Instagram and 2021!!!

 Greetings and Happy New Year's...!  Follow me on @farrisdean on Instagram to track my latest images...

Dean Farris Interior Design (c) 2021

Find me at Miromar Design Center, 10800 Corkscrew Road, suite 188 or 149...

Call me on (239) 498-9074

Email me at deanfarrisint@gmail.com 

Bon chance ~!  DF  link here:  Miromar Design Center

Blue is for Biennale

Louis XV commode from the Biennale des Antiquaires, PARIS

I fell in love with the blue decoration on this piece~ which was shown in the recent biennale in Paris.  The combination of the rich blue lacquer with the gilded chinoiserie and the ormulu mounts is sensational!

Dean Farris Interior Design, Naples

While there is no blue shown in this previous apartment of mine, this image for me evokes a mood of living in Paris, or near Paris~
with the pair topiary trees, the tufted settee a la Madeline Castaing, and the unusual baroque style wine table under the crystal chandelier.  Notice my curtains are tied back here.  One can see the spirit of Autumn here~ and tomorrow is October first!  Enjoy!  DF ***** 

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Celebrating Independence!

King Louis XV, by Hyacinthe Rigaud 1730

Fifteen years after the death of Louis XV (1789) the French revolted against the decadent aristocracy- storming the Bastille- in pursuit of freedom and independence.  Louis XV was the great grandson of King Louis XIV.  His legacy was thought to have weakened the nation- and perhaps demoralized the people.

19th century (1889) La Tour Eiffel on Bastille Day, Paris

I always love how the city of Paris has dramatic lighting for this iconic monument- in every colour of the rainbow !  They don't call it the city of light for nothing!

Louis XV family portrait
The blonde wigged man is his famous great grandfather, Louis XIV
who was married to Marie Antoinette, who also called the Palace of Versailles "home" 

Favourite mistress of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour, by Boucher
She was also known as Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson

His (Louis XV) ill fated mistress Madame du Barry, by Le Brun

Louis XV -who assumed the throne at age five

Infanta Marianna Victoria of Spain, engaged to
Louis XV at age 7...a victim of age discrimination
she was rejected due to her youth. Louis XV then
married Marie Leszczynska (daughter of Queen Catherine
and King Stanislaw of Poland)

Bastille Day (July 14) is also celebrated in other european countries, including Hungary- shown above. I found these beautiful images most compelling- the opulence is staggering- and the pressures they must have endured are difficult to imagine in this day and age.  Celebrate the independence, and enjoy some wonderful French or California champagne- or a Spanish Cava !  Cheers!  DF *****    

2006 Sofia Coppola film

Pushing It Around

DFID

Dear readers, I'm forever rearranging my furniture, even though I always say I won't- I've been doing it since I was about twelve years old... this green velvet and cerulean blue combination is very Emilio Terry.  Read more about Emilio Terry here .

DFID

The pair of Louis XV style chairs were against the wall, across from the sofa-  I like this slightly asymmetric flanking of my chesterfield with a pair of chairs... although we keep thinking we want something in a fabric on the chairs-

Perhaps Les Touches, Brunschwig as used by Mark Sikes  

DFID

This is a rental, with low ceilings, and I must work around them and the ceiling fan, as well as the beige plush carpet- so my modus operandi has been to just "decorate"  for now...

DFID

Also, this morning, I decided to hang another picture above the collage over by the sliding glass doors...it did help to visually raise the eye, which is terrific, since my ceiling height here is - 7'-10"  !!!! And there is no "crown" molding either- we keep discussing changing the mirror to a flat white finish or changing it entirely.

As seen on first dibs (SOLD) 

DFID

DFID

DFID

I like this shot- the grainy look reminds me of old Horst photographs in the House and Garden of the 1970's, which was always probably my favorite magazine, besides the old Paige Rense Architectural Digest...dating myself- and personally, I do like this jumbled look, since the architecture is just a plain shoe box...I do hope you've enjoyed this very personal glimpse into my private quarters!  Cheers!  DF *****

PS, Last night, on Turner Classic Movies, I caught William Haines in the 1928 silent film, "The Smart Set" -

he was very amusing- and became a very prominent designer after leaving the world of film... 

The Contrast Between Old and New

The Ubiquitous Flat Screen

Above, I had mentioned earlier that we had planned to use a mock Louis XV style mantel on this elevation.  We ended up using an existing rattan table, until the right limestone mantel can be procured- and installed on a working fireplace!  I do like the subtle contrast though, between a mini flat screen t.v. - which was a gift from my Father (I've never bought a television in my life!) and the circa 1810 french giltwood mirror...

