Bright ideas we gathered from your comments.

1) Microfiber is a good choice for people with cats. Pencils let us know that while her Sleepytime Rocker is a big hit with the cat, cleaning it isn’t a big issue: “Can?t wait to rock a baby in it, but so far the cat really is enjoying it — and her abundant Maine Coon fur doesn?t stick to the microfiber upholstery.” See where else we clicked last week.

2) You can find toothbrushes that not only are colorful and recycled, they look like they’ll fit in most holders! Inez weighed in on the toothbrush storage post with a link to these toothbrushes by Alan Stuart. Too cool.

3) We’re not the only ones who can’t leave Target with just one thing. Okay — we pretty much knew that already, but we did recognize ourselves in Becky’s comment: “I?m off to Target with the intention of spending $10, but I know I won?t leave until my cart is full. I?ll wind up with an array of unrelated items, like milk, a Jovavitch-Hawk skirt that makes me look really fat, a ‘fiendish’ platinum soduku book, some slutty looking shoes I?ll never end up wearing, some men?s pajama pants, a funny garden gnome, cat litter, a Victoria Hagan mirror, a Converse shirt I am way too old to get away with, a DVD, toilet paper, and a pink garden hose!” Thank you, readers, for always making us laugh. And check out that $10 hot pink garden hose here.

4) There are a lot of earth-friendly cat litters out there. (That sometimes dogs love a little too much, too). Susan Y says, “I used World?s Best, Swheat Scoop, Feline Pine, and right now I?m testing the litter called ‘Space’ which they sell at Trader Joe?s. World?s Best and Swheat Scoop were good, but I have a dog that LOVED to eat the litter. I?m still unsure about Space because they are made of full silica pellets, so they don?t have dust, but I?m not sure how biodegradable they are. Anyone have info?” See the Feline Fresh post here.

5) Some husbands have really interesting hobbies. Quite a few readers were excited by Angela’s family foray into beekeeping, and some of you have wanted to try it out yourselves. But only mod*mom had this to say: “I would freak out with all those bees. My husband is a falconer + it took a long time for me to like having a bird on my glove. I’m not as relaxed as he is.” Click to learn more about Angela and Chad’s new beekeeping venture.

I'm not sure how many of you read World of Interiors, but the May issue has a great but brief article on the bathrooms of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor at their Bois de Boulogne home. Photos of both bathrooms as well as the rooms' contents were included in the Sotheby's auction catalogue from 1997. But beyond what was included in the catalogue, I knew little about these rooms.

In the article, writer Hugo Vickers (who has written a book on the famous couple) touches briefly on the Duke's bathroom, which was elegant but rather plain (Vickers writes that the Duke, who preferred showers to baths, had a "Psycho" like shower in his bathroom). But fortunately for us, Vickers focuses on the Duchess' charming bathroom.

I learned that Dmitri Bouchene, a Russian painter and set designer, painted the ceiling of the bathroom to give it a tent-like effect. If you look closely in one of the photos, you will see an oculus painted in the ceiling which reveals a cloudy blue sky beyond the tent. Bouchene also painted garlands of flowers on the walls, and even painted scenes on the walls of the loo (see the photo below of the figure who is blind-folded, giving the Duchess her privacy!). I was always curious about the gilt-framed small paintings that were hung around the bathtub. According to Vickers, these paintings are actually New Year's cards that Bouchene sent to the Windsors every year. Lucky for Vickers that he successfully bid on many of these cards at the 1997 auction.

Of course, we're all familiar with the Cecil Beaton painting of the Duchess, hung on the mirrored wall above the bathtub. And those purple towels? They're by Porthault and are monogrammed with Wallis' cypher "WW" (Wallis Windsor) as well as the royal ducal coronet. I remember seeing the towels, or at least the bath mat, in the auction catalogue; I wonder who the lucky bidder was?

But I think that the most amusing anecdote from the article was Vickers' reminiscence about his shock upon seeing that Wallis' toilet had a plastic seat! And Wallis evidently was not alone- Vickers claims that Diana Vreeland had one too. Quelle horreur!







