The Peak of Chic®

While reading about Geoffrey Bennison's passion for antique textiles, especially those floral-print documents which he was so fond of, I was reminded of Schumacher's 125th Anniversary collection. It's a collection that has been on my mind since last fall, not to mention a topic which I've been meaning to write about.

I'm sure many of you are already familiar with the fabric collection, which was conceived by Schumacher's Creative Director, Dara Caponigro. Dara, who has a passion for the history of design, went through Schumacher's extensive archives (the textile company has been in existence since 1889) in search of those fabrics that could be refreshed, rejuvenated, and reintroduced as part of the company's milestone collection. One of my fantasies is to be able to immerse myself in a textile archive with the task of pulling old fabrics and updating them for use today. Dara is living out my fantasy, so I confess to feeling pangs of good-natured envy.

The anniversary collection features flamestitch, chevron, leopard, and toile. But floral prints in all their glory figure prominently in this collection, hence the Geoffrey Bennison connection I made earlier. There is Boughton House, a wonderful poppy, peony, and rose print which was based on a Victorian-era document from the Schumacher archive. The Porcelain colorway would look especially striking when used alongside blue and white porcelain. One of my favorites is Manor House, a cheery chintz that was designed by Dorothy Draper, who, by the way, created a number of fabrics for Schumacher. Indian Arbre dates back to the 1920s, when it appeared as a block-printed linen. And then there is Song Garden, which is a striking combination of flowers and pagodas. Inspired by an 18th-century French document, this print has been rescaled and colored so that it now has a graphic flair to it.

With such a range of floral fabrics, there is sure to be a print to please even the fussiest of flower lovers.

Boughton House in Porcelain

Boughton House in Gris

Manor House in Pink Lady

Manor House in Breeze

Manor House in Nightfall

Indian Arbre in Tea

Indian Arbre in Spring

Indian Arbre in Hyacinth

Song Garden in Chartreuse

Song Garden in Cocoa

Song Garden in Greige

Song Garden in Lacquer

The Spring show house season is in full swing, and one of the nation's longest running show house events is the St. Margaret's Hospital Guild Decorators' Show House and Gardens in Indianapolis. Founded in 1907, St. Margaret's Hospital Guild raises funds for Eskenazi Health Services. This year, the guild will be organizing and hosting its 54th Show House.

I'm honored to be speaking at the event's Pink and White Party on Friday, May 1 at noon. The party will honor survivors of breast cancer (the "Pink" referred to in the party's title) and pulmonary disease (the "White"). In addition to my lecture, there will also be a tour of the Show House. Tickets for the Luncheon Package, which include a lunch presentation and tour, are $45. Or, you might prefer the Patron Package at $75, which means you will also be able to attend a Champagne reception the evening before at Charles Mayer & Company, one of Indianapolis's most stylish stores. I will be signing copies of my book at the Champagne reception.

To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit the Show House website.

The garden section of my library is woefully slim, which is likely due to the fact that I'm not a gardener, nor do I consider myself much of a gardening enthusiast. I come by this lack of fervor honestly. First, neither of my parents are into gardening. Our house always had lovely landscaping, but a professional was brought in to handle it. And second, I'm a city girl through and through, with most of my adulthood having been spent in residential buildings, where gardening means planting a few pots for the balcony.

That being said, I do admire beautiful gardens and landscapes. It would be strange if I didn't considering that gardens and interiors have much in common. I also admire beautiful gardening books, although they have to be particularly inspiring and dreamy for me to want to add them to my library. I found such a book in the newly revised edition of Bunny Williams On Garden Style

, which was first published in 1998.

In the book's introduction, Williams says that she was inspired to write On Garden Style because many gardening books dealt more with horticulture and "few communicated the importance of a garden's whole design." This is one of the reasons why I so enjoyed this book.  Had the book been bogged down with horticultural minutiae, it would have sent me packing.  Instead, it taught me much about considering a garden's overall structure as well as achieving the desired mood, or personality, of a garden. Williams makes a point of treating gardens as outdoor rooms, and it's that comparison which particularly resonated with me. I now realize that well-conceived gardens are about so much more than the flowers and plants that grow in them.

