The Peak of Chic®

Revisiting Henri Samuel

2013-05-22T07:10:00.000-04:00

Did you read the April issue of French AD? If so, you probably saw the article about the late French designer Henri Samuel. Samuel was one of the all-time design greats, having created interiors that were, and still are, the epitome of French chic. Although some of his work could be described as grand (his work for the Gutfreunds, for example, was notable for its tasteful splendor,) not all of Samuel's work was quite so lavish. His own home, seen here, was supremely sophisticated and yet, a tad bit more relaxed than what one might expect.  Perhaps you could liken Samuel's casual decorative gestures to a blue blazer, Hermès pocket square, neatly pressed blue jeans, and loafers rather than a hoodie, sweatpants, and flip-flops, an outfit which is, unfortunately, most people's definition of casual.

While Samuel could craft some purely traditional interiors, he was equally drawn to contemporary furniture, as is evidenced by the modern pieces with which he lived. Samuel was very adept at mixing, say, Guy de Rougemont-designed furniture (like that brass cloud table, below) with antiques and refined accessories in such a way that these super-sleek pieces were elevated to the sublime.  I hate to say it, but in lesser hands, this type of contemporary furniture is often used in ways that ultimately look a little seedy, and seedy is a word that will never describe Samuel or his work.

If you missed the article, take a look below. Although some of these photos have appeared in a few design books, it's important to revisit them again.  This is the work of a true master.

The salon of Samuel's apartment on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris.

Another view of the salon...

...and another.

This snazzy Philippe Hiquily table resided in a Munich apartment decorated by Samuel.

A Plexiglas and chrome Mouchoir table by François Arnal and two upholstered gondola-style chairs once decorated Samuel's library.

All photos appeared in the April 2013 issue of French AD.

High Flyers

2013-05-20T06:39:00.000-04:00

The period between the World Wars has always fascinated me, and for a number of reasons, too. Fashion was never chicer, homes never looked more cocktail party ready, and cars reached the pinnacle of their sleek elegance. But the other reason for my interest is that this era also saw a lot of innovations that captured people's imaginations. Take, for example, the airplane.

During the 1920s and 1930s, many social swells were besotted with the airplane, a fascination that was fostered by no less than Vogue, which encouraged its female readers to buy their own recreational planes. (As one Vogue article noted, "As surely as the woman of yesterday was born to ride in a limousine, the woman of today was born to fly in an aeroplane.") A number of society ladies engaged in such high-flying pursuits, including the Duchess of Bedford, who unfortunately disappeared in her plane during a trip from Woburn Abbey.

One had to dress the part, wearing aviation attire designed by Poiret and Patou. In fact, the Vicomtesse de Sibour (née Violette Selfridge, daughter of Gordon Selfridge) went flying around the world with her husband, and because their small plane meant small luggage, Violette brought along four beige Patou outfits to get her through the journey in style.

Airplanes, or rather, the airplane motif, sometimes made their way into the home, appearing on wallpaper and fabric. One such wallpaper, which you'll find below, was Aeroplane. Designed by Raymond McGrath, an Australian architect, during the early 1930s, the paper was thought to have been conceived for the house of an aviatrix. (The house, referred to as Rudderbar, was never built.) I can just see this paper in the late 1920s home of the fictional Phryne Fisher, who, like many of her trailblazing female counterparts, knew how to pilot a plane.

As World War II approached, the airplane motif began to appear as a symbol of a different kind of freedom, one from Nazi tyranny. Patriots, both in the U.K. and here in the U.S., proudly wore airplane-emblazoned attire as both an act of support for their troops and of defiance against the enemy.

Although airplanes may no longer hold the same appeal that they once did (frankly, they make me think of germs spreading through the air and passengers walking barefoot to the bathrooms,) it's interesting to see how they once inspired fashions for the body and for the home.

P.S.- If you want to watch a brief 1928 film clip that shows Mr. Selfridge sending off his daughter and son-in-law on their airplane trip around the world, click here.

Aeroplane wallpaper, designed in the early 1930s by Raymond McGrath, is still available today through Bradbury & Bradbury.

In 1926, Vogue suggested wearing a "knitted chiné woollen suit by J. Suzanne Talbot" when flying.

The interior of John Hay Whitney's two-motored Sikorsky Amphibian looked more like a residential interior than a plane.

An Art Deco Airplane Smoker's Companion, designed by J.A. Henckels in the 1930s, is available through M.S. Rau Antiques in New Orleans.

Vogue featured planes announcing the Paris openings on their March 1932 cover. This image is available for sale as a print through the Conde Nast store.

Victory V cotton dress fabric, printed in 1941 by the Calico Printers' Association of Manchester, England, was just one patriotic dress fabric produced during the Second World War. The border features a pattern of three dots and a dash, which was Morse code for "Victory". (Collection of Victoria & Albert Museum)

Photo at top: Amelia Earhart, the most famous aviatrix of all.

Building Beauty: The Alchemy of Design

2013-05-17T05:38:00.000-04:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Michael Smith lecture about his new book, Building Beauty: The Alchemy of Design. Prior to the event, I knew of the premise of the book, which chronicles the evolution of a house from conception to reality. But until I heard Michael speak, I had not realized how truly special this home really was.

