Great Walls....A Give Away

This photo is in the front of the book and captured me immediately. Designer Tim Wheaton took a simplified version of flowering vines borrowed  from Chinoiserie wallpaper in Drottningholm Palace, Stockholm and made it modern by  repeating pattern in this Park Avenue apartment.
Photo by Tim Street-Porter



I was recently asked by the gracious souls at Rizzoli if a new book by Florence de Dampierre would be something I might like to review. Would I !?! You may all know Florence de Dampierre from her books, Chairs: A History or French Chic: The Art of Decorating Houses. Not only would I absolutely want to include her newest gorgeous book in my resource library to reference for future design projects, I would just like to flip through page after page for general inspiration. The title you may be asking?

Walls: the Best of Decorative Treatments

Mural . Wood Panel . Stencil . Wallpaper

Book Cover Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Florence de Dampierre treats us to a journey around the world from the past to the present to show us how we human beings have decorated the walls in our homes. The book is broken down into sections each describing the various types of wall ornamentation used throughout the centuries. She begins with a section on Tapestries, and then continues with the four main parts titled: Mural, Wood Panel, Stencil, and Wallpaper.   

This room by designer Peter Dunham is in his own sitting room....and in my "favorite rooms" file. The use of a tapestry on the wall has been made fresh when put together with the red painted desk and blue glass lamp. The colors draw out the faded colors in the tapestry.
Photo by Tim Street-Porter 

In the section on Murals, we are brought through the Middle Ages and Renaissance... the Fresco Technique is described, as well as Tempura. Oil painting on walls is introduced in the 15th century, and we are treated to wall murals of the Baroque period. Rococo, Neoclassic, Romantic periods are all discussed and illustrated with gorgeous full page photos.

Seventeenth century frescoes adorn the loggia of the Villa Torrigiani outside Lucca. One could wile away the hours here sipping wine and gazing up at the glory.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn 

While we are on the topic of photos, Tim Street-Porter and Pieter Estersohn were instrumental in providing the principal photography. Need I say more? Just in case .... these photographers are regular contributors to numerous shelter magazines such as Elle Decor and AD. Tim Street-Porter has authored and provided the photos for multiple design and architecture books including the Rooms to Inspire series from Rizzoli. 

Le Corbusier painted this modern mural in a friend's Long Island farmhouse.The value of this house must have shot through the roof.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Back to the murals....not only are we shown the gorgeous classics from antiquity, but there is modern artistry as well. Twentieth century murals became popular not only in homes but in public spaces as well. Many are represented in Walls.

The next section is titled "Wood Panels". And again we travel though history seeing how paneled walls have evolved through time. In this section you find elaborate paneled libraries, simple American Colonial wood paneling, brilliantly painted fireplace mantels, and subtle wall moldings.

Painted landscapes on wood paneling at Sandemar Manor in Sweden. c. 1680. The colors! Pearl grey and that blue with a touch of green...wonderful.
Photo by Ingalill Snitt

Florence covers faux marble painting, Boiseries and the specific Blanc de Roi: white painted Boiseries. She takes us through rooms of lacquer panels from Chinoiserie to Art Deco. There are gilt leather panels first introduced in the 17th century Islamic world. There is Fretwork, Cutwork and Lattice. There is Wainscoting, Tongue-and-Groove, and Beadboard. But perhaps one of my favorite examples of paneling is this mirrored room with bamboo molding by Howard Brodsky:

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

I had to show you a bit of whimsical faux paneling as well:

This "room" is actually a backdrop for Suzanne Rheinstein's  store Hollyhock and was painted by French painter Paulin Paris.
Photo byTim Street-Porter

The next section of the book is all about stencils. We are not talking about the stencils from the eighties, all flowers and bunnies. We are talking about Egyptian stencils, stencils in La Villa Kerylos in France, stencils by Robert Adams at Osterley Park, from Neoclassic to American Colonial, stencils by Tiffany and Frederic Edwin Church in the Persian style....the list goes on. Her are but a few examples:

The design shop, Mitu, has taken advantage of the existing 1800's mural in this residence in San Miguel, Mexico. I am always captivated when I see such a successful contrast of old and new.
Photo by Tim Street-Porter

Mary McFadden's NYC apartment....gorgeous stenciling by Joseph Shoskovitch.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Perhaps my favorite photo in the book....although how can I really pin it down? Martyn Lawrence-Bullard decorated this room with a Moroccan stencil pattern inspired by a fabric.
Photo by Tim Street-Porter

The last section is all about wallpaper. Apparently, wallpaper dates back to the times of the Egyptians, papyrus lining the tombs as far back as 2500 B.C.  But the Chinese are to be credited with what we typically know as wallpaper (200 B.C.). Florence takes us through the ages and through the geography of different papers, from floral to flocked, from Chinese to European, botanicals and geometrics...it is  here in all it's glory.

Botanical Illustrations make an early form of wallpaper at the Carolus Linnacus's Swedish estate. We have seen this imitated often over the years for good reason.
Photo by Ingalill Snitt 

Lat but not least, I want to mention that at the end of each section in the book, there is a page (pages) of helpful hints and tips for the application of all of these wall treatments. A big thank you to Florence for that. I think many of us like to experiment ourselves or at least know a thing or two when discussing a desired application with craftspeople

I am in the process of having a dining room mural painted for a client, and I can tall you this book is an immeasurably helpful source of ideas. If you are interested in the decorative arts, history, or just need a little inspiration, I can say this book will keep you intrigued for ages.

And the best part?

I am so happy to be partnering once again with Rizzoli to let one of you lucky readers in on the adventure of 

Walls: The Best of Decorative Treatments

by

Florence de Dampierre 

Rizzoli will be giving away this beautiful book to one lucky winner. Here are the rules:

1) If you are not already, become a follower of katiedid 

2) Hop on over to the Rizzoli website and let me know what other design books are catching your eye...I always like to hear about a new design book!!

3) Provide your email. That means an email where we can correspond so I can get your mailing address. Without this, we don't know where to send the book...and that would be a complete shame.

The give away will run until Monday, March 21st at 5:00 PM California time. I will pick a winner at random

and announce on the next day.  

GOOD LUCK ALL!

So Many Books....so Little Time

I am having one of those weeks: busy, busy, busy. But lately, I have been seeing and hearing about so many good books, it gives me pause! I tell myself, "I will never have time to read them." Then I tell myself, "I will FIND the time for these lovelies!"

Kelly is coming out with a new book about the use of color in her work. Not yet published, but I am looking forward to seeing this one!

Ah....Mr. Hicks. Need I say more? I will let Mr. Drucker fill in:

"The Hicks book is THE book of the season." —Stephen Drucker, Editor in Chief, House Beautiful

And many of you have heard about THIS new book. Elle Decor is celebrating it 20th anniversary. And to liven up the festivities, the best of the best has been put into this gem of a book by Elle Decor Editor and Chief, Margaret Russell.

I promise to give my thoughts on the books, as soon as I manage to get them in my hands. And if you already have, please let me know what you think!!!

Rizzoli Book Sneak Peek: Orlando Diaz-Azcuy

One of the things that makes me excited to go to work in the morning is the prospect of pouring over my treasured design books for inspiration and information. When I was informed that another top notch design book by the esteemed and very chic author, Diane Dorrans Saeks was in the works, and that it was about an architect and designer that I have much admired for many years....well....I barely had the patience to wait for a copy.

Orlando Diaz-Azcuy is a treasured California architect...at least I think of him as our very own, even though he has projects all over the world and is originally from Cuba. Mr. Diaz-Azcuy was born and raised in Pinar del Rio, Cuba until the political climate made it more prudent for his parents to send him to study architecture at Catholic University in Washington D.C.. After graduating, he high-tailed it to Northern California where he has been ever since. Living in San Francisco, Mr Diaz-Azcuy travels often abroad and very often to New York, where he also keeps an office, working and developing his designer's eye.

