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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