Emily Evans Eerdmans

Leading Ladies of Design

2012-01-25T20:00:00.002-05:00

Seriously though.

I have the exciting privilege to be co-chairing a lecture series* dedicated to championing 20th century pioneering women of design.

We are pulling a list of six together and have our own ideas... but would love to hear yours. Who was a trail-blazer in the applied arts (furniture, textiles, jewelry, silver, etc) AND is still a source of inspiration?

* In 1914 The Decorators Club was organized by 38 charter members who met in the home of Gertrude Gheen Robinson. The Decorators Club lecture series, which is open to the public, was started in 1991 and benefits the Decorators Club Education Fund which provides scholarships to interior design students.

M is for...

2011-11-23T02:39:00.001-05:00

Milly, the soignee with a twist ready-to-wear line... M is for Madison Avenue, home of the first Milly store... which is exactly where Blair Waldorf and her preppy chic minions were on last night's episode of Gossip Girl.

M is also for Martell-Donagher, the fearsomely talented designer-architect duo who have stirred up a tasty cocktail of French '40s neoclassicism and the louche glamour of the '70s for the store's design.

Beth Martell and Enda Donagher are no strangers to retail design - they worked previously with the late designer Randall A. Ridless who was responsible for the Burberry stores as well as a place very dear to my feet, the Bergdorf Goodman shoe salon.

The first step in defining a design direction is to distill the essence of the brand. Michelle Smith, the designer and creator of Milly, has a strong affinity for French style and, upon graduating from FIT, interned with several notable French maisons de couture, including Hermes and Christian Dior. Martell-Donagher referenced her Paris training with classic paneled walls and moldings all painted a chalky grey color, a wink to the Dior grey. The overscaled basketweave parquetry floor stained a deep espresso riffs on parquet de Versailles.

Playing with proportion and scale is a time-honored design trick of the trade, and Martell-Donagher pay homage to a few of its masters: Dorothy Draper, whose pagoda bookcase was adapted for the display cabinet above; William Pahlmann with the leopard-upholstered counter above and the original below...

... and Andre Arbus whose iconic 1937 La Maison d'une Famille Francaise was drawn upon for this attenuated door with three paneled circles. The polished and brushed brass knob was extrapolated from a signature Milly handbag closure.

Bold flashes of the 70s, such as a Milo Baughmann brass etagere and sofa and an exploding faceted mirror in the style of Neal Evans-cum-Paul Evans add edge to this proper polished M'amselle.

The cherry on top are the dressing rooms. Each one is wallpapered in a different pattern, including Cecil Beaton's "Beauties in rouge dresses", prompting me to vow once again to paint the inside of my closets as something is somehow more delightful and luxurious when it's private and for your enjoyment exclusively.

And if on this Black Friday, M is also for Mastercard... take a minute on your shopping odyssey to enjoy the design around you. Whether it's Milly or the Mall of America - there is inspiration everywhere...

The Secrets of Florentine Women

2011-09-18T19:11:00.001-04:00

Photo by Brian Duffy for Vogue, Florence 1964

It was one of those days when my hair was everything one doesn't want: lank, frizzy, too many lengths and no style whatsoever. Nothing would do but to get it cut THIS MINUTE. With the utterance "It's as if you have a tail" (as in the NKOTB's Jordan in the '90s) echoing in my ears, I knew it was time to find a new stylist and after dialing frantically, I finally got an appointment - yes, I can be there in 5 minutes! -at Garren.

It could only have been kismet that I was seated in the chair of Lazarus Douvos, an Aussie Martyn Lawrence-Bullard look-a-like with just as much charm. Besides sharing an overzealous enthusiam for The World of Interiors, our ideas of style were hugely influenced by living in Europe in our twenties. For me it was the classic BCBG style of Paris, for Lazarus it was Florence's bella figura.

View from the Palazzo Ginori

While working at a fashionable salon, he encountered a clientele of soignee Florentine ladies who were always impeccable, always chic. Instead of following the vagaries of trends, their hair was inevitably sleekly coiffed and lacquered so that it looked like one piece. The only departure was during summer when they let it grow long allowing them to pull it back but also reflecting the more relaxed spirit of the season.

Ascending to the attic...

After a day of clipping away, he repaired to his studio romantically nestled in the attic of the storied Renaissance Palazzo Ginori (yes, that Ginori, my porcelain-obsessed friends...)

Lazarus' Florence studio

Terra cotta tile floors, white cotton slipcovers, and a soaring view of the cities' Renaissance towers and roof tops put my sixth floor walk-up chambre de bonne to shame...

the studio's seating area

It also demonstrates - to my mind - when you have good bones, one needs very little else to make a room. Well, maybe good hair...

Lazarus and Waldo in his current Murray Hill studio

Lazarus, whose styling work can be seen on Hamish Bowles in this October's Vogue, has recently gone out on his own. Book him on 347.982.4894 or lazarusdouvos@gmail.com - I'll think of ways you can thank me.

High Style, Small Space

2011-07-21T15:15:00.000-04:00

This month's issue of House Beautiful is dedicated to stylish small spaces and it was a thrill to be asked to interview interior designer Maureen Footer on her very own studio. As you can see from the glimpses above, Maureen hasn't let a lack of square footage impinge on living with her favorite things, like fine French furniture and Fortuny. Click here to read the entire article and hurry to your local newstand to see all of the inspiring interiors that will convince anyone that less can be more.

Below, an outtake from our conversation...

EEE: I always thought in a small space, you had to keep to one color so it flows…

Maureen: I learned years ago from the architect Billy Tsien to demarcate everything. She changed the rise on stairs so that you were aware that you were passing through space. She dropped ceiling heights as you were progressing through a space, she created door jambs just so there was an awareness that space was moving. I think I’ve always taken that message to heart – that if you create a sense of everything in a space, it feels larger. And if you turn it into a monotone surrounding, it’s going to feel like one indistinct space. If you create distinctions, you create an awareness of the possibilities of that space.

Did you feel constrained designing a small space?

Not at all. We have these great templates of living stylishly in small spaces. Stanley Barrows, Van Day Truex, Billy Baldwin – they made it an art form. They had these jewel boxes which they redecorated every three or four years, and they became a laboratory for their ideas.

The restrictions we put on where we can use antiques, where we can put damask and Fortuny are pretty arbitrary, and in fact there aren’t that many restrictions. And of course Grace Kelly’s designer George Stacey broke the barrier when he put French furniture in his squash court!

