Blog | Cristopher Worthland Interiors

SWIMMING IN LUXURY

Posted January 21, 2014. Filed in Art Deco, Classical Moderne, Moderne, Thierry Despont

“Swimming in Luxury” was the title of an article written by Françoise Labro for Maison & Jardin in 1995 – a separate and complete article associated with my previous post, Passion, Discipline and Savoir-Fair, chronicling the collaboration between client and architect of a bespoke residential project in the western part of the United States. This second article published in the same March issue of Maison & Jardin details the exacting expectations of a client who, for all intents and purposes, would have been led to believe that a subterranean pool and spa beneath his mansion was impossible. But master architect Thierry Despont, you see, believes in the realization of dreams and welcomed the challenge of realizing them for his client. The luxurious results set the gold standard for a residential indoor pool and spa, let alone one for the realm of luxury hotels. Despont’s inspiration borrowed from the thermal baths of antiquity, incorporating into his plan a lap pool, a recreation area, areas for exercise, chaise longues upholstered with sturdy terry cloth to stretch out upon, and fireside seating to read a book by or relax. The affect is at once luxurious yet understated and timeless. It’s just the kind of private space you would expect a captain of industry to possess.

The custom tubular steel chaise longues covered with sturdy terry cloth were designed by Despont; the cane and rosewood bench is British Colonial; a miniature racing skiff is set upon the mantel of an antique French stone fireplace.

A telephone by Françoise de Watteville is integrated into a bronze bas-relief bearing the name of the Cunard Lines. The bathroom and sauna looks as though it were pulled from a private yacht from the 1930’s.

Despont based the design of the swimming pool on classical models, lining the pool with underwater frescoes that harmonize with the regular spacing of the columns in the grand tradition of aquatic decoration reminiscent of Armand-Albert Rateau. A collection of the owner’s model sailboats lines the walls, and a skiff designed by Despont hangs above the pool.

Reading List: “Swimming in Luxury” written by Françoise Labro for Maison & Jardin, March 1995. Photography by Pascal Chevallier.

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Passion-Discipline-Savoir-Faire

Posted January 20, 2014. Filed in Art Deco, Classical Moderne, Moderne, Thierry Despont

“Passion, discipline and savoir-faire”: these are the three guiding principles of master architect and designer Thierry Despont. Tucked away in the shelves of my studio’s books cabinet I rediscovered a spread that has long been on my mind since I first discovered it in 1995 in Maison & Jardin, that wonderful publication that met an untimely end. By 1995 an English version was available; I was living in Los Angeles and would count the days for its appearance at the news and magazine stand on Robertson Boulevard. Since then, I have moved so many times that I still rediscover books and magazines that got filed away in boxes.

Thierry Despont has remained low on the design world’s radar, with only rare publication of his work here and there. Even his own website sparingly covers his architectural oeuvre. With exclusive and highly private clients the likes of Bill Gates, Ralph Lauren, Leslie H. Wexner and Calvin Klein it’s no wonder. So it is with a good degree of giddiness that I present these images and the story of a house in the western part of the United States that Despont designed in collaboration with undisclosed clients. The formidable house was built in the 1920’s but had been insensitively altered in the 1950’s. Despont’s design program was to demolish everything but the facade to allow its rebirth to embrace an integrated whole in the spirit of master architects of yore who “worked hand-in-hand with artists and craftsmen, creating houses that were architectural works of art, in which the interplay of light and volumes combined with materials and colors to satisfy the wildest dreams … We must listen to the clients’ wishes, understand their tastes and, above all, respect their desires.” Despont and client took dozens of trips across Europe and the United States visiting the flea markets and the Carré Rive Gauche of Paris and the fine antiques showrooms of New York’s Madison Avenue, where they met with artists and commissioned work from craftsman. “It takes a close-knit collaboration and an ongoing exchange between client and professional for a house to be successful. Architecture in not the exclusive domain of architects. it belongs to cultivated people. Memories and dreams make a house a home. Memories of childhood, of trips, of books as well as of desire and experiences. Dreams of life, style and of immortality.”

A sober formality is conveyed by the only image of the exterior I could locate, found at Despont’s website. The first photo reveals the monumental staircase, the only element of the interior architecture that was left intact. On the landing is a bust of Juno, found at Christian Sapet in the Marché Paul Bert, Paris.

The main sitting room, at once classical and modern, evokes the timeless style and color palette of Jean-Michel Frank with its walls of waxed honeyed English oak and upholstered furniture simply covered in white linen and gold velvet. African kuba cloth covers some of the throw pillows, a wonderfully textured and bold neutral pattern I still enjoy and use. At the window is a leather covered Porteneuve chair set between a pair of 19th-century copies of Pompeian bronze urns. The painting above the sofa is by John Register.

Looking toward the fireplace in the main sitting room a sense of grandeur is conveyed by the pilasters set into the paneling of the fire surround. The silver andirons date to 1877.

Two views of the study illustrate the great care and craftsmanship that went into conceiving the scale and proportions of these rooms. The paneling, cabinets, shelving, fireplace mantel, and sconces feel as though they had been here since the house was originally built in the 1920’s. The restrained classicism of the room’s architecture paired with understated modern furniture made of luxurious materials hits a subtle note of sophistication that runs throughout the house. The bust behind the leather chair is 19th-century stoneware; the check-covered armchairs are by Jacques Quinet, 1945; the Japanese cypress wood table lamp is from 1930; on the 1930 French walnut desk is a black spherical lamp from 1940; the leopard covered stool is from 1935. The chandelier in the foyer, beyond is by Jean Royère.

Classical-moderne defines the elegant yet sober dining room, a study in black and white. Checks, apparently, were all the rage but I can’t recall their popularity, and I can’t say I’m a fan of this large-scale version. It reads “gingham” which, for whatever reason, has a bad association. Despont designed the dining table to compliment the Andrey Sornay sideboard from 1930. Flanking the fireplace are a pair of nickel-plated bronze lampshades by Leleu, 1930. Mounted above the fireplace is a French wall clock from 1940. The folding screen is 19th-century; the bust is by Delamarra from Galerie Yves Gastou.

The husband’s somber study looks like a movie set for a Hollywood film set in the 1930’s or 40’s. The painting is by Albert Gleiz, 1911; the 1920 painting on the easel is from Guerin Antiquaire.

The lady’s study has pine paneling set with panels of goffered flannel … and more of that black-and-white checkered fabric from Manuel Canovas. A chair from the S.S. Normandie is pulled up to a Biedermeier desk. The armchairs are 19th-century English. The chandelier is 18th-century French.

America’s love affair with Art Deco crescendoed in the 1990’s, nowhere more obvious than here in the den, another virtual movie set replete with a zeppelin model from 1930 sitting on a Stockar Czech-style coffee table, and model trains from 1925 setting behind a sofa from the 1930’s. Elsewhere in the den are globes from the 1950’s and a vintage photograph of La Guardia airport, representing the period’s fascination with travel.