Speaking of well-conceived gardens, there are plenty to gaze at in this book. Featured gardens include those of Williams, Piet Oudolf, Oscar de la Renta, and Jack Lenor Larsen, to name but a few. Also, there is much visual diversity in the photos, for they're not all depictions of flowers or plants. There are paths, fences, espaliered trees, hedges, and more, which means that all of us- even those, like me, who are gardening clueless- can find something to appreciate.  By the way, all of the photos in this revised edition are new, so if you own the original edition of this book, you'll have plenty of new material to savor. And savor is likely what you'll do with those photos.

If you're a hardcore gardener, then I believe you will learn as much from this book as I, the novice, did. But as informative as this book is, it also has that quality which I mentioned earlier: dreamy.  When read before bedtime, On Garden Style will lull you into a verdant dream world.

*I recently learned that Bunny Williams and John Rosselli's beloved garden store, Treillage, will close at the end of June.  The last event that will be hosted there will be a book signing event for On Garden Style on April 14.  A sale will begin the next day, April 15.

I am excited to announce that I will be attending next month's Legends event as one of its social media ambassadors. Legends 2015: Where Muses Dwell is a three-day design extravaganza (May 6-8) that will take place in and around the La Cienega Design Quarter, Los Angeles' design mecca. Events include keynote presentations, exhibitions, trunk shows, book signings, and, of course, parties. Also central to the Legends event are the windows of La Cienega's design shops and studios, which will be decorated by a number of talented designers. Each designer will decorate a window based on his or her favorite muse, hence the theme of the event, "Where Muses Dwell." (For a complete list of designers who will be decorating windows, please click here.)

I hope that you will join me in Los Angeles for these three sensational days. For more information, please visit the Legends website. VIP passes, which will allow you to attend all of the official events, are available for purchase by clicking here. And if you're unable to attend Legends, you can always follow the buzz on social media by searching on the hashtag #LCDQLA.

Passover might have ended this past weekend, but it still seems a good time to show photos of a Passover table conceived by Jonathan Preece. Jonathan, as you will recall, is Creative Director and Special Projects Designer for Bunny Williams Inc. and Bunny Williams Home. He is also the mastermind behind a number of highly-clever table settings, many of which have appeared previously on my blog. If you remember those Jonathan Preece-designed tables, then you know that Jonathan draws inspiration from history and the decorative arts, two subjects that certainly influenced the Passover table you see here.

Jonathan's clients, whose Park Avenue apartment was decorated by Bunny Williams, wanted a Passover table that was colorful, unique, child-friendly, and evocative of Damien Hirst's spot paintings. Keeping in mind both the clients' wishes as well as the meaning of the holiday, Jonathan first settled on a theme for the table: the second plague of Egypt. According to the Book of Exodus, God unleashed ten plagues against Egypt as a result of the Pharaoh's refusal to free the Israelites from slavery. The second of the ten plagues involved masses of frogs that emerged from the Nile and overran Egypt. After the tenth plague, the Pharaoh finally freed the Israelites, an event which is commemorated during Passover.

Of course, considering that this was to be a celebratory table, Jonathan softened the plague theme with whimsy and animation. Jonathan was reminded of the famous Green Frog Service, which was the Wedgwood china service commissioned by Catherine the Great. The Green Frog pattern features a naively-painted jumping frog within a heraldic emblem, and it was this non-menacing frog that inspired Jonathan's table. He sought the assistance of his artist friend, Liz Fleri, who made both papier-mâché and ceramic versions of frogs. Down the center of the table stood the papier-mâché frogs, which were encrusted with Austrian Glass dust, faux cabochons, and glass beads. (It was both Damien Hirst's bejeweled skull sculptures and Judith Leiber's animal minaudieres that inspired this decorative finish.)

Nestled between the frogs were ceramic lily pads by Global Views, in which Jonathan planted exotic orchids, succulents, mosses, pods, and date palm seeds. Damien Hirst's spot paintings, or, at least, the idea of them, were introduced via the polka-dot table cloths, whose colorful spots informed the color scheme of the setting, including those fuchsia ballroom-chairs. And in lieu of place cards, place settings were marked by small ceramic frogs etched with guests' names.

If only real frogs looked as charming as those imagined by Jonathan.

The Inspiration:

A color engraving depicting the Second Plague of Egypt.

