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02-13-2021 11:28 AM - edited 02-13-2021 11:45 AM
OK, please bear with me. I was looking at an article on One Kings Lane about designing this apartment for a young couple over a 10 year period, and keeping a timeless look. (I do like it, my one quibble being, hate the chandelier. Not terribly timeless, in my estimation!)
Plus, I might have divided it horizontally re dining/lounging, not longitudinally. TV too close to the couch. But those 13 foot ceilings, love-- and the probably madly expensive porcelain birds on the credenza, and the octagonal mirror. THAT is truely timeless.
But anyhoo, notice the smart, chintz pillows offsetting the solid green? That's a famous Schumacher print, beloved of my favorite interior designer, the late, great, Albert Hadley. He originally sourced it for the late Nancy Pyne, for her house "Cherryfields", in horsy New Jersey. See below, circa mid-Sixties perhaps.
I believe she was in her 90's when she "downsized" (ha, it's funny what downsizing means to these people) to a nearby vintage farmhouse. She was insane about this print, and Schumacher revived it. Hadley used it in her new digs, in the color "charcoal". (It also comes in indigo, I think, and "tobacco", and "blush".)
She still had that magnificent mane with a mind of its own. She was quite the character, judging from her published exchanges with Hadley....
Another part of the living room, where you can see a tiny part of the fabric to the right. As a traditionalist who likes a leavening of modern influences, I adore Albert Hadley-- his 'preppy' rooms nevertheless never look stuffy. He just had exquisite taste in everything.
I don't really have anything chintz, but can see why this one appeals. Here it is in blue in a Studio McGee, very fresh application.
Personally, don't go in for the very "designer" all-over walpaper and curtain pattern, but this, combined with the modern touch of black-and-white photography, utterly chic. Of course, they used the charcoal color way, and it's perfect with the wall art.
Edited to add-- Oh, how could I have forgotten to give the name of the fabric, good grief. It's called "Pyne Hollyhock" in a nod to Nancy Pyne, I guess.
02-13-2021 11:46 AM
@Oznell I do like lots of the choices in every room although none of them for myself. I do wish we had dimensions for some of the rooms we see - for example, the first room you would like to set up horizontally. Me, too. Wonder if it’s too short?
02-13-2021 12:27 PM - edited 02-14-2021 10:36 AM
@Oznell About the 'timeless' apartment... Wow, I can't imagine living in what appears to be a fairly small space for ten years and certainly don't see how the design for such limited space could have taken so long... Regardless, I very much like most of the elements. That being said, I agree with you on the light and don't care for the 'art'. The room feels a bit claustrophobic and, like you, I wonder if a different furniture arrangement, if one was even possible, might have been an improvement. It looks, however, as if that single room runs right up against the kitchen and that an island, with bar stools, separates the space. This reminds me of my first 'grown up' apartment, which was laid out similarly. Because of that, I skipped the dining room table altogether, but these folks obviously felt they needed one...
I too admire Hadley and I love chintz. I only employ it in throw pillows and even then, only some time, but had I a larger home, would probably use more of it. This particular chintz is a lovely pattern and is attractive in every colorway. Both incarnations of Ms. Pyne's home are very appealing.
02-13-2021 12:36 PM
I do not care for the first setup with the dining and living room area on top of each other. I agree about the TV being too close to the couch. There are some nice elements in the rooms, the decor pieces but I would devote the entire space to a living room area.
I love the flowered couches in the other pictures and in fact like everything but the zebra rugs, that to me does not fit in. The rooms look spacious which I always prefer and are ielegant which I am a fan of, all very lovely!
02-13-2021 12:41 PM
@Oznell Adore the two birds! Thanks for posting.
02-13-2021 01:30 PM - edited 02-13-2021 01:31 PM
@Oznell Thank you for sharing this lovely decor with us. I LOVE IT! I love Shumacher. I love the objects d'art ,the fabrics, the furnishings, color scheme.
Never saw a fabric or wallpaper that I did not love, even if it was not to the taste of my home, I could imagine how I would use it in other venues.
This is very tastefully done. It will stand the test of time, I believe. Many interiors, if well done, will stand the test of time with some editing and remaking. Everything that can be has been designed and it is only a matter of using properties and materials in different ways, mixing and matching. Most furniture from the past is real wood. Unfortunately, there is no real wood coming in on the big ships from China.
I once was able to buy Shumacher and Waverly for my home (from a friend in the decorator business). Decorators always overorder abundantly for the very wealthy in order to have dye lot matches.
Often,just scraps would do a bathroom or a kitchen, bedroom or DR for most average homes. If lacking, one could afford to buy a small amount at full price to complete the job.
I no longer have access to such (that's hundreds of miles and decades ago).
My favorite decorator, however, was Charles Faudree.
Do you all recall that Mario Buatta did Blair House for Nancy Reagan in his chintz and Bunny Mellon decorated the family quarters in the Kennedy WH in chintz. Jackie and Nancy both liked chintz. They had such good taste.
02-13-2021 03:06 PM
Very cool that you had such a great "connection" to get those yummy fabrics, @Nonametoday ! Mario Buatta, Charles Faudree, legendary, great names in design, probably slightly more baroque in feeling.
Mark Hampton is another name from the recent past I love, and John Saladino..... Their work really stands up!
02-14-2021 09:39 AM
I really like most of the photos.
I don't like the chandelier and art in the first photo...and the placement of the furniture works for apartment life IMO, LOVE the 3rd and 4th pictures of the rooms.
The wallpaper and matching drapes are not something I would ever do in my home but being a fan of blue and black paired with off white/cream..I kind of like it.
PS..When looking at the 2nd photo I thought to myself..I think Nick Chavez was the hairstylist for Nancy that day.
02-14-2021 10:31 AM
@DREAMON my thoughts exactly about hairstylist when viewing that one photo ! all of the hair multipiers sold on shopping channels lately. We should all be so lucky to have that mane as we age.
I strangely for me like that blue flowered wall paper . I couldn't live with it , but it is striking.
02-14-2021 11:38 AM
I love what this designer has done, with one exception. The couch next to the TV pushes my non-functional button. Its like you put the kids there to punish them, without the TV of course. Why didn't they just reverse the couch with the dining table?
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