Built to evoke a Palladian villa, this Malibu, California house was a labor of love, one seen through to fruition by the homeowners, the designer, the architect (Oscar Shamamian), the contractor, and various artisans. The tales that they share are the heart of this book, and they give much insight into what makes a spectacular home. But what I find to be most remarkable about this story- and what intrigued the most about Smith's lecture- is both the care and the detail that was lavished on this house. From imported stone to mosaics to a smattering of furniture once owned by Bill Blass, nothing but the best would do for this house, although there was nothing ostentatious in the result. It all worked well together splendidly.

As most of you know, the house has since been sold to new owners and the contents of the home were auctioned off by Christie's last month. Thank goodness that we have this fascinating book that documents this one-of-a-kind house.

Parisian Hideaways

2013-05-15T06:02:00.000-04:00

Over the last ten or fifteen years, there has been a lot of clucking over the popularity of hotel-inspired residential design. I scratch my head every time I see a home that could be mistaken for a W hotel. What's fine for a hotel is rarely good for the home, where comfort and, more important, the homeowner's personality should be in abundance. Except, of course, if one's home was inspired by the hotels featured in the terrific book, Parisian Hideaways: Exquisite Rooms in Enchanting Hotels.

I have mentioned this book before, but upon reading it again over the weekend, I felt it was worth a revisit. The beauty of these hotels is not just that they are incredibly chic, but they look like residential interiors. These are the kind of hotels that I pine for when I am stuck at one of those slick, too-cool-for-school hotels where everything seems so impersonal. When I'm staying at a hotel, I want cubby-hole sized bars, canopied beds, jewel-box libraries, and boiserie panels. And when I'm at home, well, I want the very same.

Photo at top: The Salon at Le Daniel, which boasts custom-painted wallpaper by de Gournay.

The Ming Suite at Dokhan's.

The Entry Hall at Grands Hommes.

The library at Relais Saint-Germain.

The bar alcove at François 1er that is papered in Brunschwig & Fils' Bibliotheque wallcovering.

The Raphael suite at Hôtel Raphael with its 18th-century Chinoiserie paneling.

Also at Hôtel Raphael is this charming bath.

Suite 10 at San Regis.

All photos from Parisian Hideaways: Exquisite Rooms in Enchanting Hotels by Casey O'Brien Blondes.

A Walter von Nessen Masterpiece at Wright

2013-05-14T05:53:00.000-04:00

With last weekend's release of The Great Gatsby, not to mention the film-inspired merchandise currently being sold at Tiffany & Co. and Brooks Brothers, the 1920s is coming back into vogue. The timing couldn't be better for Wright auction house, which will be selling this extraordinary Art Deco-style chair- the work of American furniture designer Walter von Nessen- at an upcoming auction in June. The armchair, thought to have been one of a pair, is both important and rare, with a pre-auction estimate of US$200,000-$300,000.

First exhibited in 1928 at the International Exposition of Art in Industry, Macy's answer to the 1925 blockbuster L'Exposition Internationale des Artes Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, the chair features a curved aluminum back and base, with cast bronze armrests and cut brass ornamentation. Most striking, at least to me, are both the cut and applied ziggurats, a classic motif of the Art Deco style. What adds to the chair's allure is its peculiar, and almost tragic, history. Housed at a movie theater in upstate New York, the chair was sold along with other metals to a scrap metal hauler in the late 1970s. Thankfully, the hauler recognized that this chair likely had value, so he contacted a couple who had recently sold their important Art Deco collection. The couple bought the chair, and it has remained in their care for the last forty years. To think that this chair almost ended up in the scrap metal pile!

The chair, a notable example of the American Art Deco style, has a documented history of its early years. Featured in a November,1928 article in The Metal Arts magazine, the chair also appears in a period photograph that was included in At Home in Manhattan: Modern Decorative Arts, 1925 to the Depression.

Wright's Important Furniture auction will take place in Chicago on June 6. For more information, please contact Wright.

A photo showing the chair in situ at the Macy's exhibition. This photograph appears in At Home in Manhattan: Modern Decorative Arts, 1925 to the Depression.

All photos used with express permission from Wright.

Neisha Crosland Scarves

2013-05-14T05:52:00.000-04:00

From time to time, I receive samples and merchandise for editorial consideration. Please know that I only write about what I would actually use in my own home or, in some cases, what I would wear on my body. With that in mind, I want to introduce you to Neisha Crosland scarves. Although I knew Neisha for her fetching textiles and accessories, I did not realize that the designer recently embarked on a scarf collection. And what an attractive collection it is!

I received a scarf very similar in color to the one featured above, and I was very pleased with the quality. The scarf is made of silk twill and looks and feels much as my Hermès scarves do. The nice thing about this particular scarf is that its square pattern and subtle colors are a nice departure from my more exuberantly printed Hermès scarves.

That's not to say, however, that all of Neisha's scarves are so minimal. For those with a penchant for pattern, there are florals, sunbursts, and the like, all of which have a slight vintage feel to them. (Vintage in a good way.) While some of the scarves are made of silk or silk twill, there are also versions made of cashmere or wool. Take a look below for a small sampling, or visit Neisha's website. Although the site is based in the U.K., international shipping is available.

Berry Flower in Pink Red, a floral print in the Aubrey Beardsley style.