London, Part II - All about the boys

2011-07-14T15:14:00.000-04:00

...from William Kent to Nicky Haslam. Read Part II of my London travels at NYSocialDiary.com

Make mine a Double...

2011-07-12T05:00:00.054-04:00

...Gourd that is.

Don't miss this limited opportunity to scoop up one of Chris' candy-colored ceramic confections at over half off. Serious shoppers' strategy: go over the above photo with a magnifying glass and have the phone on speed dial Wednesday 10am...

(And before you ask: it's Benjamin Moore Maritime Blue. Chris loved it so much at his previous studio that it came with him to 35th Street)

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-04T16:38:00.000-04:00

From the West Coast to the East...

Take time to smell the basil!

Greetings from London!

2011-06-17T15:10:00.000-04:00

Come read about my London adventures, including a visit to David Hicks' country house The Grove, over on New York Social Diary here...

The French Neo-Classicist: Michael Simon

2011-06-04T17:52:00.000-04:00

A boudoir by Michael Simon at the Kip's Bay Showhouse

America's Dean of Decorating Billy Baldwin famously wrote about FFF and FFV: Fine French Furniture and the First Families of Virginia - both of which summed up the high style many aspired to in the 1950's and '60's. Whether it was Jansen for Jayne Wrightsman or McMillen for the Fords, a formal French salon was de rigueur for society's luminaries.

This Louis XVI room is from the Hotel Cabris and currently installed in the Metropolitan Museum's Wrightsman Galleries. The two armchairs against the wall are part of the same suite as the canape seen in the next photo.

Today, FFF and FFV have largely been supplanted by "eclectic" and hedge fund managers. However, there are those who still crave a correct boiseried room, and whether they are a Russian oligarch or a Saudi sheik, they know to turn to New York interior designer Michael Simon.

The canape was formerly owned by Enid Haupt whose legendary Park Avenue penthouse was decorated by Parish Hadley. Simon recovered it in this canary yellow Adam document silk that features ostriches. In the same room, he covered a chair in ostrich-skin - just one example of Simon's thoughtful relationships.

From a millimeter of a molding's profile to the gimp on a veilleuse, Simon is a master.

To properly appreciate Simon's keen eye and impeccable taste, click over to the June 7 Christie's New York 500 Years sale which features over 30 items from his collection. Just yesterday, Michael gave me a personal tour and, as with all lovers of objects, made each come alive for me with personal stories.

One of my favorites was about this canape a la turque which he purchased from the Antenor Patino sale. While bidding, he was sitting next to House and Garden editor Cynthia Frank and opined that he would have to have it hoisted up into his building. Frank called him up the next day to see if H&G could shoot this asap, and Simon said sure, but they would have to wait for it to be re-upholstered. Await they couldn't, and they had the sofa hoisted and hoisted down all in the same day for this iconic shot below:

Only in New York!

I asked why he had chosen the milk chocolate velvet for recovering, and he replied that the form of the piece was so expressive and sculptural, he wanted something quiet to let it speak. Michael pointed out that the original iron strap used to support the back, as seen above, was still intact.

Lot 227: A pair of 19th century French ormolu candlesticks mounted as lamps

Another quiet detail was the anthracite grey (Simon's signature color) silk velvet lampshades (lined in gold foil, natch) on a pair of ormolu candlesticks he converted into lamps. He had the finial made to complement the base.

Lot 228: A PAIR OF FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED GREEN CRACKLE-GLAZED PORCELAIN DOUBLE-GOURD VASES

I was drawn to this pair of quirky ormolu-mounted porcelain vases. While the craquelure and double-gourd shape would suggest Chinese manufacture, they were actually made in France to imitate Chinese wares. The mounts also are surprising - while the goats are more typical of le gout grec, they are in the rococo style.

Lot 220: A RUSSIAN ORMOLU, CLEAR AND AMETHYST CUT-GLASS LANTERN,CIRCA 1790

I've never gotten that excited over chandeliers - until now! The centerpiece of Simon's collection is a magnificent Louis XVI rock-crystal chandelier, which you will have to go to Christie's to see for yourself. Instead, I'm showing you this little Russian jewel - I love the diamond-shaped ormolu chains cascading down haphazardly and the pendants' tiny amethyst cut glass beads alternating with clear ones.

All of these items are a pleasure to behold. Run to Christie's while you can and also catch the preview of the contents of a Mark Hampton Park Avenue project - it's pure '80s opulence.

And just in case Mr. EEE is reading... I'd be very happy with these tole cache-pots. Just think of all the money we'd save not having to replace real flowers!

Classicism and the City: Chez Fairfax and Sammons

2011-05-13T15:21:00.000-04:00

This Spring a house very dear to my heart is celebrating its 75th year anniversary as a museum. The Merchant's House Museum is New York City's only historic residence with its interiors preserved and landmarked. What is even more astonishing is how many people don't know about this Greek Revival beauty nestled in the East Village - luckily, those who do are passionate about it, not least of all Anne Fairfax and Richard Sammons.

Anne and Richard are ardent champions of Classical architecture, and as their 2006 monograph attests, elegant and expert practitioners as well. It is no surprise that their own space is as delightful and unusual as any to be found in the city. They purchased the red brick carriage house-studio in 2000 from the estate of business tycoon Armand Hammer, who had owned it ever since his university days.

One enters the house through a small entry way lacquered in a pulse-racing crimson hung with a myriad of small convex mirrors a la John Soane.

Directly onwards is the beadboard-paneled kitchen-cum-sitting room complete with a cosy Delft-tiled fireplace.

Richard is a sailing enthusiast, and the ingenious built-in storage seems reminiscent of a ship (although apparently this passion unfolded after the kitchen was designed).

A staircase takes one up to the bedroom...

...which was made smaller by the addition of a walk-in closet.

Richard and Anne definitely have their priorities right, as far as I'm concerned!

While the outside facade is perfectly proportioned, the double-height studio, complete with skylight, was a tricky wedge shape, a design challenge that the couple solved with elan.

Just as their coral silk velvet sofa inspired me to recover mine similarly, I will be taking another page out their upholstery book with these summer slipcovers of white duck piped in black...

One corner of the room was carved out for this deeply chic black bar. The space cries out for parties, and the bar is regularly pressed into service.

Anne in black velvet in her swell-egant bar

A mezzanine catwalk was built around the perimeter of the room and to give the room a more regular shape, an exedra was created on the facade wall opposed by this open arch leading out to the back terrace.

