I really enjoyed checking out this house by Greico Designers/Builders. I get a lot of submissions with magazine-ready photos, but these non-professional photos are endearing because they are much more realistic. I like the “what you see is what you get” or “celebrities without makeup” approach.

http://www.greicohomes.com

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Isn't it amazing how people who were once celebrities can fade into obscurity? The same thing can be said for celebrity decorators, especially William Pahlmann. Okay, so perhaps he's not an obscure designer, but he does not have the name recognition of Dorothy Draper or Elsie de Wolfe. If this were 1950, we would all be talking about Pahlmann. After all, he was one of the most famous decorators of the 1940s through the 1960s.

Pahlmann, who was educated at Parsons in the late 1920s, first gained notoriety after designing a mirrored bed for the first Mrs. William Paley (this according to Legendary Decorators of the Twentieth Century by Mark Hampton). Getting her seal of approval was the impetus he needed to go onward and upward, eventually landing him the job of head of the decorating and antiques department at Lord and Taylor. Pahlmann became known for his model rooms for the department store- rooms which garnered attention by the press and brought flocks of customers to the store. After a brief hiatus during World War II (serving in the Air Force), Pahlmann returned to New York where he set up his own decorating firm. He even had his own syndicated newspaper column titled "A Matter of Taste".

Pahlmann's interiors after WWII are quite evocative of the post-war era. While Pahlmann was quite capable of designing in the traditional style, much of his work celebrates mid-century modernism. Pahlmann was a champion of modern materials, including rubber flooring and rayon and other synthetic fabrics. The exotic also played a role in his interiors. Artifacts and objects of various cultures and countries mixed freely, lending his rooms a sort of well-traveled look. And let's not overlook Pahlmann's love of color. There was nothing primary about his chosen color schemes. In fact, in his book The Pahlmann Book of Interior Design, he wrote about various color combinations that he had used thus far in his career. These included cerulean, lime, magenta pink and white as well as deep sage, ripe persimmon and French blue.

Pahlmann was so well-regarded in the design world that when a young Albert Hadley first ventured to New York seeking a job as a designer, he sought out a meeting with his design idol. Hadley describes Pahlmann as "a man of great charm with a flamboyant personality and certainly he was not shy about anything."* Pahlmann encouraged Hadley to enroll at Parsons School of Design, just as he had.

While many of Pahlmann's room may seem a bit dated today, don't you think it's worth revisiting the career of this late, great decorator?

(Pahlmann's work is featured in the upcoming Acanthus Press release New York Interior Design, 1935-1985. Another "lost" designer whose work I greatly admire is George Stacey. I'll be writing about him soon!)



A great example of Pahlmann's fearless use of color. This bedroom's colors were inspired by a vineyard.


The mod floor in this living room was rubber! The mix is a bit unexpected: modern furniture with a Victorian sofa and Spanish altar candlesticks mixed with French candle sconces.


This was Pahlmann's own living room. I love the gunmetal gray walls and the robin's egg blue leather chair. According to Mark Hampton, the cabinet is actually a snakeskin Victrola.


I couldn't resist this image of an Empire-style tented room. Pahlmann admired Napoleon and Malmaison- might this have influenced the design scheme of this room?


Pahlmann designed this living room for Mrs. Walter Hoving in 1948. In my opinion, this room is one of Pahlmann's more elegant designs. Much of his later work seemed to be more casual, much in keeping with the times.

(*Hadley quote from Albert Hadley: The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer)

Maria Beatrice and Leonardo Ferragamo’s Villa Le Rose

Oh how I want to be Margaret Russell, the Editor of ELLE DECOR. In addition to her unparalleled editorial skills, she must have about 8,000 cocktail dresses that look fabulous on her. In the foreward to my new favorite book, So Chic: Glamorous Lives, Stylish Spaces, she defines what makes a space chic:

But what exactly is chic? Webster’s defines the word as “cleverly stylish; smart; a woman who adapts fashion to her own personality.” When it comes to interiors, chic is that and far more. A chic space can be razzle-dazzle glamorous or quietly unpretentious, seriously sophisticated or unapologetically bohemian. The unifying thread is indisutabley confidence, no doubt boosted by splashes of joie de vivre and flair.