Sunburst in Coral

Zebra in Brown

Starfish in Black

Plum in Pink and Red

2013-05-13T06:47:00.000-04:00

Unless you've been a recluse over the past week, you have likely seen photos of last week's Met Gala. I'm not going to get into too much detail about it except to say that my picks for the three best-dressed guests were Lauren Santo Domingo, Vanessa Traina, and Plum Sykes, all of whom work in the fashion world. Plum Sykes's decision to wear scarlet satin Manolo Blahniks with her pale pink column dress especially captured my attention because the color combination was a bit unexpected. And yet, it was really quite smashing, with Sykes's red shoes making her prim gown sing. It also reminded me of how much I love this color pairing. (I did not want to fool with obtaining permission from Getty Images to use their photo of Sykes, so you'll have to click here to see her stepping out to the Gala.)

Rarely do you see pink and red used together within the same room. In fashion layouts, however, you do. When standing alone, pink can appear slightly (or sometimes sticky) sweet. But when dashes of red are thrown in for flavor, the effect can be sophisticated and effervescent. Could this be why Babe Paley wore pink and red for her Round Hill, Jamaica portrait?

One interior designer who did mix the two colors together to great effect was David Hicks. Hicks, however, took a brash approach to the pairing, using pinks that had vigor and swagger. Cerises, scarlets, and magentas mingled to create rooms of bravado, fit for even the most manly of men. If all of this sounds too swashbuckling, you could take your cue from Hicks (or even Mark Hampton, whose 1970s-era Manhattan apartment included a red and pink bedroom) but tone it down for more feminine sensibilities. Paint a room's walls in lacquered aubergine and upholster its furnishings in pink silk and red damask. I think that such a room would like really pretty...or, to use a phrase that gets on my nerves, such a room would look "very gala."

A 1962 Ormond Gigli photo of Halston back in his early days as a milliner.

Veruschka photographed in 1970 wearing a jeweled necklace and beaded red, pink, and white silk headdress.

A David Hicks-designed room in Yorkshire. The curtains are red tweed, while the chairs appear to be upholstered in red leather. The table is covered in a fuschia silk cloth.

The Paris apartment of Rambert Rigaud. (Photo from Vogue, March 2013)

The Maharaja of Jaipur (photo by Constantin Joffe)

The dining room at Britwell Salome, decorated by David Hicks, was energized with cerise velvet-upholstered wingchairs and a red silk damask tablecloth.

The early Manhattan apartment of Mark and Duane Hampton. Their bedroom was decorated in shades of magenta and pink with some red thrown in for good measure.

Serge Obolensky photographed by Slim Aarons at the St. Regis Roof, New York. I can't really tell if the room was mostly pink or if there was some red somewhere (perhaps the ceiling?)

Photo of Paley and Obolensky from A Wonderful Time: An Intimate Portrait of the Good Life by Slim Aarons; Hicks and Hampton photos from David Hicks: Designer; Maharaja of Jaipur photo from The World in Vogue 1893-1963.

Peter D'Ascoli Fabrics

2013-05-10T05:24:00.000-04:00

Today's post is an introduction to the exquisite fabrics of Peter D'Ascoli. Peter is an American who lives in India with his family and dog, a Cavalier, no less. (That's Peter, above.) Fascinated by the history and culture of his adopted homeland, Peter was inspired to apply his American entrepreneurial spirit to the art of traditional Indian textiles, thus creating an eponymous fabric collection that celebrates Indian heritage. Although the collection is currently being sold to Indian designers and architects, Peter is developing a new collection of hand-printed linens, woven cottons, and embroidered fabrics that will be sold very soon at select U.S. showrooms.

Of his current collection, the "Parsi Gara" group of fabrics is especially steeped in Indian history. The Parsis are Indians of Persian descent, having fled religious persecution during the eighth to tenth century A.D. (By the way, both Zubin Mehta and the late Freddy Mercury claim Parsi lineage.) Eventually settling in India, the Parsis later flourished and prospered during the British Raj, with some Parsis emigrating to China for trade purposes. This mixture of Persian, Indian, European, and Chinese influences is evident in the "Parsi Gara" fabrics, which includes Marsh Multi, Parsi Gara, Canton Multi, and Mandarin (see below.) The other part of the current collection includes beautiful silks like Gilded Age chintz, Tiger and Ming.

The entire collection is really quite beautiful, and the stories that these fabrics tell only add to their allure. I for one am eagerly awaiting Peter's American debut, and as soon as it happens, I'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, you might want to visit Peter's site to learn more about these Indian-made textiles. I think you'll be enchanted.

Parsi Gara

Marsh Multi

Canton Multi

Mandarin Black

Mandarin Green

Gilded Age chintz- Gilt

Gilded Age chintz- Amalfi Blue

Venezia- Crimson

Gilded Age chintz- Taupe

Ming- Citron

Tiger- Gilt

Kenneth Jay Lane Entertains

2013-05-08T06:29:00.000-04:00

"Kenneth Jay Lane Entertains". Such a simple title for this March 1977 House Beautiful article. And yet, were any other words really needed to persuade the reader to peruse the article? After all, Kenneth Jay Lane's fans are legion. (I for one will never part with my KJL Maltese Cross cuffs, dragon bracelet, and panther ring.) And an article that also chronicled his dinner parties? Even better!

