Tony Duquette, The Inspiration

Space of the Week: Every Cockatoo Needs a Headdress

Check out this fabulous piece by Wendy Goodman... DF 



Duquette for Dodie Rosecrans, Venice



Le Style Rothschild - Waddesdon Manor




The Red Drawing Room

I've always, like many people, been fascinated by very grand houses, and lately I've been looking at one of my books called "The Rothschilds at Waddeson Manor".  Recently, James Reginato did a piece on Lord Jacob and his stewardship of this amazing house in Buckinghamshire, England. (Sotheby's Magazine)  
In the colour plate in my book, the damask on the walls of the room above, looks much brighter, and more "red"- here, it appears to be a more rosy shade.  I LOVE the opulence of damask on walls!  Have you ever seen the film called "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" - with Debbie Reynolds?  See it!  Waddeson Manor, built in the late 19th, is the second most visited National Trust property in the U.K. - Lord Jacob de Rothschild recently added a new complex called Windmill House, which will house more of the vast family archives.  Apparently, the Rothschilds built over 44 houses throughout Europe, many in this French Renaissance style, which became known as "Le Gout Rothschild."

The exterior of Waddesdon Manor, shown above, was used in season two of "Downton Abbey" - It was styled after famous chateaux of the Loire in France, on a more modest scale.  I am reminded of the Vanderbilt estate at Asheville, North Carolina, called "Biltmore".  Before WWII, when the family was still using the house as a residence, there were hundreds of servants, including gardeners and stable boys.  Imagine the lifestyle!  A bit daunting no doubt- and difficult to grasp in this day and age.  Enjoy!  DF *****
    

Bentley Party, Naples



Brooklands

 Looking forward to this annual party- celebrating the fourth anniversary of business in the new building, and a new Bentley model.  Meeting with new clients earlier that day, from the U.K. - they have a home on Majorca as well.  Did you know that Ibiza (near Majorca) is pronounced "e-beetha" ?  Well now you do!  See you soon XX DF



Arnage

Gorgeous, cream leather interior...so luxurious, and so very private.  Home James! :)




Continental

I test drove the cabrio version of the one above- it was a like a visit to heaven! Love it! :)



Azure

The shot above, gives an idea of how luxe the Bentley is- 12 cylinders of pure bliss! :)  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 *****
 

 

Cupola House

Billy and I have been working on the design-build of this new 14,000 square foot house for the past two years- located in the up country of South Carolina, we've christened the property "Cupola House" - for obvious reasons- here are a few shots from our last trip up.

The weather was FREEZING, like a damp English winter- and the temps were in the mid twenties...our thin Floridian blood was CHILLED.  Luckily, there were space heaters in the house. 



We used a brick called "Old Jefferson"


The garage, known as the EAST WING, will hold two Jaguars, a Chevy Suburban, and a Rolls-Royce...still waiting for the new doors to be installed.

The house is sitting on five acres... I took a hike to the lower part of the property to get this shot, eventually we plan to have an allee' of magnolias from the upper area down to the valley, with a decorative folly at the bottom.

A shot I took, looking up into the new cupola, before the small army of finish carpenters arrive to add all the gorgeous finishing mill work...

I couldn't get a good front shot of the new structure, since this existing ranch house is blocking the view- soon to be cut in half and moved to a lot in the nearby area...bye bye tear-down!  Stay tuned for future updates- DF *****

Project Help

Project Help.  17th Annual Chocolate Extravaganza, live and silent auctions, tropical music, hors d'oeuvres, Champagne, wine and an array of chocolate desserts,  Naples Botanical Garden; 239-649-1404  March 2, 2013

 

Jewels On The Bay, Sarasota Showhouse 2013



Chuck Bolton Interior Design, to benefit The Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota

My good friend, and fellow decorator, Charles"Chuck" Bolton has created this charming and beautiful bedroom, for the 2013 Jewels On The Bay Designer Showhouse, the 18th annual such event, benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota and Manatee Counties.  I elected to post about this gorgeous, classical chamber, as I love the way Chuck used a dramatic cerulean blue wall colour (very Devil Wears Prada) and simply elegant curtains, beautifully tied, with a classic Louis Phillipe style bed...I also am very partial to having a chandelier over a bed, as he's done here.  Tailored masculine elegance!