Playing with the idea of a library-dining area

Also, I've always loved the idea of having books stacked on a rarely used dining table- and since mine is located near the front hall, it makes even more sense- and adds an intangible warmth.  These are all furnishings I've had for years, but the new books just keep coming and coming- they add greatly to my personal enrichment and are symbols of affirmation and self-actualization!  Enjoy!  Cheers!  DF *****

Italian Luigi XV Mantel

Louis XV Style mantel, Agostinos, Naples

Here's the new mantel I've been posting about, in the recent series regarding my new flat here in Naples- I had seen this about maybe two years ago- and finally decided to get it- as you can see, it's quite a showy piece- and it'll be fun to share with you how it looks installed in the new apartment we're planning, for my personal and business use.  Agostinos has some wonderful Italian imports- the owner goes over four times a year- and I've been bringing clients there for many years.  I did find some antique "chenet" (fire dogs) today- at The Antiques Center of Naples- but am holding off on those.  They were old brass, and not the gilt bronze that I long for.  Better yet, we might instead use selenite logs or obelisque as fire dogs.  I love that Jean Michel Frankenstein look! :) Cheers!  DF *****

Maquette for My New Living Room

Maquette for Dean

Here, you can see the maquette, or model, also known in Italian as a "macchietta"- which is the elevations taken from the sketched furniture plan, shown in yesterday's post.  Parsons School of Design students (interior design) were taught how to make these for many years- and luckily for me, I inherited the old PSOD faculty when I attended the Fashion Institute, in New York.  We had originally planned to have lacquered aubergine walls, but have opted to go with a satin finish in a mushroom colour called "Victorian Garden" by Benjamin Moore.  

My former "Living Room"

Above, you can see the new sofa, which I plan to use (see south elevation) but am deciding whether to use the same art with pair porcelains on brackets above it, or switch back to the "Versailles" gold sunburst mirror...what do you think?  (I have it sketched in above, in maquette)

 Above, the sunburst above my old settee- which now is planned to go on the east elevation (see maquette) -flanked with the granny smith apple green velvet painted oval back armchairs...

Spanish Louis XV style from Albert

This rug is still being considered

One can never have enough "Louis" !

And I think I will use the new painted jute rug- from Poetic Wanderlust, by Tracy Porter (see my earlier post on Tracy). See the furniture plan sketch in yesterday's post.  The teal and gilt painted armchair from Albert will look stunning with the casual Elizabeth Eakins meets Alan Campbell jute rug- !

Notice the Louis XV mantel, above, from famous Villa La Fiorentina- this was probably our inspiration (how iconic!) for the north elevation- and while I don't have such a grand ceiling height to work with (quel horreur!) I think it will add a wonderful bit of "architecture" to the room- and I feel that if Mrs. Parish had a "faux" fireplace in her Manhattan office, then so can I !  I LOVE the blue and white porcelain garniture on this mantel, and John Tackett, from the Devoted Classicist, posted the set when it sold- it went for a song- I still don't have a picture yet of our new mantel- but it's a Florentine piece, in a rich walnut finish with some gilding on the carvings- if we don't like the finish we can always paint it out- like AH did to the marble one in his cottage here- but I think the somewhat gaudy look will work with our pair of olive suede Louis XV style armchairs...stay tuned for more updates to come!  Cheers!  DF *****

Sister, Mario, and Dean !

Concept sketch, D.F.I.D.

We're having a great time planning my new apartment- here in The Moorings- and wanted to share this designer sketch, known as an "esquisse" with you, dear readers...I was inspired by seeing a false fireplace in the office of Mrs. Henry Parish, II- and have decided to use a Louis XV style mantel in my new living room- oddly enough, the small cottage once owned by Albert Hadley, here in Naples, also had a white painted Louis XV style mantel!  As for dear Mario B, my new palette is an homage to him, since it combines the colours of a garden...

Mrs. Parish's former maisonette, by Mario Buatta

Above, notice the rouge marble Louis XV mantel, which helps to create an architectural focal point. We plan to hang the circa 1800 gilt wood mirror above my mantel, and I really like very much the refined mix that is a classic signature of Mario's work, and we hope to achieve this look in my new flat. (on a smaller scale!)  The other focal point in this view is the magnificent red chinoiserie secretary.

Above, in a vintage Palm Beach house, a gilt sunburst was hung above the mantel.  Notice there is no rug on the dark wood floor- we are also considering a dark wood floor, versus a tile floor.  I like the subtle French undertones of this room, which I had posted about previously, under Maurice Fatio.