Two images of Catherine the Great's Green Frog Service. Note the frog emblem at the top of the platter.

Table setting photos courtesy of Jonathan Preece.

William "Billy" McCarty was once a bright young thing in the world of decorating. Hailing from Miami, McCarty's career as a designer took off in Swinging Sixties' London, where, after briefly working for the great David Hicks, he opened his own design firm and landed such high-profile clients as the Marquess of Londonderry, Kenneth Tynan, and Vidal Sassoon Salons. It was also in London where McCarty began affecting a British accent- at least, according to what I have read.

In 1971, McCarty raised his profile further- especially in America- thanks to both his first-prize win in the Burlington House Young Designer competition and his debut collection of fabrics and wallcoverings for Kirk-Brummel. Titled "Noble Savage", the collection, which you can see above- that's McCarty standing among his designs- was a modern riff on American Indian motifs. With names such as "Hopi", "Geronimo", "Shawnee", and "Seminole", the prints were McCarty's attempt to "give people another viewpoint into Indian designs. I think one's eye has been dazzled by the super-plastic pop art thing, which is a definite chore to live with. The idea here was a softer, more fluid look." Looking at these designs forty-plus years after their debut, I'm not really sure that I would call these prints soft and fluid. However, I suppose that if one compares them to the riotous patterns that were so popular in the late Sixties and early Seventies, one could say that McCarty's designs were not quite as harsh.

Whether McCarty designed subsequent collections, I'm not sure. But McCarty's design work was featured often in Architectural Digest during the Seventies and Eighties. Take, for example, the London flat seen below. Published in 1976, the home displayed a sophistication and a maturity that refrained from appearing too serious thanks to a profusion of patterned walls and ceilings. But as he did with the rest of the décor, McCarty took a disciplined approach to pattern, choosing more or less one printed fabric per room. The result is a home that is spirited, yet dignified, too.

As compelling as much of McCarty's work was, it was his personal life that also gained the designer attention. As a young man in London, McCarty embarked on a relationship with the wealthy art collector, Douglas Cooper, who had previously been involved with Picasso biographer John Richardson. Cooper eventually adopted McCarty as his son, a move meant to ensure that the designer would inherit Cooper's vast estate. It also resulted in the designer changing his name to Billy McCarty-Cooper. Sadly, around the time of Cooper's death in 1984, McCarty-Cooper learned that he had contracted AIDS, a disease to which the designer eventually succumbed in 1991. Fortunately, his work lives on, at least in the pages of decades-old issues of Architectural Digest.

*Click here to see a previous blog post that features McCarty's work during his David Hicks days.

McCarty/Kirk-Brummel photo and quotation from House Beautiful, June 1971; London flat photos from Architectural Digest, March/April 1976, Michael Nicholson photographer.

There are few things in life I love more than rifling through fabrics at a design center showroom. I find the process of looking through all of those fabrics to be thrilling, and by the time I leave the design center, I find that my spirits are soaring. I tend to spend a lot of time flipping through wing samples, stopping when one catches my eye. When I find a textile that is particularly attractive or inspiring, I play a little game with myself in which I fantasize about how I might use that particular fabric. Perhaps I might daydream about covering a room almost entirely in one printed fabric, while other fabrics might prompt thoughts of a simple flourish or two. The only thing that sometimes brings these reveries to a screeching halt is the realization that my two bedroom apartment can only take so many fabrics. That's why I also sometimes fantasize about someone giving me carte blanche to decorate his or her home, where I can indulge my fondness for fabrics.

When I was traveling recently, I spent a good two hours in the local design center, discovering new fabrics and visiting old fabric friends. But it was while looking at some truly exceptional traditional fabrics that I had a sobering thought: how long can these traditional and sometimes historical textiles survive in a world that often dismisses them as old-fashioned? One problem these fabrics face is the assumption that a furnishing that smacks of the old days is at odds with our technology-driven lifestyles. I strongly believe that few traditional fabrics look out of place in twenty-first-century homes, especially when given a modern context. The other issue is that many people know little or even nothing about these storied fabrics, which means they don't really understand what makes these fabrics special. If they know nothing about a certain fabric, how can they successfully decorate with it? Perhaps it's simply easier to dismiss something than to bother learning about it.