Lane (that's him above, holding what appears to be one of those coveted Tiffany & Co. heart-motif silver repoussé cups) has long had a yen for the exotic, most notably his collection of Orientalist art. And his home has always reflected this passion, stuffed to the gills with treasures and mementos garnered on far-flung excursions. His dining room, seen below, is no exception. It was tented to resemble a Moroccan tent. And would it surprise you to know that under that tented ceiling, Lane liked to serve his guests Moroccan food (especially couscous), which was prepared by his Moroccan chef?

The article's photos show what Lane's dining room looked like at such feasts. For smaller affairs, a round table was set with dinnerware from India, carafes from Japan, and a tagine that I assume came from Morocco. Lane also used mismatched dining chairs. If the guest list grew at the last minute, he simply pressed one of the room's skirted tables into service at a corner banquette. Lane mentioned that he took his dinner parties in stride, saying "I never worry and always hope." Great advice, although I do think that having a Moroccan chef certainly helps...a lot.

All photos from House Beautiful, March 1977

Wirthy Design

2013-05-06T06:41:00.000-04:00

I can't tell you how many times photos of the homes and gardens of designer Barbara Wirth have caught my eye. There was the Veranda article about Wirth's holiday table as well as her Paris home that she shares with her husband, both of which I wrote about here. Then there was yet another Veranda article, this one about the Wirths' bigger claim to fame, the gardens of their Normandy home, Château de Brécy. And then, as I was recently rereading Architectural Digest Traditional Interiors, I found photos of a previous home owned by the Wirths. Somehow, I missed the Wirth connection when I first read the AD book.

Wirth is not only a talented interior designer, but she also once managed the David Hicks shop in Paris. For her villa that is seen here, Wirth collaborated with her cousin, designer Christian Badin, on the home's decor. Like Wirth, Badin also worked for David Hicks. I think you can see traces of the Hicks look in these photos, and perhaps that is one reason why they piqued my interest. The modern lamps, uplights, sleek side tables, and the living room's skirted table all seem very much from the Hicks play book, and yet, the cousins added their Gallic flair to the house with their exuberant uses of indigo and blue toile de Tanlay in the dining room and feminine, floral chintz in the bedroom. Even better is the fact that not much of this 1970s-era home looks dated, with the exception of the bedroom's wall to wall carpet. Not bad for a house that was decorated decades ago.

All photos from Architectural Digest Traditional Interiors, Pascal Hinous photographer.

Stanmore Collection from Travers

2013-04-30T06:30:00.000-04:00

Last week, Ainsworth-Noah of Atlanta hosted a cocktail showing of Travers' new fabric collection, Stanmore. Inspired by an exhibit of Norman Parkinson's fashion photography, Erin Finn, Travers Design Director, used the photos' ornate Indian settings as a starting point for her latest collection. And indeed, when you look at the new fabrics, you do see the influence of these photos.

What I found to be most striking about the new collection is the starring role that texture plays. There are embroidered flowers and vases, appliquéd flowers (made from laser-cut petals), and crewelwork that is anything but old-fashioned looking. One of my favorite prints is Changmai Chine, which is a fresh and lively take on a traditional warp print. In fact, most of the new fabrics are based on historical fabric styles, but they have been given rejuvenated appearances thanks to updated colors and motifs.

To see these fabrics for yourself, visit Ainsworth-Noah or your local Zimmer-Rohde showroom.

A few of the Norman Parkinson photos that influenced this collection.

Vasi

Floral Portrait

Le Toquet

Edenberry

The four images above show Changmai Chine, which is a beautiful silk warp print.

Antonia

Salaria

Stanmore Felt

Or you could do as Dennis Hunt of Zimmer-Rohde did and have some pants made up of the Coralie print fabric.

All photos are the copyright of Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic

2013 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens

2013-04-30T06:29:00.000-04:00

Decorator Showhouse season is in full swing, and that means that wherever you live, there is probably a recently opened showhouse close by. One showhouse which I recently visited was the Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens, located in a fabulous David Adler house in Lake Forest, Illinois. As expected, the house's architecture is amazing, but what is equally as impressive are the rooms decorated by some of the finest Chicago and Lake Forest designers. Although the rooms represent a range of styles, what they have in common is that they are all well-appointed and finished looking.

I was able to take just a few detail shots, but I hope that the photos are enough to pique your interest. It's really a great showhouse and one which, if you live in the area, you shouldn't miss!

Susan Kroeger did a lovely job creating a tranquil, feminine bedroom.

Summer Thornton Design took a stylish walk on the wild side with her Upper Gallery space. I liked her use of Les Touches for the space's curtains.

This centerpiece of Julia Buckingham Edelmann's Party Room was this Currey & Co. "Rondelay" covered in a Brunschwig & Fils fabric. She also included a great looking card table and chairs in this space.

Matt Lorenz of ML Design Studio used the Garden Room's niche as a bar.

Joseph Szymczak conjured up a masculine Dining Room with Grand Tour accents.

The entry foyer as designed by Lichten Craig. The paper is a Fornasetti design.

Le Cabinet de Porcelaine

2013-04-29T06:55:00.000-04:00

My weekend internet fishing expedition turned up what has to be my new favorite shop...although sadly, I have yet to visit it. Le Cabinet de Porcelaine, located at 37 rue de Verneuil in Paris, deals exclusively in the porcelain work of Didier Gardillou and Samuel Mazy. You might be familiar with Gardillou's charming porcelain fruits, vegetables, and flowers, which have been sold in the past at Charlotte Moss' Townhouse, Sue Fisher King, and Branca. Unfortunately, I do not own any pieces by Gardillou, but my sister has one of his small lettuce boxes, which is très magnifique.

