Mood Lighting

I still enjoy looking at my "salon" at night, after a long day, and love the impractical but beautiful look of very low "mood" lighting shown here. I'll never forget my solo trip to Venice, where I experienced romantic lighting at the Hotel Danieli... truly memorable ! Enjoy the weekend ! DF *****

Wood Flooring for Today

I really like these floors I discovered yesterday, while out shopping for my Cape Cod client. These dry, rough finishes are just the ticket for that old barn look we love. Also, I devoured my copy of "Mark Hampton An American Decorator" last night (Rizzoli) by Duane Hampton... and read some of Nicky Haslams "Redeeming Features" as well. Enjoy ! DF *****

Bold Opulence: The Buzz on George Constant

Bold Opulence: The Buzz on George Constant

Designer Profile: George Constant

Perusing Decorati.com this morning, I came across this profile of New York designer, George Constant. While I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Constant, I do remember seeing him at various Kips Bay preview parties, and admiring the rooms he created there. For drama, style and glamour, it's hard to beat a New York designer. I should know, having worked for some of the best, including Tom Britt and Mario Buatta ! Not to mention my association with Tice Alexander of Parish-Hadley. Enjoy these amazing images of a house GC just completed, as shown on http://www.decorati.com/ DF *****

Ceilings, the Fifth Wall

We used a moulding to add detail to this ceiling. DF

I have always loved the idea of decorated ceilings. Long a staple of Palm Beach, and grand houses by famous architects, they add immeasurable charm and warmth to a room. Lately, in lieu of investing huge sums on a coffered and paneled ceiling, I've been suggesting using color on the ceiling, such as the wall color, or a lighter shade of the wall color. My real preference is to use a totally unrelated color (to the walls) pulling something from a fabric or a rug... at any rate, I think that any ceiling treatment is a huge improvement, as long as its NOT popcorn ! ( a kind of cottage cheese looking texture) Beams are great too. Especially the old notched gray ones seen in France. I must mention dear Addison Mizner, who executed some of the most beautiful and rich ceilings in Florida... Enjoy ! DF *****

Suzanne Tucker, Rooms to Remember

Room by Dean Farris Interior Design

I'm very much looking forward to getting my copy of "Rooms to Remember" by Suzanne Tucker - the designer who took over Michael Taylors practice with Timothy Marks. I was fascinated to discover that Suzanne worked for Peter Hood, the John Fowler disciple, as I spent time with the Hoods when I lived in Bath, in the late seventies... I find it so interesting that Suzanne and Alexa (Hampton) are both heirs to the throne created by their respective designers, Michael and Mark - I did meet Mark Hampton in NYC when he came to our school to give a lecture. Such a gent and so very gracious. Here, in my own living room, you can see that I aspire to the layered look promoted by these iconic designers. I enjoy this room very much, as modest as it is, it suits the way I live now. DF *****

Anniversaire Premiere

Surprise ! Monday, August 30th is the one year anniversary of DFS ! I've been faithfully posting five days a week since August of 2009, and have decided to cut back to just one (post) a week, beginning in September... here is a shot of AH that started me down this blogging path. Enjoy ! DF ***** (since I met James through Albert)

Perfection in Paper

Perfection in Paper

I've always admired and loved the GRACIE hand painted chinese papers...

DF*****

Pecky Cypress Dreams/Addison Mizner

Summer Kitchen Ceiling in Pecky Cypress, DEAN FARRIS

I totally am in love with PECKY CYPRESS ! I'm using it on ceilings in a house in Naples which is being extensively remodeled, and my idol Addison Mizner of old PB fame used it a LOT too. There is a great place in Louisiana that keeps this in stock, La Deep Swamp Cypress, see http://www.specialtylumber.net/ - I can't wait to have this product on MY ceiling in MY library ! Enjoy these images... DF *****

Rediscover Arizona’s Hidden Jewel at L’Auberge de Sedona

Rediscover Arizona’s Hidden Jewel at L’Auberge de Sedona

Some lovely images from Robb Report, featuring Sedona, AZ. Sedona is known as a vortex, which I find interesting, since Naples is as well... the beautiful auberge just underwent a 25 million dollar renovation and expansion, coinciding with its 25th anniversary. ENJOY ! DF *****

Summer Fun

The charming host

The birthday boy and me ...in Prada

Dancing the night away...

On a hot and steamy August night, we celebrated Jeff's birthday - Susan, Johnny, and William and I attended his fete at Ridgeways downtown, then went to another party and then went dancing until dawn ! What a night ! DF *****

Walter Gay, Room Portraits

I have always admired the work of artist Walter Gay, an American who lived in France with his wife - a Saratoga racing heiress - ever since Stanley Barrows compared one of my student renderings to his work ! Here, I took a digital picture of my "salon" which reminded me of a Walter Gay - and have included some images of his work. Enjoy ! DF *****

The 1960s

The 1960s

I had the pleasure of seeing the 1964 film "The Yellow Rolls Royce" while visiting family in North Carolina. Rex Harrison was perfect, and I remember seeing HIS Rolls in the garage under the 59th Street bridge many years ago, of similar vintage, and wearing a fine coat of Manhattan dust over its black paint... rent a copy of The Yellow Rolls Royce - you'll love it !

DF*****

Classic Outback Looks

I've always loved the use of small scale plaids on the outside backs of chairs... beginning in the mid 1970's when I received a Billy Baldwin book as a gift, I began to notice this recurring theme in classic decorating schemes, and have always found it interesting as a detail that seems to be part of a certain traditionalist vocabulary to which I'm very partial. Here are two examples from my own "drawing room" - an ongoing project inspired by my trips to France and Italy. Enjoy ! DF *****

Quadrille

I've been using Quadrille fabric and wallcoverings for over twenty years, and they are one of the truly high style resources, incorporating China Seas and Alan Campbell...here's a recent image they sent to me via email...and a picture of those chairs I just had recovered... DF *****

A Glimpse of Things To Come

Time being so precious these days, I could only get one shot of the salon in Naples I'm reworking from when I first designed it six years ago...(2004) This shot gives you a view of the french style commode, now located on the long wall where the silk sofa was... we are waiting until October to install the new fitted seagrass floorcovering. Here's another view of my living room with the new chairs Billy and I found dressed in the Rose Cumming print I like so much. Enjoy ! DF *****

That's Bananas !

As promised, here are the old chairs newly upholstered in the wonderful, iconic "Banana Leaves" by Rose Cumming ... I'm just thrilled with how they turned out, and have had a long love affair with the fabric, and its companion wallpaper, not to mention the marriage of modern printed cottons with Louis frames ! Enjoy ! DF *****

Chic Seagrass and Silk Pillows 6 Years Later

Charles and Maurice
Photograph courtesy Naples Daily News

Six years ago, I met my client, Charles - from Pittsburgh, here in Naples. We hit it off immediately, and he wanted to start with remodeling his condo and using a rug as the basis for a color palette. I was delighted, since he owned a large collection of french antiques, acquired from working with designers Michael Greer and Ruben de Saavedra (New York) - We started the (living) room by anchoring the wall with a silk sofa...moving walls, and adding columns and crown mouldings. We've now moved the sofa into the middle of the room, breaking the length (33 + feet) and are adding a wall to wall seagrass over the existing tile floor. Also am restyling the sofa by cutting down the back and and adding down to the pillows... Stay tuned for pictures of the newly refreshed rooms ! DF *****