As you can tell, this is a topic that really elevates my blood pressure. (Perhaps I need to calm myself by getting to ADAC- quickly!- to drown myself in fabrics.) I suppose that I can do my part in supporting these traditional fabrics by giving them the spotlight from time to time. Today, I present to you a wonderful old fabric that never ceases to catch my eye: Pommes de Pin by Georges Le Manach. As I understand it, the fabric's charming pinecone-print dates back to the early 18th-century. Le Manach originally produced it as a lampas, though today it is produced on a linen and cotton fabric.

Pommes de Pin might be old, but it is also grand, no matter if it's used in more traditional settings, as I have shown below, or in modern interiors, too.

*To those of you who live in the Southeast: Le Manach fabrics can be ordered through the Jim Thompson showroom at ADAC.

As part of this year's St. Margaret's Hospital Guild Decorators' Show House and Gardens in Indianapolis, I will be speaking at the Pink and White Party on Friday, May 1 at noon. The party will honor survivors of breast cancer (the "Pink" referred to in the party's title) and pulmonary disease (the "White"). In addition to my lecture, there will also be a tour of the Show House. Tickets for the Luncheon Package, which include a lunch presentation and tour, are $45. Or, you might prefer the Patron Package at $75, which means you will also be able to attend a Champagne reception the evening before at Charles Mayer & Company, one of Indianapolis's most stylish stores. I will be signing copies of my book at the Champagne reception.

To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit the Show House website.

I want to bring to your attention a new book that I think many of you will enjoy: 40 Years of Fabulous: The Kips Bay Decorator Show House by Steven Stolman. Established in 1972, the Kips Bay Decorator Show House may not be the oldest show house in the country, but it is certainly one of the most prestigious. Held every Spring, Kips Bay, which benefits the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, always boasts a roster of America's leading designers, who work their magic in an effort to transform their show house spaces into rooms that will impress or, at the very least, get people talking.

40 Years of Fabulous recounts the history of Kips Bay, taking the reader on a journey through some of the event's more memorable rooms. In addition to coverage of more recent show houses, the book takes a look back at the rooms conceived by such design legends as Mario Buatta, Albert Hadley, David Barrett, and Irvine and Fleming. It's these way-back rooms that are sheer delights, as they represent the changes in taste over the last forty years. I would argue, though, that many of the rooms from the 1970s and 1980s still look good today.

As far as the book's author goes, Steven Stolman is a worthy person to write 40 Years of Fabulous. While reading this book, I could sense Stolman's unabashed enthusiasm for both Kips Bay and the important role it has played in American design history. And the icing on this book's cake has to be the brief chapter on the late Rella MacDougall, who served as chairwoman of the show house for decades. Without the stewardship of MacDougall, would Kips Bay have become the vaunted tradition that it is today?

*To purchase a copy of this book, please visit Amazon

or Barnes & Noble.

A room by Albert Hadley

A room by Irvine and Fleming

Rella MacDougall

A room by David Barrett

A landing by Richard Lowell Neas

All photos from 40 Years of Fabulous by Steven Stolman, 2015, Gibbs Smith publisher

This past weekend, I joined sixty-four fellow ICAA members (Institute of Classical Architecture and Art- Southeast Chapter) on a tour of the exceptional houses of Furlow Gatewood, who lives in Americus, Georgia. The event was the brainchild of Barry Hutner, proprietor of Parc Monceau Antiques, who spent months planning this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So great was the desire to see Furlow's houses that before an invitation could be sent to ICAA members, the sixty-five coveted tickets were already spoken for. Considering that these are Furlow Gatewood's houses we are talking about, this enthusiasm came as no surprise.

The weekend festivities began on Friday evening, when Barry hosted a dinner for those of us on the host committee. At the dinner, both Barry and John Rosselli spoke of Furlow's remarkable life and his passion for design and collecting. Saturday brought the main event, which began in the Cuthbert House, where Furlow's famous cheese straws and Bloody Marys were served. (If you read the recently published book on Furlow's houses, then you know that the Cuthbert House is one of four houses on his property.) The next two hours were spent strolling between houses, with stops made along the way to photograph one of Furlow's many peacocks.