Donald Deskey was the inspiration for a child’s room with a custom bed and rug designed by Despont. The armchair is 1920’s French. The chest and mirror are by Deskey.

Despont designed a large multi-panel upholstered-and-wood-framed screen as a backdrop to a custom leather-padded headrest, which matches the 19th-century tufted leather loveseat from Christopher Hodsoll at the foot of the bed. A pair of terra-cotta base lamps are set on a pair of Empire pedestal tables with marble tops. In a sitting area of the master bedroom is an English sofa from 1880 paired with one of two English Art Deco tables.

In the vast and well-appointed master bath a chaise longue attributed to Leon Jallot, 1926, takes center stage. Pulled up behind it is a walnut and nickel low table by André Sornay, 1930. Despont designed the metal screen and mantlepiece. The black-and-white photograph is of Miles Davis.

Tomorrow I will follow-up with the luxurious subterranean pool and spa Thierry Despont fashioned for this impressive project.

This post was based on an article written by Françoise Labro for Maison & Jardin, March 1995, with photography by Pascal Chevallier.

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Savoir-Sills

Posted January 17, 2014. Filed in Stephen Sills, Understated Luxury

Granted, it’s probably very unlikely we can “know” someone – “Savoir Sills” – from an interview. But when it comes to decorator Stephen Sills (he deplores the term “designer”, stating “it’s such a made-up thing from the 70’s when decorators were looked down upon, so everybody became a ‘designer’. A great decorator should be every bit as respected as a great architect.”) I can’t seem to get enough of his sybaritic take on classic design and, in particular, his Bedford country house, which Karl Lagerfeld declared “the chicest house in America.” A recent interview conducted by Sian Ballen and Lesley Hauge with the New York Social Diary has once again opened the covetable doors of Sill’s self-declared laboratory of design, shedding new light on the direction his work is taking, with a rare peak inside this self-admitted shy recluse’s psyche. I will be one of many bloggers sharing these images, and there is no point in reiterating what has been recorded so recently in the NYSD interview … I simply want to use this medium to record and share them, as I will reference them often. If you are as enamored with the talent that is Stephen Sills as much as I am you, too, will return here – or there – again and again, as well. You can read the full story at New York Social Diary. Jouir!

A view of the main house with its four square architecture and original clapboard. A retaining wall and stone steps lead up to the back of the main house.

THE ENTRY

A Louis XVI Neo-classical oak cabinet stands against limed chestnut veneered walls in the entry hall. The portrait of an Arab boy is by artist Christian Berard. It was once owned by Christian Dior.

THE LIVING ROOM

Marble columns from the Mamluk period frame the entrance to the living room, decorated with a mixture of pieces that once belonged to Stephen’s ‘design’ heroes, including Bill Blass, Cecil Beaton, Rudolf Nureyev and Carlos Beistegui. Hand-grooved plaster walls and stone floors are the perfect backdrop for Stephen’s mix of fine art and antiques: a pair of English twig candle tables stand next to a pair of Georges Jacob recamiers; the oversized globe once lived in Rudolf Nureyev’s apartment; a stunning bronze head by Picasso stands atop a 17th century Indo-Portuguese table; a Cy Twombly drawing provides contrast to an Etruscan terra-cotta mask; a “greige” armless sofa and side chairs add a modern touch and tie pieces together from different eras in design; a Robert Rauschenberg drawing and a Louis XVI settee are centered between French doors; baluster-shaped pewter pilgrim bottles are arranged atop a Louis XV mahogany secretary.

THE LIBRARY

A formal dining room and porch were converted into a spacious library where Stephen reads, watches TV and holds casual dinners. Christian Dior once owned the 18th century porter’s chair that stands front and center. Custom bookcases also conceal a door to the kitchen. To hide the disparate pattern of books Stephen lined his glass-fronted bookcases with bamboo shades painted white. An exquisite 18th century German Louis XVI desk is from Carlton Hobbs. The étagère is Directoire and holds a Giacometti lamp.

THE KITCHEN

Stephen loves to cook and entertain in his casual all-white country kitchen.

DINING ROOM

A cone-shaped plaster chandelier by Alberto Giacometti hangs over a Louis XVI dining table and chairs. A corner of the dining room is filled with art, including a bronze sculpture by Jean Arp and drawings by Miro.

UPSTAIRS LANDING

Stephen transformed the upstairs landing into an additional sitting area. The mid-19th century German corner cabinets were built to display glassware. A lattice-back chair and Georgian desk stand against a wall. An 18th century French provincial map hags on a wall in the stairwell. Stephen saved the iron rods for years before he was able to transform them into these staircase spindles.

GUEST ROOM

Stephen had the walls of a guest-room (which had been Stephen’s bedroom according to previous publications) painted in an unusual high-gloss green. (Stephen calls the color ‘pond-scum green’). A tufted leather sofa and mahogany Directoire chair provide an elegant and comfortable seating area. A series of antique mirrored candle sconces hang above the fireplace mantel. A handsome Italian Empire steel bed welcomes the lucky house guest.

STEPHEN’S BEDROOM

Country clothes are draped over a side chair; French doors flank an Italian writing table; an antique Austrian map, a Roman bust and sepia photos are arranged atop the fireplace mantel.

HALL BATHROOM

THE STUDY

A stunning antique Portuguese embroidery is draped over the back of a sofa in the upstairs study; an eagle’s nest of barbed wire stands in front of the window; a wall covered with notes and photos of family and friends.

GUEST ROOM

Stephen designed a second guest bedroom in soothing tones of blue and gray.

THE GUEST HOUSE

Stephen transformed what was originally a slate-roofed garage, about to fall down, and turned it into a guesthouse.

Inspired by the floor pattern of Pauline de Rothchild’s Chateau Mouton, with its multi-colored tiles, Stephen decided to flip the idea ‘upside-down’ and paint the ceiling of the main room in this lively pattern. The floors are laid with a rough Canadian marble brick that is stained white. Formal French furniture is arranged casually around a linen covered table; grotto tables from Kew Gardens are part of the eclectic collection of furnishings; a straw chair by Korean artist Kim Hyun-bin stands near a Robert Morris felt sculpture; a French ormolu-mounted money-changing table sits next to an 18th century French tester bed; eighteenth-century chairs from Turin, stand in front of a fabric-covered table topped with a Jean-Michel Frank lamp and ancient Chinese jade objects.

HALL

In the guesthouse hall a small painting by Stephen’s elementary school teacher stands atop an English lacquer table.

GUEST ROOM

A high-lacquer grey paint creates a soothing background for a downstairs bedroom in the guesthouse. The lamps are by Dupré Lafon.

