If you happen to be in High Point this Sunday, I hope you'll join Paloma Contreras, Richard Keith Langham, Jeffrey Dungan, and me as we participate in a discussion on--what else?--design.  Sponsored by Flower Magazine and moderated by the magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Margot Shaw, the event is sure to be lively.  Details are above.  A book-signing will follow.  Hope to see you there!

Ever since I first saw glimpses of photographer Victor Skrebneski's house in those Seventies and Eighties-era Estée Lauder ads (Skrebneski often used his Chicago home as a backdrop for the stylish ad campaign), I became intrigued by its pitch-perfect blend of minimalist architecture and formal, traditional furniture, a mix you still don't often see in America. Decorated with the assistance of interior designer Bruce Gregga (Gregga was once Skrebneski's assistant and, incidentally, happens to be one of the featured designers in my new book), the photographer's home is a Victorian-era coach house. But based on its interiors, you would never know it. Stripped of anything ornamental, the home's interior architecture is very modern and spare. Travertine floors, a concrete entry hall and staircase (see above), and glossy ceilings are as far removed from the Victorian style as they could possibly be.

But ensconced among the home's sleek walls is Skrebneski's carefully selected collection of twentieth-century art and eighteenth-century French antiques. In fact, the living room is almost entirely furnished with eighteenth-century pieces, including a Gobelins tapestry, a coromandel commode, Louis XVI gueridon, and a Louis XV giltwood sofa. Also prominent is modern art by Man Ray, the Giacomettis, Max Ernst, and Oskar Schlemmer. It's the best of both worlds--and the best of two centuries--together in one room.

Elsewhere in the house, there are not one, but two sitting rooms that, while perhaps more intimate than the living room, maintain the sense of grandeur established in the home's more public spaces.  Even the kitchen, with its zig-zag painted floor, is a modern shell that, once again, surrounds French furniture. The formula for this sublime marriage of the old and the new is not as complicated as it might seem. As Skrebneski simply puts it, "Any beautiful things work well together." 







The living room, as seen from three different angles.



The two images above show the sitting rooms.



The kitchen, which is lined with books.



The dapper photographer himself.


All images from Architectural Digest, March 2000, Victor Skrebneski photographer.

My, it's been a while since I last blogged.  Holidays, family commitments, and, most of all, a book tour have kept me away.  I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things, and what better way to do so than by featuring a couple of my favorite new book releases.

First up, John Richardson: At Home(Rizzoli New York), a memoir of the many homes inhabited over the years by art historian, writer, and Picasso biographer John Richardson.  I know that many of us have been waiting anxiously for the release of this book, and trust me when I say it was well worth the wait.  Over the years, I have saved any photograph I could find of Richardson's homes, but my tear-sheet file on the art historian and his homes was always paltry at best.  But now, to have photograph after photograph of Richardson's many residences compiled in one book, well, it is really more than I could ever have wished for.  His set at Albany, the Chateau de Castille in France (which he shared with his former partner, the art collector Douglas Cooper), and his two most recent homes, a Fifth Avenue loft and a Connecticut house, are all here, as well as a few others. Perhaps even more enticing is that the principal photography is by François Halard.

What made Richardson's homes so beguiling is that they were filled with art, antiques, and oddities, which he collected and amassed over many years.  Some things he purchased, while others were given to him by his famous friends, and although occasionally the visual effect was somewhat cluttered (or, as some might prefer to say, layered), the overall impression was really quite dazzling.  His homes were immensely personal and cultured, something that distinguishes these interiors from so much of what we see today.  If you do buy this book, be sure to read the text.  Written by Richardson himself, it is intelligent and witty.  Considering that Richardson died just a few weeks ago, this book is really a fitting tribute to a life well-lived in some very captivating homes.




John Richardson: At Home by John Richardson, © Rizzoli New York, 2019; principal photography by 
François Halard, including those images seen here



Every design library needs at least a few books that spark happiness, and Margot Shaw's debut book, Living Floral (Rizzoli New York), is one that did just that for me.  As the founder and editor in chief of Flower magazine, Margot has dedicated her publication to celebrating beauty in many forms: interiors, gardens, entertaining, and, of course, flowers.  It is a winning combination that has made the magazine a success and one that is the focus of her new book.

Each chapter profiles a talented individual, such as an architect, floral designer, interior designer, or creative type, and shows how that person incorporates flowers into their lives and their homes.  Some have chosen to be surrounded by floral prints on their walls and upholstery.  Others set charming tables laden with fresh flowers or floral-patterned china.  However these people choose to live with flowers, they all do so stylishly and graciously.

The book contains really delightful images of interiors, table settings, outdoor entertaining, and more than a few lucky dogs.  (As you can see below, I'm partial to those images featuring our four-legged friends.)  But what you won't find in this book is condescension.  The book's text never speaks down to readers, but rather thoughtfully encourages them to enjoy the beauty and perhaps adopt a few ideas and tips for themselves.  If you're looking for some inspiration and how-tos on decorating, floral arranging, and entertaining, this is the book for you.