Wednesday, January 29, 2020

SUZY: A Class Act

DFID (c) 2020

One of my favorite (and possibly my best) clients ever was Suzy- she hailed from Bloomington Indiana and wintered in Naples. I was privileged to work with her for 20 years on multiple residences.  What a charming beautiful lively fun intelligent woman she was as well as a devoted wife and mother grandmother and great grandmother! May she rest in peace - always a beautiful old fashioned rose in the garden of life.  DF



Saturday, January 25, 2020

MARIO: Prince of Interiors

Via Sotheby's

Of course I enjoyed following the sale of Mario Buatta's estate at Sotheby's and I was not surprised to see many of the prices go 4 to 10 times higher than the estimate-  There will never be another one like Mario- he was truly one of a kind, a true gentleman , a New Yorker , and a great talent- RIP
DF

Thursday, January 16, 2020

STYLE: Meubles

Dean Farris Interior Design, (c) 2020

Ask me what I really love, and there's probably nothing more than getting up early and rearranging my furniture.  If you have time to follow along with me you probably already know this.  So, accordingly, I've been up since 4:30 this morning dusting cleaning and rearranging my collection of decorative objects and meubles as the French would say.  The famous early pioneer of interior decorating, Elsie de Wolfe, also known as Lady Mendl, was also fond of using this term for furniture that can be moved around easily.  If you haven't heard already I'm with Miromar Design Center located at 10800 Corkscrew Road, Estero, FL - hoping you can visit me soon.  DF

Monday, January 13, 2020

MAXIMAL: Decorative Pillows

DFID (c) 2020

Here, I've created a lovely very symmetrical bouquet of decorative pillows which I've collected over the years from various sources -some were custom-made and some ready-made.  Time to take the Christmas wreath down I suppose however I do enjoy the exuberance it adds and I'm still contemplating refinishing the mirror in a flat palm beach white -like plaster of Paris.  DF

Monday, December 30, 2019

COLOR: New Neutrals

DFID (c) 2019

I've always liked  slightly offbeat color combinations, and the more I experiment with them the more fun I have and the more I learn that the idea of a neutral can be just about any color depending on your point of view, and what you put with it.  Way back in the 1990s Albert Hadley promoted the idea of lavender as the beige of the 90s -this is nothing new at this point in time -however it becomes fresh when you actually have it for yourself as opposed to just reading about it in a magazine!  Albert was very inspired by the fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who was quoted as saying that pink was the navy blue of India.

Shown here I used a vintage Parsons table that Albert gave me many years ago which I refinished in a lilac color- mixed with a custom needlepoint pillow -the canvas came from Lycette designs in Palm Beach and my dear friend Louise Wilcox Cronan stitched it for me.  I also used some very personal things on the table such as a mercury glass acorn from my friend Mary Hill and seashells from my friend Judith Auclair as well as small dishes from my friend Nicholas Cardone.

The small book on the table which has had its dust jacket removed is sister parish design by Susan Bartlett Crater and Libby Cameron.  I love also looking at the needlepoint pillow and recalling how Louise worked for Kevin McNamara in New York.  A decorative decorators scrapbook, if you will!

DF.

PS: Happy New Year's!!!!

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

VERANDA: Micky Hurley

Micky Hurley Interior Design

I received my new veranda magazine the Paris issue January February 2020 and fell in love with the Paris apartment of Malu and Micky Hurley and their beautiful family -(five children)- in a 17th century "hotel particulier "- located on the right bank... The image shown above is from Micky's website - which I found very interesting as he is promoting the use of antiques -something we don't hear much about anymore.

However Mr. Hurley is from an aristocratic family in Chile and definitely has the credentials to live and work as an international decorator- Check out the Hurley apartment in veranda it's amazingly beautiful- And the Hurley family is not too bad either!  DF

Saturday, December 14, 2019

SILKS: Tassinari et Chatel

Maintenon Flamboyant, Tassinari et Chatel

Recently while browsing Instagram I came across a post by noted antiquaire Mary Helen McCoy.
She was showing a stunning pair of chairs 18th-century dressed in a beautiful Lyon silk.
The firm of Tassinari and Chatel is the oldest in Lyon, dating back to the 18th century.  The  one shown here called "Maintenon", has beautiful metallic threads on a very unusual pallet of ruby red with Prussian blue.  Stunning chic of the 18th, still valid for the 21st !  DF


Monday, December 9, 2019

LAYERED: At Home

DFID (c) 2019

Having lots of fun continuing with the layered look in my Naples flat preparing for the holidays and the arrival of very important friends and family members.  Large pillow is Le Grand Corail, by Braquenie.  Henri Samuel used this fabric in the Paris apartment of Robert de Balkany. DF




Sunday, December 8, 2019

ART: At Home

DFID 2019

I'm still enjoying this 1971 print by Andy Warhol which was deaccessioned from the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.  I'm enjoying the juxtaposition of this piece with the chair by artist Jennifer Graylock, in her custom silkscreened fabric.  Happy holidays!  DF

Monday, December 2, 2019

DECEMBER! 2019 At Home

Dean Farris Interior Design (c) 2019

I enjoyed having old friends Charles and Kevin over last night with William for some early holiday entertaining before going out to dinner.  Accordingly I spent time preparing for their arrival including adding some holiday decorations as you can see here with my beloved carnations included as always. DF

Monday, November 25, 2019

BRENDA: A Life

Brenda Diana Duff Frazier

I'm enjoying this biography of Brenda Frazier, called "Debutante" by Gioia Diliberto...sadly, the World's "Glamour Girl Number One" was exhausted by her wild life in the thirties and a mother who manipulated her like a society puppet, resulting in a less than perfect life.  She ended up as a recluse addicted to drugs and alcohol - but always had lots of male admirers.  Perhaps having it all is a reminder that we ought to be thankful for the simple things ?  Food for thought - DF

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

DAVID HICKS: Needlepoint !

Pillow Louise Cronan
 I love my beautiful needlepoint pillow!  Louise created the canvas, and I had it "finished" !  I think it's stunning! DF