GROUNDS

For the interview visit New York Social Diary

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Chalet de Ferrières

Posted January 15, 2014. Filed in Baron and Baroness de Rothschild, Chalets, François Catroux

Chalet de Ferrières has been written and blogged about enough, this is true. All the same, I wanted a record of the several known photos published of the chalet in one concise place. My blog is as much a library of images that I reference for own projects and interests as it is a medium to share ideas and images about interior design and decoration, some of which risk being lost to obscurity. Chalet de Ferrières represents a particular place in time, when the jet-set outfitted their residences – from vast estates to charming retreats – in grand, and often opulent, style. The Rothchild’s taste for opulence became world renown, signifying the era of le goût Rothschild. I hadn’t originally intended to write this post but decided I would like to elaborate on the brief mention I gave it in Fresca Alpina. For this reason the following descriptions and commentary on the chalet are taken directly form their sources, Architectural Digest (photographed in 1987) and Horst Interiors by Barbara Plumb (photographed in 1978). If you have never read, or perhaps no longer own, the publications from which the following images and information originate then consider this a gift from me to you. Enjoy!

In the photo above: “An 18th-century Persian fabric, which formerly hung at the Château de Ferrières, now covers the walls and ceiling of a guest room. The 19th-century étagère with gilt-bronze mounts holds a pair or Moorish painted terra-cotta busts.” (AD)

“For the Baron Guy de Rothschild, exchanging the vast Château de Ferrières, outside Paris, for a chalet on the estate was a logical step. For Marie-Hélène de Rothschild, it signaled an end to the elaborate balls the couple had thrown and a return to a quieter way of life.” (AD)

“In his memoirs, The Whims of Fortune, Baron Guy de Rothschild recalls how he was just trying to ‘steal a march on the evolution of history. I’d planned to exchange a country château and a Paris townhouse for a small chalet and a city apartment. I found myself with a palace on an island (Hôtel Lambert) and a chalet in the forest. As usual with Marie-Hélène, it’s always the unexpected that happens.'” (AD)

“Baron Guy worked closely with architect Augustin Julia on every phase of the design and building of a new, shingled Ferrières in the Wrightian mode. The baron’s wife, Marie-Hélène, masterminded the interior in collaboration with the designer François Catroux. Her goal was to distill the luxurious eclecticism of its illustrious namesake. The Winter Garden indicates how brilliantly she succeeded. A teak ceiling, recessed lights, and sheep by François Lalanne are pure twentieth-century, but everything else bespeaks the splendor of a bygone era. Treaures from the seventeenth-century include Venetian blamamoors, a sumptuous German cast-iron chest, and a German mirror on tooled Russian leather walls; finds from the nineteenth-century comprise zany Victorian black leather love seats and chair with deep fringes.” (Horst Interiors)

“With designer François Catroux, the baroness selected those pieces from the château that would offer a more relaxing environment. In a corner of the main salon is a series of oak-framed bronze reliefs.” (AD)

“Standing demurely in a the doorway that leads from the airy Winter Garden to the main salon is a sheep by François Lalanne.” (AD)

“A table in the main salon displays some personal memorabilia: a Chinese figure, a tortoiseshell casket, a traveling canteen of gilt flatware.” (AD)

“The Winter Garden, with walls of cuir de Russie, and a wood ceiling, is where the baron and baroness meet before dinner.” (AD)

“Lady Sarah Spencer Churchill, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and a dog painting by Desportes hang above a banquette in the main salon.” (AD)

“The naturalness of abundant plants and flowers in the living room leavens the luxury of precious objects and rich patterns. Another inspired bit of juxtapositioning: hanging a Reynolds portrait of Sarah Spencer Churchill and a hunting scene by Desportes on informal diamond-stenciled straw-covered walls. A Louis XIII Savonnerie tapestry turns the pouf into a center-stage perch of splendor.” (Horst Interiors)

“Catroux continued the intimate yet luxurious ambiance in the library. Rhenish salt-glazed stoneware flagons rest on the 17th-century marquetry table inlaid with ivory. Above it, a 19th-century German mirror reflects a part of the baron’s extensive collection of books.” (AD)

“For the dining room, Marie-Hélène incorporated the wood-paneled walls and octagonal ceiling form the Chantilly château of Baron Guy’s mother. The couple dine at the 19th-century marquetry pedestal table or, for larger dinner parties, set up two round tables in front of the corner sofas.” (AD)

“A sophisticated piling on of rich pattern and color in the dining room contrasts charmingly with naive flowers that look like they were just cut in the garden. Batik cloths drape the tables; antique Indonesian shawls cover the banquettes and chairs. The delightful paneling, which could be an illustration for a children’s book, was moved from the children’s dining room at San Souci, another Rothschild château. Brilliantly colored eighteenth-century procelain elephants from India carry candles on their backs.” (Horst Interiors)

“A banquette upholstered in the same seventeenth-century Verdure tapestry that covers the floor invites relaxation in this splendid television room. On the walls behind, paintings by Desportes reiterate pastoral themes and colors in a vivid depiction of a wild boar hunt.” (Horst Interiors)

“Airy, yet exotic, this enchanting bedroom benefits from the beauty of the antique Indonesian shawls lavished on walls, curtains, and sleigh bed. Two compelling eighteenth-century Chinese paintings – a portrait of an empress and a landscape by a French missionary to China – add drama and focus. A curtained bathroom juts into the room and becomes part of it. Both a Louis XV bureau and the bed are angled for interest. The top of the unusual Brazilian palmwood night table is inlaid with butterflies.” (Horst Interiors)

“On the Louis XV desk in the baroness’s bedroom is a photograph of Philippe de Nicolay, the baroness’s son from her first marriage, and a shell objet de maîtrise. Just beyond is her bath.” (AD)

“A guest room, known as the Persian bedroom, contains Indian fabric as wallcoverings, a 19th-century Syrian table with mother-of-pearl and ebony inlay, and a pair of Indo-Portuguese armchairs.” (AD)

Reading list: Horst Interiors by Barbara Plumb, 1993; Architectural Digest Visits: Baron and Baroness Guy de Rothschild – The Evolution of the Chalet de Ferrières by Charlotte Aillaud, April 1987. Photography by Marianne Hass.

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SWISH CHALET

Posted January 12, 2014. Filed in Chalets, Nicholas Haslam

“Swish Chalet”: that was the headline for an article written by Ros Byam Shaw for The World of Interiors featuring a chalet in Klosters, Switzerland, designed by the jet-set’s favorite go-to decorator, Nicky Haslam. At a loss for a title more aptly suited, witty, or clever, this play on words stuck.

Colefax & Fowler’s “Ebury” chintz was reprinted for The Green Room, above. The sofa is covered in Russian mattress ticking; the late 19th-century painting of a mother and her children features a painted Arts & Crafts sideboard, a copy of which sits along the opposite wall.

Haslam’s client, a banker, purchased a 1950’s hacienda (as strange as that sounds in the Swiss Alps) and was convinced by Haslam to tear it down and build a traditional Swiss chalet decked out with luxurious, witty flair. It’s a nod to those chalets of yore favored by legitimate royals, such as the Rothchilds’, Windsor’s, and Grimaldi’s, and those self-appointed royals, such as the Onasis’ and Kennedy’s. A mix of both humble and sumptuous materials, rich fabrics and color palettes, cosseting upholstery, elegant antiques with impressive provenance, whimsically painted custom furniture, and timeless European Old World glamour inform rooms at once rustic and sophisticated. If one thing is certain, for the fortunate few who are invited as guests here, it’s that hitting the piste reins second to après–ski, chez the chalet that Haslam built.

