Tuesday, 29 October 2013

Wednesday by Charles Addams

It seems appropriate to share this photo on the Wednesday before Halloween - 


"A greeting from Charles Addams, featuring Wednesday and Uncle Fester."
Casa de los Angeles, the Palm Beach home of Nancy and Joseph Dryer.
Photography by Susanna Howe.
Sittings editor: David Scoroposki,
"Our Man in Palm Beach" by Mark Rozzo.
Town and Country (June/July 2013). 

Charles Addams was one of many celebrated guests in the Palm Beach home of Nancy and Joseph Dryer. Addams was the creator of the Addams Family, a ghoulish clan that appeared in cartoons in The New Yorker before starring in the 1960s television show, The Addams Family. 

Here are some other photos of Casa de los Angeles, the Dryers's 1925 Spanish-style house in Palm Beach, that appeared in Town and Country. Marion Sims Wyeth designed the home.

"The Casa de los Angeles guestbook is a particularly vibrant social register: George Plimpton, George Hamilton, King Juan Carlos of Spain (when he was still Prince of Asturias), Charles Addams, Karl Rove, Sarah Ferguson before she met Prince Andrew."
Casa de los Angeles, the Palm Beach home of Nancy and Joseph Dryer.
Photography by Susanna Howe.
Sittings editor: David Scoroposki,
"Our Man in Palm Beach" by Mark Rozzo.
Town and Country (June/July 2013). 

 Joseph Dryer, a 92-year-old veteran of World War II.
Casa de los Angeles, the Palm Beach home of Nancy and Joseph Dryer.
Photography by Susanna Howe.
Sittings editor: David Scoroposki,
"Our Man in Palm Beach" by Mark Rozzo.
Town and Country (June/July 2013). 

"Pillows with zebras and a tobacco-friendly sentiment in the den." 
Casa de los Angeles, the Palm Beach home of Nancy and Joseph Dryer.
Photography by Susanna Howe.
Sittings editor: David Scoroposki,
"Our Man in Palm Beach" by Mark Rozzo.
Town and Country (June/July 2013). 

"A powder room reveals a feminine side to the house." 
Casa de los Angeles, the Palm Beach home of Nancy and Joseph Dryer.
Photography by Susanna Howe.
Sittings editor: David Scoroposki,
"Our Man in Palm Beach" by Mark Rozzo.
Town and Country (June/July 2013). 

"The courtyard loggia, with its colonnade and elaborate ironwork, signatures of architect Marion Sims Wyeth." 
Casa de los Angeles, the Palm Beach home of Nancy and Joseph Dryer.
Photography by Susanna Howe.
Sittings editor: David Scoroposki,
"Our Man in Palm Beach" by Mark Rozzo.
Town and Country (June/July 2013). 

The Dryers on the terrace under a collection of Haitian folk art. 
Casa de los Angeles, the Palm Beach home of Nancy and Joseph Dryer.
Photography by Susanna Howe.
Sittings editor: David Scoroposki,
"Our Man in Palm Beach" by Mark Rozzo.
Town and Country (June/July 2013). 

"Channing Hare's circa 1961 portrait of a Mallorcan gypsy girl watches over the dining room, which has hosted politicians and royals."
Casa de los Angeles, the Palm Beach home of Nancy and Joseph Dryer.
Photography by Susanna Howe.
Sittings editor: David Scoroposki,
"Our Man in Palm Beach" by Mark Rozzo.
Town and Country (June/July 2013). 

Sunday, 20 October 2013

Trousdale Estates: "A Life Above It All"

Vera Wang lives here. So do Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. Kelly Wearstler has lived in and sold a home in this Beverly Hills neighborhood, as has Jennifer Aniston. Aniston's Friends-pal Courteney Cox and ex-husband David Arquette have just listed their estate in this neighborhood and photographer Steven Meisel put his house on the market last spring.