A snappy striped awning covers the outdoor space so that it is bone-dry all year round. Another bar is often set up here when Anne and Richard throw larger bashes. Today, a craftsman was using it to make a dinghy.

A bust of Diane presides over the Lutyens-influenced mantel and serves as muse to the many artists and architects who continue to gather here, and, undoubtedly, find inspiration.

Many thanks to Anne and Richard for letting me share this glimpse. Click here to see more courtesy of New York Social Diary.

Patriotism and Patina at the Spring Show NYC

2011-05-03T22:17:00.000-04:00

Potted orchids and flags at Robert Simon Fine Art

Yesterday was the final day of the first-ever Spring Show NYC. If you missed it, don't worry - it will definitely be back next year. While there are many antiques shows already crowding up the calendar, this one stands out as fresh, eclectic, and, importantly, as it is a vetted show, everything is exactly what it is supposed to be.

Swedish design dynamo Lars Bolander was called in to apply his flair to the show's floor, which included yellow and white zebra-cotton slip-covered banquettes and 6' tall painted obelisks parading down the aisles.

Bolander's carnelian red center table and over-scaled Gothic style armchair greeted entrants to the show.

As much inspiration could be found in the dealers' display of objects as in the objects themselves.

Collier Gwin of Foster-Gwin earned raves from New York Times' art critic Roberta Smith for his coupling of abstract art with his stock of fine Continental antiques...

as seen in this dynamic pairing of "The Houston Scene" painted by Hassel Smith in 1959 hung over 18th century Italian Neoclassical painted console tables with fanciful trompe-l'oeil porphyry tops.

Smith also gave a best in show to Yew Tree House Antiques' stand. Kevin and Ahna apply a curatorial eye to their Folk Art treasures, both antique and contemporary. The dramatic 10' wide woodblock print of a pilot whale on the back wall got people buzzing. It is a recent work by British artist Julian Meredith whose work is already in major museum collections.

Alexander Cohane (whose mother Heather founded Park Avenue-acclaimed Quest magazine) brought Britannia Cool to the floor with an eclectic collection of periods and styles.

Traditional with a twist came in the form of a birch and naugahyde Swedish modernist cabinet-on-stand in Tribeca dealer Hostler Burrows's booth...

...but for those who prefer their traditional straight up with a side of peonies, there were many wonderful options, including Gary Sergeant, above.

Exhibitor Jeff Bridgman American Antiques' proud display of antique American flags reflected the patriotic mood of the floor and the country the day after President Obama's astonishing news.

Click here for information on the Spring Show NYC 2011 and here for the Art and Antique Dealers Leaugue of America.

A Top Ten Design Legend List

2011-04-19T19:27:00.001-04:00

It's no secret that when it comes to the twentieth century, most design schools focus on modernism. While students learn all about the Bauhaus to Post-Modernism, traditionalism doesn't get a look in. Elsie de who?

So when I was asked recently to lecture to F.I.T.'s interior design club on the subject of my choosing, I thought why not take to opportunity to fill this gap as best as possible. I only had 40 minutes, so I set the parameters of:
10 designers
only American
only traditionalists (i.e. reference historical styles)
active in the 20th century.

1. Elsie de Wolfe - my starting point as arguably the first professional lady decorator

de Wolfe transformed a stuffy formal ballroom into a trellised indoor fantasy for Bess Marbury

2. Mrs. Eleanor Brown, McMillen, Inc.

As an early graduate of the new Parsons School of Design, Eleanor Stockstrom McMillen Brown approached her firm with a head for business. That it is still thriving almost a century later is testament to its excellent foundation. McMillen, Inc.'s style was heavily influenced by the fine neoclassical furniture sourced by Parsons' Paris Atelier founder William Odom.

Mrs. Brown's own dining room - timeless elegance.

3. Dorothy Draper

Draper made her reputation during the Depression as the one to call to give a project an overhaul on time and within budget. She not only delivered, she delivered BIG - literally blowing up proportion and scale to exuberant effect.

The Greenbrier, Draper's masterpiece, called "Brigadoon" by one guest and that's exactly right.

4. Billy Baldwin

From here on, men dominate the list. Baldwin in many ways was the Bonnie Cashin of interiors bringing an American sportswear attitude to high style. Cotton upholstery, humble materials such as rattan wrapped tables, and the like all brought everything but the chic factor down a notch.

A client's Matisse inspires the custom print of the upholstery.

5. William Pahlmann

In his day, Pahlmann was considered the most influential decorator of the 20th century along with Elsie de Wolfe. Eclectic decor? He invented it. His contributions to retailing are equally important. He began his career on Lord & Taylor's fifth floor of home furnishings and was the first to set up themed vignettes. As Charlotte Moss says, it's all about giving ideas and did he ever.

6. Tony Duquette

Duquette never forgot the magic of fantasy and bedazzled his rooms with as much whimsy as trompe l'oeil. "More is more" is definitely more in my book and if life should be a musical, then a Duquette room is the perfect soundstage.

7. Parish Hadley

The perfect combination of cozy and curatorial, Sister Parish and Albert Hadley complemented each other beautifully like a chocolate covered pretzel.

8. Michael Taylor

Taylor was a complete original and proved it with his California look. Oh what an eye (and the extravagant ego to match)!

9. Mario Buatta

The Prince of Chintz brought the English Country House style to Manhattan penthouses and how. Buatta is also a king of color and comfort.

10. Michael Smith
What better way to round out the list with the Obama's designer. Architectural Digest EIC Peggy Russell certainly agrees - Smith graced the cover of her first completely new issue. While Smith knows his way around Fine French Furniture, he trades in brocades for cool Indian-inspired prints.

What do you think? Who made or didn't make your list?

An Afternoon with Suzanne Tucker

2011-03-24T12:41:00.003-04:00

I have long been an admirer of interior designer Suzanne Tucker. While the rooms created by her and her firm Tucker & Marks have always struck me as effortlessly elegant and comfortable, it recently occurred to me how confident they are in their timelessness. After all, not depending on the latest trend or gimmick to make a splash takes a certain chutzpah.

Two classic Tucker and Mark's rooms

I then discovered that Suzanne, with her husband Tim Marks, had taken over the business of her late mentor Michael Taylor who famously has been dubbed the inventor of the California look. If you read Rose Tarlow's introduction to the Taylor monograph, it is clear that while Taylor was spectacularly talented, he was also spectacularly difficult. Ever since, I have been dying to sit down with Suzanne and find out everything about her experience with this design legend.

