Fall 2015 INSPIRATION: Atlanta Style

Book by Danielle Rollins

Miles Redd for Schumacher

Miles Redd for Danielle Rollins via Veranda

Miles Redd for Schumacher

This chair epitomizes gracious Atlanta Style

DFID, my recent floral arrangement inspired by Atlanta Style

These blackamoor busts from Christie's are Atlanta Style

Miles Redd, via AD

When two talented people meet, both from Atlanta, a fabulous thing happens! A synthesis of well bred, informed, fun, classical and up- to- date, gracious, and elegant elements converge...creating my inspiration for Fall 2015 !  Enjoy!  DF *****

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INSPIRATION: Home Sweet Home

Dean Farris Interior Design (c) 2015

I know, you're probably thinking, oh boy, here he goes again, showing his living room ~ in Naples ~ but it's home sweet home baby, love it or leave it! 
Looking forward to the weather change, and some cooler, less humid days...I chose to re-post this image today, since I just finished being awesomely and blown away- inspired by the new Schumacher News story on Miles Redd, where Dara Caponigro gave him twelve editorial pages to show whatever inspired him and his new fabric and wallpaper collection.  (see my earlier post on Miles Redd for F Schumacher) Enjoy! DF *****

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September Blue

Bruce Gregga

September has me thinking about blue...

via F Schumacher

Jewel of a Jardin

Russell Page

I do see a connection between the design of a garden, and the design of a diamond bracelet...

Bodysgallen, Wales, UK

Intricate, time consuming, and nourishing the soul and the spirit!

Tiffany and Co.

The Real Charleston

The Citadel, Charleston, SC

SAVE THE MALES, the bumper sticker said, on the back of a crusty looking station wagon, or was it the ubiquitous SUV?

Billy and I had been visiting Charleston, and went over to the Citadel for a visit, since his son had gone there on a football scholarship.  The Citadel is the real thing, and like a West Point of the south.  You'll see the cadets in their uniforms on the streets- and they add a character to a place already loaded with it.  Add to this, the famous Spoleto festival, and you have a potent mix of history, culture, and sense of place.

via Calling It Home



 

 

This wonderful sense of place, the authentic quality, draws people like the designer Carolyne Roehm, and the image above reminded me of her- CR is someone who can make the sometimes hackneyed idea of a blue and white table setting seem new and fresh again.  That talent is one that can be learned, via years of exposure, travel, and study. 

 

My absolute favorite time of year to visit old Charleston, is in the Spring, when the azaleas are blooming.  Book a trip now!  Enjoy!  DF *****

 

 

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Ziff estate in Manalapan said to be priced at $195 million

Ziff estate in Manalapan said to be priced at $195 million

Provenance: Gerard Lambert, Gloria Guinness, The Windsor's, Truman Capote...33 bedrooms! 

Dolores Guinness, via AD

Gloria Guinness, via Curbed


 

Miles Redd for Schumacher

Designer Miles Redd

More great news, Miles Redd has also created a line for SCHUMACHER click here to see it~available to the trade through MP Interiors, Estero, Florida 239-498-9074

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Alessandra Branca for Schumacher

Alessandra Branca for F. Schumacher

Having always admired the work of the Rome born designer Alessandra Branca, who works out of Chicago and NYC, I was struck by the classic beauty of her new chintz for Schumacher, which Alessandra has brilliantly used in her room design shown above~Joni from Cote de Texas is featuring this designer's work today, and ELLE DECOR showed a stunning bedroom by Branca, with a lime green damask fabric, also by Schumacher... DF

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Chateau de Menars

Brunschwig et Fils Menars fabric at the former Wrightsman house, Palm Beach, FL

Besides the old Rory Cameron villa, La Fiorentina, I've always admired the former house of Jayne Wrightsman, in PB, where this Brunschwig cotton print, called Menars ~ was used in a major way by Vincent Fourcade...

Click here to read about the Loire Valley chateau called Menars, which Madame de Pompadour acquired back in 1760.  Enjoy!  DF *****

Madame de Pompadour, by Francois Boucher

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Weekend In The City

Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Fifth Avenue

Algonquin Hotel, Dorothy Parker table in Oak Room, 44th off Fifth Ave

Plaza Hotel, Fifth Avenue at 58th and the park

Bergdorf Goodman, Fifth Ave at 57th Street

Our friend Tony, Dylan's Candy Bar, Third Ave at 60th Street

Looking north up Third Avenue, Manhattan

Can you say "FUN" ?  We had it, and we saw FUN HOME on Broadway, (standing room only) enjoyed a fab NY pre-theater dinner at Joe Allen, went to DON'T TELL MAMA after the theater....had breakfast in the world famous Oak Room at the Algonquin (the best omelet ever!) lunch with our NY friends, Joe and Tony, chez RUE 57, (lobster roll and a Stella) shopped RL, BG, Pinks, Trump Tower, Dylan's Candy Bar, Bloomies, The Plaza (downstairs)~ it was a real shot in the arm, and then we Jitneyed out to THE HAMPTONS !!!  Fun!  Yes!  Enjoy!