What do these designers and entertainers have in common? Residences in Trousdale Estates. Paul Trousdale developed the Beverly Hills enclave during the 1950s and 1960s and architects such as Harold W. Levitt and A. Quincy Jones designed the houses. According to T, The New York Times Style Magazine, Trousdale claimed that his properties provided "a life above it all." Elvis Presley, Dean Martin and Richard Nixon once lived in the community, which eventually fell out of favor. According to New York Times writer Amy M. Spindler ["The Old Neighborhood," New York Times, March 2, 2003], John Waters described Trousdale Estates as '' 'the most nouveau of the nouveau riche neighborhoods. If anyone publishes a parody of Architectural Digest,' he wrote in his 1986 book Crackpot, 'this enclave should make the cover.' '' Despite some over-the-top design elements in Trousdale, the enclave has gained popularity during the past decade. The single-story residences offer something important that celebrities crave - privacy. The midcentury modern homes meld indoor and outdoors spaces through the use of courtyards and glass walls overlooking swimming pools and breathtaking views. Take a look . . .


 "The living room of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene V. Klein’s Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills, residence. The room features a walnut paneled wall, custom tufted curved sofa, coffee table of picked cork and a large travertine fireplace."
Interior design by Arthur Elrod (Spring 1963).
"Arthur Elrod: A brief retrospective of the distinctive Palm Springs-based interior designer"
Architectural Digest (August 2008).


“I was looking at houses in Los Angeles, and I fell in love with Trousdale Estates,” the photographer [Steven Meisel] says, referring to the neighborhood that inspired his Versace images. “Back then it wasn’t popular at all. I remember asking my friend Herb Ritts about it and he told me, ‘It’s for old 1960s movie stars. Nobody lives there.’ ”
Photographer Steven Meisel's midcentury house in Trousdale Estates, Los Angeles.
House designed in 1963 by George MacLean.
Architectural renovation by Marmol Radziner and Associates.
Interior design by Brad Dunning.
Photography by Roger Davies.
"Martini Modern" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (October 2012).

According to Curbed, Steven Meisel's Trousdale Estates home reportedly went on the market last spring for $15 million.

 "The den includes sofas and a cocktail table custom made by Dunning; the James Mont ottoman is covered in a Jim Thompson silk, and the bespoke rug is by Edward Fields."
Photographer Steven Meisel's midcentury house in Trousdale Estates, Los Angeles.
House designed in 1963 by George MacLean.
Architectural renovation by Marmol Radziner and Associates.
Interior design by Brad Dunning.
Photography by Roger Davies.
"Martini Modern" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (October 2012).

"A sunburst mirror from JF Chen accents a wall of mica tile in the living room; the chairs are by Michael Berman, and the driftwood-and-glass table and curved Monteverdi-Young sofa are original to the house."
Photographer Steven Meisel's midcentury house in Trousdale Estates, Los Angeles.
House designed in 1963 by George MacLean.
Architectural renovation by Marmol Radziner and Associates.
Interior design by Brad Dunning.
Photography by Roger Davies.
"Martini Modern" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (October 2012).

"A vintage William Haines stool sits in the library, next to walnut bookshelves."
Photographer Steven Meisel's midcentury house in Trousdale Estates, Los Angeles.
House designed in 1963 by George MacLean.
Architectural renovation by Marmol Radziner and Associates.
Interior design by Brad Dunning.
Photography by Roger Davies.
"Martini Modern" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (October 2012).

"[Steven] Meisel came up with the idea of the hybrid home office/master bath, which is sheathed in green onyx; the teak screen is by [Brad] Dunning, and the cabinetry is by Marmol Radziner. The curtains are of a Jim Thompson silk, and a resin sculpture by Dorothy Draper is displayed on the vintage Jansen desk."
Photographer Steven Meisel's midcentury house in Trousdale Estates, Los Angeles.
House designed in 1963 by George MacLean.
Architectural renovation by Marmol Radziner and Associates.
Interior design by Brad Dunning.
Photography by Roger Davies.
"Martini Modern" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (October 2012).

“[Martyn Lawrence] Bullard designed the terrace’s sofas, covered in a Summit Furniture fabric, and concrete tables; the sculpture is by Roy Lichtenstein, the pool’s limestone coping is by Ann Sacks, and Stephen Block of Inner Gardens did the landscape design.
Trousdale Estates home of Elton John, David Furnish and their sons.
Interior design by Martyn Lawrence Bullard.
Photography by Roger Davies.
Text by Brad Goldfarb.
Full House” produced by Carlos Mota.
Architectural Digest (March 2013).