I love the idea of a jewel-box shop that is devoted solely to one type of treasure. (It doesn't get more focused than a store that sells not any old porcelain, but porcelain vegetables and flowers!) In fact, my idea of heaven is a small cobblestone alley filled with shops selling embroidered linen, porcelain, stationery, antique books, scents for the home, antique copper cookware, and antique silver- all on a bijou scale, of course. Le Cabinet de Porcelaine would fit into this dream shopping mecca perfectly.

All photos from Le Cabinet de Porcelaine.

Time May Change Me

2013-04-25T06:35:00.000-04:00

While flipping through The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration, I came across the photo above, which depicts a Manhattan living room. It's certainly attractive and elegant, but it's not extraordinary. The furnishings seem very much in keeping with that early to mid-1960s formal style that was just starting to loosen up.

And then, while looking at the pillows on the sofa, something caught my eye. It was my first indication that this apartment belonged to someone with whom we are all familiar. Can you guess?

The pillow at the far right bore the logo of Bill Blass. A little research on the internet confirmed that this was, in fact, the home of Blass. It's far different from his later homes, where strict editing and a well-defined aesthetic, coupled with the decorating assistance of Chessy Rayner and Mica Ertegun, resulted in interiors that were pretty close to perfection.

As it turns out, it was another female design duo, Barbara Brown and Clare Morrow, who decorated this apartment for Blass. Brown and Morrow were models who also decorated, working for clients such as Blass and Donald Brooks, another talented fashion designer. (Morrow mostly modeled for Norman Norell. Glamorous, don't you think?) But it seems that Brown and Morrow also had a knack for decorating for attractive, single women, with Brown once telling the New York Times, "it's a help to work for beautiful women, especially if you feel you should help them get married." Um, I think that there might be quite a few of us who could use the decorating/matchmaking services of Brown and Morrow.

The photo below shows Blass' dining room. As much as I love Porthault table linen, I have to say that I'm a little surprised to see it combined with the leaf-print covered walls and the faux-bois chair cushions. I suppose that I just never thought of Bill Blass as being a floral Porthault linen kind of guy. Nevertheless, the dining room, like the living room, has a charm that was fitting for the time. It is also a good example of how personal style and taste change, evolve, and, most importantly, mature over time.

Photos from The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration; NYT quote from September 10, 1968 article by Virginia Lee Warren.

What I Saw at the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques & Garden Fair

2013-04-23T06:15:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful time last week attending the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy participating in a panel discussion with Julia Reed, Marisa Marcantonio, and Emily Eerdmans, but I also had the chance to listen to Michael Smith speak about his forthcoming book (it looks very interesting, by the way) and do a lot of shopping. I'm currently getting caught up on emails and laundry, so until regular posting resumes in the next day or so, I'll show you some of my favorite picks at the show, seen below.

And next year, you should really consider making the trip to Chicago to attend this show. It's a top-notch show filled with antiques, 20th century furniture and accessories, and garden-related furnishings.

Photo at top: Garden vignette designed by Mariani Landscape.

Donald Stuart Antiques of Winnetka, Illinois had a really lovely booth, which was one of my favorites. They don't have a website, but they can be contacted at (847) 501-4454.

Lee's Antiques of Kenilworth, Illinois had a lot of vintage furniture for sale, including a pair of red director's chairs with zebra needlepoint backs and seats.

You know that I love porcelain, so I took copious photos at the booth of Lynda Willauer Antiques of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Looking at all of the beautiful platters, bowls, and urns, I was perplexed as to why more people don't collect porcelain. (I also couldn't resist a photo of the Staffordshire dogs that looked like Alfie.)

The Find, which has locations in both Chicago and Highwood, Illinois, also had a nice booth filled with great accessories, like these fish and shell motif objects.

I had to stop at the booth of Ben Caldwell as he lives in Nashville. He crafts all kinds of beautiful copper serving pieces, including these antler-handled serving spoons and flat servers. Made from naturally shed antlers, some of the handles' ends have been carved. (Check out Ben's website as he also crafts pieces from sterling silver, too.)

I love the seed packets from Hudson Valley Seed Library.

At more & more Antiques of New York, there was an intriguing set of 19th century watercolors that depicted various Danish rulers. I also spied a good-looking tole floral piece.

How great was this gazebo at the booth of Mayfair Antiques?

All photos taken by Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic

In the Garden with Paolo Genta

2013-04-19T06:09:00.000-04:00

I am currently in Chicago attending the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques & Garden Fair, so it seems appropriate to end the week with photos devoted to gardens and flowers, namely those that are the handiwork of the talented Italian interior designer, Paolo Genta. Garden design, follies, and the arranging of flowers seems to be part of Genta's bailiwick (along with interiors, of course), so it's no surprise that each figures prominently in the monograph of Genta's work.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Ultimate in Cozy

2013-04-17T06:05:00.000-04:00

My all-time favorite, comfy-cozy looking space has to be this room, which is in the London home of the great designer, John Stefanidis. I featured it on my blog many years ago, but I felt it was worth revisiting, especially since I recently bought the book, Living in Style London, because it featured Stefanidis' small library.

