J McLaughlin

J McLaughlin, Third Street South, Naples

Another of my very favorite boutiques in Naples, is called J. McLaughlin.  With two shops in town, it's always fun to pop in and see what's new...

J McLaughlin, Venetian Village, Naples

Check out this gorgeous, classic interior design at the Village location~ Elsie de Wolfe would have adored it !  The husbands can hang out in here while the wives shop...or the husbands ! :)  And speaking of interior design, (below) here I am in a funny candid shot in Troy Cardwell's apartment in Park Shore, where his furniture is matching my J. McLaughlin "Dean" shorts in ikat printed linen and cotton.  Shirt, also linen, by Ralph Lauren.

Dean wearing his new "Dean" shorts, J. McLaughlin

Looking forward to the Fourth of July weekend!

 

Trending Classic, Les Touches

Geoffrey Beene

All of us have always loved the way fashion designer, Geoffrey Beene, used the now famous "Les Touches" from Brunschwig and Fils~ in his dining room in Connecticut, many, many years ago...and I do recall the text saying that the pattern had been hand painted on the walls, to match the festoon fabric shades...brilliant!

Brunschwig and Fils "Maisonette" Collection 2015

Recently, perhaps due to the popularity of ikat patterns, this BF classic has become super trendy, especially with decorators...my friend Louise Cronan is planning to use it in the less seen aqua colorway with Kelly green in her new Palm Beach cottage.

via Palm Beach Daily News

Mark D. Sikes for Legends of La Cienega

Michael S. Smith, via AD

When I saw this stunning guest room in the Rancho Mirage home of designer Michael S. Smith, I knew I had to post about the fabric! He also got the cover of the new AD~and what a sensational tour de force that house is! See Architectural Digest...DF*****

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Have a very happy Passover and Easter! 

Home Sweet Home

DFID My Living Room in Naples 2014

All of my friends, clients, and family members have commented on how much they like my new flat, here in Naples.  I love it too, but as usual am probably going to be making some minor changes soon.  For example, I might replace the showy ikat rug with a solid sisal.  I would also like a lower and larger coffee table, and am considering a tall armoire across from the sofa for some added height. Then I can tackle my bedroom~ where I plan to use a Dana Gibson print for a headboard- or get a nice tester bed from OLY STUDIO, which we carry at MP Interiors.  Still deciding! I can be as picky and indecisive as any client!  Enjoy!  DF *****

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A Decorative Thanksgiving!

William (Billy) turned the chair out!

One of the great pleasures of my long career in decorating and design has been showing others, as I have been shown, what makes me inspired- and the intangible gratification one experiences in doing so.  Billy has become like my own Libby Cameron, whom Albert fondly referred to as "his monster" meaning he created another decorator with a feverish talent.  Billy had the audacity to ask if he could "critique" my new room- which of course I love- and so he suggested a very minor and simple change- just moving one chair further back- which I then turned away towards the small settee- shown above- minor but MAJOR! I love it!  Tice Alexander once did the same thing, in my East 66th street flat, he just started shoving my furniture around- and of course it was so much more interesting when he left- I was simply thrilled and mesmerized!  As private jets come in for the landing every five minutes (I'm in the flight path) Billy prepares to fly off via private jet (known as a "P-J" to certain trophy wives) to the Bahamas- while dear Mary and I will dine at fabulous Ridgeway's- here in gorgeous Naples (see earlier posts on Ridgeway's).

Billy in a relaxed pose

 I took this shot of my talented protege' relaxing on the cognac leather chesterfield, and I love how he tucked his legs up just like Sister Parish always did while sipping vodka laced with clamato juice...and doesn't that little "baroque" table look great sitting on the new ikat printed jute rug? I think so.  Everybody, have a great Thanksgiving wherever you are- even if it's not a holiday you might normally celebrate- Enjoy!  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)   

More Ikat Madness!



Tracy Porter



Stout Brothers "Darlington" color Jasmine

This afternoon, our Feizy rugs rep came in, and introduced us to some new things, including the Poetic Wanderlust collection, by the California designer, Tracy Porter-  I went crazy for the Coronado line- a loose jute from India overprinted with a large scale ikat pattern- and instantly ordered a size 8 x 11 for a ridiculously low price- I chose the blue colorway- and look forward to posting it when it's installed here at chez Farris- 

The fabulous Summer zinnia image, above, is from the Poetic Wanderlust site- a visual feast celebrating the lifestyle Tracy and her husband John, have created with their four sons on a Santa Ynez ranch- I've always been entranced by zinnias-remember the zinnia chintz from Brunschwig?

And look at this "Cintra" printed design, by Quadrille- it screams ikat and an Alan Campbell faux naive chic at the same time...the colors are very fresh and fun- reminding me of our new Tory Burch boutique here in Naples, which I popped into yesterday- on my way to the also newly arrived L'Occitane boutique- (spend $50 and get a free shower gel).  I do think, that if, like me, you are haunted by images of Phyllis Diller in a silk ikat caftan - then you must also love these ikats as much as I do.  While the design media has deemed them "terribly trendy" recently, they are, like so many tried and true classics, nothing new.   Enjoy!
DF *****

(Still) Loving Ikat Designs



Stout Fabrics "Darlington" Color-3  Jasmine

I was out shopping for clients this morning, and very much by accident discovered this linen and cotton print, by Stout, called "Darlington" (hello Reggie Darling) and immediately loved it on sight.  Most of my clients don't really fancy ikat patterns- so this is for ME.  There are four colorways, the only one I didn't bring home to try was the orange/gold one, as I had that palette in my old Bridgewater Bay apartment.

I would LIKE to make fat down filled pillows from this, for the new sofa, and use it on a pair of Louis XV style chairs...AND have my workroom make some drapery panels, with a very Colefax-Fowler cotton fringe...then I just need a couple of new area carpets...



Stout Fabrics "Darlington" Color-2 Waterway

This one, ABOVE, (and below) is more teal- with chocolate- and I like it for a very neo-baroque style tufted headboard and hangings for my dreamy new bedroom I'm conjuring up...

At first, I thought I loved that one the most- and I do- only for the bedroom, not the living room, then I also liked this chic mulberry-amethyst colorway (below) which I once had in a similar design from Brunschwig, on an ottoman, and a Kingston swagged valance.




Stout Fabrics, "Darlington" color- 1 Raspberry



I love that this fabric is a mix of linen and cotton.  I do like the slightly soft, wrinkled look and feel of it, and it ages well.  Stay tuned to see if I actually order this and have it made up!  Who knows?  DF *****