Lacca Povera as Inspiration for Doors

Lacca Povera

Recently, I posted about my entry door, and a painted treatment for it.  An Andrew Martin wallpaper and the 18th century art of lacca povera (poor mans lacquer) inspired me to further embellish the door, with a chinoiserie motif~

18th century lacca povera 

The Venetians created this style, and it satisfied a desire in the rococo for opulence, without the extravagant expense.

Lacca Povera commode 

Prints were cut out, pasted on, and varnished over to get the look~see here for more on lacca povera from a 2012 piece by John Tackett on The Devoted Classicist ~

The door before

This door was a plain vanilla, before it was done in a trompe l'oeil molded look with faux marbre~

DFID 

I cut out plates from left over wall paper, shown above~

DFID

A quick snap shot gives an idea of the dramatic look of it~

DFID

I haven't yet varnished over the plates.  The varnish will give it a more finished look~ and then I would like to have a leopard rug made for the area to give it a very Madeleine Castaing mood~ stay tuned!  Enjoy!  DF *****

Richard Lowell Neas

Bunny Williams

Here I am 1993, shirt by RL

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DFID Lacca Povera Door

Couldn't resist adding this last shot of my "lacca" door ! I finally had a reason to buy Mod Podge from Michaels! DF

(notice the three more pieces I added ~)

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The Devoted Classicist: In With The Old

The Devoted Classicist: In With The Old: Bookplates are just one of the topics covered in the book. Image from The Peak of Chic blog "Classic design never goes out of sty...

This book is great, and would make a beautiful gift for the upcoming holidays!  Thanks to John Tackett, of The Devoted Classicist, for the mention~ DF *****

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Designer Scrapbook, March 2014

My original Albert Hadley sketch (a gift)

I once was spending some time with my friend, the late, iconic, designer, Albert Hadley, and had the utter audacity to bring along a box of samples and things that I had been collecting for some future personal residence (of mine)...I even brought a floor plan of a place I had been thinking of moving in to !

Albert (shown above) was kind enough to look at what I brought- and liked most of it- although he did say that he felt there were better models of the faux french chair I had selected.  He was so wonderful to make this quick sketch for me- which I've kept all these years.  I adore this Wilbur Pippin photograph of AH.  

The iconic, society decorator, Billy Baldwin, above, was a friend of Albert's- and helped him along in his career as well.  I almost got to meet Mr. Baldwin, when I was on my way to London for my grand tour- however he had already left Manhattan for his beloved Nantucket.  Instead, I was whisked away to a very chic party in the Sutton Place apartment of the designer Joseph Braswell. 

Here's the famous former Rory Cameron La Fiorentina drawing room, after Billy Baldwin and Charles Sevigny re-decorated it for the advertising guru, Mary Wells Lawrence.  It's one of my all time favorites, although I've never seen it in person, and it's been dismantled.  Read The Devoted Classicist, by John Tackett, for more on this.  I DID once see Ms. Lawrence when I was walking towards Fifth Avenue, in New York.  A classic Mercedes was pulling out of the garage and she was driving it!  Her blond hair was in a meticulous coif, and she was wearing a cashmere twin set with pearl necklace, and diamond earrings.  She was absolutely stunning.

Carolina Irving, who was a friend of my Parish-Hadley mentor (Tice Alexander) has a line of fabrics, and I really like this one- Andaluz Viola - a linen hand print.  Reminds me of Fortuny and Groves Brothers...She and I got to know each other through Tice, and I've always admired her chic and style.  Carolina just signed on to be the creative director for Oscar de la Renta Home.  Check out her site here

  

Sister Parish was Albert's business partner and muse.  I always think of her as sitting on a white damask sofa- sipping a stiff cocktail.  They say she was wicked, and loved to have a good time.  I was shown two of her offices, and still haven't gotten over them.  They were very pretty, immaculate, very organized, and very smart.  You know you're not in Kansas anymore when the only thing they have by their desk (writing table) is a multi line phone and the latest copy of the New York Social Register.  (aka the blue book) -on a small "telephone table"- It was her phone book, you see.  Pink was her color.  The same shade as the old fashioned roses she must have had in Maine.  I'm sure that is correct.  Yes, Mrs. Parish.

     

Oh, and while we're on the subject of pink, and Sister, here's a collage I made of my own "dear Billy" in his madras shirt.  I recall I took this picture on the day he agreed to work with me - and it was a very happy day indeed.  I pay him with jelly beans.  He only works if and when he feels like it.  I'm so fortunate to have him in my life.  Thanks William!  Cheers!  Enjoy!  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 *****

Directoire-Consulate Period Style

Recently, my friend John Tackett, of The Devoted Classicist, posted about the Patino sale- and these striking Consulate chairs (the end of the Directoire 1793-1804) were shown...I decided to focus on them, since they incorporate so many elements we love today.  The silk velvet fabric.  The gilding.  The ebonised animal form legs and feet!  I would propose these for a hall, flanking a console, or just standing alone, and making a dramatic statement.  Years ago, I was in the Charlotte, North Carolina home of the late designer James Essary, and his foyer contained a beautiful console, above which was hung a large oil painting, obtained from a Christie's sale.  The foyer made an impression on me, with it's overscaled black and white checkered floor, and the double staircase.  The Directoire period was revived in the 1940's, 50's and 60's by such decorators as Michael Greer, and Melanie Kahane.  I still recall the Directoire bergere that Tice placed in his apartment in New York...it was painted a pale grey, and upholstered in an acid green and ivory silk stripe.  The style was a reaction to the opulence of Louis XVI, and the post-revolutionary atmosphere- with simpler decoration and less costly materials...DF *****   

French Empire Revival Style

Arc de Triomphe

all original sketches copyright Dean Farris, 2012

So, I've been researching and reading up on my favorite style for residential architecture lately, since I keep seeing certain empty parcels of property that just beg to have me design a house to sit on them...and I came across the late architect John Elgin Woolf, who worked in Los Angeles in the 1940's through the 1970's. Mr. Woolf is credited with creating a pastiche style, known as "Hollywood Regency" - which predated post modernism and was itself a reaction to the desire for romantic architecture among people who longed to show that they had "made it" in Hollywood. Woolf's 1942 Pendleton commission, is perhaps his most well known, although there are still many examples of his work to be seen. Recently, the museum of UCSB mounted a show of his work along with that of his late partner, Robert Koch Woolf, who was also his adopted son. In 2009, Vanity Fair published an interesting piece - about the private lives and the unusual lifestyle created by Mr. Woolf and his protege's. Here, I show some personal sketches I made, showing my version of a modified French Empire revival raised house - I would use quarry key stone for the foundation level and quoins, and poured stucco for the walls, with a standing seam metal mock mansard roof. The square footage of my sweet little Naples pavilion could vary from a mere 2,000 to about 3,500, and of course there would just have to be a swimming pool out back, since this is south Florida after all.

I found it interesting that after Mr. Woolf passed away (died) his heirs moved into an old Addison Mizner house in Montecito. I had no idea that Mizner had worked in California.

Although my house is not yet built, I've already selected some 19th century french furniture for it from my favorite local source, Cedric Dupont, in West Palm Beach. To be seen in a later post!

You could also see some Woolf creations in back copies of the old Architectural Digest from the 1970's, should you be so inclined. I do hope that my friend John Tackett will see this post and leave a message. I would be interested to hear his opinion of it. DF *****