(All images from World of Interiors, May 2008; photographer Fritz von der Schulenburg)

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)

I really went gaga over legendary magazine editor Mary Jane Pool's apartment that was featured in the March Domino. I thought it was such a beautiful mix of graceful antiques, 20th century pieces, and gorgeous fabrics and wallpaper. So, while I was reading Tiffany Taste(aka Table Settings of the Rich and Famous) the other day, I came across a chapter on Ms. Pool and her style of entertaining.

According to the book, Ms. Pool has a fondness for all things Venetian (this is confirmed by the Domino article, which notes that Pool has a decent sized collection of 18th and 19th c. painted Venetian antiques). For a summer lunch, Ms. Pool would likely start with a salad of shredded celery, mushrooms, Gruyère, white truffles, and a vinaigrette of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The main course might be a pasta gratinée of green tagliarini, béchamel, prosciutto, and tomato. For dessert? Chocolate twigs or truffles, grapes, or strawberries accompanied by mandarin orange tea. Oh, and no wine- "nothing dangerous"- with lunch, only San Pellegrino. After all, when you're an editor of a magazine, you have to stay on your toes!

What I enjoyed most were the photos of Pool's Sutton Place apartment circa 1986. Author John Loring wrote that Pool "knows as much as anyone about the domestic pleasures that make life sweet." I wholeheartedly agree.


What a sumptuous mix of yellow satin curtains, yellow walls, and red satin(?) chairs. In fact, those chairs appear to be the same ones that were featured in Pool's Olympic Tower apartment, although at that time they were covered in orange cotton pique. The mirror is 18th c. Venetian. And notice the pedestal table, which Pool still owns today (see image of Pool at top). According to Tiffany Taste, the base is in the shape of a neoclassic Italian urn.


Another Venetian piece- this time an 18th c. painted commode. The tea service is Royal Berlin, and the silver Tiffany basket is filled with chocolate twigs.


Tiffany's classic "Chrysanthemum" flatware and "Nymphalidae" dessert plates adorn the table. Strawberries are nestled in a Tiffany sterling basket.

(Image at top of Pool- photographer Annie Schlechter)

For those of you that have not yet seen this gorgeous hunk of crystal, let me fill you in: the incomparably witty, creative and hilarious design blogger Maison 21 has thrown down the glove. He has challenged all who dare to design a room around what has been described as the "Moscow Mafioso" chandelier. Now, at first glance, one might consider this to be a mite "over the top", a bit crass, a tiny bit Atlantic City Trump.

But there was something about it. It conjured up something I couldn't quite place. Something romantic and exotic. So when I commented on M21's blog saying I thought it would be sort of fantastic in the right setting, he called me out. And I am just not one to back down from a challenge...although perhaps in this case I might not recover.

OK, now do you see it? That's right...Dr. Zhivago. The ultimate Russian romance with icy onion domes. So there you have it. This is my inspiration.

So where to begin? I thought I would place this brilliant extravaganza of a chandelier in a Dining Room. I love the restrained eye of Axel Vervoordt. His use of natural elements like plastered walls and lime washed wood floors lend an air of relaxed formality. On the other hand I also can see the more tailored and modern sensibility of Vicente Wolf. I am somewhere in between here. Both are masters when it comes to using the soft greys and blues so often found in Northern European climates:

These rooms from "Axel Vervoordt, Timeless Interior" by Armelle Baron, Photos by Christian Barramon

"Learning to See" by Vicente Wolf

"Crossing Boundaries" by Vicente Wolf

I would start with wide plank, lime washed floors and use a plaster with integral grey/blue color for the walls. The ceiling would also be plaster in an ivory color. Perhaps there would be a simple fireplace mantle as in the Vervoordt photo above in aged marble.

(Oh! I just have to add that I would take the chandelier and re-plate the brass metal in zinc or something that would have that same flat grey color. Can I do that and still stay within the rules of the game?)