Tucker on Taylor

A classic California Look room, complete with ball pillows, in Palm Springs by Michael Taylor, courtesy of Architectural Digest. Click here for more.

While the interior design profession was founded by "lady decorators" in the early twentieth century, it seems that the majority of the top designers heralded today are men. I wondered what Suzanne thought about that, and she said this was something that was certainly true when she started out. She had just moved to San Francisco in the early '80s and even though she had impressive credentials, nothing was panning out. In fact, at her interview with Michael Taylor's office, she was told there was only a secretary position available. She took a pause, enquired what it entailed exactly, and then accepted. It didn't take long to discover that people didn't stay for long - 6 months tops. When Taylor flew into a rage for the first time at her, Suzanne stunned me with her response: she told him it was unacceptable to talk to her that way and she didn't appreciate it. Wow! She drew her boundaries, and what do you know, he respected her the more for it and they had a fabulous working relationship.

(Incidentally, if you ever have the chance to work in her office, take it! Suzanne is a huge believer in mentoring, and regularly has wine and cheese evenings for her staff where she shares photos of her latest voyage, be it Turkey, Paris or Belgium. Travel is a huge inspiration for her and she wants her team to see what she's seen. )

A Tucker and Marks version of the California Look

What about this California look? I asked her. Well, Taylor certainly didn't invent the all white look - Syrie Maugham was doing it decades before - but it certainly was something that he became known for. The look was more a way to get people to notice him and to get the phones to ring rather than completely defining his work.

Scale and proportion were one of the most important things she learned from him. Get the eye to go up and come down - it's a rhythm you create. It was a Taylor trademark to use trees in this way which Suzanne does occasionally. He was also masterful at editing. He would remove one item from an installation and instantly it would make the whole room look right.

Tucker on Tucker, Inc.

Fleur de Plume, a brocade by Suzanne Tucker Home

In preparation for our lunch date, I clicked over to the Suzanne Tucker Home site. After drooling over Suzanne's own textile line, I saw that she also has candles and chocolates in her eponymous home line. Girlfriend's got it going on! I'll never forget the example of Josiah Wedgwood who knew that the key to a successful business was cultivating the bon ton who made him fashionable as well as producing an accessible line that everyone can enjoy.

And if you are tempted to groan, "Not another fabric line", think again.

Hatley in azure was named after Suzanne's daughter; it was an exciting moment when Albert Hadley's office placed an order for the print

Suzanne's is an instant classic. Like Geoffrey Bennison or Robert Kime, Suzanne's fabrics have an aura of patina about them. Her color sensibility is finely honed. Just as in her rooms, she layers tones and hues subtly resulting in a warm glow. The quality is also tops - Suzanne assumed complete control over every element to make sure the result lived up to her vision. "If I knew everything then that I do now, I might have had second thoughts!" she laughed. Luckily she didn't and her new spring collection has just launched. (Click here to see more.)

In a warm glow was how I left our afternoon. What I find particularly inspiring, as much as pure talent itself, is the ability to be successful while keeping one's sense of humor and courteousness intact. Suzanne Tucker is such a rara avis.

For more inspiration, pick up a copy of Suzanne's book Rooms to Remember. All photos courtesy of Tucker & Marks

City by the Bay

2011-03-22T17:53:00.001-04:00

I've just returned from a heavenly week in San Francisco. Fantastic people, architecture, food, and fabrics (stay tuned!) - all of which put the technicolor back in my step and made me...

Think Pink!

The Carleton Draper Touch, Take Two

2011-02-20T18:29:00.000-05:00

The North Parlour at the Greenbrier as decorated by Dorothy Draper. The fabulous Dr. Conte, the resort's historian, told us that the walls were a pale pink, and that DD brought in the antique mantel and designed the rococo style mirrors and consoles. We love the white sheepskin rug in front of the fireplace. The other rug was apparently very old, rare, and cher. It was eventually removed and put in storage after being traversed by too many stilettoes.

Carleton Varney refreshed the room in a deep coral color which he took from a DD commode in the room....

which was then subsequently repainted in scarlet.

Bookending the fireplace are two landscape scenes which were formerly one. DD couldn't find a space to hang the painting so she cut it in two. As you can see, what is normally a quiet lounge is now hopping: a shoe store has temporarily relocated to the room while undergoing renovations.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

2011-02-19T18:30:00.001-05:00

You guys are good! Below is the same view, pre-pelmet, pre-Carleton Varney. What do you think?

The Mother of Pelmets

2011-02-18T13:55:00.000-05:00

Over thirty feet long. Guess where?

Emily Thompson Flowers: The New Constance Spry

2011-02-15T21:40:00.008-05:00

arrangement of Russian olive, passionfruit vine, peonies, pomegranates, scabiosa, nigella by Emily Thompson Flowers

If the words "the new Constance Spry" send your heart racing and palms perspiring then we are soul mates. Spry's blowsy, neo-romantic floral artistry set the world of flower arranging on its head in interwar Britain, and a Spry creation was as vital to the decor of a Syrie Maugham room as a Marian Dorn carpet.

Syrie Maugham's own residence in Chesham Place featuring several sprays of Spry

Spry was just as likely to use weeds or kale as a rare hothouse flower, and gave the unorthodox advice in her seminal book Flower Decoration to stroll outside and muster together whatever was at hand.

Alas no matter how hard I've tried to make something out of my own backyard bramble, it has never come close to a Mrs. Spry work, and, halleleuiah, now it doesn't have to.

Interior designer Harry Heissmann clued me into the gloriously talented Emily Thompson whose studio is located in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Dumbo. There is nothing she enjoys more than crafting a piece for a specific installation and she has worked with Harry several times...

...including for his recent setting at the Winter Antiques Show seen here.

I wasted no time in shimmying down the hill to visit her (or in sending Mr EEE several links to her website). My friend Christopher who wrote about Spry here came with and we spent a mesmerizing hour with Emily over tea and delicious macarons from Almondine.

Emily putting the final bloom in my Valentine bouquet

Besides finding inspiration in Spry's oeuvre, Emily is also fascinated by the picturesque writings of William Gilpin whose idea of "The Magnificent Ruin" informs her work. Just as the English gardens of the 18th century explored the deliberate art of sharawadgi which tries to approximate the beauty of nature by purposefully making things look haphazard, so do Emily's bouquets appear to have grown organically into their current composition.

