KIPS BAY PALM BEACH: Impressions

Dean with designer Susan Zises Green,
Kips Bay PB Showhouse 2017

Thanks to the prodding of my good friend the designer, Steven Matable, Billy and I visited Palm Beach 
(with Steve) to see the first annual Kips Bay Palm Beach Decorator Showhouse -
 I was tickled pink to run into Susan Zises Green there, as she was a friend of my former mentor and friend, the late Tice Alexander.  Her room was a stunning confection in Quadrille and Alan Campbell prints with a delicious shade of amethyst playing off of a unique one of a kind rug.

Susan Zises Green, via House Beautiful

Designer Steven Matable in Lisa Erdmann's room- KBPBDS 2017

We got a kick out of this bright yellow room by Lisa Erdmann Associates-

Bierly-Drake for KBPBDS 2017

Loved this chair treatment, possibly inspired by Pauline de Rothschild...

Stephen Mooney for KBPBDS 2017

This upstairs library by Stephen Mooney reminded me of the New York penthouse I worked on with the late Parkin Saunders- where once upon a time Joan Crawford lived!

Christopher Maya for KBPBDS 2017

One of my favorite rooms was this one- as it had a Giacometti white plaster lantern, table top, and wall plaque !!!

Fernando Wong for KBPBDS 2017

This modern sculpture in the garden was the first thing you saw upon approaching the house- stunning!  

Perhaps the best of all was visiting my dear friend, decorator Louise Cronan at her restored 1924 cottage near El Cid...it seemed as if we left one showhouse and entered another!  No surprise as she is one of the most brilliant designers I know.  
Her mother decorated the house in Atlanta that Miles Redd grew up in!  A very talented family to say the least.  DF *****

LADIES: Some of My Favorites

Mary Hill

Sherree Woods

Selena Del Toro, Marine Linard

Micha Morelisse

Julie Britt (left)



Linda Weinstein

Bethany O'Neil

Louise Cronan

 

Louise Cronan

 

 

 

While I've (very luckily) way too many "favorite" ladies in my life, including my magnificent mama - (whom I affectionately call "Momo") - here are a few I found while perusing the photos file... and chose to share with you!
DF *****  

ART: Collage 1970's

Collage and interior design by Dean Farris

I was reading one of my Parish Hadley books, and came across (the late) Harold Simmons mentioning how Albert would often mix modern things with more "traditional" ones- which inspired me to drag this old collage I had done about forty years ago into my living room- !

Harold and I met many years ago, when he invited me to come to the old Lilly Dache' building- (Parish-Hadley offices) - (no longer there) for an impromptu interview- it was a terribly hot, HOT day, and unfortunately, I was wearing a very dark blue wool suit !  I was also dragging a huge, HUGE black vinyl clad portfolio case full of fabulous over the top Jeremiah Goodman-ish renderings. Luckily, neither Sister nor Albert were there- so they missed seeing me not looking as fresh as I would have preferred.

When my old friend, the designer Thomas (Tom) Pheasant saw the collage I had done back in 1978 or so- he loved it, and said it reminded him of an illustration in W magazine, which was one of his favorites, as he always adored fashion as well as interiors.  I was flattered that he would make such a remark.  DF *****

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Charm of the CAROLINAS

The Pink Door, Inc. GREENSBORO, NC 

Thanks to Hurricane Irma, I was forced to evacuate my south Florida condo, and head north - to the lovely Piedmont area of North Carolina....where I spent a fabulous ten days with my beautiful family, and visited some of my favorite haunts while there too.   Ms. Kay, of the uber charming Pink Door, introduced me to the proprietor, Mr. Glenn Blair Lavinder.  A native of Maryland, Glenn is simply  smothered in taste and style, and I really enjoyed chatting with him, and soaking up his aura of southern style and manners.  He had spent part of the summer overseeing a pop-up shop in Roaring Gap, where I once was most fortunate to assist the daughter of DeWitt Hanes with (her) bedroom in her ancestral home there- (picture Nantucket in the mountains)...no small feat, since DeWitt had used Sister Parish before I arrived on the scene!

The Pink Door, Inc. GREENSBORO, NC

I was charmed by the arrangement of items on this green bar tray...known as "libations".

The Pink Door, Inc. GREENSBORO, NC

Not to mention these exquisite taffeta curtains in ivory- reputedly purchased from a Palm Beach estate, and designed by Colefax and Fowler in London... (they are not for sale).  After I reluctantly left the Pink Door, I also paid a much overdue visit to fabulous, beyond chic, Caroline Faison antiques where, SURPRISE, Caroline was !  (she had not been there on my last visit, sadly) Can you say CHARM? Can you say BEAUTIFUL?  Her grandson, Ben, helped me with my purchase of two small Canton ware plates- on his i-pad thingy, since none of the old school Carolinian's would ever dream of using such a thing! LOL!

Reynolda Estate, Winston-Salem, NC

Back to lovely, old, Winston-Salem (have you seen "Light in the Piazza"?) - I always love to visit the house museum, Reynolda House and Gardens- the former country house of the Reynolds family.  They visited it often from their estate in Greenwich, CT., before donating it to Wake Forest University.