Photo: Tim Street Porter

In an Edwardian house in San Francisco, Mr. Diaz-Azcuy placed a graphic sculpture by Harry Bertoia on a gilded marble-top Italian table, showing each to advantage. - Diane Dorrans Saeks

You may know Mr. Diaz-Azcuy as a superb Architect and Designer, but he is also the creator of multiple beautiful lines of furniture for McGuire, Light fixtures for Boyd Lighting, and fabric lines for Schumacher and Pallas Textiles. You will see many of his product designs in the photos here.

I imagine Mr. Diaz-Azcuy has used the residences he has had over the years as laboratories for his creations and ideas. The book cover is a case in point. Mr. Diaz-Azcuy (ODA) creates a certain tension in the placement of his collected furniture pieces in his Pacific Heights modern apartment. In this very modern space, he has placed a 1930's leather chair by Danish designer Fritz Henningsen as if it were a piece of sculpture. You can see one of his sconces designed for Boyd next to the very moody painting.

Photo: David Duncan Livingston

In the Dining Room, ODA drapes the table with silk taffeta and tops it with antique Venetian crystal and silverware from Gumps. Quite a departure for what one would call a contemporary apartment. But that very thing is what makes it interesting. The successful contrast between new and old...the interjection of the unexpected. That is what sets a "great" designer apart from the merely "good".

Photo: Grey Crawford

ODA's house in St. Francis Wood, a 1930's Spanish colonial with Pacific Ocean views, reminded him of the house he grew up in, in Havana Cuba. In this home, ODA reversed his contrast of new/old. He started with a traditonal shell and took the opportunity to fill it with modern furnishings. In the dining room you will find one of 11 Saarinen tables ODA has collected over the years. The chandelier is one designed by ODA for Boyd. He has surrounded the table with George II gilded chairs providing luxury and that "surprising contrast" that is his hallmark.

Photo: Matthew Millman

The Living Room is again a mix of old an new. The white lacquer table in the center was designed by ODA exclusively for HBF, and the floor lamp was designed for Boyd. The mix of white linen upholstered antiques, Mies Van der Rohe ottomans, silk taffeta pillows, and ornate gilded candlesticks "energize" the space.

Photo: John Vaughan for Architectural Digest

In another of ODA's San Francisco homes, he strays from his modernist leanings and cocoons in a 1913 Beaux Arts building on Russian Hill. The monochromatic color scheme with touches of black and warm woods creates a cleaner more tailored traditonalism, however. Here ODA reveals in his love of classic forms, but still he brings in the unexpected modern twist: the painting of two Korean sisters above the sofa by Lordan Bunch.

Photo: John Vaughan for Architectural Digest

In this Russian Hill Dining Room, ODA has used his own design for the Dining Table. He has placed a gilded Austrian Beidermeier chandelier above and Italian Neoclassic chairs circa 1860 from Ed Hardy Antiques. The white bowl is an item you will see again and again in an ODA interior. It seems to embody a richness in it's traditonal classic form and simplicity that speaks of the designer's aesthetic. Note that it is also on the white lacquer table in the photo of the St. Francis Wood Living Room above. When you get your own copy of this wonderful book, take a moment and search through all of the photos to find it. Always beautiful.

Photo: John Vaughan

In the study of the Russian Hill house you will see the chairs used in Dining Room of the St. Francis Wood house. Ebonized floors and green silk upholstered walls provide drama in a room with little light ,transforming it into a media and evening entertaining room.

Photo: Jeremy Samuelson

Mr. Diaz-Azcuy makes another style departure in his Sonoma weekend cottage. Far from the madding city crowd, in fact quite remote, he created a country retreat, but one with a "sophisticated and polished look". The tiny bedroom above was given drama with green striped painted tenting. The simple linen upholstered bed is a quiet backdrop to the gilded architectural fragment and the antique Swedish table.