Some have said her work looks like millinery, and indeed Kate Middleton would look smashing wearing one of these mantel adornments on her soon-to-be royal crown.

Emily is an accomplished artist and often applies her hand to clay...

and wax...

in addition to fresh blooms. This Baroque octopus seascape sculpture/coffee table is reason enough to stop by her studio.

My very own Valentine by Emily Thompson Flowers

Emily Thompson Flowers

57 Jay Street
DUMBO
Brooklyn, NY

Tel: 323-896-1494

Open Friday, 1-7, Saturday 1-7, Sunday 1-5 and by appointment.

A Thomas Hope Valentine

2011-02-09T17:12:00.006-05:00

A wall applique in the form of a Phyrgian helmet designed by Thomas Hope

Classicists are all aflutter over the current exhibition "Inspired by Antiquity: Classical influences on 18th and 19th century furniture and works of art" at Carlton Hobb's uptown mansion. The show is embarrassingly full of museum-worthy riches whose provenances are as notable as the objects themselves.

In fact, I have been bursting at the seams to show you this table which I first encountered on a tour of Carly's gallery months ago.

A royal porcelain demi-lune table by Bellangé, c. 1820, from Carlton House. Note how it's photographed in front of a mirror so that its reflection completes the ellipse.

It was installed in the Prince Regent's fabled Carlton House whose late Louis XVI-inspired decor of the 1790s set the London beau monde on fire. The Prince, later George IV, earned a deserved reputation for extravagance and large sums were spent on constant redecorating. This table was acquired in 1822 for the Blue Velvet Room when the full-blown stylings of Walsh Porter had the monarch in its clutches.

The Blue Velvet Room, Carlton House, as painted by W.H. Pyne in 1818 - yet another scheme before the table was purchased

It is also interesting to note that the table is French in manufacture. The Regent had to curb his subversive Francophile ways during Britain's war with Napoleonic France, but the 1822 date of the table, well after the battle of Waterloo, suggests that nationalism was no longer an obstacle to sating his gout francais.

I was sworn to secrecy until now, as the table was being officially unveiled at this show. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Regency aesthete and designer Thomas Hope in Turkish costume

The cornerstone of the exhibition is the rare collection of Thomas Hope works painstakingly assembled by international art advisor Philip Hewat-Jaboor. As all my fellow Regency-maniacs know, Thomas Hope was an enormously wealthy banking scion who, after taking the Grand Tour of all tours, returned to London determined to showcase his artifacts in a suitable, "Classically correct" setting.

Hope's Egyptian Room at Duchess Street. The Flaxman illustrations don't convey the brilliant color scheme of pale yellow and bluish green of the Egyptian pigment, relieved by masses of black and of gold"

The result was his fabulous and fabulously idiosyncratic house on Duchess Street, originally built by Robert Adam in the 1770s, and enlarged by Hope with the help of Charles Heathcote Tatham. Furniture and decorative objects necessary for the conveniences of modern life - but not found in ancient times - were designed by Hope himself.

Thomas Hope design for a wall light, left, and the carved and bronzed limewood wall light itself, c. 1802

Hope was so pleased with the results, he commissioned John Flaxman to illustrate the interiors which were published in 1807 as Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. As Hewat-Jaboor has pointed out, Hope's ultimate mission was to improve taste and what better way than to lead by example.

Hewat-Jaboor also highlights Hope's lesson of combining new works with antiques, which he believes is as important in today's interiors as it was for Hope's. “You have to present things in a fabulous and exciting way, and that means there has to be a mixture of the very best – new and antique. You have to see how objects interact as a whole. It’s the fusion of paintings, objects and furniture that makes everything come alive."

Hewat-Jaboor's previous London flat with a pair of predestals and settee, both from Duchess Street and now on view at Carlton Hobbs

Hewat-Jaboor's Hope works were very much alive in his London residence, but, after a move, he found he no longer had the proper setting for them. "They are demanding pieces", he says, and it is undeniable that Hope's high style designs are not shrinking violets. Instead of relegating the collection to storage, Hewat-Jaboor is sending them off with this final valentine.

"Inspired by Antiquity" runs through February 18th
Carlton Hobbs
60 East 93rd Street
New York, NY
Tomorrow: More on Philip Hewat-Jaboor, the aesthete behind the aesthete

For more on the exhibition, click over to 1stdibs and the Huffington Post.

London Diary: Finale

2011-01-25T00:40:00.002-05:00

Less than 48 hours left in Londontown, and, yes, I was running out of steam. We were still in bed recuperating from the long boozy night before when Maeve rang. A pub lunch? Why yes, that sounds just the thing.

photo from Flickr here

Not any old pub of course, but the Black Friar which retains its 1904 Art Nouveau interior, complete with pink and green marble walls and bronze bas-reliefs illustrating how a life dedicated to God doesn't mean neglecting earthly pleasures. A hair of the dog indeed as I sampled a pint of British ale along with a scrumptious shepherd's pie. We parted ways and I hopped on the tube to Sloane Square for my date with the Emma Hope shoe sale.

My heart was in flutters and my palms moist as I anticipated all the beaded, embroidered low- and mid-court pumps waiting for me. Sadly it was not to be as not one pair successfully seduced me. I was bereft only for a moment as I had an even bigger delight waiting ahead.

Just behind Peter Jones is a cobble-stone paved road lined with old carriage-houses - it is here that Nicky Haslam has his design office.

The sensationally chic Colette with Nicky Haslam

While Nicky (if I may) was sensibly in Mustique, his brilliant design director Colette van den Thillart poured glasses of port all around. Behind Colette's desk was the most thrilling inspiration board displaying her penchant for everything from surrealism to John Fowler. (Click here to discover what's on her mind this very second.)

While she strangely didn't pick up on my hints that I would be quite happy to live in one of the office's closets, she did show me Nicky's office.

Utterly charming watercolors of proposed interiors by Nicky's hand hang on the wall and made me think - is there anything this man can't do?

Our last dinner in London was in bohemian Islington. Our friends Jake and Lindsay Attree who were in town from Yorkshire joined us for a fabulous Italian meal at Canonbury Kitchen. If the waiter insists on sharing his advice on the menu, take it - he will steer you to the heavenly rather than just excellent.