Vera Wang's house in Trousdale Estates (formerly owned by Burt Reynolds).
Photography by Douglas Friedman.
"Vera Wang's L.A. Story - Photos of Vera Wang's Hollywood Home" by Derek Blasberg.
Harper's Bazaar (January 10, 2012).

Vera Wang's house in Trousdale Estates (formerly owned by Burt Reynolds).
Photography by Douglas Friedman.
"Vera Wang's L.A. Story - Photos of Vera Wang's Hollywood Home" by Derek Blasberg.
Harper's Bazaar (January 10, 2012).

Vera Wang's house in Trousdale Estates (formerly owned by Burt Reynolds).
Photography by Douglas Friedman.
"Vera Wang's L.A. Story - Photos of Vera Wang's Hollywood Home" by Derek Blasberg.
Harper's Bazaar (January 10, 2012).

Vera Wang's house in Trousdale Estates (formerly owned by Burt Reynolds).
Photography by Douglas Friedman.
"Vera Wang's L.A. Story - Photos of Vera Wang's Hollywood Home" by Derek Blasberg.
Harper's Bazaar (January 10, 2012).

"The home of the comedian Ellen DeGeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi, a 1956 Harold Levitt-designed house they purchased last year."
Photography by Samuel C. Frost.
The New York Times Style Magazine, New York Times (October 16, 2013).

"At the hairstylist Sally Hershberger's William Stephenson-designed home, which is currently for sale, the roofline echoes the curve of the pool."
Elon Schoenholz Photography.
The New York Times Style Magazine, New York Times (October 16, 2013).

 "In Sally Hershberger's Beverly Hills home, the southeast-facing walls are glass, including one in the master bath, which has a view of Trousdale Canyon. Terrazzo floors continue onto the terrace, where a fountain aligns with the sunken tub. A ledger stone wall in the shower gives a rough-hewn edge to the otherwise clean stucco walls."
Interior design by Carole Katleman Interiors.
Architect: Swift Lee Office.
Photography by Robert Trachtenberg.
House and Garden (August 2007).

"The lights of West Hollywood and Century City twinkle through a window in the bar area of Sally Hershberger's Beverly Hills home. Custom-made walnut-paneled walls fitted with glass shelving create a display space for rows of liquor bottles and martini glasses. A vintage stool sits at the end of a sculptural custom terrazzo counter."
Interior design by Carole Katleman Interiors.
Architect: Swift Lee Office.
Photography by Robert Trachtenberg.
House and Garden (August 2007).

"The kitchen of Sally Hershberger's Beverly Hills home is glossy and modern. A custom concrete block wall provides texture in the stark white space while a row of plants blurs the line between inside and out; the custom-made cabinets and cupboards have a lacquered finish."
Interior design by Carole Katleman Interiors.
Architect: Swift Lee Office.
Photography by Robert Trachtenberg.
House and Garden (August 2007).

"[Jennifer] Aniston loved the tall entrance doors the moment she saw them. The Murano glass chandelier just inside is one of the first things she bought for the house. 'Jen said things like Zen and Bali when we discussed the design - rather than doing a theme house, we got at the spirit of that,' says [designer Stephen] Shadley."
1970 residence by Harold W. Levitt in Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills.
Interior design by Stephen Shadley.
Photography by Scott Frances.
"Jennifer Aniston at Home" text by Cynthia McFadden.
Architectural Digest (March 2010).

"The living room is an intimate space that opens to views of the koi pond. The low table is from Todd Merrill Antiques. Glant linen is on the sofa, which Shadley designed, and the chairs are covered in a Manuel Canovas velvet."
1970 residence by Harold W. Levitt in Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills.
Interior design by Stephen Shadley.
Photography by Scott Frances.
"Jennifer Aniston at Home" text by Cynthia McFadden.
Architectural Digest (March 2010).