Although this was my second visit to Furlow's, it was no less special than the first visit. Furlow's collections are so rich and varied that a lot of time is needed to really see everything and to absorb the details in the homes' interiors. I took some photos, which I have included in this blog post, to give you a glimpse into the sublime homes of Furlow Gatewood.

A big thanks to Barry and Judy Talley, Lynn Amoroso, and Barbara Shelton of ICAA- Southeast Chapter for making this special tour happen.

*If you haven't already done so, you really should purchase a copy of Furlow's book, One Man's Folly: The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood. It's magical. Copies can be purchased through Barnes & Noble, Amazon

, or your local bookstore.

2015 is shaping up to be the year of Angelo Donghia, whose memory seems to loom large these days thanks to the current vogue for Seventies Style. During the 1970s, Donghia was one of this country's most high-profile designers, whose roster of clients was equally as high-profile and included Halston, Ralph Lauren, and Barbara Walters. What made Donghia's work so memorable is that he managed to create contemporary interiors that, although slick-looking, were also comfortable and inviting, something which might be attributed to his use of commodious furniture and a color palette that favored warm neutrals over chilly ones.

Donghia's contributions to the design industry went beyond the realm of style, though, for in addition to being a talented designer, he was also a clever businessman who expanded his design business by branching out into fabrics, furniture, and other product lines. In fact, his blue-print for design success is one that is followed by most designers today. So, considering all of his accomplishments, it's only fitting that Donghia and his legacy are the subjects of an upcoming exhibit at the New York School of Interior Design. Curated by Donghia's Creative Director, Chuck Chewning, and Judith Gura, the exhibit is sure to be one of this fall's most anticipated events.

And finally, there is the new Donghia furniture collection, which feels very "Angelo Donghia" to me. Just compare the collection's latest designs (which can be seen at the bottom of this post) to the furniture used by Angelo Donghia in his client's Manhattan apartment, circa 1981. I have included photos of this home so that you can see how Donghia's style is still going strong. While the Botero paintings might look a little dated, most of the furniture has aged pretty well, especially when considered individually rather than as a whole.

I know you had me pegged as a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist, but I do have a soft spot in my heart for contemporary furniture- as long as it is done well. And as would expected of a company like Donghia, the new collection is done very well.

Anchor Table

Verso Chair

Pavel Sectional

Labyrinth Lamp

Stoa Lamp

Origami Lamp

Collection photos courtesy of Donghia; interior photos from Architectural Digest, August 1981, Jaime Ardiles-Arce photographer.

I'm off to Legends this week, and I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there. If you can't make it to Los Angeles for the event, you can follow the action on social media. My fellow ambassadors and I will be posting about Legends on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Just look for #LCDQLA.

Show of hands- how many of you became enamored with Justine Cushing's Manhattan apartment while reading the May issue of House Beautiful? I know that I certainly did. At the time of this post's writing, I had read the article three times, and I suspect that I will have looked through it at least once more by the time this post has published.

While reading the HB article, the word "refreshing" kept popping into my head. Cushing's apartment is refreshing not in the sense that it presents anything new or novel, but rather because its furnishings don't follow any current trends. There are no statement-making interiors here, nor are there furnishings and fabrics which are preening for the camera. Instead, the home seems decorated with its owner's comfort and pleasure solely in mind.

Speaking of the home's furnishings, they represent the best of the best of classic design. Bamboo shades, swing-arm lamps, Chinoiserie, a needlepoint rug (done by Cushing herself), and quilts. Equally as striking are Cushing's antiques, some of which have been handed down to her by family, as well as paintings done by her grandfather, Howard Gardiner Cushing. But what might be most impressive is the fact that much of her apartment has remained the same since 1970, when Cushing made this apartment her home. The living room and dining area's orange walls, the living room's furniture arrangement, and the bedroom's wallpaper and canopied bed haven't changed throughout the years. Based on a 1988 HG article about the same apartment (photos are shown below the House Beautiful ones), it seems that only some of the fabrics, accessories, and rugs have been refreshed. Considering that so many homes are redecorated every few years (or sometimes even rebuilt, as the case is in Atlanta,) don't you find Cushing's sensible approach to decorating to be... refreshing?