A painting by Jake Attree

Jake is a Royal Academy-trained artist who - subversively? - embraces the idea of beauty and sees the fine and decorative arts as equal. He passed along this quote of Agnes Martin: "All art work is about beauty. All positive art work represents it and celebrates it. All negative art protests the lack of beauty in our lives."

***

You will be shocked to read that our very last meal in London was McDonald's. I know. Clearly it was time to go home. But wait - as we were exiting, Mr EEE spied a sign with an arrow to Dr. Johnson's House. We followed the covert passages to the c. 1700 brick house where Johnson wrote the first English dictionary between 1749-58.

The curators have used a light hand in furnishing the rooms, which is all to the good. The result is that one experiences the space more directly and - so one feels - authentically. Off to the airport, our step hastened by this statue of Hodge, Johnson's kitty cat,

which reminded us of our three guys waiting at home.

***

Thank you for indulging this account of a very special trip. If you are still reading, you get a prize! It is Colette's "special haunt": the Dennis Severs' house which has been described to me as a work of art. It is only open Monday evenings for candlelight tours so arrange your trip accordingly. I didn't, so please tell me everything when you come back.

London Diary: Days 4 & 5

2011-01-23T15:15:00.008-05:00

Today a very special treat lay in store: Mr EEE, now free to frolic, and I had been invited to lunch at the House of Lords by none other than the wildly wonderful Rosie West of Rose C'est La Vie and her husband Alan.

Rosie and I have been "back-channeling" (this is the official term for bloggers communicating privately according to my niece who is getting her master's in social media at the LSE) for a few years and this was our first meeting IRL ("in real life"). I always get nervous at these first dates, but, just like the other times when I've taken a blog friendship offline, an hour passes in what feels like minutes.

The Royal Gallery is hung with portraits of monarchs, including a rather jaunty one of George VI in lavender satin

Our hosts gave us a behind-the-scenes tour of the Lords which was designed by the famous Gothic Revivalist AWN Pugin* and Sir Charles Barry after the Great Fire of 1834 devoured most of the medieval palace of Westminster. The result is a feast for the eyes with every surface richly patterned and emblazoned with heraldric symbolry.

The Lords Chamber, where the Queen makes her annual speech at the State opening of Parliament, is the most sumptuously decorated interior in Westminster Palace. Note the interesting passementerie detail on the corner of the ottomans

It is always clear where one is as the carpet changes from red (Lords) to green (Commons) to blue for the crown. While some may think the Lords an outdated notion, a very modern note was struck by a helpful security (male) guard in full make-up, pearl earrings and pony tail. In fact, the Lords is thriving - two new lords were being created that day and we were lucky enough to meet the inductor who was arrayed in a stunning gold chevron-breasted jacket and sword with gorgeous gold-woven tassel. Lunch itself was delicious which included the best liver the un-hyperbolic Mr EEE had ever had ever.

This was soon followed and equaled by the best cigarettes ever, hand-rolled by Lady West herself and smoked while shivering with excitement and windchill on the terrace overlooking the Thames.

After making plans to visit the Museum of Childhood the next day, we said our farewells and slipped across the cobblestones to Westminster Abbey where all the kings are crowned and Kate and Wills will soon be making it legal.

Elizabeth I is buried on top of "Bloody Mary". Photo from Tudor Tour

Anyone interested in fashion history will think herself in heaven as the magnificently sculpted tombs depict impressive personages and their attendants dressed to the hilt. The folds on Handel's knickers is a passage of carving I will never forget.

In the nave are glamorous Waterford crystal chandeliers which inject an unexpected note of Deco style. They were donated by the Guinness family and are cleaned every three years, in case you're interested.

Night had fallen and it was time to make our way south of the river to see my dear friends Max and Marc for dinner. While Max, who is an expert on Aesthetic Movement decorative arts, showed us a few of their recent finds, Marc was down in their Lancaster yellow kitchen, making pizza crust from scratch out of flour that is milled by a National Trust property. That's what I'm talking about.

***

Rooms in the chillingly named Killer Cabinet c. 1830s. Photo courtesy of the V&A.

Day 5 started at a civilized hour at the V&A's Museum of Childhool in Bethnal Green. Rosie lured me with promises of jaw-dropping dollhouses through the ages, and indeed there was everything from Georgian to David Hockney-60s.

This 1930s doll house will certainly be going in my upcoming Art Deco lecture. Photo courtesy of the V&A.

We repaired to her house for a glass of wine a la Hoda and Kathy Lee where I was able to wrangle out the secret of her cigarettes. It's in the wrapping paper, which is a chic tobacco brown and is lightly laced with licorice. She took me to a corner store, set me up with my own kit, and then we hopped on a bus to meet Mr EEE for a tour of Somerset House.

Somerset House today. Photo from here. We have Lily Safra to thank for the courtyard fountains.

Somerset House began as a Tudor palace in the 16th century, but was demolished in 1775 to make way for a neoclassical complex of government offices designed by the royal architect Sir William Chambers. There is about a 40ft slope from The Strand to the riverbank, and Chambers ingeniously incorporated the drop into his design by channeling a below ground walkway around the perimeter of the courtyard. This also enabled windows to be put in on the basement level. This walkway is used frequently by filming crews, especially for Jack the Ripper-esque scenes and recently appeared in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. We were able to traverse it to a death room which contained royal grave markers salvaged from the Tudor palace chapel.

By this point, I was dangerously close to letting my inner Mr. Hyde come out as I hadn't yet eaten. Rosie graciously didn't make a moue as I gobbled down a Leon sandwich and Mr EEE told her of our big plans to buy a cigarette rolling machine (even though we rarely smoke - really). It was now time to meet the aforementioned niece at the Savoy for drinks and we twisted Rosie's arm to come - afterall, I couldn't let her last vision of me to be as the Tasmanian Devil at table.

As you all know, the Savoy just reopened this fall after a huge multi-million pound refurbishment. Sadly not too many original Deco details seem to have been retained and my dreams of quaffing Champagne in the American Bar no longer had the same allure. BECAUSE I discovered the Savoy's Beaumont Bar.

Wowee-wow-wow. Jet black walls picked out in gilt complete with gold-leaf niches. It is absolutely splendid and this is where you must go.

Two Blondes on the town at the Savoy's jazzy Beaumont Bar

As you can see by my pin-prick pupils, Rosie and I enjoyed ourselves immensely. While she sipped whisky sours, I tossed back kir royales, and Kate educated us on flamers, haters, and more blogworld speak.