Dean Farris Interior Design

Above, my copy of a "Versailles" style sunburst, with mirror, after a model by Line Vautrin.  This mirror was sourced from Wisteria, which is owned by the daughter of Lisa Newsome, the founder of the beautiful decor' magazine- VERANDA.  I'm not sure where it will go yet, probably above the circa 1900 cognac brown leather chesterfield sofa.  I'm mostly using existing furnishings for my new flat, and we may or may not use the ikat jute rug shown in an earlier post...and stay tuned for some exciting news! (secret) - what do you think? Should we go with a bare floor, or add a rug? Any thoughts and suggestions would be most appreciated!  Cheers!  DF *****

  

Parish-Hadley Redux in Naples

Dean Farris Interior Design

Here's the exciting new ikat printed jute rug I had mentioned in a recent post-! I'm very pleased with it, and it just reminds me so much of some of the vintage images from the P-H archives I had been exposed to while living in New York, and studying my passion, interior design and decoration...this really "woke up" my room!  As I told my good friend and fellow decorator, Judith Auclair- I may have an actual color palette going on for the first time in years, for ME, not the clients! :)  

Above, you can see the teal painted Spanish Louis XV arm chair I obtained from Mr. Albert Hadley- and I had told Judith I thought my new "palette" might be blues, cognac browns, and touches of periwinkle.  Now that the new ikat jute rug is here (Feizy Imports) I see more of the turquoise-teal in it so am thinking of adding that divine colour also - for the satin turkish corner toss pillows I'm planning for the leather chesterfield sofa.  An unexpected benefit of this made in India rug is the warm aroma of jute -like a soft masculine rope smell...which I rather like.  Thanks to the California based artist-designer, Tracy Porter (see earlier post) of Poetic Wanderlust, I now have a new casual rug, affordable, and chic, that I can get excited about!  Cheers!  DF *****(click images to enlarge)   

Rococo Romance in a 16th Century Chateau



Chateau de Talcy

I'm most intrigued, and enchanted by, this beautiful room in the Loire Valley, near Blois, in the Chateau de Talcy.    While the house itself dates from around 1520, the interiors were done up in the 18th, and have been preserved as a monument of France- the house is open for tours and sees about 20,000 visitors a year.  If you've read some of my previous posts on decorating, you know that I'm fatally partial to the style known as Rococo, aka Louis XV.  Every night, while sleeping, this is what I dream of.




Salle a manger, Chateau de Talcy

Above, check out the absolutely stunning wall paper- and that floor! Not to mention those deliciously milky looking beams.  Pure perfection.  I also am admiring the soft stamped velvet on the chaises, how the colour works with the elegant turquoise ground of the walls.  Divine!  Chateau de Talcy, 18 rue du Chateau 41370 Talcy, FR  Enjoy!  DF *****   

Decorator Scrapbook

Dean Farris at home, 2010

I was most interested to see that decorator Mary McDonald has launched a new line of decorative fabrics for Schumacher.  Congratulations Mary!





Mary McDonald for Schumacher

Hmmm... what else is rocking my little world right now?  I would have to say, it's a little of everything, and I enjoy my work so much, that it's hard to not become just a total workaholic!



Room by Dean Farris

I still love this moody, almost Parisian feeling, shot I took of my former Positano Place living room, from a few years ago.  The teal and gilt painted Louis XV style chair was obtained from the late Albert Hadley- it wears a Jack Lenor Larsen linen, backed in softly shimmering gold lame'.  I still love this chair, and my friend Stephen has suggested I have copies made of it, a la Ann Getty, to use as dining chairs...love that concept!




Albert Hadley

My decorator friend in Los Angeles, Peggy Braswell, recently posted a comment on  my piece about the new Chesterfield sofa, and I find her inspiring too.  Here's a beautiful portrait of beautiful Peggy...



Peggy Braswell

Even though I decided not to move out to Los Angeles, it seems I keep going in that direction- and I think we all have the ability to change directions, when we feel so compelled.  Enjoy the day!  DF *****

Decorator Scrapbook XV

Vintage eighties on the beach style...

Great aubergine wall color was used

My latest tablescape

Dining area using what I had...

18th Century Louis XV bergere

It's always great fun to meet a new potential client, and this morning I drove myself up the street to The Terraces, a luxury condominium on Gulf Shore Boulevard North, to visit the seasonal residence of one such lovely and charming person, who hails from Ohio... This condo was purchased when new by the owner, and she had worked with Holland Salley and Robb & Stucky on it over the last twenty years. We will be submitting a bid to remodel and decorate the apartment beginning work next Summer. I was struck by the use of an aubergine wall color in the living room, which was custom mixed by the owner with the painter. Here too, I share a shot of my latest "tablescape" - after living for several months with a totally nude table top. Am enjoying this melange of blue and white bits. I was doing some morning stretching exercises under the table, and caught this low angle shot of my fun dining area, which I couldn't resist sharing with you again. Finally, a favorite Louis XV style chair, since this is my 15th "Decorator Scrapbook"! ENJOY! PS, some friends are on their way to Chicago for a holiday, and I suggested they visit Branca, on East Pearson Street, I know they'll enjoy seeing this high style emporium of decorative delights, in all price ranges.

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