Thanksgiving Fun!

Chez Ridgeway's Naples

Mary and I had a fabulous, indulgent, yet refreshing day- a very light prix fixe with some divine French Rose' - very dry and like nectar-

My first course, Ridgeway's

The salade mixte, was very good, and just the right touch of a lightly dressed palate refresher-

Coral at Saint Tropez Home, Naples

 I loved this huge coral - in the window of the home boutique called Saint Tropez Home- it was huge!

Brain coral keystone at St tropez Home, Naples

The exterior foundation had this beautiful chunk of coral key stone, something Addison Mizner and Maurice Fatio were very fond of using in old P.B.

Gunner playing with his head warmer

Later, we stopped by to see Kevin and Kira, and the new puppy, Gunner, who was just such a sweet pup, even though he ate my pumpkin pie crust! :)

A rare glimpse of my bedroom!

Ah, and so to bed! I found the lamps on the street in Port Royal- (discarded) and used a duvet cover and shams from Z Galerie.  Notice the Rose Cumming Dessin Fournir Banana Leaves in taupe on the chair, one of a pair in the room- Sleep well, hoping your thanksgiving was as delightful as mine was!
Cheers! DF *****

A Decorative Thanksgiving!

William (Billy) turned the chair out!

One of the great pleasures of my long career in decorating and design has been showing others, as I have been shown, what makes me inspired- and the intangible gratification one experiences in doing so.  Billy has become like my own Libby Cameron, whom Albert fondly referred to as "his monster" meaning he created another decorator with a feverish talent.  Billy had the audacity to ask if he could "critique" my new room- which of course I love- and so he suggested a very minor and simple change- just moving one chair further back- which I then turned away towards the small settee- shown above- minor but MAJOR! I love it!  Tice Alexander once did the same thing, in my East 66th street flat, he just started shoving my furniture around- and of course it was so much more interesting when he left- I was simply thrilled and mesmerized!  As private jets come in for the landing every five minutes (I'm in the flight path) Billy prepares to fly off via private jet (known as a "P-J" to certain trophy wives) to the Bahamas- while dear Mary and I will dine at fabulous Ridgeway's- here in gorgeous Naples (see earlier posts on Ridgeway's).

Billy in a relaxed pose

 I took this shot of my talented protege' relaxing on the cognac leather chesterfield, and I love how he tucked his legs up just like Sister Parish always did while sipping vodka laced with clamato juice...and doesn't that little "baroque" table look great sitting on the new ikat printed jute rug? I think so.  Everybody, have a great Thanksgiving wherever you are- even if it's not a holiday you might normally celebrate- Enjoy!  Cheers!  DF *****

An Eclectic Hideaway, Naples

My new Living Room!

Dean Farris Interior Design

I'm very pleased with how my new flat is looking- and wanted to share a couple of shots I just took this afternoon- Cheers! DF ***** (walls are Benjamin Moore Brandon Beige eggshell)

Norris Home Furnishings, Naples-Style Appointments

Norris Home Furnishings, Naples, FL

Our Naples location, located at 5015 Tamiami Trail North- (just south of the Hilton) is a veritable treasure trove of truly exciting and fabulous accessories and furnishings.  Above, I focused on this amazing waterfall on the wall fountain- and the two Kwan Yin sculptures- just sublime, located in our second floor high-end outdoor living gallery.

Norris Home Furnishings, Naples

 Above, another stunning visual assemblage, featuring a very elegant lacquered bar by Theodore and Alexander.  I particularly like the horseshoe crab sconces in the gilt finish!

Norris Home Furnishings, Naples, Detail of Showroom Display

I do think that, if Mr. Tony Duquette were around today, even he, the maestro of all things fabulous and exciting, would approve of this fantastical grouping, (above) - AND these images are just a very small sample of what's in store for you when you come in and visit our beautiful and warm and friendly designer showroom, here in sunny Naples on the Gulf...we look forward to seeing you!  Cheers!
DF ***** (telephone 239-263-0580)

More Stewart Galleries, Palm Springs

Billy shopping at Stewart Galleries

This is the final post on our Wild West trip- we always make time to visit beautiful, eclectic, Stewart Galleries, at the corner of Indian Canyon and Arenas- it's a must, as a charming option to the more trendy Palm Springs Design District, which is located further north, and is almost entirely devoted to mid century modern.  The mix at Stewart is more like a cross between John Rosselli and a Madison Avenue art gallery- they have many fine, well priced original works of art, some of which are by Russian artists.