We stumbled out, said our final farewells to Rosie, and then went off for dinner at the Austin Powers mod steak palace Gaucho on Chancery Lane. (I had hoped to go to the Ivy - for no other reason than I couldn't afford to when I lived in London as a graduate student - but as Rosie and Maeve both knew, we weren't important enough to get in last minute.)

Gaucho Chancery. Why not?

The room is completely black which sets off the Atomic Age swivel chairs covered in black and white spotted cow hide. (We were in a different room than above for my eagle eye readers.) The steak - of which we got five different cuts - melted in the mouth. After dispatching Kate in a taxi, we repaired to our hotel bar for a nightcap - just to make sure there was indeed more wine than blood in our veins.

Next post: Last days

* AWN Pugin was hugely responsible for the Gothic Revival movement in the 1830s. He was a Catholic-convert and professed that the Gothic style, which he allied with religion, was the most spiritual. Meanwhile, I've been told by my brilliant friend GG, he was living a licentious double-life and died of syphilis! What?! Read Rosemary Hill's God's Architect: Pugin and the building of Romantic Britain, said GG - the last chapters are right out of Dickens.

London Diary: Days 2 & 3

2011-01-16T19:54:00.002-05:00

view from the room

For the first few days of our London week, Mr. EEE holed himself up in the hotel room preparing for a conference while I made myself scarce. First stop: The British Museum. Not only is it a close jaunt from our hotel, it is tantalizingly adjacent to Robert Kime's newly expanded shop.

One side is devoted to his antiques and the other to his textile lines - both bear the most wonderful air of patina.

Kime's Harlequin

In many ways, he is a modern-day Geoffrey Bennison who also appreciated the beauty of the worn and weathered.

A gorgeous tomato-beef stew at the BM cafe (lots of fresh parsley on top) revived me between the Minoans and the Myceneans and after finishing the audio-guide Classical World tour, I roamed the streets until dinner.

Dionysus, the god of revelry - a masterpiece of drapery, c. 1250 BCE, photo courtesy of the British Museum

A new but already dear friend Lavinia whisked me away to her house in Pimlico where all fireplaces were blazing. She whipped up a cozy risotto with peas and carrots while we gossiped and drank bottle after bottle of champagne. Lavinia apologized that that is all she drinks, and furthermore it must be ice ice cold. (You understand why she has become an instantaneous great friend.) I parted at 2 am in a warm glow and The Hare with Amber Eyes tucked under my arm.

By Day 3, I was organized enough to have lined up companions. The marvelous Bridget (who is very proper but can recall her wild drinking days with the artist Francis Bacon) and Maeve were waiting for me for eggs benedict at the Wolseley, as our usual haunt Oriel's in Sloane Square had been closed down by Earl Cadogan who refused to renew the lease after deeming the food not very good. No matter, as the Wolseley has one of the most smashing Deco-style interiors. Formerly a car showroom, it is a large cavernous space reminiscent of an RKO sound stage with a jazzy black and white floor to match. N.B. they refuse to make frites before 11:30am.

After sniffing scents at Floris and reconning the upstairs restaurant of Fortnum and Mason's (supposedly it is much more smart to dine here than the ground level Fountain Cafe, but we found the low-ceilinged space disappointing), we hopped in a taxi to the Sir John Soane Museum.

The museum keeps opening up new parts of the house - the bedrooms are planned for 2012 - and this time I was able to experience the Monk's Yard which Soane created to evoke the mystery and romanticism of a Gothic novel.

The Library, courtesy of the Sir John Soane Museum

One might think Soane an eccentric or obsessive after seeing how he transformed a great part of the house into a picturesque arrangement of antiquities, but, as one of the guides reminded us, architects and their students couldn't travel during the Napoleonic Wars and so Soane's collection was very much used for teaching.

His imaginative and innovative pared-down handling of the Classical vocabulary is evident everywhere. I particularly adore his fireplaces which one day I can make mine via Chesney who reproduce them. Click here to see the archive of Soane's chimneypieces.

If it seems all I did on this trip is eat and drink, you are right. Maeve remembered a new restaurant in Belgravia that was in The Pantechnicon, an 1830s building which was built as a bazaar for arts and crafts.

Photos from flickr here and here

Alas, the gastro-pub which "borrowed" this name is not in the impressive Greek Revival building (which must have been rebuilt after an 1870s fire and is now inhabited by a Starbucks), but it did have an excellent Bloody Mary infused hamburger.

Before getting dinner fixings at the most beautiful grocery store I and Bridget had ever seen (the Waitrose at 27 Motcomb Street, if you must know), Maeve lured us into the dress shop Egg.

Egg - photo courtesy of Remodelista

It was full of very expensive aprons and floaty, unstructured jackets and dresses that harkened back to the '80s when babydoll dresses were the thing. Not my bag, but brava to anyone who can wear an apron out on the town and look cool. A light supper of cauliflower soup, crusty bread, and red wine and it was time for bed.

Tomorrow: Meeting Rose c'est la vie!

London Diary: Day One

2011-01-10T13:16:00.001-05:00

If paper is the appropriate gift for a first anniversary, than Mr. EEE outdid himself with tickets to London. It promises to be a week full of raptures, and has already gotten off to a roaring start.

Alas, not two hours after stepping out of the hotel, I had found a new boyfriend.

Tall dark and handsome, Lord Mountstuart is one of the highlights of the smashing Thomas Lawrence: Regency Power & Brilliance show at the National Portrait Gallery. Apparently when George III first set eyes on this young lord dressed as a Spanish dandy, he stepped back in revulsion at the very tight pants.

After having a most delicious grilled chicken sandwich from the new(ish?) chain Leon that values locally sourced ingredients, it was on to Somerset House to see the Rene Gruau fashion illustrations for Dior.

Influenced by Japanese calligraphy and use of negative space, Gruau's work inspires the imagination to supply what's not on the page. I also learned that the New Look shape was based on a flower.

It was by now cocktail hour so I returned to the hotel room for a reviving glass of red wine and a fistful of drugstore chocolate (sorry to say). It was also a bit of liquid courage as I had a dinner date to meet the great biographer Hugo Vickers. (Mr. EEE was studiously prepping for a presentation all the while.)