Add these chairs (love those feet. A little reminiscent of a wolves at the door.):

In a fabric like this cool blue linen velvet by Lee Jofa:

A painted trestle table used as a sideboard, in a Scandinavian style:

With an over scaled (read: huge) winter landscape by Kate Bright on the wall above it:

The table could be flanked by these urns on pedestals (sort of adds that touch of the Czar I think!):

Over the marble mantle, a little wild life:

Two cut glass mosaic mirrors on the walls flanking the fireplace:

In front of a wall of windows draped in an ivory wool, two of these hooded chairs would keep out the chill:

A glass side table from Oly Studio in between seems to be a sculpture of ice.

(OK....I really don't know where to get a plate like this....you would be surprised what came up with a Google search of Dr. Zhivago)

I was at the beach relaxing without surfing the internet this week, so I had time to soak in some articles and discuss a favorite book while my father was reading it. I thought I’d share. If you have not read The Devil in the White City yet, go order it now! It’s such a well-researched, fascinating look into the Chicago World’s Fair, and into the context of a turbulent and exciting time in American history. Skyscrapers were soaring, unions were forming, cross country and intercontinental travel had become a reality, Frederick Law Olmsted was turning flat abandoned sites into rambles and lagoons*, electricity was thrilling, Wild Bill Cody was performing his Wild West Show to record crowds, and well, I’ll save the rest as a surprise. I had studied the Columbian Exposition first in American Studies and again in architecture school, but I did not know a fraction of what this great book taught me. I can’t imagine such feats of engineering, construction and bureaucratic/political nightmare budget solutions could ever be repeated today.

**

The Wall Street Journal featured a scathing and really well-written review of the Jeff Koons retrospective at the The Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. I just love this cynically bored bit from Tom J. Freudenheim:

But if, like me, you’ve wondered what all the Koons-fuss was about, MCA’s flashy and even sparkling retrospective won’t persuade you of his significance. Indeed, the wall text can only be described as a generic narrative: “[insert the artist of your choice] mirrors society’s obsession with popular culture and negates simple divisions between appearance and reality, surface and depth, and art and commodity.” That Koons’s work “blurs the distinction between art and commercial objects as well as high and low art” further places him in the category of the ordinary.

I loved this wacky “Funny Farm” feature from today’s New York Times. Roy McMakin’s work is kinda Rem Koolhaas meets Quaker? I’m not sure, but I like it.

This is the craziest rotating structure I’ve seen since Hank’s LookAround Cafe. OK, if you get that reference, I want to marry you. Anyway, on the flight home I caught this NYT article about Francois Massau, a Belgian builder who built this rotating house in the fifties, and seemed to have a bit of Howard Roark in him. Read the full article here.

I HAVE to include one blog post I just spied: So Sylvie’s sourcing for the Mama Mia set design look. I was DRAGGED to that movie; I find listening to people sing in movies incredibly uncomfortable. It’s all Edward Norton and Woody Allen’s fault. Anyway, check out this dreamy post from So Sylvie.

*(EVERY THING you see in the above photo was built, including the lagoons, the island, the buildings, and the trees were all planted for the exhibition, etc.)

** I’m not even going to try and mess with the copyright issues related to sharing photos from the Koons exhibition; click on the MCA link above to see them online. I would have used Michael Jackson and Bubbles if I could have.

• Columbian Exposition photo from either Shepp’s World’s Fair Photographed, Chicago and Philadelphia, 1893, and from Glimpses of the World’s Fair Through a Camera, Chicago, 1893; it’s not clear which, but go to Boston College’s website to see more mind-blowing photographs of the fair!

• funny farm photo by Jason Schmidt for The New York Times

• rotating house photo by Jock Fistick for The New York Times (or maybe the Wavre Journal?)
• Mama Mia photo from Cinema Blend via So Sylvie.

