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)

It's as simple as soap and water. It's all you need for most outdoor furniture. You may want to ...pick up a power washer.

• Acrylic Cushions
• Resin Furniture - Resin furniture is easy to clean. Spray off dirt and grime and let dry. If there are scuff marks, use a gentle abrasive to remove. To remove mildew, follow the instructions above.
• Wicker -You can use a hose or pressure washer.
• Wrought Iron, Steel Frames & Aluminum -Use mild soap and water to clean.
• Fabric
• Umbrellas
• Wooden Furniture

The only maintenance we recommend for your teak furniture is occasional cleaning. This should be done with a mild soap (such as gentle hand cleaning soap) and warm water to preserve its natural elements.

Chat tables are new this year, says Jan Booth of Patioworld in Fresno. These tabletops are higher than coffee tables but lower than dining tables. "It's high enough that you can put a cup there, but it's not like sitting at a dining table," she says.

Mesh on metal or wood pieces: Patio pieces that have mesh-type material over metal or wood frames also are popular.

"You can lay a towel on it or go without a towel, and you can lie on it. You don't stick to (the mesh), and it's very comfortable. You don't lie there and get sweat on your back and tush."

When a residence or business is blocked by clutter, emotional residue, incompletion, or actual furniture placement, a less than excellent quality of life is experienced.

• Keep a small overnight bag packed for you and your family and place it in your car’s trunk. If an unplanned getaway or you get an overnight invitation for your kids (or an emergency arises), you will have all essentials already in the car and ready to go.

• Let the light into your home. Put up sheer curtains or pleated shades that can be opened from the top or bottom so you can maximize the sunlight and immediately feel re-energized.

• Hang beautiful chimes from your deck, trees or house gutters for a melodious sound to relax and calm you. Always have a book on hand that you’ve always wanted to read and didn’t have time. The sound of the chimes will de-stress you and you will be learning from or enjoying a good book at the same time.

• Have your home and deck power washed. Then you can seal your deck for many hours of fun without damaging it.

The Los Angeles Antiques Show is wrapping up today, and from everything I've heard it sounded like a stellar event. A friend of mine was kind enough to take photos of some exhibitors' booths, which I'm sharing with you today. Looks like we missed a great show!





All I can say is "Wow!" I love this booth designed by Joe Nye. So chic! And notice the stylish use of Nye's beloved carnations.






Those clever owners of Downtown are always ahead of the curve. This year they featured a few pieces by the late Mexican designer Arturo Pani. I believe they are reproducing Pani's designs, including the small scroll table in the second photo.



The very elegant booth of Hollyhock. Notice how the exquisite furniture takes center stage.

today’s in the kitchen with is a special recipe that i was lucky enough to have land in my inbox this week. brooklyn based food photographer jessika creedon sent over these gorgeous photographs of a picnic she attended in prospect park and i was blown away by the special presentation of the food. rather than using plates or napkins, the hosts decided to use natural “containers” like lemons and avocados. top that off with jessika’s incredible photos and i was sold. so today the group behind the special picnic, sidedish, was kind enough to share one of their delicious picnic recipes with us- a summery chilled avocado soup. i could live off of avocados so this is one that’s definitely going into my regular repertoire. i just wanted to thank jessika (whose website can be viewed right here, and her flickr page right here) for sharing these photos, and to sidedish for sharing this incredible (and incredibly easy to make) recipe. CLICK HERE for the full recipe (and more photos from the picnic) or just click “read more” below.

about sidedish: sidedish is an ongoing experiment in staging uniquely engaging food experiences. at sidedish events, a rotating list of diners enjoys a full five course meal with an unrepeated, custom-made menu. sidedish dinners pivot around food, but go much farther, with each event exploring a particular theme. renee baumann and keren weiner, two alumni from the french culinary institute, are the heads and hands behind sidedish (with much organizational assistance from andrea montejo). photos and past menus from sidedish events can be seen at sidedish’s facebook page right here.

image source

“Hillary Clinton’s biggest criticism is how harsh she is,� said Mary Lou Andre, president of Organization by Design Inc., a professional image consulting firm in Needham. “I think by wearing certain feminine colors, she will connect with voters. I think the public knows she can do the job. It’s her likability that’s the issue.�(source)

image source