So why is this my ultimate cozy room? First, it has to be those red silk moiré-covered walls. Red can be vibrant and energizing, and yet, it seems soothing here. That moiré fabric is repeated on both the sofa and the table skirt, which further bathes the room in red so that this nook of a room feels safe and warm, as if nothing bad can happen here. (What I can't tell is if the sofa and table skirt are made of silk, like the walls, or rather cotton.)

Can we talk about those needlepoint pillows? They add warmth and texture, thanks to their wool thread, while their geometric and floral designs (which, by the way, are not too sweet-looking) add some pattern that keeps the room from feeling too peaceful and tranquil. To me, a room that is too restrained seems, well, unnerving and the antithesis of comfortable.

Then, there is ample but soft light. Again, if it were too dark, the space would seem a little scary. The lamps, much like the use of red, bathes the space in warmth. And Stefanidis' assemblage of art adds a layer of personality to the room. We might not understand why he chose to congregate these pieces together, but he does, and that's all that is important.

And then, you have those books. Lots and lots of them. If you remember reading Mr. Stefanidis' list of favorite books that appeared on this blog a few years ago, you know that the designer is very well-read, a trait that is probably attributed to these books. Or maybe it's the other way around. Perhaps the books' presence here can be attributed to the designer's love of books. Well, whatever, it's a wonderful room, and one which ranks up there as a personal, and perennial, favorite.

Photos #1 and #2 from Living in Style London; #3 from Mr. Stefanidis' website.

In Swinging Acapulco, the Star was Merle Oberon

2013-04-15T06:40:00.000-04:00

I'm a little confused about today's post. Last week, I featured a photo of Merle Oberon, which had been taken by Slim Aarons in 1966. In Aaron's book, A Wonderful Time, the photographer wrote that Oberon's Acapulco house, La Consentida, was considered to be the most beautiful vacation home in the world. And yet, when I did some sleuthing around the internet, it seems that around this same time, Oberon and her Italian industrialist husband, Bruno Pagliai, also resided in an Acapulco estate called El Ghalal. So, what's the deal?

According to a January 27, 1967 Life magazine article titled "In a Swinging Resort the Star is Merle Oberon" (a title which I borrowed for this blog post), Oberon and her husband built a real showplace of a home in Acapulco called El Ghalal, which is a Mexican-Indian phrase meaning "to love". The article also mentioned that Oberon, a real social butterfly, liked to end her evenings at a disco called Tequila á Go-Go. I think that is beyond fabulous, but it's also a story for another day. The Life article makes no mention of a home called La Consentida.

Fast forward to the 1977 book, Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes, which devotes a chapter to Oberon and Pagliai's home, this time referred to simply as Ghalál. The book refers to the home mostly in the past tense, noting that Oberon once shared the home with her former husband. So, I am assuming that when AD first ran photos of the home, the Oberon-Pagliai marriage was intact, but by the time the compilation book was published, the marriage was no more.

Perhaps La Consentida was the home in which the two lived before building El Ghalal. I can't be sure, but what I do know is that the photos featured here do in fact show El Ghalal. And if some of you are wondering why we should care about a home of an old film star, you just might be interested to know that Merle Oberon and her early life, whose details are murky at best, were the inspiration for Michael Korda's book Queenie, which in turn inspired the mini-series of the same name. (A mini-series, I might add, that is actually pretty good. And Korda, just in case you don't know, is Oberon's nephew.)

According to the AD book, Juan Sordo Madaleno, the home's architect, considered this project to be "the most beautiful house of my career." What was unique about this house was that it was situated so that it received the heat of the afternoon sun, something usually avoided by most when building a home in Acapulco. Oberon wanted the house to have a view of the beautiful Acapulco sunsets, which meant a western-facing direction. The home's outdoor gallery, which ran the length of the house, was designed to be deep so that part of it was always in the shade.

The home was decorated in a British Colonial style, at least according to Ms. Oberon. The actress was a collector of porcelains, some of which can be seen here.

Mr. Pagliai's bedroom, which featured a red lacquered k'ang sofa beneath an Ethiopian painting, looks a little spare.

Ms. Oberon's bedroom, on the other hand, was far more decorated, which was fitting for a movie star. Ms. Oberon's Chinese teak opium bed had a removable center section which allowed for the low table to be used within the bed during the day, while at night, the bed was made up for sleeping. The actress, by the way, designed the rug.

It looks like there was plenty of space for entertaining and sunset viewing.

All photos from Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes, Max Eckert photographer.

Classic Acapulco

2013-04-12T06:09:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry to say that still to this day, I associate Acapulco with The Love Boat. Sad, but true. But in the mid-twentieth century, the Mexican resort town was a hot bed of social swells, models, and movie stars who basked in both the sun and the limelight, partying practically non-stop while wearing very chic resort wear. Or so it seems that way to me.

According to Slim Aarons, the most popular person in Acapulco was actress Merle Oberon. Aarons also mentioned that Oberon's Mexican villa, La Consentida, was considered to be one of the most beautiful resort houses anywhere. (I'll show photos of her villa on Monday.) And it seems that others agreed with Aarons' assessment, including Town & Country, which also touted her as one of Acapulco's most gracious hostesses, although the magazine referred to her by her married name, Mrs. Bruno Pagliai. I admit that when I first saw the T&C piece, I didn't make the connection.