Stewart Galleries, Palm Springs, CA

Above, I adore this small painted table, something Albert would have liked- especially for a desert project.  I had gotten up early and gone out to hike as I enjoy the morning sunrise and the quiet calm of the morning California desert.  The gallery was not yet open for biz, so I snapped through the glass- original painted finishes like this one are very much in vogue right now.

Stewart Galleries, Palm Springs, CA

I also admired this wonderful old parcel gilt and ivory painted table, probably Italian- or "Continental" as the auction catalogs often say- and it also shows a glimpse of what dear Albert liked- I think Mrs. Brown had a bigger version only with legs in her Long Island house.  On another topic, I attended a nice party last night, here in Naples, for Corbett Lighting- at Wilson Lighting- and the goodie bags had links attached for Philippines relief- here they are if you want to donate-
https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/TyphoonHaiyan/
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/super-typhoone-haiyan-response/#donateBottom/
Stay tuned for more updates on DFS.  DF *****

Wynn's Las Vegas, My Favorite Casino

Wynn's Las Vegas

While we didn't stay at Wynn's-Encore, we did visit the complex, I had heard about it from some very good clients, who always stay there when in town.  (Billy and I stayed at the charming, old school, Golden Nugget) - Wynn's and Encore are a tour de force of style and colour, created by Steve Wynn, with an army of architects and designers.  I was blown away by the dramatic beauty of everything I saw.

Wynn's Las Vegas Water feature

Above, we gazed down upon a huge waterfall, viewed through a glass wall- people were lunching outside, since the weather  was a glorious 73 degrees with no humidity.

Wynn's Las Vegas landscaping

 I'm not so sure my pictures do justice to the splendor of the premises- sunlight was streaming in everywhere- and the gaming areas were done in a tasteful 19th century Belle Epoque Monte Carlo look.  I pretty much swooned over everything, and the other guests seemed to be in awe as well.

Wynn's Las Vegas Ceiling Detail

The esplanade with boutiques such as Chanel, was so elegant, and I liked it as much as the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, and The Palazzo at The Venetian...the bohemian glass chandeliers shown above were so pretty suspended from the beefy treillage ceilings, where even the glass above had been etched or overlayed with a floral motif.  The level of detail was amazing throughout.

Wynn's Las Vegas Esplanade

The stunning red and purple with beige marble palette was carried throughout, and most of the walls were upholstered in a pleated silk in either dark brown or deep red.

Wynn's Las Vegas, Jeff Koons Sculpture Installation

OK, I pretty much flipped out when I saw this Jeff Koons- it is about thirty feet or so across- and was featured on the cover of the current issue of Wynn's magazine- it was being used to enhance the foyer area fronting the theater.  I just loved it.

Wynn's Las Vegas, Carpet Detail

Look at this fabulous carpet!  This was used in the gaming areas of the Wynn's casino- there was a different design used at Encore, which was formerly the Desert Inn.  If you get out to Vegas, I highly suggest a visit to Wynn's-Encore.  It's a visual feast and a fabulous experience just to walk through- Enjoy!  Cheers!  DF *****

Desert Elegance, El Paseo

Phyllis Washington Antiques, Palm Desert, CA

One of the high points of our recent trip out west was visiting stunning El Paseo, the Rodeo Drive of the Coachella Valley- there is every designer and boutique you can think of plus a few more, it's one very long shopping street, lined in gorgeous flowers, the greenest grass, all manicured, and Bentley, Rolls, etc...I enjoyed seeing Mr. Brent Hartman, at Maison Felice, aka Phyllis Washington Antiques, immensely- his gallery is 28,000 square feet of my favorite continental furnishings - mixed with some interesting mid century pieces- reminding me of the current mix at F.P. Victoria, back east,in New York...divine!

Phyllis Washington Antiques

So, if one picture is worth a thousand words, then I'd say this one is worth a billion words! The mirror and console shown above are simply my idea of heaven on earth.  I didn't even ask how much- since the gallery has a very charming way of displaying prices on small lucite holders- very nice- and what fun to have your picture taken ( I was a tourist) by Miggs- a drop dead gorgeous half Italian, half Spanish young man who also is a professional model when not working in the shop!  (Picture Nacho but younger and even more handsome).