I just want to say a big "THANK YOU" to Blogger and all of my wonderful readers. Without you all, I would not have realized I really had to clean up all of the junk mail, catalogs, magazines, notepads, used batteries, old receipts, school papers, yellow pages, rubber bands, ( how do they get everywhere?!?) off the counter before I could take this picture:

The sconces are from Hudson Valley Lighting. Hudson Valley is known for their reproduction light fixtures and their very reasonable pricing. To find out more about the details for this sconce, click here. Oh....and thank you to Hudson Valley for the very cool sconces!

So drop on in and check them out. There are more where these came from!

Enjoy.

Elle Decor, September 2008, Photo by Grey Crawford

What struck me about this space was not just the beautiful tub (Waterworks Candide tub), but the very beautiful and witty tub filler dreamed up by the home owners/designers Fisher Weisman. A stream of water flows down from a shell encrusted "chandelier" reminiscent of the unique creations of Tony Duquette. Question....just where does one turn it on? No matter...this is my idea of luxury.

Another of my favorite bath spaces was created by Vicente Wolf. I think that combining different styles and periods will always make a space more interesting, and Mr. Wolf accomplishes this with great style. His Baccarat sconces and English eighteenth century mirror are the perfect foil for the blue glass walls and contemporary concrete tub.

Another designer who never disappoints is Michael Smith. This example of his authentic style takes me to another time.... one where things were slower. And isn't that what one would want when trying to unwind in the tub? Look at the details: the basket of magazines, reading glasses on the stool, the fresh towels, slippers at the side of the tub. And of course Rover waiting patiently. Perfection. (All bath fittings and fixtures designed by Smith for Kohler).

House and Garden, December 2000, Photo by Melanie Acevedo

Veranda, January-February 2005, Photo by Hickey-Robertson

This bathroom has all of the elements necessary for a long relaxing soak. Designers, art dealers and home owners Cynthia Cage McClain and Robert McClain thought of everything: candles, reading material, a little wine, flowers. Mix these with such personal, beautiful art and photography, and one feels like this is really home.

House and Garden, October 2005, Photo by Francois Halard

Milan based designer Roberto Peregalli created this amazing Master Bath for Claudio and Maria Luti of the famous family firm Kartell, most well known today for the production of the Philippe Starck Ghost Chair. I love the Robust-patterned marble flooring with the striped Venetian stucco walls. The dramatic Carrara marble tub surround contrasts so wonderfully with the Kartell Eros chair here.

Veranda, September-October 2006, Photo by Alec Hemmer

This bathroom just says "California" to me. Designed by Napa Valley designer Barbara Colvin this space is beautifully done. I love the French Doors off the garden and the stone floors. The simple elegance and connection to the outdoors creates such a wonderful spa-like atmosphere.

House Beautiful, July 2006, Photo by Karyn R. Millet

One of designers I am following lately is Ken Fulk. This California designer created such a pleasing space here using the Vintage Bath form Kohler, the owner's leaded glass pendant, and the Greek Key trimmed Roman Shade. Victorian side chair from Swallowtail. Very pretty!

Southern Accents, September October 2008, Photo by Pieter Estersohn

I love this bath with it's Loius XIV mirror and antique Swedish chandelier. Designed by Amelia Handegan for a couple in Charleston, it has a very European flavor. The pale gray-blue and white palette with the pewter and gold metal colors seems to be something I am drawn to time and again.

Southern Accents, July-August 2008, Photo by Roger Davies

Phoebe Howard decorated this beautiful bathroom for a vacation house in Ponte Verde Beach, Florida. A custom mosaic floor and hand-painted mural are what make this bathroom unique. So very pretty. The tub in this room seems to show up quite often in bathrooms that catch my eye. It's classic style works in so many places. Like in this all white bathroom:

House Beautiful, November 2006. Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Sally Markham created this vision in white for a couple in Connecticut. White glass mosaic tile line the walls and the floor creating quite an ethereal effect. One could float away to dreamland here. The heart shaped chair becomes an exclamation point against this white palette. Lovely.