Jaouad Kadiri’s Moroccan Country House

Kenneth Jay Lane’s Stanford White Designed Park Avenue Townhouse

This is a really good way to describe ELLE DECOR. They offer a wide range of styles in their spreads unlike any other magazine, from over-the-top opulence of say, Kenneth Jay Lane, to the lived-in rustic look of Ralph Lauren; from the eclectic vibe of Anh Duong to the elegant Grey Gardens-esque decay of John Derian; from the vintage but modernly crisp Thomas O’Brien to the exotic shapes and textures used by Jaouad Kadiri. This book culls the best examples from the magazine’s archives, and the range of styles is remarkable. The common thread is that they are all, undoubtedly chic due to the designers’ individual styles, whether they be influenced by the Ottoman empire, mid-century modern, vintage, Hollywood Regency, Morocco, the eclectic mix, et. al.

Ranjana & Naeem Khan’s SoHo Loft

For example, I took note of the different wallcoverings in the book. There were crisp white walls, classic murals, antique Chinese wallpapers, grasscloths, ethnic tiles, genius artwork arrangements, mirrors, bold stripes and luxurious printed fabrics.

Muriel Brandolini’s Upper East Side Townhouse

Tamara Mellon’s London Flat (O.K., I want to be her the most; she has every Jimmy Choo shoe in her closet!)

Sheila Bridges’ Harlem Apartment

Thomas O’Brien’s Wall of Inspiration

Delphine and Reed Krakoff’s Southampton Home

Anh Duong’s West Village Loft

Sarah Jessica Parker’s Hamptons Home

John Derian’s Lower East Side Pad

It was impossible to pick favorite photos from this book, but I thought these were some great examples. Here are the photo credits, in order, from the elite group that shoots for ELLE DECOR:

• Pieter Estersohn

• Henry Bourne

• Pieter Estersohn

• Simon Upton

• Pieter Estersohn

• Simon Upton

• William Waldron

• William Waldron

• Reed Krakoff

• Simon Upton

• William Waldron

• William Waldron

Personalised Stationery from Whitney English


Sunshine Pillow from Hable Construction

Moroccan Key Table from Burke Decor (via Creature Comforts)


Love Heart Map Scrap Art from Bombus


Pair of Vintage Cane Armchairs from C. Bell


Chinnoiserie Cushion from Thomas Paul


Vintage Pagoda Chandelier from C. Bell

Xi Li Chair from Burke Decor

House Beautiful Sept. 2007, Photo by Don Freeman
Hi all! I wanted to make a correction to an earlier post I did about the very beautiful light fixtures designed by Serge Mouille. I recently received a very nice email from the Jean-Philippe, a representative for the Serge Mouille company. Jean Philippe kindly supplied the correct information regarding the representation for the Serge Mouille light fixtures in the USA:

"Hi Katie,I read your entire blog "David Weeks vs. Serge Mouille" and your input is very interesting. However, I need to bring a correction as to who is representing the Mouille licensed re-edition in the USA. "Inside Modern Living" represents the re-edition in Canada only. The USA is being covered by GUERIDON, a New York based store selling European mid-century furniture. Gin Mouille contracted GUERIDON to be both her representative and distributor for the USA. I think it would be nice if you could redirect your link to http://www.gueridon.com/.I will leave the debate of David Weeks vs. Serge Mouille open. Representing the Mouille lighting collection, my input would not be partial of course. Even though David Weeks admitted to me of being "very inspired"� by the Serge Mouille lamps, he still designed lamps of his own without copying them. Congratulations for your blog, it brings an interesting comparison between the lamps I had never seen before. Jean-Philippe "

Thank you to Jean Philippe!