"A pizza oven and wine room are featured in the kitchen. A travertine bar separates it from the sitting area, where Aniston and her guests can relax or watch television. Glant fabric covers the chair and the Piet Hein barstools."
1970 residence by Harold W. Levitt in Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills.
Interior design by Stephen Shadley.
Photography by Scott Frances.
"Jennifer Aniston at Home" text by Cynthia McFadden.
Architectural Digest (March 2010).

"The game room, with its bar and vintage pool table, is 'a great hangout at parties,' says [Stephen] Shadley. “And there are lots of places to sit outside.” The sofa is upholstered in a Larsen fabric, the lampshade is of aCalvin silk, and the barstool seats are covered in Hunt leather."
1970 residence by Harold W. Levitt in Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills.
Interior design by Stephen Shadley.
Photography by Scott Frances.
"Jennifer Aniston at Home" text by Cynthia McFadden.
Architectural Digest (March 2010).

"Heated travertine floors warm the lanai, which can be enclosed with a bronze chain-mail curtain. The fabric on the love seat and chairs in the foreground is from Holly Hunt, as are the pillow fabrics. Chella fabric covers the Shadley-designed chairs near the fireplace."
1970 residence by Harold W. Levitt in Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills.
Interior design by Stephen Shadley.
Photography by Scott Frances.
"Jennifer Aniston at Home" text by Cynthia McFadden.
Architectural Digest (March 2010).

"[Stephen] Shadley extended the house’s eaves, which were clad in cumaru, and put in travertine flooring. The umbrellas are from Janus et Cie."
1970 residence by Harold W. Levitt in Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills.
Interior design by Stephen Shadley.
Photography by Scott Frances.
"Jennifer Aniston at Home" text by Cynthia McFadden.
Architectural Digest (March 2010).

Trousdale Estates rental of Jennifer Aniston while her Bel Air home was undergoing renovations.
Designed by Harold W. Levitt.
Photo via Trulia (May 14, 2012. 

Trousdale Estates rental of Jennifer Aniston while her Bel Air home was undergoing renovations.
Designed by Harold W. Levitt.
Photo via Trulia (May 14, 2012. 

Monday, 14 October 2013

Grab the Brass Ring

I'm like a magpie. I really love gilt, but too much can look tacky. If you create layers of monochromatic tones, then gold or brass satisfies the thirst for contrast and color and sparkle. For so long, brass has been déclassé, but I love it. It's a way of introducing the effect of gold without going all the way. It's industrial and modern, and it's tarnished, so it looks antique.
Benjamin Dhong, House Beautiful


Brass, which was especially popular in home decor during the 1980s, acquired a tarnished image. It was considered too shiny, outdated, cheap in appearance. In recent years, designers have embraced brass - using its golden hue to warm interiors and serve as an alternative to the now-ubiquitous stainless steel. Designer Kelly Wearstler, whose rooms feature a great deal of metal, was a forerunner in the brass movement. The metal now feels right at home in the kitchen, the bathroom and the bedroom, and as you can see in the photos below, it can coexist with copper and stainless steel. I think black and brass are especially stunning. Take a look . . .  


"In a guest room, a Ceylon et Cie chinoiserie daybed - inspired by Thomas Chippendale's designs - and de Gournay's Early Views of India wallpaper are a 'theatrical nod to the Raj.' Josephine chair, Restoration Hardware. Hans Barbell brass table by Jonathan Adler."
Interior design by Benjamin Dhong.
Photography by Lisa Romerein.
House Beautiful (September 2012).


"The glass ceiling crowns the working area of the kitchen, which is anchored on one wall by a black, brass-trimmed La Cornuerange. The architects fashioned a canopy-style hood that echoes the shape of the ceiling and repeats the range's details."

Westport, Connecticut, home of Joan and Bruce Nemirow.

Interior design by homeowner Joan Nemirow, Joan Nemirow Designs LLC.
Architecture by McKee Patterson and Kathleen Poirie.
Photography by John Bessler.
Text by Amy Elbert.
"Fab Kitchen With Soaring Ceiling" produced by Stacy Kunstel.