There were lots of other socialites who spent time in Acapulco, including Baron de Redé, Emilio Pucci, and Mrs. Yul Brynner, all of whom were photographed by Aarons while dancing, drinking, and having an all-around good time.

Image at top: Guests gather at the home of Merle Oberon. That looks like Oberon, the second from the right.

Mrs. Bruno Pagliai, aka Merle Oberon, in her Acapulco home

Andrew Goodman of Bergdorf Goodman

From left, Suzy Gilly, Anita Colby, Mary Wells Lawrence, Sloan Simpson, and Mrs. Yul Brynner

There was certainly a lot of bare flesh at this party, which took place at the home of Melchor Perusquia.

Marie-Hélène de Rothschild and Baron de Redé. De Rothschild looks demure compared to the others.

Wouldn't we all have liked to attend this luncheon hosted by Pat de Cicco, especially considering that Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Oscar de la Renta, Reed Vreeland, and Emilio Pucci can all be spotted in this photo. (You might recall that de Cicco was the ex-husband of Gloria Vanderbilt.)

Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques & Garden Fair

2013-04-12T06:08:00.000-04:00

Next week, I will be in Chicago to attend the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques & Garden Fair. I am honored to be joining Marisa Marcantonio of Stylebeat and Emily Evans Eerdmans for a Style Blogger Panel Discussion, which will be moderated by Julia Reed. (This is major for me because as you might remember, my neighbors and I hosted a party in Julia Reed's honor, although Julia was fêted in absentia.)

The event, which will be held at the Garden's Regenstein Center, will feature more than 100 exhibitors who will be selling both garden and home decorations, not to mention garden displays that have been crafted along the theme of "Color in the Garden: An Artist's View". Event speakers will include designer Michael Smith (who will be speaking next Friday at 11 a.m.) and landscape designer Charles Stick (his lecture takes place on Saturday at 11 a.m.) Our blogger panel discussion takes place next Saturday at 2pm, with a book signing event featuring Emily and Julia to follow.

If you live in the area, I do hope that you will attend. It is sure to be a wonderful event, and Marisa, Emily, and I would love to meet you. For more information on the event, please visit the Chicago Botanic Garden website.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

2013-04-10T06:31:00.000-04:00

Forget Mr. Selfridge. Have you seen Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries?

I recently discovered the Australian television show, which is based on Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher mystery novels, and now I'm absolutely hooked. Set in Melbourne, Australia in 1928, the series follows lady detective Phryne Fisher as she solves murders on what seems like a weekly basis. Phryne is a modern woman of independent means who drives a Hispano-Suiza, drinks dark liquor, flies airplanes, speaks Mandarin Chinese, and has affairs with some very good-looking men. And her clothes! Phryne is always decked out in the latest fashions (for 1928, of course) that make our twenty-first-century wardrobes look like a hodgepodge of casual separates.

If you live in the U.S., you can watch the first season on Acorn Online or purchase the DVD online. (If you like the first episode, beware of binging on the rest of them as I have.) The show is stylish, fun, a little lighthearted, and well-written. I have two remaining episodes to watch, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do once I finish them. The second season is currently being filmed in Australia as I write this, so I'm sure that means American viewers will have to wait until next Spring to catch new episodes.

Considering that I'm on this big Phryne Fisher kick, I looked through my old magazines to see if I have any from 1928. I do, so I'm featuring a few photos below to give you a taste of what was going on when the fictional Phryne Fisher was sleuthing and having an all-around swell time.

A dressing room in a Greenwich, Connecticut home that was decorated by Elsie de Wolfe.

Actress Gloria Swanson's New York apartment

A bar designed for the Autumn Salon in Paris by Magazin du Printemps

Another bar at the Autumn Salon. Called "Bar sous le Toit", it was designed by Charlotte Perriand.

A foyer in Florence, Italy with a mural painted by Robert Carrere

The Staten Island dining room of designer Robert Locher

A vignette designed by Mary Coggeshall and Jeannette Jukes.

The Great Clarifier

2013-04-04T06:13:00.000-04:00

I spent an hour or so the other night looking at Spanish designer Luis Bustamante's website, and I was treated to that photo above. Is that a bar or what?! I thought that my bar was well-stocked, but it's nothing compared to this one.

Once my eyes adjusted to that gracious plenty of liquor bottles, I started to pay attention to the other details in the photo like those red ikat lampshades and the red and white striped wall to the left. A shot of crisp red certainly has a way of catching one's eye. And while looking through the rest of Bustamante's portfolio, my eye kept getting caught again and again, thanks to the designer's emphatic use of this color in so many of his projects (see below). It seems that red must be one of Bustamante's favorite colors, don't you think?

I suppose that I could say more, but after a thirteen-hour work day, I can barely string two sentences together. Fortunately, I think the photos speak for themselves.

Lady Baillie in Nassau

2013-04-02T06:33:00.000-04:00

Lady Olive Baillie is back in the news...well, kind of. Her noted collection of Meissen porcelain, which was later augmented by her son, Sir Gawaine Baillie, is being auctioned off at Sotheby's London on May 1. Of course, you probably already know that Baillie, an American-born heiress who was a member of the Whitney family, famously restored and decorated Leeds Castle with the help of Armand-Albert Rateau and later Stephane Boudin of Maison Jansen. And her home in Nassau, Bahamas is still written about today, due in no small part to Boudin's exuberant if not slightly bizarre approach to tropical decor.