The front door opens to an entrance hall that runs the length of the chalet. Haslam purposely had the plasterers do “a bad job” to make the plasterwork appear like packed snow formed by hand.

A view toward the opposite end of the entrance hall features a round table draped in a scallop-edged tablecloth encrusted with beads and sequins and looped with ermine tippets over an undercloth of embossed Tudor velvet. The glamorous white ceramic Austrian stove is surrounded by a wrap-around bench draped with sheepskin. At the windows hang a pair of 17th-century tapestries which Haslam had cut in half and appliqued onto a pair of thick linen curtains.

An 18th-century German verre églomisé mirror hangs above a painted hall table flanked by side chairs with monogrammed slip-covers in the entrance hall.

Another view of The Green Room toward the entrance hall features a pair of custom green-painted recessed cabinets designed by NH Design.

The salon viewed through a wooden door surround originating from an Austrian schloss is simply elegant, with a dash of witticism in the form of a flamboyant plaster bust.

An 18th-century Italian stone chimney piece dominates the other end of the salon, crowned by a carved wood overdoor painted to look like plaster. Here, luxurious silk velvet for upholstery meets humble pine paneling for the walls and ceiling. A stylized decorative pattern painted by Paul and Chris Czainski adorns the fireplace wall.

The Swiss chalet architectural vernacular is most on display here, in the first floor stair hall, where pristine and simple hand plastered walls meet pine, antique stone floors, and painted shutters.

The sinuous staircase features lanterns copied by NH Designs from antiques.

The cloakroom features a monumental stone washbasin, above which hangs a Georgian mahogany mirror painted white.

A whimsically painted headboard rests against walls covered in “Abre Indien Violet” from Claremont, an archive fabric specially created for NH Design. The wardrobe is early 19th-century Austrian.

The twin beds in the guest room were specially commissioned and decorated by a Spanish painter. The walls are covered with “Iran Rose 2” fabric from Claremont.

An alternate view of the same guest room features a custom painted wardrobe in Prussian blue.

The rustic bathroom is enlivened by walls covered with antique Russian manganese tiles and a gleaming West One Bathrooms bathtub.

The glamorous rococo-style headboard in the main bedroom was copied from one in a photograph of Haslam’s godmother, Iris Origo, in a Roman palazzo, and is covered with “Armure Cannele Mole” by Claremont. The Italian 18th-century wardrobe is flanked by a pair of capriccio landscapes which once belonged to Frederick the Great. Nothing says “royal retreat” like a fur throw. As decadent and glorious real fur would be, I hope this is a rather good imitation.

The terrace off the main salon is designed in pure Swiss style, affording views over Klosters.

This post was based on an article written by Ros Byam Shaw for The World of Interiors. Photography by Fritz von der Schulenburg.

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NATURALLY MINIMAL

Posted January 11, 2014. Filed in Axel Vervoordt, Chalets, Elemental Design

The chalet pictured above appears as though it could have been perched on this Alpine slope for two-or-three-hundred years, preserved with great care and affection by its succession of stewards. But in fact it was only recently constructed by antiquarian and interior designer Axel Vervoordt and his wife, May. Sited with an enviable view high above Verbier, Switzerland – an international playground for European high society – the Vervoordt-designed chalet is constructed of local stone and wood. “All of the wood is very simple”, noted Axel, “without carving” … seeking “a kind of minimalism, a way of thinking as well as a way of reusing the old, so as not to kill more trees or destroy nature.”

The rustic, minimal interiors – orchestrated in Vervoordt’s imitable elemental style – allow the materials and their natural patinas and the art of the hand-crafted shine through. In an area known for its top quality skiing and glamorous nightlife the Vervoordt’s were more interested in nature and the utilization and re-use of the old in favor of the new and glitzy. Most of the furniture is what Axel refers to as “Montagnard”, or rustic furniture, both antique and new, made by local mountain craftsmen. The simplicity of these pieces allow them to mix with furniture made by mountain craftsmen from myriad locales. An overall sense of quiet and serentity pervades throughout the chalet, where attention to the mellowed pine paneling, not art, for instance, strikes a meditative note.

In lieu of providing descriptions for each photo I think it’s best to allow them speak to you on a soul level. Enjoy this meditative journey into the soul of a very special dwelling.

From Veranda and Russian AD magazines.

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CHALET BALTHUS

Posted January 10, 2014. Filed in Balthus, Chalets

Grand Chalet de Rossinière photographed by François Halard in 2003.

Borrowing from the title of an article written by Jean Leymarie for House & Garden in December of 1987, the final home of the late artist Balthus and his artist wife, Setsuko, “Chalet Balthus” is correctly known as the Grand Chalet de Rossinière, in Switzerland. The largest known all-wooden structure of its kind in Europe, it was built between 1752 and 1756 by Jean-David Henchoz, a local lawyer and businessman, who wanted to create “a house for cheese”. The ground floor was intended for the sale of cheese while the upper floors were dedicated as living spaces, a common arrangement among merchants of this era. In 1977 the painter Balthus, Count Balthazar Klossowski of Rola, acquired the Grand Chalet and lived there until his death in 2001.

Grand Chalet-Balthus-Rossinière-Maurice Haas

Photo by Maurice Haas

At the time of the 1987 House & Garden article Balthus and his wife, Setsuko, had been living in the chalet for ten years. The splendor of the all wooden chalet set in the majestic Alpine region of the Pays d’Enhaut appealed to their taste for Shinto temples and Oriental landscapes, evoking for Setsuko her native Japan.

Balthus moved to Rossinière from Italy, where he engaged his passion for art in 1961. Upon receiving an assignment to assist in the restoration of the Villa Medici he traveled to Japan to unearth that country’s art treasures; it was here that he met his future wife, Setsuko, a patrician beauty who to this day continues to embrace ancient Chinese traditions of manner and dress. She served as his model for Oriental-themed canvases, and as hostess to their illustrious guests.

The Grand Chalet represents a masterwork of traditional Swiss folk art and craftsmanship. Between 1850 and 1852 the chalet was transformed into a hotel where, it is noted, Victor Hugo stayed in September 1883. When Balthus purchased the property he removed all the additions made by the hotel and sanded all the pine down to its original sandy, golden tones, and retained all of the original ceramic stoves.

Amorous of mountains, and the Bernese Alps in particular, Balthus painted “The Moutain” (1935-37), a reflection on childhood memories spent there.

The furniture is a blend of regional and Italian pieces, with the occasional Oriental flourish provided by a textile or objet d’art – and some very impressive art by Delacroix, Bonnard, Derain and, of course, Balthus. A mix of chairs – a tapestry Queen Anne wing chair, two 18th-century Swiss armchairs in red-and-white linen, two chairs from a Savoyard castle – surround a table covered with Japanese cotton in the warm glow of the pine-paneled informal living room.

