Rose Cumming Design Inspiration

Start clearing out space on your bookshelves. It's time for the new fall book releases! First up is Jeffrey Simpson's Rose Cumming, due to be released by Rizzoli on September 4.

For someone who was once a prominent figure in American design, Rose Cumming has become something of an enigma. I think that most of us know her as the purple-haired decorator who had a remarkable if at times strange sense of color and who slept in a bedroom with silver lamé curtains. But oh, there is so much more to Cumming than that. Thankfully we now have Simpson's book to help flesh out who Rose Cumming really was.

Some of the mystery that surrounds Cumming may have to do with the fact that few of her interiors were ever published. In fact, rarely do I come across her work in my old design magazines. Fortunately, this book remedies that problem. There are many black and white and color photos depicting Cumming's work, and I think it's interesting to see how her style evolved over the decades. You can see a few photos below, although there are many other treasures in the book. Additionally, Cumming's fabric designs figure prominently in this book, something that is fitting considering that Cumming may best be remembered for her iconic chintzes like Delphinium Stripe, Sabu, and Royal Swag.

While photos are obviously an important component of a designer monograph, I think that what makes this book such a gem is the text. Simpson has written a compelling, fascinating, and downright entertaining biography of Rose Cumming. Even if you tend to not read text in design books, I think you'll make an exception here. Cumming's story is like that of no other, but I think it was a story that only could have developed in the first part of the 20th century. Characters like Rose Cumming are unfortunately a rarity today, but thank goodness we have Simpson's book to remind us that magical things can happen if we chart our own courses, no matter how unusual they might be.



A Cumming designed interior replete with satin and a bear skin rug. (Photograph by G.W. Harting, Dessin Fournir Collections.)



One of Cumming's client files includes fabric swatches. (Photograph by Jayson K.T. Schwaller, Dessin Fournir Collections.)




Draped curtains in a Cumming designed room. (Dessin Fournir Collections)





One of Cumming's most famous prints, "Delphinium Stripe". (Photograph by Jayson K.T. Schwaller, Dessin Fournir Collections.)



The stairway in Cumming's own home featured a Chinese inspired mural. (Photograph by Harold Haliday Costain, Dessin Fournir Collections.)


All images copyright of Rose Cumming by Jeffrey Simpson, Rizzoli, 2012.

The Talented Ronald Grimaldi

I have one of my long-time readers, Mr. Toby Worthington, to thank for this post. For the past few years, we have emailed back and forth about the late Ronald Grimaldi, the man who served for years as the president of Rose Cumming. Shortly after Rose died, Grimaldi was hired by Rose's sister, Eileen, to help run the shop, and Grimaldi's career took off from there.

It was Toby Worthington who told me that Grimaldi's Upper East Side apartment had been published in a 1990's issue of House & Garden. I finally located a copy of the issue (April 1999, by the way), and indeed Grimaldi's apartment was as stylish as Toby had claimed. I think of this apartment as being a great example of old-school decorating- and that is in no way a criticism. Rather, I consider it to be one of the best compliments that I can give! It was a personal apartment, one filled with pieces that Grimaldi had collected through the years. It was layered and luxurious, just as one would expect of the man who presided over Rose Cumming.

Now, I will admit that I'm not crazy about the master bedroom (see below), though that might have something to do with the lighting- a little too harsh. But I really think that the beauty of the apartment is in the details: the lacquered red striped Rose Cumming wallpaper in the entryway; the 1940s black and white linoleum floor, also in the entryway; those wonderful Rose Cumming fabrics; the dining chairs that once belonged to Gloria Vanderbilt; and the Zajac & Callahan pieces that really added zing to the apartment. Even if Grimaldi's look isn't really your thing, I think that if you look closely at the photos, you'll find "things" that will intrigue you.





The living room walls were painted in an apple green shade for a "little punch." The tufted settee and chairs were covered in Rose Cumming fabrics. The tufted chair in the foreground was designed by Zajac & Callahan.





The entryway with its 1940s linoleum floor. (I would absolutely love to have old linoleum floors!) The walls were covered in Rose Cumming's "Band-Box Stripe" that was lacquered.




Another view of the entryway.




The dining table was surrounded by 18th c. Portuguese chairs that were once owned by Gloria Vanderbilt. They were covered in a silk taffeta that had been painted to look like tiger skin. The mirror was by Zajac & Callahan.





Grimaldi's bedroom. The bed was upholstered in a Rose Cumming silk damask while the walls were covered in "Directoire Star" by Rose Cumming.





The guest bedroom featured Rose Cumming's "Sussex", a glazed chintz.


All images from House & Garden, April 1999, Eric Boman photographer.

Clothes Make the Room

Yesterday I was on the phone for an hour and a half trying to get my AT&T land line disconnected. Of that call, an hour and twenty-five minutes were spent on hold listening to that obsequious music. Needless to say, I thought I was going to blow a gasket and was trying to figure out something- anything- to do to keep calm. (If you're wondering why that Warhol photo of Diana Vreeland is at top, it's because I believe she was saying "Listen, all I want is to have my phone line disconnected. What part of that do you not understand?" At least, it looks that way to me.)

A drink wasn't going to do; after all, it was only 3:00 in the afternoon and that just didn't seem fitting. So, I came up with a game. I was flipping through an old Sotheby's auction catalogue from their 1997 haute couture sale "Paris a la Mode", and I found the dresses so beautiful that I decided to match some of them to specific rooms. But, I didn't think too hard about the rooms. I simply went with the first room to come to mind. Here's what I came up with:




A late 1950s Jacques Fath evening dress reminded me of:


Geoffrey Beene's dining room swathed in "Les Touches".