I loved seeing all the beautiful boys and girls, especially the Summer legs, muscular and hairy on the boys and long, smooth and mounted on the highest ever stacked heels on the girls!! Yes! Can't wait to go back to the city that never sleeps!  DF *****

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Beautiful Britthampton (Part III)

 

All photos, Dean Farris, courtesy Julie and Tom Britt, Britt estate, Watermill

Imagine the beauty of gardens that have had over fifty years to mature~ the exquisite grounds of the Thomas Britt estate, on Long Island, are well established, with the patina of age and a mellow glow, as Julie herself said, this place could be anywhere in the world!  Geraniums are a trademark of Tom's garden designs, and his adjoining property has a magnificent reflecting pool, down below the swimming pool.  To see that property, please refer to Veranda magazine~ an homage to certain grand houses and gardens of Europe. 

The overall ambience of the Britt estate gardens is very Russell Page, and I thought of Mrs. Brown's place and also of the Manhasset estate of Bill and Babe Paley.  Looking forward to returning in the Spring, when the allee' of cherry trees blooms in all of it's natural grandeur!  Oh, the pleasure of making some arrangements from those branches for the house!  Divine!  Enjoy!  DF *****

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Beautiful Britthampton (part II)

Britt estate, Guest House, detail

Here I am with Julie and Billy Summer 2015, Britt estate, Watermill

Britt estate, Guest House
I-fone photo by Dean

Britt estate, Guest House, floor detail

Britt estate, Guest House, ceiling detail

Britt estate, Guest House
I-fone photo by Dean

 



Here, my famous designing friend, Thomas Britt, created a folly of a guesthouse~ and it was such a treat to get to spend a night there!  The octagon shape of our room was made even more exotic by the peaked ceiling...and the stenciled floor!

Notice the Syrie Maugham style settee.  There were no less than eight (8) ! imperial foo dogs protecting us from the evil spirits, so we slept like the dead!  The genius of this room, besides the architecture, is Tom's inspired palette of a Chinese red, a Palm Beach peach-coral, and turquoise-aqua with touches of lilac...truly magical and enchanting. 

It was a long held dream of mine to see this folly-guest house in person, and then to get to spend the night there put me over the moon, as you can imagine.  Enjoy!  DF *****

P.S.  Stay tuned for the gardens of Britthampton, coming up next!

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Beautiful Britthampton, Interior Designer Tom Britt

Entrance, Main House, Britt estate, Watermill, NY
I-fone photo by Dean

I never imagined that, what I thought was "The Barn" could have been entered via an elegant neo classic David Adler looking portal, complete with a stately broken pediment overdoor, above which was hanging a distressed white pierced metal Moroccan lantern!  Or that, before that vision of classical beauty, I'd find myself in a kind of outdoor room/courtyard~ surrounded by the tallest of tall hedges, and teetering on white quartz gravel.  The shock of the classical!

Britt estate, Main House Living Room, rock quartz under Jean Michel Frank style table from the Michael Taylor estate
I-fone photo by Dean

Then, upon entering the house through the classical entryway, one was faced with the drama of a half-timbered, white washed "barn" such as Billy Baldwin had on Nantucket!  Tom told the story of Billy sending him a beautiful letter, praising this house, after having seen pictures of it.  Tom was only 26 years old when he built his house, in a former circa 1600's potato field.  He and his lovely companion, Julie, had seen a similar place belonging to old friends who were in the antiques business.  Over fifty years later, "Britthampton" is now sitting in a posh area of mini-estates, each with their own high hedges, reminding one of Palm Beach.

Photo: DK Holland

Britt estate, low table from the Helena Rubenstein sale
I-fone photo by Dean

 

Tall, tall fig trees are growing in the barn~and one especially huge one hangs over a bar set-up on a side table.  These gorgeous trees read as sculpture in the room.  The front door and entry is on an axis with the living room fireplace, which is low and modern, a la Frank, and topped with a tall undivided glass window!  The flue is vented off to the side.  The floors are a wonderful and strange kind of poured concrete with a wavy texture, which seem to have been painted with many thick coats of black, murky, waxed looking paint.  Very dramatic with the plain flat white walls, which have some sand in them for texture.  In true Tom Britt style, all upholstered pieces are classic Parsons style models in a Chanel- like quilted white vinyl.  Big pillows are made of vintage looking textiles, and the low table facing the fireplace is from the estate of the late Madame Helena Rubenstein.  While enjoying evening cocktails, served up by handsome Marcelo, I did notice that the glow from the fireplace was coming through the frosted resin Greek key legs of this ultra-chic table. 

The dining area off of the "barn room" is a simple, white space, furnished very Spartan like with a plain, probably English table, white Parsons chairs by Tom, and a plain white console with shells and coral.  Candles are burning everywhere, but the chandelier is conspicuously absent.  Creating a very calm, artist in the studio mood.  One looks out to a white quartz gravel garden with pergolas shading towering stacks of potted geraniums in pinks and reds.  I had the pleasure of meeting the iconic fashion designer, Jackie Rogers, in this very room.  Her tales of past adventures were enchanting, she's a very interesting lady.

Britt estate, Guest House
I-fone photo by Dean

After saying our good nights, Billy and I wandered back to the very decorative and charming guest house, a pavilion of two octagons flanking a square~ to our magical, octagonal bedroom, but that's coming up in the next part of this post on Thomas and Julie Britt, and their magnificent Hamptons compound.  Until then, I'm yours, sincerely, DEAN