Today’s Favorite Friday Vintage Ad features this eclectic and richly appointed room with a resist-dyed canvas floor cloth by Maya for Patterson, Flynn & Martin, shown in “China Gardens with Ribbons”, which was published in Architectural Digest in 1977. Like many of my favorite ads from that era, curated rooms settings like this one are seldom, if ever, seen today. Starck is one of the few who still feature their rugs, carpets and textiles in room settings decorated by designers. Usually the company would credit the designer at the bottom of the page, or in the margin. This advertisement didn’t. If you know who did, please share it with us in the comment section. If I had to guess I would to say it was Robert Metzer, who combined modern and traditional elements in a gutsy fashion with a flair for the dramatic. Though not my favorite of rooms, the inky serpentine design of the rug is rather arresting, and the room’s decor – from the painting and leather-bound books to the golden finish of the double doors – enhances the warmth of its autumnal palette.