House and Garden, July 2005, Photo by William Abranowicz

In contrast to the more traditional western aesthetic, this bathroom incorporates a decidedly Eastern influence. The architect William McDonough creates a sanctuary in the style of a Japanese country house. One could sit forever in this custom tub from Concrete Works looking out at the meadow of native grasses on South Carolina coastal island.

House and Garden, July 2005, Photo by Jonn Coolidge

The Master Bath in this Spanish Colonial Revival home takes on the California Craftsman flavor through the artful use of custom tile by Ann Sacks. Designer Jarrett Hedborg created a wonderful, cozy bathtub alcove here. I love the arched window echoed on the interior with the tiled arch. Beautifully done!

Elle Decor, July-August 2005, Photo by William Waldron

This is such a fun loving design for a bathroom by designer Robert Couturier. He combines glass tile and mosaic pebble floors with fresh and vibrant colors. This tub is is the Paris tub by Water Monopoly.

Elle Decor, July 2003, Photo by Dominique Vorillon

Then we have the classic claw foot tub. There is a nostalgia about it that cannot be put aside. This beach house bathroom in Malibu designed by Kerry Joyce is brightened by the sunny yellow-painted tub. I love the mosaic floor with the label identifying it as the "boys" bathroom. The surfboard is a fun touch.

Elle Decor, August-September 2003, Photo by Simon Upton

Another example of the classic claw foot provides quite a contrast to the way it is used above. This elegant New Orleans bathroom was designed by Ann Holden of the two Ann's of New Orleans: Holden and Dupuy. I love the New Orleans feeling here of the rustic painted wood plank floors paired with the silk drapery panels. The claw foot here was found at a salvage shop. The sink and fittings were original to the house. I love the photo reflecting the room through the antique mirror.

This is a round-up of some of my favorite tubs and the spaces they occupy. To get going with your own private sanctuary, you can start by looking at the Waterworks website. Many of the tubs can be found there. And for those on a budget, salvage shops are a great way to go. I hope this room, one of the most often used, can become a place for more than just the everyday chore of getting "ready". I hope it can become a place to relax and spend some down time.

I've recently become enamored with a designer whose work is no longer featured on the pages of shelter magazines. I read or hear very little about him these days, which probably adds to the mystique. I'm sure many of you are familiar with this designer, although to me his work is quite new. (Back in his heyday in the 1980s and 90s, I was preoccupied with homework and school activities, preventing me from focusing too terribly much on the design world.) Of course, the fact that he died almost 13 years ago is part of the reason why this designer's work is no longer at the forefront of our design consciousness, and it's really a shame because this designer- Richard Lowell Neas- created rooms that were stylish, sophisticated, beautiful, elegant, and timeless.

I first became familiar with Neas' name when I found out that he was responsible for Brunschwig & Fils' "Bibliothèque" wallpaper- one of my all-time favorite wallpaper designs. As Neas was an accomplished muralist and trompe l'oeil artist, it's no surprise that he would design such a charming print. Then I learned that Neas gradually made his way into a career as a decorator. And what decorating he did!

I've tried to collect a few images of his work, and in some ways it surprises me that I'm so taken with these very traditional rooms. While I am a traditionalist at heart, I do like to mix in some modern pieces- it's a bit like a design checks and balances system. I think that what has drawn me to his work is the fact that Neas created rooms that were completely livable. His New York projects seem to capture the spark that is so evocative of that city: urbane, sophisticated, and cosmopolitan. Yet there's nothing cold or stiff about these rooms. Neas imbued his projects with a softness and warmth that was so inviting. Perhaps it was the collection of unique and striking furniture and objets. Or maybe it was the mix of prints and patterns that was so pleasing to the eye. I actually believe it was a combination of all of the above.

I think Neas described the success of his rooms perfectly when he quoted his friend Annette de la Renta, "some of the most wonderful rooms are ones that seem as though all the objects were inherited from relatives with different styles and tastes- yet everything fits together magically." And this, to me, is the magic formula- and one that makes Neas' work so appealing.


An image of Neas' tiny Manhattan apartment. Note the trompe l'oeil swagged curtain at the top of the mirror. I just love this room.