Reynolda Estate, Winston-Salem, NC

Above, the long view of the "front yard" acres- which were created by Thomas Warren Sears, and influenced by Frederick Law Olmsted.  Way off in this direction, is the distinguished subdivision, created by Katherine Reynolds, called Reynolda Park, where I was fortunate to create an English "County" style (think Country Life magazine) foyer at 1040 Arbor Road, for the Shakespeare Festival Decorator Show House many years ago, sponsored by Selwyn and Leigh Rose, the homeowners at that time.  I used a stunning Brunschwig chintz in bright pinks and greens on a white ground for the central skirted table.

Dean Farris Interior Design circa 1986

While in town, I also visited the Gazebo (Reynolda Village) -met Agnes Butler, proprietor of All Through The House (Reynolda Village)  - J.McLaughlin, (Reynolda Village), as well as, Darren Waggoner, proprietor of Idlewild Interiors, and Larry Laster, proprietor of Laster's Fine Art and Antiques, a wonderful establishment my family has patronized for many years- and where I purchased a lovely old Mintons plate, in old blue and crackled white.  This gave me great pleasure.  His son told me he was dead when I inquired as to his whereabouts. (not true)-. This is part of the charm of the Carolina's- a "deadpan" sense of humor!  Visit and enjoy!  The High Point "market" is coming up, and I urge you to visit these fine establishments while in the Piedmont "triad" region.  DF *****

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BOOK : Thomas Britt

About This Book

This first book on the famed designer, renowned for rooms with bold color palettes, strongly graphic style contrasts, multicultural allusions, and stylish innovations, is a sweeping survey of his fifty-year career. Ever since Tom Britt opened his New York-based firm in 1964, he has been creating dramatic environments for his high-profile clients on multiple continents. His masterful design palette, with a wonderfully exotic slant, includes plush upholstered furniture, boldly patterned carpets, seductive lighting, and an elegantly theatrical use of mirrors. The resulting spaces are perfect for luxuriating and entertaining. From a chic pied-a-terre in San Francisco and tantalizing rooms at New York's famed Dakota apartment building to suburban manses in America's Midwest and a palace apartment in Jaipur, Britt's inimitable style merges saturated colors with an easy luxury. This book is necessary reading for anyone interested in the modern masters of interior design.

SUMMER: See You in September

via T. Furlow Gatewood

Last year, as you may recall, I decided to take a break from posting- for June, July, and August.  Thought it might be good to do it again this year! 

Summer, a time to wind down, unwind, chill out, take on a few remodeling or decorating jobs, and take some nice trips away from the usual scenery, if so fortunate!  Enjoy, wherever you are!  See you in September!  DF *****

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DESIGNER SKETCHES, Weekend Inspirations

Dean Farris Interior Design

Albert Hadley

DFID

Dean Farris Interior Design

From my student days at FIT



DFID

Parish-Hadley

Detail from a DeGournay wall paper

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, Fla.

Decorator-designer Ruth Condit at Ralph Lauren Home



With Julie C. Britt and William R. Rain at Mecox Road, Watermill, New York

Putti, shot on my last trip to NYC

 

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LES SALLES DE BAIN, Before and After

My Charleston project, as submitted to AD, Sherle Wagner sink and faucet (c) DFID

Here's a before and after, from my interior design project in Charleston, South Carolina...

The before (c) DFID

And here's a shot I had shown before of my project in Simpsonville, South Carolina...

(c) Dean Farris Interior Design, PHOTOGRAPHY, Related Images

Here, we were able to incorporate into this new construction project an existing antique stained glass window that my client already owned.  Enjoy! DF *****

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HURRICANE SEASON, Carolyne and Ralph

via Carolyne Roehm

I couldn't resist this image featuring Carolyne Roehm's use of the "Classic" hurricanes by Ralph Lauren Home... Inspiring!

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PAINTED FLOORS, Ultra Chic

Albert Hadley

Not often seen, the painted floors I dream of are the rara avis of high style decoration.  Think Bunny Mellon,  Sister Parish, and Carolyne Roehm...the room shown above is in Florida and was designed by the late Albert Hadley. 

Gloria Vanderbilt

Even something as simple as a plain (un-patterned) painted floor sends me over the moon!  Such as the Long Island salle a manger of tastemaker and style icon, Gloria Vanderbilt, shown above.

Gloria Vanderbilt

A variant on paint is the collaged fabric floor, varnished.  Todd Oldham the fashion designer, also had this done in his boutiques once upon a time.

John Fowler for Rachel "Bunny" Mellon

Former Mellon townhouse, New York



Mrs. Henry "Sister" Parish



T. Furlow Gatewood

TFG

Louise Wilcox Cronan, Cottage Living

Albert Hadley (House Beautiful)

Mario Buatta (Architectural Digest)

Mary McDonald

Miles Redd

Bunny Williams

Pauline de Rothschild (AD) 

PDR

Deeda Blair

Madcap Cottage

Mario Buatta (AD)

Howard Slatkin

Howard Slatkin

Alex Papachristidis

Alex Papachristidis



Albert Hadley and Britton Smith

Albert Hadley and Harry Heissmann

Jeffrey Bilhuber (Elle Décor)

Jeffrey Bilhuber

JB

JB

Jeffrey Bilhuber

Albert Hadley (House Beautiful)

Parish Hadley

Carolyne Roehm, Charleston

CR

CR

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