 


Chuck Bolton

Chuck has a natural talent, and hails from the affluent town of Johnson City, Tennessee.  Chuck has lived in Palm Beach, Key West, and Naples- and now resides in Sarasota.  He's been associated with top firms, such as Betsey Godfrey, Godfrey Associates, and Robb and Stucky.  He has also taught interior design in Atlanta- not unlike Stan Topol, and Billy Baldwin (Parsons).  For quality, value, high taste, and a ton of fun, consult with Chuck on your current or upcoming project.  You will not be disappointed, I can promise you that!  Finally, we used to hang out at Albert Hadley's cottage, when the late, great, dear Albert had a cottage here in Naples.  Enjoy!  DF *****


Albert Hadley



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 *****   

Horst, Inspirations From The Past



Coco Chanel, Horst

I've long admired the work of the late fashion photographer, Horst, and was recently perusing the book by the same name "Horst" by Valentine Lawford - (Knopf) - and found these iconic images, which I shot with my digital and have posted here-





Baroness de Rothschild, Horst

They're taking on a slightly weird, Warholish look here, since they're pictures of pictures of pictures...but I was also inspired by the chic WordPress blog called Slim Paley...and I once was able to catch a cherished glimpse of Horst himself, lunching alone in a window table of the Isle of Capri restaurant, on Third Avenue, in Manhattan.  I wonder if that place is still there? Anyone?



Maisons-Lafitte, Horst

Look at this amazing garden, near Paris, that he caught with his camera!  I love the peacock perched on top of the classical bust on pedestal.






Baroness and Baron de Rothschild, Horst

Look at the luxurious fur throw on the sofa, above.  I once had a client, who had a fur throw on the back of her library sofa, in Winston-Salem.  That's as chic as it gets!  Pauline de Rothschild was a fashion designer, and a muse of the society decorator, Billy Baldwin.  You can learn more about her in his books- of which there are several.




Babe Paley, Horst

Look at this fabulous portrait of Babe Paley- taken by Horst at her Kiluna Farm, in Manhasset, Long Island.  This one picture is worth a thousand words!




Princess Chavchavadze, Horst

This one, above, is almost too good to be true.  I'll excerpt the text for you to give you an idea of how brilliant Mr. Lawford's writing is- "Princess Elizabeth Chavchavadze, in the drawing room of the Palazzo Polignac overlooking the Grand Canale in Venice, 1947.  Horst: The sofa the princess is sitting on was designed by and belonged to Wagner.  She was a hostess in the days when Venice was still a favorite holiday resort of the fashionable, which it wasn't later.  She was born Elizabeth Ridgeway and was married first to the Count de Breteuil and then to Prince George Chavchavadze, a member of an ancient Georgian family and a talented professional pianist.  The couch was so deep that she couldn't get out of it." !!! Wow !!! I'm speechless.  

Diamonds In The Sun, A Roman a Clef



Naples, Florida

 



DITS, Amazon.com



 Currently, one of my favorite Palm Beach decorators, Leta Austin Foster, has published a wonderful story, called "Night Swimming" - on her blog, called "Decorating With Sheets"- and her post inspired me to write about the time, about five years ago, when I self published a funny little novel, called "Diamonds In The Sun, The Mitzie Newburg Chronicles".  It's a work of thinly disguised truth as fiction- known as a roman a clef- about the town of Naples, Florida, where I've been living for the last 16 years...

Here's an excerpt from one of my favorite chapters, called "The Honeymoon" -

Dinner was aboard the boat, and it slowly cruised up the coast and then turned as the sun was beginning to set.  There was a haze of mist that created a scene from a Turner painting, and the men were in black tie with ivory jackets and the ladies wore chiffon with heavy euro-style jewels.  As the boat returned to the mooring in the bay near the villa, the sunset reflected on the windows of the house and they glittered like diamonds in the sun.  Lamps were being lit in the bedrooms, and the diamonds glowed from within and reflected the sea light in a dazzling display of beauty and peace.

