Category Archives: American Chic

At Home with Angelo Donghia

Posted October 1, 2015. Filed in American Chic, Angelo Donghia, Classic Contemporary

“There are not very many creative designers in America, but Angelo is one of them.” — Halston While Angelo Donghia may have been interior designer to the rich and famous he was, himself, no sybarite. Rather, he was a determined and hard working professional who happened to also appreciate the value of creating attractive and […]

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Angelo Donghia Retrospective

Posted September 29, 2015. Filed in American Chic, Angelo Donghia, Classic Contemporary

  Since I began my blog two years ago I have wanted to write a post about American interior design icon Angelo Donghia.  And now, with a retrospective of his work in full swing at the New York School of Interior Design Gallery, there may never be a better time to honor one of America’s […]

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American Chic: Vintage Bilhuber

Posted July 28, 2015. Filed in American Chic, Jeffrey Bilhuber, Uncategorized

Long before I was aware that Jeffrey Bilhuber had worked with Tom Scheerer early in his career I discovered his talent and rising star as one of America’s greatest decorators in the May 1990 issue of House & Garden – his first major solo commission, for Judy and Michael Kraynick in the Lanark Upper Saucon […]

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Classic + Modern Mix

One of my favorite approaches to decorating a room is mixing classic and modern design elements. Modern paintings, or perhaps a gleaming Claude Lalanne chair, in a predominantly traditional room adds verve and prevents the room from becoming staid. Conversely, a predominantly contemporary, or even modern, space is heightened by an occasional classic flourish – […]

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Spotlight on Benjamin Vandiver

Posted February 4, 2015. Filed in American Chic

There has been a lot of noise lately surrounding the rising star that is Benjamin Vandiver of Nashville, Tennessee. A self-taught designer who originates from Kentucky, he traded playing the piano as a career for interior decoration when he was asked by singer-songwriter Jessie Baylin to transform the mid-century modern Nashville home she shares with […]

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Throwback Thursday: William Gaylord

Today’s Throwback Thursday post features a long-standing favorite designer of mine from the 1970’s, William Gaylord. His style defined the clean, crisp, classic and contemporary aesthetic of California design at the time, a style that would usher in a new American chic with the advent of the California Look, made popular by Michael Taylor. For […]

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Throwback Thursday: Kevin McNamara

Posted June 5, 2014. Filed in American Chic, Classic Chic, Kevin McNamara

Today’s post is the first in what may become a serialized feature: Throwback Thursday. The concept has gained universal popularity, from Facebook to Pinterest, so I thought “Why not create a special feature for my Thursday posts?” Having themed posts also helps me stay on focus, truth be told! The late Kevin McNamara is the […]

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Past Perfect

When I first laid eyes upon Jeffrey’s Bilhuber’s guest room/study in his then new Manhattan apartment a few years back I immediately sensed familiarity, but I couldn’t place it. Had I seen this room before, in a previous incarnation, or did it remind me of another room, its impression floating somewhere in my memory? Recently […]

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