It was an incredible evening - he kindly showed me his Stephen Tennant - Syrie Maugham satin curtains. (I will have the opportunity to reassure Rosie that they did indeed look very fulsome and beautiful.) Hugo was also a consultant on The King's Speech. When Helena Bonham-Carter as the Queen is asked to stay for dinner, she replies what a treat it would be, but alas they are otherwise engaged. At the time, I thought what an elegant refusal it was and Hugo told me it was in fact something he had heard the Queen Mother say and suggested for the script. We had delicious steak at the Troubadour where Bob Dylan performed in the 60s and then parted ways. (For more Hugo, pre-order his forthcoming book, Behind Closed Doors: the tragic, untold story of the Duchess of Windsor here)

Such a day...

Secret Source: Fort Lauderdale's DAFA Antiques Gallery

2011-01-04T14:42:00.003-05:00

In these days of lumberjack sweaters and cozy-but-hideous UGGs, dreams of South Florida sun, Lilly Pulitzer pinks, and bonheurs-du-jour have been dancing in my head. What?! you say - shift dresses and tans, OK, but the nearest antiques port to Palm Beach is New Orleans.

You couldn't be more wrong, as I learned upon my arrival a few weeks ago at the Decorative and Fine Arts (DAFA) gallery in Fort Lauderdale.* Behind a plain post-war exterior lies a dazzling Aladdin's cave of delights, almost all directly out of estates and fresh to the market. I was instantly made to feel at home when I recognized several items from an esteemed New York gallery - yes, the very same but with a zero taken off the end.

Debbie and Craig Mayor, center, are the proprietors of DAFA and kindly hosted a Castaing lecture and book signing,

along with the charming appraiser and expert Juan Lluria, above, and Lars Hegelund of Frederick Fine Art.

Craig has the most marvelous eye and loves the hunt (and the acquisition). What this means is that his mark-up is quite modest so that things can move and his new purchases can come on the floor (like the contents of an entire mansion decorated by David Hicks - are you breathing as heavily as I am???) A few dealers are already onto the DAFA secret, but why not go directly to the source (and before the price has been doubled)?

The inventory is eclectic, spanning periods, countries, and importance and is exactly to my taste. One can imagine many of the items coming out of a Palm Beach doyenne's villa as decorated by Rose Cumming in the 1920s.

The painting selection is equally of interest and is curated by the elegant and erudite Lars Hegelund.

Lars was excited by this new arrival "Blue Crab" which I could happily find a place for as could I this ivory leather-tufted couch. O how I adore this couch.

Like Miss Hootie, below, my cats would be hard-pressed to shred it with their talons.

Am I purring? Yes, but so will you when you visit. Debbie and Craig's son has convinced them to embrace the digital age and is in the process of putting their inventory online here. In the meantime, hop on a plane or in a car to:

DECORATIVE ART & FINE ANTIQUES, INC.
3263 North Dixie Highway

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334
Tel: 954.567.1570

* Fort Lauderdale is less than an hour's drive from Miami and Palm Beach (depending on traffic). Because you might not be watching as much daytime television as I do, I can pass along Nate Berkus' preference to fly in to Lauderdale rather than Miami.

Deck the Tables: Holiday House 2010 Highlights

2010-12-03T15:45:00.003-05:00

Vermilion Red gets the pulse racing in Barbara Ostrom's Chinese New Year

A sprawling 75 foot wide mansion on New York's Upper East Side complete with original architectural details is enough to get me out of my slippers and the house. Combine that with inspiring, no-holds-barred tabletop decorations?! No, I hadn't died and gone to heaven, just to Holiday House 2010.

2 East 63rd Street, photographed in 1921, the same year its owners William and Gladys Ziegler, Jr. divorced and moved out; photo courtesy of the Office for Metropolitan History

The house itself was designed by Frederick Sterner in 1919 for William and Gladys Ziegler, Jr. Ziegler inherited an immense baking powder fortune at the age of 14 and was only 29 when he commissioned this house. Perhaps it was too much stone to live under for someone so young for he and Gladys only lived there for two years until their divorce. A Russian oligarch purchased the house in 2005 and it has sat empty ever since, except for the occasional film shoot (it's Carrie and Big's apartment in SATC2), fashion show, and, lucky for us, Holiday House.

Mark Epstein's Hanukah in the library

A few of the delicious details of the house include a stunning inlaid marble floor worthy of the Pantheon in the entrance hall, a paneled library complete with fine low-relief grotesque carving and armorial stain glassed windows, and an open air courtyard in the center. (Click here to read more about the house's history.)

Bradley Thiergartner's Boxing Day was also in the library. Bonnie, my companion of the evening, gave them extra points for the taxidermy. A bird's nest is whimsically perched in the berried arrangement.

This surfeit of design pleasures comes without the guilt of, say, chocolate truffles. Holiday House benefits the charity Susan G. Komen for the cure. Benjamin Bradley and David Thiergartner dedicated their installation to Dr. Tandy Miller, the sister of their gorgeous English Cocker Spaniels Amber and Huxley's trainer, who lost the fight to breast cancer five years ago.


Holiday House wouldn't be complete without the Queen of Showhouses, Barbara Ostrom.

I was enchanted by Debra Blair and Rebecca Short's Venetian Carnivale. Successfully creating something organic and full of fancy is much more difficult than laying out a symmetrical arrangement. The masks came from Debra's own collection and the enormous grotto-worthy shell-form wall sconces came from John Rosselli.

That these designers have inspiring ideas from which we can borrow is no surprise, but that they put together these vignettes in two weeks (and less) definitely was!

You know I can't resist a pagoda pelmet and Eric Cohler's in this room dedicated to Mother's Day Brunch are irresistable - as is the room with its inky blue lacquer walls.

In fact, I'm going back for a second look and I hope you'll stop by next Thursday, December 9, from 6pm to 8pm, for a Rizzoli Author Book Signing.

I'll be there along with:

Michael Connors, British West Indies Style
Nancy Corzine, Glamour at Home
Samantha Daniels, Matchbook
Jamee Gregory, New York PartiesDuane Hampton, Mark Hampton An American Decorator
Daniel Leader, Bread Alone, Local Breads, and Panini ExpressPauline Metcalf, Syrie Maugham
Richard Mishaan, Modern Luxury
Rebecca Moses, A Life of Style
Robin Wilson, Kennedy Green House

HOLIDAY HOUSE is open through Wednesday, December 15th, 2010. Hours are 10 AM until 6 PM. Thursdays until 8 PM. Admission is $25.

Not in NYC? Click over to Little Augury for a chance to win a free signed copy of The World of Madeleine Castaing.

All photos, except #2, by Doug Holt Photography.