The blooming flowers of this Yves Saint Laurent gown (c. 1987) made me think of these flowers:


All over the walls and sofas in the London flat of Michael Szell.





That green and blue color combination in this Lanvin couture gown? Awfully close to:


Those green walls and blue sofa in Rose Cumming's drawing room.




The ruffles of this late 1960s Lanvin evening dress made me think not of a room so much, but rather...


...Miles Redd's couture-like curtains.



(Warhol photo and dress images from Paris a la Mode, Haute Couture: Auction October 29, 1997 - Sale 7036; Beene photo from House Beautiful Entertaining. Szell photo from Architectural Digest International Interiors, Derry Moore photographer. Cumming image from The Great Lady Decorators: The Women Who Defined Interior Design, 1870-1955 by Adam Lewis. Redd photo from W, Martyn Thompson.)

All That Glitters is Not Always Gold

I'm mesmerized by these Cecil Beaton photos, above. Of course, the costumes are really something else, especially that worn by Tilly Losch in the second photo. But what really fascinates me are those backdrops. The top photo (that's Beaton's sister, Baba) looks as though the subject is sitting in front of a wall covered in aluminum foil. And in the Losch photo, the background looks a little more liquidy. I can't quite tell what it is. And despite the fact that both photos are black and white, you can tell that the backdrops are reflective. I love it.

These photos started me on a roll looking for unusual uses of metallics. Of course, one of the most memorable "metallic moments" was Rose Cumming's use of metallic foil on her bedroom's walls. Eccentric, perhaps, but genius as well. And I always thought that the curtains were lamé, but I was wrong. According to Adam Lewis' The Great Lady Decorators: The Women Who Defined Interior Design, 1870-1955 (from which I took this photo), the fabric was actually a silk like that used for saris:



Metallics seem to be a popular choice for tablecloths. Mai Hallingby chose quilted Mylar for her The Tiffany Gourmet Cookbook tablesetting. Very tongue in cheek-or at least I'm assuming. I do think, though, that you would have to wear your sunglasses and sunscreen should you be sitting at a Mylar covered table under the noontime sun.



Sirio Maccioni's tablesetting for Tiffany Taste included a gold lamé tablecloth. Now remember, this is fantasy. I'm not suggesting anyone run out and buy lamé. But...if you wanted to be cheeky and over the top, it could be fun.



If all of this metallic is a bit too obvious, there are other ways to add a little glimmer and shimmer to your rooms. Think polished sterling silver bowls or trays. A not so shiny metallic wallpaper. Gold or silver leafed frames. And let's not forget metallic fabrics. I love those...so much so that I used a Celerie Kemble for Schumacher metallic fabric for my living and dining room curtains.

Glimmer by Schumacher


(Beaton photos taken from Beaton by James Danziger; Cumming photo from The Great Lady Decorators: The Women Who Defined Interior Design, 1870-1955 by Adam Lewis; Hallingby photo from Tiffany Gourmet Cookbook, The and Maccioni picture from Tiffany Taste)

Fringe Benefits

I'm trying to figure out the seating situation in my bedroom. (After I wrote that, I realized that this is a loaded statement.) I think it's nice to have a chair in one's bedroom as a place to sit and read. I have a temporary one in there right now. It was my childhood armchair and ottoman that is, well, a little dated. Both pieces are a bit low to the ground which is perfect for a child (of which I am no more...), and they're upholstered in a Colefax & Fowler check. It was great for the 1980s, but not so much anymore. Those two pieces will, I believe, be heading to the consignment store.

What I plan to use in its place is a hand-me-down wing chair that used to be in my parents' library. I adore a traditional, honest to goodness wing chair. You can dress them up, you can dress them down. I want this wing chair to be a little glam, much like those you see in the old movies. And if you look closely at wing chairs from the 1930s and 40s, you'll notice that many of them have brush fringe. I'm thinking of doing this to my chair. Perhaps a solid mohair or silk velvet with a contrasting brush fringe. The deal is, though, that the fringe needs to be short. After trolling my books for images of brush fringe, I noticed that one trend from this era was adorning everything- chairs, sofas, lampshades- in a long fringe. No, this is not for me. I think I'll just stick to a well-groomed fringe.


Billy Haines used fringe on this armchair for actress Constance Bennett. Check out the fringe on the lamp shade!


It pains me to write me this because in my mind, Frances Elkins could do no wrong. But...that fringe is a little too long for me. Other than that, it's really pretty stunning. (Living Room in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Wheeler, Lake Forest, Illinois, c. 1934)


A great example by Syrie Maugham in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Williams, New York. (Drix Duryea, photographer)


Leave it to Rose Cumming to make brush fringe so glam. This makes me want to upholster my wing chair in silk. Not the best choice for a home with a dog, but still... (Home of Mrs. C.S. Petrasch, New York City)


In the Beverly Hills salon of designer Adrian, Tony Duquette was enthusiastic in his use of brush fringe.

Image at top: Designer John Gerald trimmed this blue satin strie upholstered armchair in a beige fringe. I think this is a great example of what I may do with my chair.

(Image #1: House & Garden's Complete Guide to Interior Decoration. #2 from Class Act: William Haines Legendary Hollywood Decorator by Peter Schifando. #3 from Frances Elkins: Interior Design by Stephen Salny. #4 and #5 from The Great Lady Decorators: The Women Who Defined Interior Design, 1870-1955 by Adam Lewis. #6 from Regency Redux: High Style Interiors: Napoleonic, Classical Moderne, and Hollywood Regency by Emily Evans Eerdmans.)