I found a brief 1954 House & Garden article about life in the Bahamas that included numerous photos of Baillie's Nassau home. Unfortunately, the photo quality isn't great,but it still gives you an idea of what the house looked like both inside and out. (I admit that I find the home's dining room to be strangely appealing. Is it the ceramic tile stove? The painted chairs?) For additional photos of the house, make sure to read James Archer Abbott's terrific book, Jansen, which features quite a few photos of Lady Baillie's Nassau home.

The home's entry hall with marble floor.

My favorite room in the house: the dining room.

The living room with its white bamboo-adorned walls.

Based on the curtain valances and floor, this appears to be part of the dining room.

The terrace with its green wrought-iron furniture.

All photos from House & Garden, December 1954.

The Dining Room of Marguerite Littman

2013-03-26T06:27:00.000-04:00

Look through the chic cookbooks on your bookshelves- specifically R.S.V.P.: Menus for Entertaining from People Who Really Know How by Nan Kempner and Alex Hitz's My Beverly Hills Kitchen: Classic Southern Cooking with a French Twist, if you have them- and you'll find mentions of that famous Southern belle, Marguerite Littman. Born in Monroe, Louisiana but a resident of London for decades, Littman has charmed legions of people and amassed numerous interesting friends throughout her life. Well-known for both teaching Elizabeth Taylor how to "speak Southern" for her role in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and supposedly being the inspiration for Truman Capote's Holly Golightly, Littman is also a noted hostess, often gathering her guests in the dining room of her Chester Square townhouse.

According to the book David Hicks: A Life of Design, David Hicks decorated the home that Marguerite shares with her barrister husband, Mark, sometime in the 1960s. Hicks's work included covering the dining room's walls, windows, and table in a red floral print cotton. Hanging above the round dining table was an antler chandelier that evidently had an eyeball spotlight placed above it. What the book doesn't mention is whether the chandelier was Hicks's choice or that of the Littmans.

Fast forward to the 1993 when Diane Berger's book, The Dining Room, was published. In the book, a photo of the Littmans' dining room appears, still wearing the same vibrant floral fabric. But, by 2000 when Nan Kempner's book was released, the dining room had undergone a big change. Gone was the crimson fabric, with stripes now taking the place of flowers on the room's walls. The antler chandelier did, however, remain a prominent feature in the room. I do wonder how the room looks today.

So what about the food served in this beautiful room? Kempner wrote that Southern and Creole food is often on the menu as is traditional English fare, including such dishes as Barbecued Spring Lamb with Rosemary (English yet Southern because it is marinated in barbecue sauce) and Sautéed Bananas. But what both Kempner and Hitz wax rhapsodic about are Littman's famous Twice-Baked Potatoes. After reading the recipe in Hitz's book, I certainly am eager to make one of Marguerite's Stuffed Potatoes for myself. I'll just have to pretend that I'm enjoying it while sitting beneath an antler chandelier.

The room as it appeared in the 1960s, having recently been decorated by David Hicks.

In the early 1990s, the room looks very much the same. Only the table cloth has changed.

And by the time Nan Kempner's book came out, the room had been redone, this time with around with striped fabric on the walls. The antler chandelier? It's still there.

Photos #1, #4, and #5 from R.S.V.P.: Menus for Entertaining from People Who Really Know How. #2 from David Hicks: A Life of Design. #3 from The Dining Room by Diane Berger, Fritz von der Schulenburg.

Nicky Haslam's Folly de Grandeur

2013-03-19T06:06:00.000-04:00

I recently spent the most enjoyable evening reading Nicky Haslam's newly released (as in today!) book, Nicky Haslam's Folly De Grandeur: Romance and Revival in an English Country House. As most of you are probably aware, the book profiles the Hunting Lodge, Nicky's enchanting country house that once belonged to John Fowler. Perhaps it was the allure of these two designers that had me eagerly anticipating the release of this book. Whatever the reason, the book turned out to be exactly as I had hoped: interesting, inspirational, and hands down a fun read.

Nicky's book is charming and engaging for a number of reasons. First, he is an excellent writer, one who throws out all kinds of interesting historical tidbits and practical decorating advice along with humorous, and at times naughty, quips thrown in for good measure. For those of you who are eager to learn about Nicky's thoughts on fabrics, floors, and like, you won't be disappointed as he includes numerous chapters focused on such aspects of decorating. And if you are a devotee of the country house style, then you'll enjoy reading about the evolution of the house as well as studying the luscious photos of forty years worth of decorative layers.

In fact, even without Nicky's well-written narrative, the book would still be a success, I think, because of Simon Upton's photos. There are large room shots as well as many detail photos that capture all of Nicky's amusing and entertaining mementos. There is just so much to look at in this house- and this book- that one could spend hours studying these pictures. Wait, I did spend hours studying the book's pictures!

I'm not sure what Nicky's follow-up book is going to be, but whatever it is, I am eagerly awaiting that one too.

© Nicky Haslam's Folly De Grandeur: Romance and Revival in an English Country House by Nicholas Haslam, Rizzoli New York, 2013. Images © Simon Upton may not be reproduced in any way, published, or transmitted digitally without written permission from the publisher.