Setsuko used to give shows at Christmas time for the village with the puppets she made, displayed above on a table in the library. She also used them to tell stories to her daugher, Harumi.

A 19th-century Greek rug covers a table in the breakfast room – the room that Victor Hugo reportedly slept in. In the corner of the room is an 18th-century blue-and-white ceramic stove, original to the house.

Setsuko poses in a winter house kimono from the Oshima region of southern Japan. To this day she wears traditional Japanese dress.

Balthus’ wife, Setsuko – an accomplished painter in her own right – created her own studio where she used to practice calligraphy and eventually began to draw and paint, most notably with gouache. A work in progress set on an easel offers a glimpse into her creative lair in the year 1987.

This view into the breakfast room provides a glimpse of a Giacometti sculpture given to Balthus because he was the first to admire it. The pair of iron floor lamps, as with all the iron lamps throughout the chalet, come from an iron merchant near Balthus’s Italian castle, Monte Calvello.

Maestro of the photographic image, François Halard, dedicated an ode to Balthus in his recently published eponymous tome, François Halard:

“Its’ Balthus, Setsuko, and their daughter, Harumi Klossowska de Rola. It’s the snow on the facade of the Grand Chalet. It’s a childhood dream and the memory of the Colle sisters, Les Trois Seours, the body of the young girl in Nu devant la cheminée (Nude in Front of the Fireplace). The closed door of the studio of the Chats au miroir (Cats with Mirror) and the open door of Setsuko’s studio. It’s coming to better understand the mystery of Balthus and his homes: Château de Chassy and the Castello di Montecalvello. It’s the bird room, the portrait of Balthus signed by Henri Cartier-Bresson. It’s a book by James Lord, Some Remarkable Men, and the exchange of correspondence with Fellini. It’s Malraux and Giacommetti, Japan and Italy.”

The Bird Room at the Grand Chalet de Rossinière. Photographed by François Halard in 2003.

While researching the Grand Chalet I came across these charming photos of Balthus and Setsuko in situ …

Family breakfast at the Grand Chalet de Rossinière. From left to right, Setsuko, daughter Harumi, and Balthus. Photo by Alvaro Canovas.

Baltus enjoying tea with wife, Setsuko, and daughter, Harumi, at the Grand Chalet in Rossinière. Photo by Alvaro Canovas.

Baltus enjoying tea with his wife, Setsuko, and daughter, Harumi, at the Grand Chalet in Rossinière. Photo by Alvaro Canovas.

Setsuko, accompanied by Balthus, in the studio at the Grand Chalet in Rossinière. Photo by Alvaro Canovas.

Setsuko’s kimono draped over a chair in the studio at the Grand Chalet in Rossinière. Photo by Alvaro Canovas.

Setsuko with Balthus in the studio at the Grand Chalet, Rossinière. Photo by Alvaro Canovas.

Balthus working one one of his canvases at the Grand Chalet in Rossinière. Photo by Alvaro Canovas.

Balthus with his wife, Setsuko, their daughter, Harmi, and granddaughters at the Grand Chalet in Rossinière. Photo by Alvaro Canovas.

Balthus with his wife, Setsuko, their daughter, Harumi, and granddaughters at the Grand Chalet in Rossinière. Photo by Alvaro Canovas.

Comtesse Setsuko Klossowska de Rola; Rossinière; Octobre 2004. Photographed by Phillippe Pache.

Comtesse Setsuko Klossowska de Rola; Rossinière; October 2004. Photographed by Phillippe Pache.

The Grand Chalet de Rossinière. Photo by Rodrigo Carrizo Couto.

The Grand Chalet de Rossinière. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto.

The Grand Chalet de Rossinière. Photo by Rodrigo Carrizo Couto.

The Grand Chalet de Rossinière. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto.

Setsuko in traditional Japanese dress. Photo by Rodrigo Carrizo Couto

I hope you enjoyed this rare glimpse into life at the Grand Chalet at the time of Balthus. Certainly one of the privileges of blogging is having complete control over content and what interests me. But on a deeper level I feel an obligation to serve as a curator of images that might be lost to the passage of time. Whenever I discover images, interviews, and articles of interesting people, places and the interiors they inhabit I feel compelled to share them with the world so they are not lost to obscurity.

The Grand Chalet remains in the family and is not open to the public.

Reading list: Chalet Balthus by Jean Leymarie for House & Garden, December 1987, with photos by Jacques Dirand; François Halard published by Rizzoli, 2013. Photo credits for all other images have been noted.

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FRESCA ALPINA

Posted January 9, 2014. Filed in Alain Demachy, Armani, Axel Vervoordt, Chalets, Federica Palacios, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild, Nicholas Haslam, Studio Peregalli, Valentino

Chalet Gifferhorn, Valentino’s winter retreat in Gstaad, Switzerland. Harper’s Bazaar.

With one of the coldest winters on record I assume many of you would love nothing more than to escape to a warmer clime, perhaps St Barts or Mauritius. I, however, have my sights set on the Alps, with its fresh, crisp air and distinctive and inviting all-wood constructed chalets and their rustically elegant and pampering interiors. The rooms that follow are just the kind you want to find yourself ensconced in, après–ski — the best part of a day spent on the slopes!

The salon in Valentino’s Chalet Gifferhorn in Gstaad. Harper’s Bazaar.

Renzo Mongiardino collaborated with Valentino on the decoration of Chalet Gifferhorn about thirty years ago, imbuing the warmly paneled rooms with Old World ambiance and luxury.

Photo by Jacques Dirand

Considered the largest wooden structure in Europe, the Grand Chalet in Rossinière, Switzerland, was built between 1752 and 1756 on behalf of Jean David Henchoz, a farmer, notary and judge who wanted to create “a house for cheese”. The cellar dictated the chalet’s dimensions: it was planned for 600 loaves of cheese in their refining stage. The ground floor was intended for commercial exchanges where merchants from Bulle, Vevey and Lyon negotiated sales and exports. In 1977 the painter Balthus, Count Balthazar Klossowski of Rola, acquired the Grand Chalet, where he lived with his wife, Setsuko – also an artist – and his daughter until his death in 2001. I will devote a future post to the Grand Chalet and Balthus’ life here as covered by House and Garden in 1987.

Photo by Horst

Interior designer Francois Catroux assisted Baron and Baroness de Rothschild with the decoration of their newly built Chalet de Ferrières on the property of their grand estate after they donated the chateau to the Paris government in the 1970’s. The baroness, Marie-Hélène, borrowed from the chateau’s rich collection of priceless European antiques to furnish the chalet in their imitable style, le goût Rothschild. Luxurious eclecticism informs humble wood-paneled rooms constructed with a Wrightian sensibility: a pair of shabby tufted leather Victorian sofas in a seating area of the living room are grouped around an elaborate German cast iron chest and mirror, which is hung against tooled Russian leather walls, the whole setting beneath a plain teak ceiling; and, in the dining room, a rich layering of Batik cotton drapes the tables and Indonesian shawls cover the banquettes and chairs. The paneling was moved from the children’s dining room at Sans Souci, another Rothchild chateau.

