VISUAL COMFORT: New Gallery at MDC

Celerie Kemble, House Beautiful, Morris Large lantern, Visual Comfort and Co.

More exciting news for May 2017!  Our new Visual Comfort gallery is officially open in suite 101, Miromar Design Center, Estero, Florida.  We'll be having a lovely opening party on May 23rd and would love for you to stop by and enjoy some champagne with us!  (Date subject to change, please rsvp to MP at 239-498-9074). 

Visual Comfort became known in the world of design because the brilliant founder, Andy Singer, had the foresight to partner with Bill Blass early on, in creating a collection for the company.  Check out the complete design partners list !

Above, you can see where House Beautiful covered Celerie Kemble and her use of the Visual Comfort "Morris Large" lantern in an entry way, along with her own "Floribunda" wall covering for Fromental as well.  Kudos to Celerie!

Stay tuned for my exciting upcoming post on something I'm obsessed with, PAINTED FLOORS !  Just a heads up, it'll be a LARGE post !  Happy May 2017, DF *****

 

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LOOK BACK: Muse Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg- FORWARD: Todd Alexander Romano

Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg, Horst

I think the first time I ever met Todd Romano, was in the office of the late decorator Parkin Saunders- and I recall being impressed by his personal style, very 1930's playboy, very Baron de Gunzburg!  (He was wearing an ascot perfectly knotted)  I'm sorry to say, we haven't had a chance to reconnect since that first meeting which must have been about 1995.  

Interesting to note, that the Baron, a stylish figure in European and (North) American society, first settled in Hollywood- and later went to New York. 

Todd is now based in San Antonio, Paris, Los Angeles and New York- Click aqui to find out more about the ultra glamorous and very interesting Nicolas de Gunzburg.  Check out this fabulous portrait of Todd Romano which reminds me so much of the Horst photograph of Nicolas, who was known as "Nicky".  (aka Nikki)

Todd Alexander Romano

In researching the Baron, I learned, not surprisingly, that he had been a muse and inspiration to designers Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, and especially Calvin Klein, who considered the Baron to be a style mentor.  When, after his first big fashion show, Calvin approached the Baron to ask his opinion, whether it was a success or a flop- the Baron said "You showed great courage".  Wow!  Can you say "concise" ?

Adding further parallel interest to my story of two gentleman of great style,  Todd has done extensive work for Suzy Hilfiger, a wife of the fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.  Check out Todd's beautiful site here and you can see for yourself the extent of his talent and fabulous point of view.

I had posted previously about Todd's recent completion in Naples, Fla. of the former cottage of Albert Hadley- which made the cover of House Beautiful, for the second time!  (first time was when Albert was still the owner)  This then reminded me of how my other decorator friend, Mario Buatta, had designed a maisonette previously belonging to Sister Parish - for his client Patricia Altschul.

I recently was riding my bike down the alley where the entrance to Albert's former small guest house is located, and took this snap of it- after I showed it to Mario, he noted  "Very New England" - and indeed there is that quality to this charming property, located in the historic district of Naples.

I-fone photo by Dean

And here's the main house living room when Albert had it- a place where I spent many happy evenings of cocktails and long conversations!

via House Beautiful

And here is the same room from the Todd Romano decoration- some of the renovation had been done by previous owners who were subsequent to Albert's ownership.

Todd Alexander Romano, House Beautiful

What fun for me to have these talented gents in my life, and to have the Baron for inspiration- he makes me want to smoke so badly!  But, I did give up using Tenax in my hair back in the late 70's-
Don't you love how Nicky's hair is slicked back?  Not an easy look to pull off.  But in his day it was THE LOOK !  Check out Todd's Instagram too! DF *****

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What Is Dean Reading?



Dean Farris 2010

Summer!  A great time to grab a few books and magazines, and READ!  Here's what I'm into right now...1.  REVENGE WEARS PRADA, Lauren Weisbergers new sequel to her #1 bestselling DEVIL WEARS PRADA... I also saw the film and loved it too..
2.  BARE BLASS, by Cathy Horyn, Harper Collins 2002...my dear friend Mary gave this one to me, and I was thrilled, since Bill Blass was the commencement speaker at my graduation from famous F.I.T. (one of the top five fashion schools in the world).  The voice of BB in this book is heard as if he's in the room with you...and great photos too.  As Diana Vreeland said- "This is a big rich country, and Bill Blass looks it right in the face."
3.  BAG OF TOYS, by David France, Warner Books 1992...the titillating and scandal ridden tale of art dealer Andrew Crispo- the partner of the late Arthur Smith.  Hide this one from the children- for adults only!
4.  HOUSE BEAUTIFUL, July-August 2013...I'm in love with the Mimi McMakin project - in the Major Alley enclave of Palm Beach, a very charming place near Worth Avenue that I once discovered while visiting the island years ago.  Charm does not begin to describe the enchantment that Mimi has created here.  Her talent knows no bounds, she's a favorite decorator of mine, along with Leta Austin Foster, also of PB.  Enjoy!  DF***** 

Bergdorf Goodman, 111 Years of Fashion

Bergdorf Goodman!  I've enjoyed shopping there for years- and I have wonderful stories to share with you as BG celebrates its 111th year of business.  Founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf, it began as a small tailor shop in Union Square, and in 1928 opened on Fifth Avenue.  BG is now part of the Neiman Marcus Group, and the Mens Store opened in 1990, and what a beautiful place it is.  Powerful women of fashion, such as Dawn Mello, and Ellin Saltzman, have promoted the BG image, as well as the careers of world famous designers for many years, and I do recall being able to peek into Ms Mello's personal office, a minimal statement done in Dior grey, and her desk was entirely devoid of anything- well, maybe a telephone, but that's it!

