Day and Night in the Salon

That cold winter light warming up the salon

The Flamingo sitting room in Fort Lauderdale

I always leave a lamp burning in the evening

I sometimes feel that I'm channeling the sun king, as I love all things french, and I love to see the sun streaming into my "salon". I even wrote a novel about the sun, entitled "Diamonds In The Sun"! I wanted to share this day and night shot of my room with you, and hope that it will brighten up your day. No tree this year, as I have not the time. The spirit of Christmas is burning however, and we make what small contributions we can to the local charities for the homeless and the underprivileged. 2011 promises to be a great year, and a fresh start. Enjoy the holidays! DF*****

In Christas Garden

Garden view behind Lars Bolander

A Christas original

Here I am with the elusive Christa!

Just got to have these

Always need a big clam shell



Reminds me of my Georgia childhood

It was great to see the talented and very charming Christa Wilm, owner of Christas South Seashells, while we were visiting the antiques row on Dixie highway. www.csseashell.com/blog/ (her new blog)

What fun to see her garden behind the shop, and just to soak up her amazing energy and style!

Here, Billy took a snap of me and Christa behind the shop, and as you can see, she has a little potager there as well. I spied a charming treehouse, and she told us that her son loves to play up there. It's all in a days work for a busy Naples decorator! Enjoy! DF***** PS Christa sells madly chic shell tree ornaments, dipped in gorgeous teal colored glitter...plus jewelry and some pieces of furniture that I love.

Amazing Elephants Foot Antiques

Pair overdoors I adore

A wonderful coq pour la cuisine

Good looking copy

Fantastic 18th century figures

Classic girandole

Founded in 1963 by Marvin Ray and Ronald French, The Elephant's Foot, located at 3800 S. Dixie highway in West Palm Beach is a treasure trove of carefully vetted furniture, objects, and works of art. Bill and I always enjoy going there, and Terry has been so helpful with our purchases. http://www.theelephantsfootantiques.com/ Here are some real goodies I found yesterday which I shot to share with you (and select clients) ENJOY! DF ***** PS: the shop has a summer location in Highlands, North Carolina.

Tel: 561-832-0170 ask for Terry

Meeting Lars Bolander

Lars Bolander and I on Dixie highway!

Inside the Lars Bolander Gallery, love this!

Seen at Lars Bolander, West palm beach

Billy and I had tons of fun today exploring Dixie Highway in West Palm. We also met William Eubanks today and saw his beautiful new space on Worth Avenue (Palm Beach). As well as meeting Christa, owner of Christas South Seashells. Here I am with Lars outside his shop, and here are some shots I took while there. www.larsbolander.com I get such a kick from visiting, even just for the day. I always want to buy almost everything I see! Lars is having a big 50% off sale, check it out! We also dropped in at Leta Austin Foster in Via Mizner, and I left a note for Leta, since she was a bit under the (cool) weather today. Her shop is so totally charming, right across from Renatos restaurant. http://www.letaaustinfosterboutique.com/ Our only disappointment was the Worth Avenue Polo Ralph Lauren - it was very drab and tired looking! I was so surprised. Perhaps since people actually PLAY polo in WPB, the shop just needs to feel "old". Poor Bill was almost run over by a Rolls Royce! Thanks goodness he was saved (by me) and it was fun to see all the dogs lounging all over the place. I died over the tables at Mary Mahoney! They are so gorgeous. Enjoy these pics! DF***** www.marymahoney.com

My Martha Stewart Moment

I mounted the image on leftover Brunschwig Zarafa Beige

I hand colored the image prior to color copying

I had wanted to make some personal cards for cherished long time clients and a few good friends last year, and simply ran out of precious time. This year, I'm managing to create almost two dozen of these hand made Martha inspired originals, which also have a little Albert Hadley flair, since I used some glitter in an interesting almost holographic way. The glitter is very fine, and is called glitter foam. It washes over the image of my room like a snow globe...! So charming and personal. Here are some shots I took of the works in progress. I chose to use Cranes heavy stock envelopes, lined in a semi-matte black, with red ink for the names and addresses. My friend Mark Nelson in New York ordered his stamps with his intials, MND, which I am crazy for. Next year I'll have to do that too. Thanks for the tip Mark! Enjoy the holidays! DF *****