Photo by Robert Emmett Bright

In the 1980’s Prince Victor Emmanuel and his wife, princess Marina, decamped to Gstaad from Italy because, as claimant to the throne, the prince is not allowed to return to his homeland. The couple settled on Gstaad, where the family had vacationed for years, buying this chalet from an American. With the assistance of decorator Claude Reyren the chalet’s white walls were covered over with traditional paneling, transforming its rooms into a Bernese Oberland chalet, the traditionally recognized Swiss structure famous for its simplicity and comfort. In the living room a 17th-century portrait of Vittorio Amadeo II of Savoy hangs over the fireplaces, a descendant of the prince. Kilims in warm tones upholster the furniture, which compliment the mellow pine paneling and glazed terra-cotta floors, so popular at the time. The dining room was extended to create two adjacent rooms, furnished with sturdy antique pine furniture, plate racks for the family’s Ginori porcelain, and tables set with 19th-century silver bearing the family’s crest.

Photo by Marianne Haas

This chalet in Gstaad decorated in the early nineties by Alain Demachy is evocative of everyone’s vision of the traditional Swiss chalet, with its mellow pine paneled walls and stenciled doors and cabinets. The entrance hall staircase features bold balustrades and grainlike trim on the stairs and door panels set with Swiss stenciled patterns. In the living room a Swiss armoire with painted ornamentation is flanked by a pair of display shelves, each framed by a pair of painted panels, holding a collection of Swiss tankards, steins and books. In the basement is a room called the stuebli, or parlor, which is utilized for informal entertaining. Grouped around a rustic table are a set of painted Swiss chairs. The framed Swiss still life is from the 19th-century.

Photo by Fritz von der Schulenburg

For clients in Klosteres, Switzerland, Nicky Haslam gave them his unique brand of understated “jet-set chic”, where luxury lies in the details and obvious exclusivity. At one end of the long entrance hall a round table is draped in a scallop-edged tablecloth encrusted with beads and looped with fur tippets over an undercloth of Tudor velvet; and a pine bench draped with sheepskin wraps a white Austrian stove. In the “Green Room”, used for intimate dining, whimsical elegance is layered beneath a heavy traditional pine ceiling. I will revisit these deliciously exuberant rooms by Haslam in an upcoming post as a follow-up to “Fresca Alpina”.

Entrance-Studio Peregalli-St Moritz-Oberto Gili

Photo by Oberto Gili

Studio Peregalli incorporated 17th-century Italian furnishings on the stone-paved entrance hall of a chalet in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Photo by Oberto Gili

Old World luxury informs this pine-paneled living room/library in St. Moritz, filled with 16th-and-17th-century Italian furniture by Studio Peregalli.

Photo by Oberto Gili

Old World ambiance continues into the dining room, which is sheathed in 19th-century painted leather. Studio Peregalli designed the woodwork.

Photo by Oberto Gili

In the same chalet a cozy alcove in a pine-paneled bedroom is the perfect spot to take in the snow-capped alps while reading or writing with a piping hot cup of Swiss cocoa.

Photo by Oberto Gili

In the second master bedroom the passage of time appears to have stood still.

Photo by Jacques Dirand

Perhaps the most desirable of these chalets is the one May and Axel Vervoordt designed for themselves in Verbier, Switzerland. Constructed simply of wood, free of decorative carving, the rustic minimal interiors allow the materials and the art of the hand-crafted shine through. In an area known for its top quality skiing and glamorous nightlife the Vervoordt’s were more interested in nature and the utilization and re-use of the old in favor of glitz. Case in point, an old table top hangs above the fireplace mantel in the living room, which is constructed of three large raw stone blocks. Other nods to the past are presented with a Welsh 19th-century child’s chair, a low 18th-century table with a Montagnard top, and a Chinese burr wood vessel. Behind the deep white sofa of Vervoordt’s design is a 16th-century Khmer terra-cotta vase as lamp. In the dining room a rustic 18th-century table is surrounded by chestnut chairs designed by Vervoordt. These rooms are like a meal prepared simply but with the freshest ingredients available: full of taste and depth.

Photo by Guillaume de Laurier.

Photo by Guillaume de Laurier

For a chalet in the Bernese Oberland high above Bern, Switzerland, client’s engaged engineer/architect Herbert Gnägi and Swiss based interior designer Federica Palacios to conjure a “nouvelle structure embracing a love for noble materials”. The result is a pared-down rustic aesthetic utilizing time-honored pine for paneling and minimal over-scaled furniture in a limited palette of honey and black floating in expansive spaces. With a nod to Jean-Michel Frank these rooms also hint of Christian Liagre. Though understated they are supremely luxurious and comfortable. I will delve deeper into this house, and a few others designed by Palacios, in an upcoming post.

Photo by Roger Davies

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Photo by Roger Davies

Armani reinvented the traditional chalet by converting his 17th-century barn in St Moritz into a minimalist luxury retreat bearing his preference for understated luxury with a nod to Asia. The exterior of the structure was treated with traditional scratch-work decoration known as sgraffito in a subdued, almost modern, hue resembling powdered stone. The living room had been the central space of the original barn, the walls of which Armani had sheathed in a plaster treatment resembling limestone framed by mahogany beams. All the furniture is from Armani Casa. Armani selected a cinnabar color for its warmth in the dining room, where mahogany beams continue to create grid-like patterns on the walls and ceiling. The spare luxury feels very much like a modern ski resort, devoid of personal bibelots or Alpine whimsy.

I will continue our tour of the Alpine region with a stop at the 17th-century chalet of the late artist Balthus in my next post.

Reading List: Architectural Digest Visits: Baron and Baroness Guy de Rothschild, April 1987, with photography by Marianne Haas; Baroness Marie-Hélène de Rothschild (1978) from Horst Interiors by Barbara Plumb; Chalet Balthus by Jean Leymarie for House & Garden, December 1987, with photography by Jacques Dirand; Klosters Comfort by J. Fairchild for House & Garden, February 1988, with photography by Christopher Simon Sykes and Fritz von der Schulenburg; Royal Heritage at Chalet Santana by Peter Lauritzen, Architectural Digest, February 1991, with photography by Robert Emmett Bright; A Swiss Accord by Michael Peppiatt, Architectural Digest, January 1993, with photography by Marianne Haas; Mountain High by Mitchell Owens for Architectural Digest (on-line), with photography by Roger Davies.

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To The Manor Born

Posted January 5, 2014. Filed in English Country Houses, Victorian

Photo by Derry Moore.