"Archive beveled tile by Waterworks provides a clean backdrop for the La Cornue Chateau range, made to order in burnished stainless steel and brass. The floor surrounding the range is covered with hexagon tiles from Waterworks."
Design by Susan Dossetter and Andrew Skurman.
Photography by James Carriere.
House Beautiful (April 2008).


"The kitchen's backsplash, counters, and sink fittings are unlacquered brass, the brass-trimmed cabinetry is lacquered in a custom color, and the range is by Viking; the wood floors were treated with an ebony stain and then cerused."
Interior design by Kelly Wearstler.
Photography by William Abranowicz.
Text by Kathleen Hackett.


"The island in the kitchen is brass, the cabinetry is cerused oak, and the countertops are marble; the light fixtures are custom made."

Lara and Jeff Sanderson's home on Mercer Island, Washington.
Interior design by Kelly Wearstler.
Photography by Mikkel Vang.
Text by Celia Barbour.
"Shadow Play" produced by Anita Sarsidi.


"Lanterns by Blend Interiors hang in the kitchen, which features alder-wood cabinetry and a stainless-steel–clad island with brass trim. The bespoke brass-and-cracked-glass table is by Wearstler, the range is by Wolf, and the island sink fittings are by Kallista. Near the window is a custom-made sofa in a Lee Jofa velvet."
Interior design by Kelly Wearstler.
Photography by Roger Davies.
Text by Peter Haldeman.
"Kelly Wearstler Designs a Bold Bel Air Home" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (January 2013).

 "A nautical theme drove the kitchen design. Brass pendants from Circa Lighting hang above a beaded board island with a waxed teak top."
Interior design by Bill Brockschmidt and Courtney Coleman.
Photography by Simon Upton.
"An Easy, Breezy Florida Home" by Lisa Cregan.
House Beautiful (August 2008).


"A dedicated cook and La Cornue enthusiast from way back, Nicole Hough finally got her dream range when she renovated her kitchen. She chose a CornuFé Albertine and paired it with a Contemporary Round Duct hood from Vent-A-Hood. The backsplash tiles are from Subway Ceramics.
New Jersey kitchen of designer Nicole Hough.
Photography by Laura Moss.
"An Organized Family Kitchen" by Frances Schultz.
House Beautiful (April 2012).

 "The island is topped with Calacatta Gold marble and trimmed with brass corner guards for steamer trunks, from Brettuns Village Trunk Shop. Its metal tubular legs are fitted with parts from Brass Finders. Footed cabinets by Wood-Mode reflect the period of the 1905 house. The black countertops are made of two slabs of soapstone equaling two inches and forming a double ogee edge. Hough designed the herringbone pattern of the floor, which is quartersawn oak."
New Jersey kitchen of designer Nicole Hough.
Photography by Laura Moss.
"An Organized Family Kitchen" by Frances Schultz.
House Beautiful (April 2012).

"The kitchen is sheathed in subway tile from Urban Archaeology; the pendant lamps over the sink are by Rejuvenation, the range is by La Cornue with a hood by Broan, and the sinks from Rohl have fittings by Newport Brass."
Kentucky home of Mark Badgley and James Mischka.
Photography by Roger Davies.
"At Home With Badgley Mischka" by Julia Reed.
Elle Decor (September 2009).



 "Oversized white-lacquered conical light fixtures with brass interiors from Circa add a modern touch. Easy-care all-weather Perennials fabric was used to slipcover the chairs."
Georgian Colonial in Marin County, California.
Architectural/interior design by Wendy Posard, Wendy Posard and Associates.
Photography by John Granen.
Text by Amy Elbert.
"Handsome Hillside Home in Californiaproduced by Eleanor Roper.

 "The bunk room bath is fitted with lockers for guests and family members. Dempster had the faucets on Kohler's Brockway sinks stripped down to the brass. The wall paneling is painted in alternating bands of flat and semigloss paint, echoing the stripe on the Pottery Barn towels."
Weekend house in Marin County, California belonging to Kim and Mark Dempster.
Interior design by Kim Dempster and Erin Martin.
Photography by Alec Hemer.
"A Chic Little Beach House" interview by Christine Pittel.
House Beautiful (July - August 2012).