Striking a pose at Maison Felice 

Back in Palm Springs, I neglected to mention the fabulous food we experienced- there were two places Billy and I especially enjoyed- Wangs In The Desert, and Lulu California Bistro.  We liked Wangs so much we went twice!  The very gracious maitre'd was from Austria- and the food was sublime, I washed it down with a MAI TAI (hello Franny Halcyon)  so good!  At Lulu, we enjoyed a pre-theater dinner - three courses- and I carb loaded with a four cheese penne bolognese- funny, somehow I came back to Florida weighing less! ? !
www.lulupalmsprings.com  Stay tuned for more of the accidental tourist- Cheers!  DF *****   

Las Palmas Star Homes

Kaufman House, 1946 by Richard Neutra

Thanks to our Desert Adventures tour, we were able to view some of the spectacular properties located in Palm Springs- in Vista Las Palmas, and the Las Palmas estate section.  The mid century beauty above, has been reportedly extensively restored, and last sold in 1992.  This house has been associated with the singer Barry Manilow.  The Kaufman family also worked with architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Dinah Shore, 1963

 The sprawling estate shown above, belonged to Ms. Dinah Shore- I always loved her television show as a child, and the Dinah Shore Golf Tournament is a huge draw every year in the Palm Springs area.  Our guide, Bob, was particularly fond of this house, which last sold in 2011, for the handsome price of 4.9 million.

Elizabeth Taylor, 1937 

One of my personal favorites, above, the Liz Taylor house, is on the same street as Dinah's and had the most beautiful white roses all around the stucco- this one can be rented for weddings, etc.  Check out Billy and yours truly posing in front of the entrance gate (below).

Billy and Dean, 2013

 I was totally entranced by the fabulous shadows cast by the intricate filigree iron work of the Liz Taylor gate...while having a somewhat bad hair day! Tee hee.  What would Liz think? Probably no worse than Larry Fortensky.

Marilyn Monroe, 1961

You may have heard of the Alexander homes? The Alexanders were big builders in the hey day of Palm Springs, and created many of the so-called "mid-century" houses still standing today.  Marilyn's house was constructed in 1961, with an estimated square footage of 2,978 - it's not far from the other Alexander house we saw, where Elvis and Priscilla Presley spent their honeymoon.  Perhaps Lisa Marie was even conceived there?

Lucy and Desi Arnaz, 1926

  The house above, formerly owned by Lucy and Desi, intrigued me with its very adobe look- it's also located near the former Liz Taylor house.  I think I look pretty tough here, don't you agree?

Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, 1952

Above, this was the best shot I could get of the former home of Lily Tomlin and her partner- there is even a plaque noting the provenance- which we also saw on several other of the properties we viewed.  Obviously, privacy was a priority for these fabulous celebs.

Cher, 1938

The former home of fabulous CHER, was extensively remodeled by the star- and last sold in 2007 for around $1,950,000.00.  The gate standing open seemed very inviting, and you could glimpse the pool through the tall glass/wood entry doors, which I found very sexy.

Liberace, 1952

I saved the best for last!  Above, the "Piazza di Liberace" was used as a guest house- sometimes his mother stayed there- this one evokes a misty Hollywood Regency style- with some cute kitsch touches, such as a piano shaped mail box.  Neighbors reported hearing music coming from the house too.

detail of plaque

  We also saw the old Liberace house in Las Vegas, which sadly, was in a state of ruin. I decided not to photograph that house, located on Shirley Street- since it had seen better days.  The Cloisters house, in Palm Springs - has been bought and is being remodeled into a guest house- so I chose not to shoot that one either, but I did get the charming "Our Lady Of Solitude" chapel located directly across from The Cloisters house, which was shown in the recent film "Behind The Candelabra" (now on DVD). 

Our Lady Of Solitude, 151 W, Alejo Road, Palm Springs, CA

Well dear readers, I certainly do hope that you enjoyed my little old blog post today, and who knows, there might even be more tomorrow! Enjoy the day- DF *****

Viva Las Vegas, Posh Palm Desert

Maison Felice, Palm Desert, Ca 

We just returned from a fantastic week out west- first in fabulous Las Vegas, then Palm Springs- and were able to do some Liberace sleuthing too- which was great fun after having read the book (Behind The Candelabra) and seeing the movie about Liberace, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon-

Piazza di Liberace, Palm Springs, CA

  Above, a shot I took via i-fone, of the former Liberace guest house- which is in old Las Palmas, an estate section of Palm Springs, where many famous stars have had places - this one was built in 1952, and last sold for $625,000. We had a private tour courtesy of Mr. Bob Gross, of Desert Adventures - www.red-jeep.com - in a cute red jeep - it was tons of fun, stay tuned for more - ! DF *****