With the much anticipated return of season 4 of Downton Abbey I couldn’t resist posting some near-vintage photos of Highclere Castle situated in Hampsire, England, the real seat of the Earl of Carnavon and the ficticious seat of the Earl of Grantham, the Viscount Downton. If those towering spires look vaguely familiar then you are correct: the spires of Westminster Abbey were also designed by the same architect, Sir Charles Barry, the most fashionable architect of Victorian England. Instead of repeating what has already been noted in books and magazines a thousand times over I will leave that to your discretion and curious mind and simply post the photos with brief descriptions taken from the January/February, 1979, issue of Architectural Digest, and the March, 1989, issue of House & Garden. Besides, I have a Jazz Age-revival season premiere party to attend early this evening and must get scooting!

Above, a pair of canephorae decorate the gateposts of Highclere Castle, in Hampshire, and suggest the dark splendor of treasures within. Home of the earls of Carnarvon, and built during the last century in fashionable Gothic Revival style.

The cast of Downton Abbey.

Photo by Derry Moore.

Pointed arches, decorated with small marble columns, give the entrance hall a feeling of mysterious beauty. An ornate Sarabend rug, placed on a geometric parquet marble floor, produces a richly complex pattern.

Photo by Jacques Dirand.

The saloon, designed by Thomas Alom, is framed by Gothic arches on the ground and upper floors, and features the Carnarvon coat of arms in its stonework.

The Saloon-Highclere Castle-HG 1989-Jacques Dirand

Photo by Jacques Dirand.

The fourth Earl of Carnarvon in his peer’s robes watches over a corner of the saloon.

Photo by Derry Moore.

Van Dyck’s monumental equestrian portrait of King Charles I dominates the dining room; other 17th-century portraits are predominantly English. The table is scaled for intimacy; appointed with Hepplewhite chairs, it rests on a Caucasian rug.

The dining room at Highclere.

Photo by Derry Moore.

Tall gilded columns serve to divide the long axis of the library. The rich tones of the coffered wood ceiling and Caucasian rugs give the room a warm Victorian feeling. On the far wall, a massive double-pediment bookcase is filled with old books, their fine leather bindings creating an additional pattern.

Library-HIghclere-HG 1989-Jacques Dirand

Photo by Derry Moore

The richly appointed library is redolent of a gentlemen’s club.

Photo by Derry Moore.

Exotic forms of griffons decorate an Egyptian-style Regency chair designed for Napoleon by George Bullock. A Louis XVI bronze and ormolu candelabrum on a pedestal illuminates antique volumes in a parcel-gilt walnut bookcase.

Photo by Jacques Dirand.

A view of the smoking room features pillows made from a very old and rare curtain.

Photo by Cristopher Worthland

Reading list: Architectural Digest, January/February 1979, with photography by Derry Moore. You can also visit Architectural Digest on-line for a reprint of the article. Ancestral Style written by Amicia de Moubray for House & Garden, March 1989, with photography by Jacques Dirand.

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HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY RALPH

Posted December 31, 2013. Filed in Ralph Lauren

I couldn’t end the year, 2013, without paying homage to America’s preeminent Lifestyle revivalist extraordinaire, Ralph Lauren, on the 30th anniversary since debuting his Home Collection in 1983. “When [my wife] Ricky and I were first married,” said Mr. Lauren, “we were on the hunt for things to furnish our apartment with. Often, we were disappointed by what we found—not only the quality, but also the variety. I was looking to create a total world.” And ever since, Lauren has introduced richly layered environments with a nostalgic nod to America’s blue-blooded past year after year with Lifestyle ensembles offering myriad stylistic options. “When Ralph Lauren Home launched at Bloomingdale’s, the displays were like little movie-set designs,” commented Donald Albrecht, curator of architecture and design at the Museum of the City of New York, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “They weren’t just bed sheets, but settings with props that [promised] a certain lifestyle. It was the evocation of a kind of narrative. That’s still the appeal”, said Mr. Albrecht: “When you’re buying Ralph Lauren furniture, you’re buying a piece of that myth he’s selling.”

“The introduction of the Home collection in 1983 opened the doors to the World of Ralph Lauren in an entirely new way, inviting customers to inhabit the physical spaces that, until that time, had existed only in dreams.” (Ralph Lauren Home). Featured above, The Thoroughbred Collection. Other Collections included Log Cabin, New England and Jamaica.

Ralph Lauren introduces his first collection of furnishings for the home and a new tradition begins. 1983.

Ralph Lauren introduces his first collection of furnishings for the home and a new tradition begins in 1983.

“There is a way of living that has a certain grace and beauty. It is not a constant race for what is next, rather, an appreciation of what has come before. There is a depth and quality of experience that is lived and felt, a recognition of what is truly meaningful. These are the feelings I would like my work to inspire. This is the quality of life that I believe in.” — Ralph Lauren

1984

1984. Photo by Bruce Weber.

Ralph Lauren Home Collection-1984-Bruce Weber

1984. Photo by Bruce Weber.

1984. Photo by Bruce Weber.

Safari-1984

Safari, 1984.

“I have a vision for living. It’s all about elements of style. It’s about all the things that I love, that I believe in.” (Ralph Lauren)

Ski Lodge, 1984

Ski Lodge, 1984.

1985

1986

Home Collection 1987

1987

1989

The Southwest Home Collection, 1989.

Safari, 1990

The Morgan Hall Collection, 1990.

1991

RL 2000 Chair, 1992

1998

Icon Collection, 2002.

The New Vintage Collection, 2002.

The Clivedon Collection, 2003.

The Sheltering Sky Collection, 2003.

2004

2005

The Bel Air Collection, 2005.

The Desert Hills Collection, 2005.

The Modern Hollywood Collection, 2005.

The Black Mountain Collection, 2006.

The La Boheme Collection, 2006.

Pacific Heights Collection, 2006.

The St. Germain Collection, 2007.

Hither HIlls Studio, 2007.

Bedford Manor Collection, 2008.

The Noble Estate Collection, 2008.

Cape Lodge Collection, 2008.

The Mayfair Collection, 2008.

Hudson Valley Collection, 2009.

The Metropolis Collection, 2009.

The Penthouse Collection, 2009.

Indian Cove Lodge Collection, 2009

Black Sands Collection, 2009.

Summer House Collection, 2009.

The Brook Street Collection, 2010.

The La Plage Collection, 2010.

Le Grand Hotel Collection, 2010.

The One Fifth Avenue Collection, Fall 2011.

Rue Royale Collection, 2011.

Brookfield Estate Collection, 2011.

Ralph Lauren California Romantic Collection-2011-Francois Halard

The California Romantic Collection, 2011. “Layering cuts the sterility you can find in someone’s home when they haven’t lived there very long.” — Ralph Lauren

The Desert Modern Collection, 2012.

The Left Bank Collection from 2013.

The Alpine Lodge Collection, 2013.

“In honor of 30 YEARS, Ralph Lauren has envisioned a realm of luxury and regal glamour. ‘A world beyond fashion’ is how Ralph Lauren describes his philosophy of home design — his world transporting us to many of his favorite places, from stately country manors to panoramic city penthouses to now, a home fit for modern royalty.” — From Issue IV of the Ralph Lauren Fall edition, 2013.