The apartment as it appears today...:

...and as it appeared in 1988:

Photos 1-3: House Beautiful, May 2015, Thomas Loof photographer. Photos 4-6: HG, November 1988, Michael Mundy photographer.

I hope that you will join Gary Searle, Vice President of Sales and Merchandising for Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils, and me next Tuesday, May 19th, as we present Design Trend: Creating Inspired Contemporary Interiors Using Traditional Elements. As its title implies, our talk and slide presentation will focus on the versatility of classic furnishings- especially beautiful fabrics- and how to use them to create fresh-for-today interiors. We will also discuss some of the latest design trends.

The talk will begin at 11 a.m. in the Lee Jofa- Brunschwig & Fils showroom at ADAC, with a light lunch to follow. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by May 15th to julie.kimbel@leejofa.com

We hope to see you next week.

Although built in 1800 for the French military hero, Jean Victor Moreau, Le Temple de la Gloire, a historic house located near Paris, might be better remembered by some as the residence of Oswald and Diana Mosley, a couple who needs no introduction. Conceived as a pavilion for entertaining and relaxation, the rather grand-looking Le Temple de la Gloire is deceiving, consisting mainly of a central block comprised of a drawing room and a dining room beneath it. Located on either side of the drawing room are two small rooms, each with its own tiny bedroom. As imposing looking as the structure's façade might be, behind it is a house that could be described as compact.

I first found photos of Le Temple de la Gloire in the 2000 book, The Finest Houses Of Paris

, which clearly stated that the pavilion then belonged to Diana Mitford Mosley and her late husband, Oswald. (I featured these photos on my blog back in 2013.) Recently, I found additional interior photos in a 1981 issue of Architectural Digest, although curiously lacking in the magazine article is any mention of the Mosleys. Instead, the residence is referred to as "the house of an Englishman." Did the Mosleys prefer anonymity in hopes of avoiding controversy? Then again, the Mosleys were ones who seemed to court controversy throughout their adult lives, so perhaps the absence of names was a decision made by the magazine. Whatever the reason may be, the article provides us with additional photos of this glorious architectural gem.

The drawing room, which was furnished with an Empire chandelier and a daybed that was made for French actor, François Joseph Talma.

One of the more striking decorations in the pavilion's dining room is the black and white checkerboard carpeting. The dining table is Empire, while the dining chairs are Louis XVI.

A small sitting room, which is located to one side of the drawing room.

The flower garden, which was based on the original 1800 plan, was planted with cheerful delphinium, pansies, and roses.

All photos from Architectural Digest, May 1981, Bruno de Hamel photographer.

While in Los Angeles last week, I visited the Nicky Rising showroom, where Hannah Cecil Gurney, Director of de Gournay, showed me the latest additions to the de Gournay line. Some of the designs are new, while others have been updated in new colors, such as Fishes, shown above, which is now available in a striking red colorway.

Like the rest of the de Gournay line, the new additions are covetable and will likely have you wishing to redecorate your homes. I discovered quite a few designs that I would be thrilled to hang in my home, especially scenic papers like Xie You Yu, Paul et Virginie, and English Landscape Design. But while you look through my photos below, keep in mind that they don't do the papers justice. There are subtleties such as bas relief, embroidery, and tarnished metal finishes that simply can't be captured in photographs. That's all the more reason for you to see the papers for yourself. If you're in Los Angeles, be sure to visit Nicky Rising, which is a jewel-box of a showroom, to see the full collection. Or, if you live in the Southeast, you can consult Angela Patrick at Ainsworth-Noah. These new designs are well-worth a visit.

P.S.- Some of the designs' names have escaped me, but I have included those that I do remember.

Earlham

Hixmore Triangles

Earlham

Magnolia

Xie You Yu

Flamingos painted in Ghost style on Deep Rich Gold gilded paper

Le Bresil in Ghost style on sterling silver gilded paper

English Landscape Design in Intaglio Painting

Paul et Virginie

Whistler Peacocks

Flamingos in full custom color

Cupid & Psyche

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

I returned last week from Los Angeles, where I attended Legends. To say that I had a good time is an understatement, as it took me days to recover from the non-stop socializing and inspiration-seeking that is Legends. But the post-event exhaustion was certainly worth it, as I had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new acquaintances, such as Nicky Haslam, of whom I am in awe. It was also very gratifying to see how close-knit the Los Angeles design community is and how vibrant the La Cienega Design Quarter remains.