New York, City of Dreams

Ever since my parents took me and my brother to NYC, I've had a love affair with it. We were riding around Manhattan in a black limousine, and disco music was playing on the radio- remember "I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it"! Later I visited with a friend from school and stayed in his brothers Beekman Place studio, and we went to the theater, and I was invited to helicopter out to this estate on Long Island. Then, as you know, I moved to New York in 1980 to pursue my further education with the former Parsons faculty at the Fashion Institute. I saw and met so many famous people that I could never list them all here! I danced with them at 54, I lunched and dined with them, and I had a ball! Imagine dancing with Tony Curtis while tons of glitter fell on you! Imagine having Bea Arthur tell you that you are a jewel! Imagine being in the apartment of Neil and Leba Sedaka, and the private quarters of Mayor Ed Koch, and Sister Parish's private office! Here, in these exquisite images by Evan Joseph, you can get an idea of just how truly glamorous New York really is. Oh, did I mention that for a while, Andy Warhol and Imelda Marcos were my next door neighbors! How you gonna keep him down on the farm after he's seen the bright lights of the big city? That, my dears, is the question. New York, New York, it's a hell of a town. I love to visit in October, and just soak up that feeling of autumn in the air. Thanks to all who made my journey so magnificent, including Christie Brinkley, Anne Bass, Connie Chung, Harrison Ford, Iman, Jed Johnson, Bobby Short, Joan Rivers, Barbara Streisand, Wayne Newton, Mia Farrow, Rod Stewart, Hurd Hatfield, Ivana Trump and so many others I was privileged to meet and to spend time with. I LOVE NEW YORK! DF *****

Hamptons Cottages and Gardens

The Whittles Florida home is in this months PBCG

All pictures courtesy Hamptons Cottages and Gardens

My thirst for high quality lifestyle publications seems to have no limit. One of the best of the breed is called "Hamptons Cottages and Gardens". (There is also Connecticut C & G and Palm Beach C & G) - Here's a glimpse of the Georgica Pond home of Chris Whittle and Priscilla Ratazzi, as featured in Hamptons C & G... you can see why I like this magazine so much! Its like you suddenly fell into a world of taste, money and style, and of course you never want to leave! I was first introduced to the hamptons by designers Ned Marshall and the late Harry Schule (see Architectural Digest in the 80's) and later the late designer George Clarkson, who let me and Parkin Saunders drive his dark green Rolls Royce all over Southampton. Ned and Harry introduced to me the chic socialite Lindsay Smith, who had a cottage in Water Mill, and I also am friends with the noted designer Tom Britt, who recently listed his hamptons house for 13 million in the real estate section of AD. What is so amazing is that it all seems so EFFORTLESS! Arthur Dunnam, another designer friend has a lovely place in Easthampton village which I was taken to by my late designer friend Raul Morillas...(see Architectural Digest) - Arthur works in the firm that Jed Johnson created with his partner Alan Wanzenberg. Jed was a protege' of Andy Warhol. The hamptons are all about being social, good food and wine, and playing tennis and going to endless wonderful cocktail parties. It's a Summer place, and many artists have made it their home over the years, as the light and landscape is quite lovely. Enjoy this glimpse of the good life! DF*****

On My List: Venfield

VENFIELD - a touch of old New York glamour!