Dawn Mello with Giorgio Armani

I once was on the jitney to east hampton and spied Ms. Saltzman jumping on, I should have said something to her, I think I did, maybe a "hello" LOL!  Anyway, I'm getting to my BG story, a real shocker, but not so unusual for New York.  But first, I do recall the buzz when Mrs John Grisham phoned in a $32,000 order for (16) Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica dinner plates...My friend Bob Page in Greensboro, owns a business called Replacements Limited, and he currently has these for around $999 each, get 'em while they last!  And it was always fun to bump into Frederic' Fekkai on the elevator...he arrived in 1989 - with a beautiful salon on the seventh floor.

I would sometimes wander downstairs, (we also would sneak upstairs, into the old top floor apartment where the Goodman family once lived) and admire the beautiful clothes of Bill Blass.  I always loved his sense of colour and feeling for fabrics. He had been the speaker at our graduation from FIT, and it was a very powerful, encouraging message he sent out to us.  We also had lots of other boutiques, at BG, including Howard Slatkin, foreshadowing Kelly Wearstler ( a fellow southerner btw) and Gregory, the subject of my story I'm getting to, worked there.  I recall always walking by the east 70th street house of Bunny Mellon, which was across from another Slatkin shop. It was always one of my favorite houses, painted in a light ivory stucco, with beautiful lacquered doors.  I read that it recently sold for around 15 million.

My co-worker, Gregory- he was always dressed to the nines, in beautiful double breasted suits, and he wore his hair slicked straight back.  He was a native New Yorker, and because he commuted between NYC and Florida, always deeply tanned.  He wore Charvet ties, and Cartier tortoise shell and gold glasses, which were round...like Phillip Johnson or Carrie Donovan.  He would shop in the store (BG) on his "day off" - so that we could all see him walking his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a beautiful puppy, whose name was - Cartier.  And, Gregory smoked. Cartier cigarettes.  Who knew?

So, anyway, I did find him an interesting character, and I remember he invited me over to his apartment for drinks.  When I got there, he seemed a bit surprised to see me- I don't think he thought I would actually show up. It was funny, because the manager of the BG seventh floor was there- and I saw that Gregory had a pretty nice apartment- on a high floor in a mediocre modern building near midtown.  He had a LOT of expensive looking accessories on every surface, including many silver framed photographs, showing him posed in front of his "Uncle Norman's" Rolls.  I called G's boyfriend his uncle, since he was always introduced as such, or even a grandfather, but he was really the partner, and I have a feeling he was financing  some of Gregory's lavish lifestyle.  Sadly, after I had re-located to Naples, I decided to call up dear Norman, over in Fort Lauderdale.  I must have looked him up in information.  It was so sad, and so shocking.  He told me that, after I had left, poor Gregory was caught shoplifting from BG, and the police were called, and he was escorted out by them- for all to see.  This saddened me.  Then, Norman tells me, (it gets worse)  dear Gregory got more and more into cocaine, and he checked into the Four Seasons (a penthouse suite) and hung himself from a chandelier with some knotted up Charvet ties.  This shocked me so badly, it took me weeks to get over it.  I had no idea.  Poor Cartier, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was taken away- I think one of the police officers took him.  A tale of old New York- one that is not so uncommon.  Sad, but true.  RIP dear Gregory.  I hope that you are now in the Palm Beach and Park Avenue of Heaven.  DF XXOO

  

Room of the Week, Gloria Vanderbilt

Room of the Week is BACK! I had been waiting for something like a catalyst to inspire a DFS post, and while reading one of my favorite new designer blogs, belonging to MARK SIKES, I got a nice lift from his recent BILL BLASS post, featuring this astonishing FRANCESCO SCAVULLO portrait of the ever fabulous, always young, GLORIA VANDERBILT. While I have never had the privilege of being in the same room or even seeing GV, I did know the late Ron Grimaldi, who helped GV with some of her decorating. I was told that she once paid something like $16,000.00 for one antique textile pillow. I also have never managed to meet her son, Anderson, who is always on television. However, my old friend Marcy has a sister who married into the Cecil family, who still own the Biltmore estate in Asheville, NC. Marcy was recently featured in HOUSE, on New York Social Diary. She is a fab lady and we attended classes together back in the good old eighties, under the tutelage of luminaries such as the late STANLEY BARROWS, who was the chairman of our interior design department at FIT. Also, BILL BLASS was our speaker at our graduation ceremony, and oh my what an inspiring speech he gave. May he rest in peace. The classical opulence displayed in this room, where GV stands, dressed by BLASS, is so beautiful and so classic, it will always be in style. I hope it will inspire you as it did me! DF *****