Inspiring Rooms: Sir John Richardson

In today's T Magazine, there is an article with photographs by Francois Halard of the art historian and Picasso biographer Sir John Richardson's estate in Connecticut.  It is a whimsical, grand, beautiful and eclectic place.  There are two homes, the "library" which is where Richardson lives and the guest house which was modeled on an 18th century folly on the grounds of Syon house in London.  The "library" is a large single room house filled with photographs of Picasso, Piranesi prints, Warhol polaroids, a bed from Versailles, a bust of Caligula... It is a house of stories and how I would love to spend a day or two there just listening to Richardson...

"It's important to have a few really hideous things otherwise it looks like too much ghastly good taste."
Sir John Richardson

Sir John Richardson's Connecticut home from T Magazine.  Photographs by Francois Halard.

love and kisses, Juliana

Mary de Rothschild. Part Two. Henri Samuel

"Where clothes are concerned, the only person I trust is Balenciaga.  The same goes for Henri Samuel for decoration."

Mary de Rothschild

I could not find any photos of the interior Henri Samuel did for the Baroness Alain de Rothschild (Mary de Rothschild) - but truthfully I did not look too hard after I found the images of Henri Samuel's own apartment on the rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

His home was, as Carlyne Serf de Dudzeele, would say in her Marlboro lights, enthusiastic voice, a salade.  A mix of styles.  A mix of periods.  A bit like Carlyne Serf de Dudzeele's first cover of Vogue under the editorship of Anna Wintour: a grand Christian Lacroix haute couture embellished jacket paired with jeans.  Well, jeans might be going too far for Mr. Samuel, or perhaps not, but his apartment was wonderfully relaxed not trop, trop like the rooms he did for another Rothschild, Marie-Helene, which although stunning, I would feel the need to come out for air.  

There was an airiness in Mr. Samuel's own home.  There was space, there was light, there was translucence in Guy de Rougement's cloud table, there was the smooth sensuousness of bronze pieces by Philippe Hiquily, a darkened bronze table by Diego Giacometti, African pieces...  it is perfect and timeless...

see for yourself.  

Inspiring rooms: Henri Samuel on the rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré...

The ground floor of a hotel particulier opens to a large garden.  

On the far wall a bronze console by Cesar under a painting by Balthus.  There are brass and lucite chairs by Philippe Hiquily created for Henri Samuel, a Diego Giacometti table sits by the window covered in books and magazines, a trio of brass and fossilized wood tables also by Hiquily sit by the very comfy looking double sofa.  The de Rougement cloud table in bronze and a claret colored plexiglass, objets, a small bar by the window...

It is remarkable how well the 1970s pieces go with boiserie and gilt furniture...

love and kisses, Juliana

Inspiring Rooms: Peggy Guggenheim's Bedroom in Venice

Peggy Guggenheim's house, the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, in Venice is a magical place.  It is a low, grand, cool oasis and as soon as you enter its Clare Falkenstein gates with bits of translucent amber, turquoise and ruby colored glass inserted into a web of iron, you know you are in a place like no other.  

One of my favorite rooms is Peggy Guggenheim's bedroom.  In 1945 Guggenheim commissioned Alexander Calder to create a silver bed head for her bedroom.  Calder created, in hammered silver, a swirling, light reflecting, bed head of sea and plant life.  

It is incredibly beautiful.  When Peggy Guggenheim was living, the bedroom was painted turquoise and I can imagine  Peggy Guggenheim in her "dream world" with "the waves splashing against the bedroom walls.  In summer I wake at 4AM and watch the dawn.  The light is so wonderful.  The vegetable and fruit barges are passing underneath the window.  I watch them, then pull the blinds and go back to sleep."

love, kisses and dreaming of a silver Calder in a turquoise bedroom in Venice, Juliana

Inspiring Rooms: Juan Pablo Molyneux's 12th-Century Castle

Three words:

Castle
Moat
Bevilacqua

Where some people dream of a farm in Africa, I dream of a castle, with a moat and a sofa upholstered in Bevilacqua fabric in Pouy-sur-Vannes, France.

The castle with the moat and Bevilacqua upholstered sofa belongs to the decorator Juan Pablo Molyneux and was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal magazine.  When Molyneux first saw the castle, it was a conference center and a "disaster".  Working with a team, Molyneux set about restoring the chateau, well, I doubt it was quite this glorious formerly, into a glorious home.  What I find particularly admirable about Mr. Molynneux is that he is like the Chanel of the decorator trade.  He is intent upon saving ancient métiers of the interior arts - much like Chanel has done for the petities mains of the haute couture.

'There were stone masons, carpenters, gilders, masters of wrought iron and masters of scagliola, a 17th century Tuscan technique that uses paint and plaster to mimic marble.'  

"I don't want to just keep these skills alive," says Molyneux.  "I want to push them forward."  (Mr. Molyneux is establishing in a former stable on the grounds of Pouy a space for an artisan academy where there will be a stipend, a place to live and to train.)

'In Pouy's library, the walls are lined in deep-red leather embossed with sky blue and gold.  "The technique was first done by the Sephardic community in Córdoba around the 15th century."  How much does this go for?  "It is not cheap." The bookshelves are by Pierre Garnier, who practiced his craft at Versailles.  And then there's the remarkable reading table - a massive wooden reproduction of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence.  The designer Renzo Mongiardino had it made in the 1960s for a New York penthouse apartment and Molyneux scooped it up at auction when the apartment was sold.'  (Oddly, the WSJ did not publish a photo of the library : (

The scagliola room:

The vestibule with an imposing 17th century Venetian painting from the school of Tintoretto:

Mr. Molyneux was inspired by his first visit to the chateau when a hot air balloon landed on the front lawn to have the painter, Frédéric Monpoint paint one of round rooms with a whimsical balloon fresco in the manner of Josep Maria Sert.

The Bevilacqua tiger silk velvet from Venice on the sofa:

The 'Gaine' bed in a deep blood red silk velvet is a design by Molyneux.  Dreamy and beautiful.

Another beautiful bedroom this time in hydrangea blues and greens with a small portrait of Madame de Sévigné (a famous letter writer known for her wit during the time of Louis XIV - I am ordering the book of her letters on Amazon and you can too here.)

An indoor pool in the former orangerie:

Juan Pablo Molyneux's chateau in France.  All photos and excerpts in quotations from the WSJ magazine.

love, kisses and I dream of a castle with a moat and a Bevilacqua upholstered sofa, Juliana

Inspiring Rooms: Francois Hallard in Arles

I can hardly believe that it was 1996 when I tore out pages from Vogue of Francois Hallard's home, an 18th century hotel particulier in Arles.  

This was my favorite room and I have looked for a lit a la polonaise ever since but I am still looking...

a room to dream in...

love, kisses and sweet dreams, Juliana