Master merchandiser, shop owner extraordinaire, new mom and my dear friend and former neighbor Suzannah Fischer (or is it Fisher now? She actually married a guy with the same last name, minus the “c”) has started a blog for her store, O’Suzannah Goods, called o’suz news. It’s a great blog for perusing the coolest gifties and accessories - Suz has an enviable eye for finding the freshest products. I owe most of my grad school credit card debt to Suzannah.

The Cape Cod Modern House Trust as seen on Modern House Notes. I spent hours this week catching up on Tom and Gina’s blog, after seeing a story in The NYTimes about the Alice Ball House I was sure was written by Tom (we linked over to this post back in January). Turns out it was written by someone who clearly had appreciated his research on the subject. Anyway, I recommend catching up with all of Tom and Gina’s posts, as the buildings they find are phenomenal, but in particular I want to help spread the word about The Cape Cod Modern House Trust. Here is a little more information from their website:

In the late 1930s, on the isolated ‘back shore’ of Wellfleet, a group of self-taught, architecture enthusiasts began building experimental structures based on the early Modern buildings they had seen in Europe. Through mutual friends they invited some of the founders of European Modernism to buy land, build summer homes and settle. Like their local hosts, the recently emigrated Europeans admired the traditional Cape Cod ‘salt boxes’. These ancient houses were simple, functional, owner-built and designed for long winters. The Modernist summer houses were inversions of these, oriented to capture views and breezes, perching lightly on the land. In the three decades that followed, these architects built homes for themselves, their friends and the community of internationally influential artists, writers, and thinkers that took root nearby. Though humble in budget, materials and environmental impact, the Outer Cape’s Modern houses manage to be manifestos of their designers’ philosophy and way of living, close to nature, immersed in art and seeking community. The work of these architects and their clients spread around the world. These houses are the physical remnants of this unique convergence.

The Trust is trying to raise money to save and maintain some of these modern treasures…

… and in conjunction with the Truro Castle Hill Center for the Arts, has organized a Modern House Tour on August 24. I’m going to try to attend. Truro is probably the most beautiful spot on the Cape. The picture above is from the Truro Castle Hill Center for the Arts Home Page. As a chair-obsessed freak, I had to share it! The chairs themselves honor this group of artists.

The Tunnel House, as seen on Home Rejuvenation. Check out the post where they found it over at Designverb - the pictures are pretty mind-blowing!

Get your office looking sharp by checking out “Office Eye Candy” from Emma’s Design Blog.

•Jack Phillip’s Bug House photo courtesy of Florence Phillips via modern house notes

• Castle Hill chairs from CastleHill.org

•Tunnel House pictures from flickr member Brother O’Hara via Designverb via Home Rejuvenation.

• Office picture via Emma’s Design Blog

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)

There is a design giant alive today who seems to get overlooked and sometimes even dissed by young designers and design enthusiasts. Many disregard his work as being too 1980s, too traditional, too English country looking, and too frou frou. And it's really a shame because this designer is truly quite talented. He has a remarkable sense of color and a keen understanding of what makes a room comfortable. His look is one that has changed little through the years- he honed his style as a young man and has stuck to it, perhaps with some tweaking over the years. Bottom line- his rooms are unabashedly pretty, and in my mind pretty is not a dirty word.

Who am I talking about? None other than Mario Buatta (a.k.a. Mario Buattachalotti-Sister Parish's pet name for him- and most famously "The Prince of Chintz"). The man has an impeccable design pedigree. He studied at Cooper Union and later at Parsons, studying under legendary teacher Stanley Barrows. He considered John Fowler a friend and mentor (one can see Fowler's influence in a Buatta room), and he also worked for Keith Irvine for a short time.

So why the disrespect? Perhaps his rooms are a bit conservative for some. Perhaps others don't like the amount of "stuff" in a Buatta room- at times, his rooms can be a bit over the top. And maybe some people can't stand Buatta's use of chintz (although maybe he is having the last laugh- after all, chintz's popularity is once again on the rise). But don't you agree that even if Buatta's look does not suit you, his rooms are incredibly inviting? Don't you just want enter one of his rooms and sit in comfortable chair and while away the hours reading a good book? Or what about relaxing in one of his nighttime rooms with a stiff drink and good friends?

I think what I am trying to say is that even if Buatta's traditional and at times maximalist look may not be hot or trendy right now, there are elements to his rooms that are timeless and stylish. But if you keep an open mind and look past the fabrics or furniture that may not be up your alley, you might just learn some important design lessons.

(I also would like to say I can't understand why no one has written a book on Buatta and his work. So many other designers have books devoted to their work, why not Buatta?)


How gorgeous are these Prussian-blue glazed walls? Alright, so the bow from which the painting is hanging may be a bit precious, but see how great that peach color looks against that shade of blue? I think this Buatta room is a lesson in rich color.


Buatta loves to design both daytime and nighttime rooms, of which this room is the latter. Nobody does a lacquered room better than Buatta. See how the gold frame looks so rich against the glossy walls? If you're a modernist at heart, just think how about a modern picture in a plain gold frame would look against the aubergine walls. Or what about a modern cream colored sofa in place of the traditional one above?


I know, I know- those of you who don't like florals might be apoplectic right now. However, look how effective the repetition of the floral print is. Think about whatever your favorite print is and then imagine it on walls, pillows, and chair and ottoman. I think that in this case, more is more!


Buatta decorated this bedroom in 1971. It's slightly dated, but look at that pink, that yellow, and the acid green. This color combination is bold and gutsy. No grooviness for Buatta; even back in the early 70s he was striving for sweet and pretty.


This shot of a Buatta room is one of my favorites. Take away the traditional pictures and pillows and insert some modern paintings and graphic pillows and I think you just might have a rather Miles Redd-esque room.