One can see from Mr. Diaz Azcuy's own homes the breadth of his skill and style. It is not a huge leap for him to create interiors for clients in the same vein:

Photo: David Duncan Livingston

The clients lucky to own this home are long time friends of ODA and the trust between designer and client is evident. As said by ODA: "This is one of the few clients who understands the patina of age, and the beauty of of antiques, textiles and objects that show signs of time, and fine craftsmanship. ....... They totally understand that the new house benefits from a mix of venerable antiques and custom-made new peices." Oh, that we all had clients like these in abundance!!

Photo: David Duncan Livingston

The living room of this house shows a beautiful mix of textiles, furniture peices, art and color. The art deco painting, one of a pair, were the first things acquired for the house. I love the use of a corner banquette. Perfect viewing of the rest of the room! The other photos of this very large room are reason enough to see the whole book!

Photo: David Duncan Livingston

The family room of this client's San Francisco St. Francis Woods home is an example of how ODA can create a modern space that is inviting and liveable for a large family . The warm colors and cozy textures just call one to sit and relax. Note the matching storage bins in the book shelves for toys and games keep it serene and restful, yet friendly for the kids. The tables are by ODA for McGuire.

Photo: Tim Street Porter

From casual and cozy, to city sophistication, ODA seems to be able to handle any type of design challenge. You can see the Bertoia Sculpture on the gilded table in this Pacific Heights living room that was pictured ealier on. Fortuny Silk on the pillows. Beautiful.

Photo: Grey Crawford

I simply love this Napa Valley kitchen. It has all of the elements one sees often enough: black cabinets, Carrera marble counters, classic subway tile. But the way in which the elements are brought together are somehow unique and more interesting than the usual. Perhaps it is the shelf created out of the tiles, the black and white photo,the metal window frame, the overscaled accessories....whatever it is, it works for me.

Photo: Tim Street Porter

This home, located near the Golden Gate bridge above the Pacific, is a 1920's Spanish Colonial owned by a family with three young children. This home was designed by Greg Stewart, one of the principal partners of ODA Design Associates along with David Aldroyd (both of whom joined the company soon after it's inception in 1987). It is clear there is a meeting of the minds when it comes to the design aesthetic at ODA Design Associates. The modern Richard Serra monoprint creates a dynamic foyle for the eighteenth century Spanish chair. Bronze and rakes table by Ingrid Donat.

Photo:Lisa Romerein

This last room is a collaboration of sorts between Mr. Diaz-Azcuy and clients, architect Andrew Skurman and his wife, sculptor Francoise Skurman. The envelope had been designed by ODA and Skurman more than a decade before for an apartment building. The Skurmans moved in after their realtor notified then it was available. " More than a dozen years old, it still looks startingly fresh" says Skurman. The bedroom sitting area is simply stunning. The combination of the Venetian mirrors, "Fresh Fat" plastic table by London designer Tom Dixon, white leather Odin settee by Konstantin Grcic, and antique turned leg stool is magic.

So....have I tempted you? The book is beautifuly written.... every page keeps your attention. This is something I have simply come to expect from books put together by Diane Dorrans Saeks. She has a way of engaging the reader which I enjoy so much. As I mentioned in this post about Santa Barbara Living, Ms. Dorrans Saeks takes obvious pleasure in speaking with people...all kinds of people. So it is small wonder she is able speak of them in the same real and enthusiastic way.

I have only hit the tip of the iceburg here. There are so many more wonderful homes, beautifully photographed and chronicled. And the multiple office spaces of ODA Design Associates are also pictured. Of course, I didn't want to give too much away! You will want to curl up and enjoy this book for yourselves.

Another home run from Rizzoli! Many thanks!

Available in bookstores ( and the Katiedid Bookshop link in the sidebar!) this May. Keep an eye out. You will be glad you did!