"[Jenna] Lyons obsessively sprayed the fixtures with ocean water, so the brass would appear as seasoned as the herringbone floor."
Tub (similar to shown): cast-iron claw foot at Vintage Tub and Bath.
Faucet: "Regent" exposed thermostatic tub/shower from Barber Wilsons and Co.
Chrome-plated brass towel rack from Myson.
Niche Modern solitaire pendant from YLighting.
Former Park Slope, New York, home of J. Crew's Jenna Lyons.
Photography by Melanie Acevedo.
Text by Lauren Sandler.
"Totally Modern Timelessness" produced by Kim Ficaro.
Domino (November 2008).

"In the guest bath, the walls and vanity top are pink onyx, the sink, by Bates and Bates, and fittings, by Waterworks, are brass, the vintage sconces are French, and the shower stall is custom made."
Interior design by Kelly Wearstler.
Photography by William Abranowicz.
Text by Kathleen Hackett.


"Creamy white is the dominant color in this 19th-century Boston townhouse’s bedroom. It creates serenity and sets the room apart from the darker paneling and earth tones featured elsewhere in the home. The simple white bed curtains drape from brass, accentuating the bed’s golden glow to give the room polish. Gold is repeated on the picture frames to unify the design, but with great subtlety. The only pattern is the floral silk taffeta on the bench and the chair’s throw pillow."
Interior design: Chris Drake and Lee Bierly.
"Beauty in the Bedroom" written and produced by Candace Ord Manroe.
Traditional Home

"A Pierre Jacques Volaire painting of a volcano is beside a polished-steel-and-brass canopy bed."

New York City pied-a-terre at The Carlyle.
Interior design by Michael S. Smith.
Photography by Scott Frances.
"Without Reservation" text by Patricia Leigh Brown.
Architectural Digest (April 2002).

"The guest room features a custom-made brass four-poster and parchment-covered nightstands, a 1960 Austrian ceiling fixture, and a vintage marble garden stool; the painting is by Riccardo Prosperi, and the silk rug is by the Rug Company."
Interior design by Kelly Wearstler.
Photography by William Abranowicz.
Text by Kathleen Hackett.

 "Lining the wife’s dressing room is gold-leafed wood paneling inset with antiqued mirrors and trimmed with antiqued brass; the throw is by Adrienne Landau, the small sculpture is by Wearstler, the carpeting is by Patterson, Flynn and Martin, and the chair in the adjacent bath is by Pedro Friedeberg."
Interior design by Kelly Wearstler.
Photography by Roger Davies.
Text by Peter Haldeman.
"Kelly Wearstler Designs a Bold Bel Air Home" produced by Robert Rufino.
Architectural Digest (January 2013).

"A floor of brass-trimmed leather distinguishes the library rotunda, where a 19th-century English marble-top table is centered beneath a skylight."
Beverly Hills estate formerly owned by Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.
Designed by architects Buff and Hensman.
Expanded by decorator Melinda Ritz.
Photography by Roger Davies.
Text by Peter Haldeman.
"Labor of Love" produced by Carlos Mota.
Architectural Digest (November 2011).

 
"In the middle of the long, narrow living room, which designer Jonathan Berger broke down into three seating areas, an Italian gilt-brass game table is surrounded by chairs covered in pink leather from Global Leathers. The family dines, plays board games, and does homework here."
Late-19th-century house in Brooklyn.
Interior design by Jonathan Berger.
Photography by Francesco Lagnese.

"Wearstler designed the staircase in the library."
Lara and Jeff Sanderson's home on Mercer Island, Washington.
Interior design by Kelly Wearstler.
Photography by Mikkel Vang.
Text by Celia Barbour.
"Shadow Play" produced by Anita Sarsidi.

"The staircase off the salon has a brass railing designed by Wearstler, and the wallpaper is by Porter Teleo."
Lara and Jeff Sanderson's home on Mercer Island, Washington.
Interior design by Kelly Wearstler.
Photography by Mikkel Vang.
Text by Celia Barbour.
"Shadow Play" produced by Anita Sarsidi.