One of the highlights of this annual event are the windows of the La Cienega showrooms, which are thematically-decorated by prominent designers. This year's theme was "Muses", and each participating designer chose a muse who (or, in some cases, which) inspires them. Muses ranged from people (Charles de Beistegui and Slim Aarons) to places (Bali) and things, such as a blank slate.

For those of you who were unable to attend Legends, I want to show you just some of the windows that I saw during my stay in Los Angeles. Because of the sheer number of designer windows that were featured at Legends, I'm only featuring half of the windows, which I chose at random. But, please visit the Legends website to get the full run-down of windows. My photos don't do the windows justice, so thankfully, I am able to share Grey Crawford's photographs with you. And, if next year you have the opportunity to attend Legends, then I will likely see you there.

Designer: Kristen Buckingham; Showroom: Kristen Buckingham; Muse: Lauren Santo Domingo

Designer: Timothy Corrigan; Showroom: Compas; Muse: Charles de Beistegui

Designer: Sam Allen; Showroom: Hollyhock; Muse: Bali

Designer: Young Huh; Showroom: Harbinger; Muse: La Grande Odalisque by Ingres.

Designer: Julia Buckingham; Showroom: The Rug Company; Muse: Slim Aarons

Designer: Ken Fulk; Showroom: Therien; Muse: The Movie Inside My Mind

Designer: Kylee Shintaffer; Showroom: Hollyhock; Muse: The Blank Slate

Designer: Scot Meacham Wood; Showroom: Mehraban; Muse: Shakespeare's Henry V

Designer: Susan Cohen; Showroom: J.D. Staron; Muse: Coco Chanel

Designer: Betsy Burnham; Showroom: Mecox; Muse: Animals

Designer: Platner and Company; Showroom: Stark; Muse: Rose Cumming

Designer: Gary Gibson; Showroom: Lee Stanton Antiques; Muse: Martin Puryear

Designer: Hallworth Design; Showroom: Lee Stanton Antiques; Muse: Mother Nature/ Warrior

Designer: Konstantin Kakanias; Showroom: Jasper; Muse: My Dog, Renzo

Designer: Amy Meier; Showroom: Marc Phillips; Muse: My Mother's Workroom

Designer: Cliff Fong; Showroom: Dragonette; Muse: Gertrude Stein

Designer: Nicky Kehoe; Showroom: Hollywood at Home; Muse: Wes Anderson

Designer: Molly Luetkemeyer; Showroom: Jamal's; Muse: Josef Albers

Designer: Stephen Shutts; Showroom: Jamal's; Muse: Eden, The Quest for Paradise

Designer: Elizabeth Dinkel; Showroom: Nicky Rising; Muse: Julia Morgan

All photos taken by Grey Crawford and used here with express permission of LCDQ Legends.

After weeks of traveling, I'm looking forward to spending a quiet Memorial Day weekend at home. I'm sure that many of you, however, are planning to spend the holiday at beach cottages or country retreats, where you're likely to have a house full of hungry guests who require feeding. With that in mind, I thought today would be a good day to show you how the late Bill Blass liked to entertain at his bucolic Connecticut house, which was built in 1770 as a tavern.

Had you been a weekend guest of Blass, you might have started the day with a breakfast tray, which would have been elegantly set with breakfast china, linen, and a copy of The New York Times. After a morning spent doing I don't know what, you would have ventured off to the garden for a picnic lunch of hamburgers with Stilton crumbled on top, watercress slaw, tomato and onion salad, potato chips, and beer. I'm assuming that after a meal like that, afternoon naps were in order.

Late afternoon might have been spent enjoying tea in the room that once served as the tavern's private dining room. (The room's corner cupboard was constructed by one of Paul Revere's carpenters.) But the most memorable meal of the weekend would likely have been dinner, served in Blass's charming dining room, because that was the meal which would have involved one of Blass's claims to fame: his meatloaf, which Blass liked to serve family-style with mashed potatoes and succotash. (Have you ever made his meatloaf before?) Blass believed that a first course wasn't necessary when serving a hearty meal, so seconds were encouraged. And for dessert? An all-American lattice-top strawberry pie.

