancy Peterkin's Summer Squash Casserole

Serves 8 to 10

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, plus more for greasing the baking dish
2 pounds yellow summer squash, scrubbed, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored, and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 slices plain white bread, such as Pepperidge Farm, toasted
24 Ritz crackers, ground to fine crumbs in a food processor
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2 1/2-quart baking dish and set aside.

Place the squash slices in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times so that the squash is chopped fairly finely. You will likely have to do this in batches.

Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the squash and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno, and onion. When the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Meanwhile, crumb the toasted white bread (but not too finely) in the bowl of the food processor. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan and toss with the crumbs.

In a large bowl, place the squash mixture, cracker crumbs, and Cheddar and mix well. Stir in the beaten eggs, cream, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Blend well and pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the buttered bread crumbs and bake for 40 minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown.



© JULIA REED’S SOUTH: Spirited Entertaining and High-Style Fun All Year Long by Julia Reed, Rizzoli New York, 2016. Images from JULIA REED’S SOUTH: Spirited Entertaining and High-Style Fun All Year Long © Paul Costello.