Photo by Scott Francis

Michael Schaible's stunning retreat on the North Shore of Mexico's Lake Chapala. Amazing.

Photo by Durston Saylor

The very glamorous New York apartment of the very glamorous Geoffrey Bradfield. It is worth a look just to see Mr. Bradfield in his pastel pink suit!

Photo by Mario Ciampi

The flat in Venetian Palazzo owned by Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt. There is so much in this article, I can't even begin! It is a breathtaking masterpiece, and this piece alone is worth the full cover price.

Photo by Scott Francis

The Mid century Yacht design of Mitchell Turnbough. This is a nice break from the unreachable over the top luxury yachts you typically might see. It is so well done in a more understated way, and something that takes me back to my "sailing" days. There is something reminiscent here of the yachting days of the early 20th.

Photo by Derry Moore

The Spanish country house of Jaime Parlade at Alcuzcuz in Andalusia. There were so many beautiful photos here, it was very difficult to just choose one "teaser". I thought this bedroom was a very personal space that let Mr. Parlade's personality shine through. It is a smile producer.

Photo by Leigh Brown

The Sonoma County Craftsman Hillside Farmhouse of Jacques Saint Dizier. The interiors keep to the Craftsman roots without becoming expected. Loved it!

Photo by Durston Saylor

The Manhattan apartment Of Francine Coffey. A decidedly different look from the other choices for this issue, it is a very boldly colored Neoclassical design she refers to as "nouveau Federal". Hmm. There is alot of plaid. In this particular photo I could be sold. I would love your thoughts on the rest of the apartment!

Photo by Mary E. Nichols

The Pacific Heights home of Banana Republic President, Jack Calhoun. I thought many of you would be very curious to see this home!

And if this weren't enough, there are several captivating hotels from around the world...each very different and unique:

Photo by Tim Beddow

The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. The Ceiling!

Photo by Scott Francis

Huntley Santa Monica Beach. So very cool.

Photo by Erhard Pfeiffer

The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa. Ready to go?

There are, of course, all of the extras that you would normally expect from AD.

On top of that you can see the first four homes of the Open Auditions which AD began in October of 2007. Over the next seven months, the AD panelists saw over 1000 projects and have narrowed the field to 50 that have been chosen for publication.

I may be taken in by the quantity of very good stuff in this issue, but it also seems that the photography is fresher, brighter. Scott Francis, I have been informed, has been shooting for AD for many years and has a number of projects photographed for this issue. Very beautiful photos all around.

I just know I was very pleasantly swept off my feet by this issue. I think you will be too. Let me know what you think!

You Midwesterners are certainly lucky. Alessandra Branca, doyenne of snappy and snazzy design with a lot of sizzle, has just opened a new retail shop in Chicago (17 East Pearson to be exact). The shop, called Branca, is filled with things that Alessandra both loves and actually uses. Table accessories, furniture, books, candles, and African feather headdresses are all here, much of it in Branca's beloved black, white, and RED color scheme (the red is what gives everything the sizzle.)

Travel plans aren't taking you to Chicago this summer? No worries, because currently a limited selection of items are available for sale via the website (you'll need to call the shop at 312-787-1017 to actually place the order, but online shopping on the website will be up and running this summer.) While you're visiting the site, you can also view some images from Alessandra's gorgeous portfolio.

Here are a few items from the website that caught my eye (also available in the store for those of you lucky enough to visit in person!):


Pair of 19th century German Neoclassical style fauteuils (the fabric is vintage red Turkish ticking)


White glass optik glasses- highballs, lowballs, and stemless champagne glasses


Branca Signature Candles: I-Mint, Musk, & Tea; II-Tomato Leaf, Basil, & Black Currant; III-Fig Tree; IV-Green Tea with Lime


Branca Red Hide Rug

Images at top: A view of the new shop, and one of the shop owner herself.