Doesn't that sound like a delicious way to spend the weekend?

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Afternoon Tea:

Dinner:

All photos from House Beautiful, October 1992, Antoine Bootz photographer

The day after a holiday weekend is never a good time to deal with anything challenging, so today, I thought we would ease into the work week with a Paris home that requires little effort to appreciate. The apartment you see here, which was built around 1790 and is located on the place du Palais-Bourbon, belonged (and, perhaps, still belongs) to Didier and Barbara Wirth. Through the years, the homes of the Wirths have been published frequently, including their noted house in Normandy, Chateau de Brécy. Barbara Wirth also authored one of my very favorite books on table settings, The Elegant Table

, so perhaps it's not surprising that I very much admire her sense of style. In fact, if you were to search my blog archives, you would find a number of Wirth-related posts.

When it came to decorating her Paris apartment, Barbara Wirth worked with her frequent design collaborator, Christian Badin, who also happens to be her cousin. (Both cousins were associated with David Hicks' Paris design shop.) Wirth has an obvious penchant for beautiful things, and yet, there is nothing remotely precious about this apartment. Here, dressy furnishings are tempered by the unobtrusive, like rush matting and casual furniture arrangements. It's the home's easy sensibility that I find so appealing, although I suspect that the sight of the Wirths' inviting library might have influenced me as well. I could easily have spent my Memorial Day weekend in just such a room.

The sunny drawing room was made sunnier by yellow curtains, upholstery, and throws.

The entrance hall evoked the outdoors thanks to those wooden cypress trees and Wirth's collection of watering cans.

The library, which was filled with books, objects, and comfortable furniture.

Wirth switched out her dining room's décor seasonally. In the spring and summer, the cool tile walls were left visible, while during winter and fall, they were covered by panels wrapped in a David Hicks fabric. The dining chairs, designed by Badin, had seats and backs that could be changed out according to seasons. A number of years ago, Veranda featured a more recent version of this dining room.

The Wirths' bedroom had a lit à baldaquin, which was designed by Badin, while roman shades covered the room's walls.

All photos from House Beautiful, January 1995, Antoine Bootz photographer.

I recently stumbled upon a photo of what has to be one of the more intriguing bathrooms that I have seen. The bathroom, which you can see above, belonged to Joan Whitney Payson and was located at her house at Greentree, the Whitney family's Manhasset, Long Island estate.

Payson was the daughter of Payne Whitney, who at one time was one of America's richest men. (It was Whitney who, beginning in 1904, bought the six hundred acres that became Greentree.) Upon her 1924 marriage to Charles Shipman Payson, Joan and her new husband moved into a small cottage on the property, which was given to her by her father, but after a few years, the couple decided to build a new house at Greentree. Desiring a large but comfortable house, the couple turned to society architect William Adams Delano, who conceived a charming-looking fieldstone Georgian house. Although the couple owned a number of other houses in various locations, it was at the Greentree house where the couple famously hosted their annual July 4th costume party, which was also a celebration of their wedding anniversary.

Of the few interior photos I've seen, my favorite room has to be Mrs. Payson's very glamorous and slightly theatrical-looking bathroom. The sunken marble tub and the star-motif on both the floor and ceiling exude a dash of 1920s-era daring. But the star of the room has to be the room's Bernard Boutet de Monvel-painted mural, a mashup of tropical foliage and figural scenes.

Joan Whitney Payson died in 1975, and her heirs eventually sold the house and its property to the Unitarian Universalist Church, which has renamed the Payson's house "Veatch House" after a church donor. Based on what I have found on the internet, it seems that the church has retained the family dining room's mural (see photo below), but I have not been able to determine if they have preserved Mrs. Payson's bathroom. Does anybody know?

The home's exterior.

Almost as snazzy as Mrs. Payson's bathroom was the powder room, which was designed in the early 1930s by Charles Baskerville.

The family dining room, which was a little less glamorous though no less dazzling than the powder room. A hunting-scene mural adorned the room's walls.

A photo of Joan Whitney Payson (whose brother, by the way, was Jock Whitney) and her husband, Charles Payson. The couple was attired for one of their costume balls.

Photos from House & Garden, June 1985, interior photos by Len Jenschel.

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