The Noble Legacy Home Collection, 2013.

The Noble Legacy Collection, 2013.

Congratulations, Mr. Lauren, on the thirtieth-year anniversary since introducing your first Home Collection. You amaze us with eternal style and substance.

Compiling the images for this post was exhausting, to say the least, as many vintage ad campaigns are not to be discovered on the Internet, and those that are are not dated. I resourced a great deal of the earliest ads by scanning them from my own collection of magazines, which date back further than the 1983 release of the first Ralph Lauren Home Collection. Eager to publish this post before the strike of midnight there are several years and collections not accounted for that I will return here to include – so keep checking back if you are a RL groupie. That special collection you are yearning to set your eyes upon once again just may find its way to this page!

Reading List: Learning from 30 Years of Ralph Lauren Home by Dan Rubinstein for The Wall Street Journal, October 2013.

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Rural Glam

Posted December 21, 2013. Filed in 1920's-1930's Style, Art Deco, Edward Durell Stone, Holllywood Regency, Miles Redd

In 2003 Miles Redd was just beginning his ascension to celebrity in the world of interior design and decoration. House & Garden featured a spread in their December issue of some of the rooms he helped his sister’s in-laws, the McCain’s of Pennsylvania, decorate for Christmas. The house was built for Sue McCain’s parents in 1939 by modernist architect Edward Durell Stone to resemble “a Georgia O’Keeffe calla lily” according to Mrs. McCain — a rather glamorous residence for farmers of the Sheerland Forests tree farm in Reading, Pennsylvania. Sue McCain remembers, after the death of her mother, his father’s second wife removing all the Art Deco furniture from the house to the barn, replacing it with English-style pieces and hanging the expansive windows with yards of chintz. After both passed away and McCain inherited the property she reinstalled all of the Art Deco architectural elements that had been removed, and restored or rebuilt the custom furniture that had been waiting in the barn all those years.

The staircase, above, was dismantled, stripped and restored. The overall affect resembles a Hollywood movie set, and feels more Hollywood Regency than Art Deco. Miles Redd hung the floor-to-ceiling entry hall window with a supersized wreath and garlands of magnolia leaves in a spare and elegant fashion.

The parquet flooring and Sheraton tables in the entry are original to the house. Miles Redd filled oversized glass tumblers with flowering quince. “Nothing is more festive than big, branchy arrangements that say, ‘Party! Christmas! Holidays!'” exclaimed Redd.

Sue McCain brought in interior designer Nathan Mayo to assist with the design and refurbishment of her mother’s home and its furniture upon inheriting it. The original glass-topped dining table and plywood carved chairs were taken out of storage and restored, as were the Waterford sconces. Mayo designed a sculpted area rug to replicate the bas-relief motif of the ceiling. The floor-to-ceiling mirrors are also original.

The dining table received a dose of chic with a table setting made up of blanc-de-chine figures, mercury glass compotes, and Redd’s own collection of red coral.

The shapely sofa, armchairs and mirrored coffee table were all rebuilt and returned to their original layout in the living room. The vintage pedestal side tables and mercury glass lamps were selected to match those in the house’s original interior.

Miles decorated the ten-foot Douglas fir with silver and white globes from the Sheerlund Forests’ ornament shop, cascades of fake silver ferns, globs of tinsel, and dozens of live Casa Blanca lilies set in water vials for a shot of 1930’s glamour.

The McCain family at Sheerlund Forests tree farm.

Content of this post based on an article written by Llygeia Grace for House & Garden, December 2003. Photography by Jason Schmidt.

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Christmas at Chatsworth

Posted December 14, 2013. Filed in The English Country House

If you ever find yourself in England near or during the Christmas holiday you owe it to yourself to drive or train to Derbyshire to visit Chatsworth House dressed in dignified splendor for the holidays. It is probably the most recognizable and famous of England’s stately country houses, shy of Highclere Castle, which has recently gained notoriety with the success of Downton Abbey. I decided to make an adventure of it, on a whim, and train to Derbyshire’s Chesterfield train station from San Pancreas, London, and then figure it out from there. But once I arrived at Chesterfied there were no taxis, trams or buses. So I walked … and I walked … until I came upon a bus stop. A kindly gentleman instructed me on which bus to take into the quaint village of Baslow – the nearest village within walking distance of Chatsworth – where I could “stop in for a gorgeous warming lunch”. From there I was instructed to follow a path along the River Derwent to a meadow, at which juncture I will have then reached The Park at Chatsworth.

Fischer’s Baslow Hall

And so I did … have a lovely, warming lunch, as the nice man had suggested, in a stately manor, on a frosty, cold and gray early December’s day.

From there I found the path along the river, passing picturesque stone houses along the way …

The River Derwent in Balsow, Derbyshire.

The River Derwent in Baslow, Derbyshire.

The path along the River Derwent.

… and followed the path to a meadow where I encountered hundreds of grazing sheep. So transfixed was I by the beauty of the scenery and dots of white sheep that I invested far too much time photographing the spectacle. On the horizon peered Chatsworth rising above a slight hill. By the time I reached the manor house I, regrettably, had limited time to tour its glorious rooms.

The end of the path along the River Derwent culminating at The Park at Chatsworth.

An allée of trees at The Park at Chatsworth.

The vast park at Chatsworth dotted with grazing sheep.

The approach to Chatsworth House.

In a rush to see as much as I could fit in I fervently took mediocre photos, at best – most of which came out blurred and too dark. But the few that did materialize somewhat nicely capture the glory that is Chatsworth in all its splendor – the stately rooms and great care and detail that goes into making this museum a home; an undeniable privilege to behold, for certain.

The Painted Hall decorated for Christmas.

The Painted Hall, photographed by Ben Murphy.

A passage hall decorated with “vines” of white lights.

The Great Dining Room is perfectly suited for Christmas with its crimson striped damask covered walls and gleaming gold accents.

The Great Dining Room is perfectly suited for Christmas with its crimson striped damask covered walls, sparkling crystal chandelier and sconces, and gleaming gold accents.

The Great Dining Room-Christmas-Chatsworth-Cristopher Worthland

Two pairs of Christmas trees flank fireplaces at either end of The Great Dining Room.

The Great Dining Room is anchored by two fireplaces.

Silver, gold and white ornaments decorate the trees.

A view onto the courtyard from within Chatsworth.

The paneled dining room set and decorated for a holiday supper. © Copyright Richard Newall and licensed for reuse.

The paneled library glows from a a tree strung with Christmas lights and a blazing fire.

The paneled library glows from a tree strung with Christmas lights and a blazing fire.

The medieval Oak Room decorated with paper ornaments made by children.

The Sculpture Gallery swathed in bolts of red fabric.

The Sculpture Gallery

For a real holiday treat, make Chatsworth one of your stops when in England over the Christmas holiday. For times and information visit Chatsworth House online. Unless otherwise noted, all photography by Cristopher Worthland.

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SWIMMING IN LUXURY

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To The Manor Born

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