If I had to describe what my little un-edited work is about, I'd say it's about a lady who seems to have it all, but never has enough.  It's about how we all strive to live the best life we can, and I am inspired by people who are so creative, like Leta, and like Tyler Perry, and a writer called E. Lynn Harris, who used to sell books from the trunk of his car, before he got an agent and a publisher.  (Tyler Perry took his life savings of $12,000 and invested it in a play he created.  He kept re-writing this for about 6 or 7 years...today he is estimated to be worth about 400 million dollars).  Inspiring.



   


A view from my apartment, sunrise

I hope you'll find this post inspiring too, and maybe create something fun and interesting of your own, whatever it is.  ENJOY!  DF *****

Classics are Forever



Foyer, Hopedene, Newport, R.I.

This foyer and staircase, at Hopedene, a famous colonial revival house in Newport, Rhode Island, inspires me with its elegant simplicity, and grand proportions.  Classic!  The royal red carpet, black banisters, and brightly gilded table look stunning and so correct.






Mandarin Console by J. Alexander, Brian Austin Collection

If the gilding is too much for you, and maybe not so suitable for your lifestyle or your budget, then I'd suggest this interesting piece- which comes in a variety of finishes- we could still hang a very ornamental mirror or painting above it.  Classic!

 






Exterior entrance, Mary McDonald,  Los Angeles, CA

 Again, I find the work of decorator Mary McDonald, so inspiring.  One walks through a shuttered gate-like door - into an outdoor garden, and then is faced with the front door entrance into the house.  I love the mystery of this, and the charm, it's CLASSIC!  Also classic is the deep taupe colour Mary used on the stucco.  Enjoy!  DF ***** 

The Mysterious Mirror



Dean Farris Interior Design

Here's the circa 1800 french giltwood mirror Bill and I just installed, in my Naples apartment.  The dealer, Joe Miller, of Antiques Center of Naples also had a larger, and more costly old mirror, with the interesting provenance of having belonged to the mother of Queen Noor of Jordan.  Lisa Halaby of Washington, DC is the widow of King Hussein of Jordan.  What intrigued me about this, not knowing her, or her mother, was that the style of that mirror was very much like one that Tice had borrowed from the old Parish Hadley inventory, for his small, but chic, apartment on East 69th Street, in Manhattan.  (see my earlier posts on Tice Alexander)

    


Room by Mario Buatta

A mirror, very much like the one dear Mario had hanging in this former apartment of his-I found this picture in the 1976 book, by Norma Skurka, "The New York Times Book of Interior Design and Decoration".  It has very old gilt, and is quite decorative against the beautiful glazed walls.  This mirror is like the one Joe Miller now has in his stock, here in Naples.

 


Room by Joseph Braswell

Above, a stunning room by the late designer, Joseph Braswell (d. 2006) with boiserie incorporating a large trumeau - (without the painting above) - interestingly, Joe had King Fahd of Saudi Arabia as a client.  Joe Braswell also was a Dean of interior design at Parsons.  I was fortunate to meet him, in about 1977 or so, when I was taken to his Sutton Place apartment for a pre- theater cocktail party.  The best was when his partner, Ward Willoughby, made his grand entrance, dropping his full length fur coat on the floor as he entered!  Ah, the seventies! It was pretty glam, and that song "Native New Yorker" was playing...



Room by Harrison Cultra

The elegant, tall room above, by the late Harrison Cultra, (d. 1983) uses another tall gilt mirror, seen at left.  I've always loved this image, and it's from the same Norma Skurka 1976 book.  Mr. Cultra counted Jacqueline Onassis as a client...he was only 42 when he died.  Rest in peace. 



Room by Dean Farris

Above, another shot of the new sofa, with the new mirror installed.  I'm considering getting a seagrass or sisal rug to pull all this together...but this cozy grouping has much more comfort now, and my mother kept telling me to get some kind of leather "easy chair" - I suppose to rest my weary old bones in- and this is what I chose- a circa 1900 english chesterfield, which I use like a chaise. That's all for now kids, see you soon.  Enjoy!  DF *****