Found at Z Gallerie... nice with the coyote throw from Venfield
These are from VENFIELD, not old, but good...good for holding the Vuitton trunks

These are from VENFIELD, to go above the commodes on either side of bed




Santa, these are for my nightstands, from VENFIELD, NYC




These go on the commodes in front of the mirrors VENFIELD

This new bed from VENFIELD will have the orange silk damask as a duvet, with custom linens embroidered in orange from Leta Austin Foster, Palm Beach

This coyote throw from VENFIELD goes at foot of bed, thanks Santa

This piece of french 40's (VENFIELD) goes on glass wall opposite bed, facing view of the city

This sputnik from VENFIELD, will look great on the lacquered brown ceiling

Dear Santa, I want to redo my bedroom for my Christmas present this year! Could I please have the following things? An Edelman leather tiles floor (color to be decided, probably silver) -my walls to be upholstered in a silk damask from Bergamo (color would be a bright deep orange) and for my ceiling I want the painters from New York to lacquer it in a glazed chocolate color, to set off the sputnik chandelier I found at VENFIELD, all of this to be on my list along with this mirrored bed, pair lacquered commodes, pair mirrors, pair zebra benches, mirrored dresser, pair platinum gilt lamps, coyote fur throw, all from VENFIELD in New York! Please may I have it? I look forward to getting all of this soon! Thanks Santa! DF***** PS and a Hunt Slonem painting for above the bed...dreamy! http://www.venfieldnyc.com/

Holiday Entertaining

Love these for on the mantel

Fun peacock feather napkin rings

Glitter pumpkins and gourds for the tree

The Pierre Mirror

The Portico Mirror. James Andrew has a similar one in his NYC dining room

Oceania Mirror, with abalone shell

Bergmann Mirror, I used this in a clients dining room

What could be more glittery and "holiday" than shopping for goodies at Z Gallerie ? They have the most wonderful, pretty, and sparkly assortment imaginable, and here I've collected some of my fave things from their site to share - including some very decorative high style but inexpensive mirrors, which look great hanging behind a Christmas tree, or anywhere you need to add some more holiday magic and sparkle. I just am crazy for shopping at the Z, especially for the holidays and holiday gift ideas. Enjoy! DF*****

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Campion Platt on NYSD

Reading one of my very favorite blogs today, David Patrick Columbias New York Social Diary, I was in the "House" section and fell in love with this photographic portrait of architect/designer Campion Platt... If you haven't seen this or his new book "Made To Order" you MUST! Everything this man touches is informed with a vivid style and character. Enjoy! DF*****

Brooke and Mimi

Who would you hire to decorate a very nice beach club in Naples, designed by architect John Volk in the 1950's ? Why Brooke Huttig and Mimi McMakin of course ! Here's a shot of one of the rooms they decorated, which I admire very much for its simplicity, sense of color, and low key resort style. Check out the seashell mirror in the background - Judith Auclair in Naples does the BEST shell creations, and her new work can be seen along with David Eastons in the Peter Webster showroom at Miromar Design Center. Judith is a fabulous artist and designer, and her work is becoming very collectable both here and abroad. See http://www.mashellart.com/ for more information on her stunning decorative pieces. DF *****

Educating the Eye

Detail of screen from Mother

This greets you in the foyer

This is hanging over the tub

Detail of a screen in the salon

Naples Regency Style (mansard roof not shown here) New furniture from Restoration Hardware's Klismos Collection

I remember with such fondness discussing design and decor with old pals such as Tice Alexander, another Parish-Hadley disciple, and Albert Hadley as well, and the emphasis that was placed on having an "eye" and a "design vocabulary" and a "point of view" Recently, I spoke with Albert by phone, as I was on my way out to an island near here that has been a long time retreat for the Charles Engelhard family (Annette de la Rentas parents) - where I was working on a significant new house, and AH asked me what or how I would describe my style. Quickly gathering my wits, I very happily told him that I felt that I was a promoter of the neo classical married to the 21st century (paraphrasing myself). I thought it sounded good at the time, and I have no idea what he thought of it. All I know is, Mr Hadley has a way of bringing out the best in a designer, and he is the best mentor I could ever have had. So now, like Vicente Wolf and many others, I am constantly refining my designer eye by photographing anything that captures my attention, and here are some images I captured on a recent visit to the Edelman project, another favourite house I've been fortunate to work on. (Edelman Leather) Enjoy ! DF *****