Design Post Update

I've recently been enjoying my copy of designer Timothy Corrigan's "An Invitation to Chateau du Grand-Luce" and was thrilled to hear he'll be speaking at Hillwood next week, Tuesday, February 3 2015 at 7pm! Information on the lecture available HERE.
While the pictures of the restored Chateau are the obvious reason to peruse the book, Corrigan's conversational writing is approachable and enjoyable. Not knowing much about the designer I assumed it would all sound rather pretentious; you know what I mean by 'my chateau in France'.
Corrigan's approach to the restoration and decoration of the chateau is one of ease and a true country house; taking the best of French design and translating it to modern life in a very Californian sense while respecting the history of the structure.
As the book is amazing you've probably already read and seen quite a lot about the book and the chateau itself online if you haven't purchased your own copy. If not Architectural Digest (where I found these images) is a host of information about the chateau.  THIS main article will give you an overview of the book and estate, THIS video will have Corrigan charming the pants off of you, and THIS great slideshow has great 'before' and 'after' shots.
The most beautiful room in the chateau is probably the Salon Chinois, seen in the image above, with restored wall murals by the great 18th century artist Jean-Baptiste Pillement.
My favorite room though is probably the kitchen, seen in the image above.  You just know this is where everyone hangs out! The cabinetry could not be attached to the walls in a typical manner, as the building is a historic landmark and the original boiseries could not be damaged or altered.  The kitchen was  designed with free-standing pieces of furniture which would not have to be attached to the walls. I'm sure this sunny corner room sees a lot of action!
The one thing missing from this entertaining and beautiful book is a floorplan! One can imagine the plan based on the simple nature of the classical French Chateau with enfilade seen above, but the interstitial spaces are harder to guess at. I'm always asking for this though, no surprise.
The book is organized as if one were spending the weekend at the chateau as Corrigan's guest (can you even IMAGINE!) and walks you through the spaces and activities one would discover.  Stacey Bewkes and Susanna Salk had this privilege and you can read their reactions and watch their fun videos over on her blog Quintessence HERE.
If I were ever a lucky guest out of the 14 guest rooms pictured in the book I would without a doubt select the Chambre de Bonheur (or Room of Happiness) seen above on the cozy 3rd floor. The beautiful color scheme, comfortable but stylish furniture, and cozy nature of the attic level all appeal to me.  One can't read the book without choosing their own favorite!  I hope to see you at the lecture next week and if you can't attend I hope you pick up your own copy of this beautiful book!
Images in this post are from Architectural Digest or from the book by photographer Eric Piasecki.

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of hearing Charlotte Moss speak for the Mid-Atlantic ICAA in Georgetown at the historic Dumbarton House. The Federal styled house, built in 1800, has been a museum since 1928 when it was bought the the Colonial Dames of America.
The house is kept accurate to the time of its building and is a hidden gem here in Georgetown. Not to be missed are the beautiful gardens which are somewhat eclipsed by their famous neighbor up the street, Dumbarton Oaks.
 Moss's appreciation of gardens has changed over the years. She started loving the classic English Garden, which is so influential here in the USA because of our climate. She loves their beautiful flowers but found the style to be high maintenance; difficult for a city dweller who only visits her garden on the weekends. Even with help in the garden she prefers to be very hands on.
After giving up on her dreams of a English styled garden, she moved onto the more formal French gardens, famous for their symmetry. She was also drawn to the style for their love of the sculptural tree, 'No one can shape a tree like a Frenchman' - except perhaps Bunny Mellon whom Moss spoke about at length.  The third favorite garden type she spoke about was the Italian, rare in the USA where our climate is not hospitable to the plants, but if one learns abundance from the French, one can learn ease from an Italian garden.
Collaboration in her gardens in East Hampton are important and Charlotte designed hers with professionals -namely Lisa Stamm and her architect husband Dale Booher. Garden festivals are one of Moss's passions and she travels the world exploring these functions. She may not be able to bring the plants home but she can talk to the gardeners and pick up tips and ideas. They're also generally hosted in some of the most beautiful gardens in the world.
Charlotte spoke personally about her love of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, which she visited first as a 4th grader in Richmond, Virginia, and fell in love with the house and gardens. That love continues to this day as she is on their board of directors and helps in the care of this important site. She believes in historic preservation as one of the most important cultural institutions we have, as do I, because it preserves how people have lived through different times. We can always learn from the past, and as it turns out, from gardens. One can also learn from Charlotte, who encourages us all to ' Do something mad... you can do anything you like with your own house, who cares what anyone else thinks'!
I highly encourage you to grow your collection of Charlotte's inspirational tomes, with the addition of Garden Inspirations and go out there and do something MAD!
Images from Garden Inspirations by Charlotte Moss.

While cleaning through my over-flowing bookcases the other day I came across an old favorite, Adventures with Old Houses by Richard Hampton Jenrette.  The book is an account of the 14 historic houses he has bought, restored, and called home. One (or 2 rather) in particular have always been my favorites, the George F Baker house by Delano & Aldrich (more on them HERE and HERE).
Above is the entry to the carriage house from the street. I love this combination of deep forest green with granite detailing and red brick.  Mr Jenrette originally bought the house located at 67 East 93rd Street in NYC, restored and sold it, moved into the carriage house behind at 69 East 93rd Street, and later bought BACK the townhouse for less than he had sold it, and moved back in! Get all that?  He has retained the carriage house for the offices of his foundation.
The Ionic columns front a terrace on the main level of the townhouse in the courtyard created by the compound of buildings.
Sunny yellow and a roaring fire greet guests in the entry hall.  Mr. Jenrette has always bought period furnishings for his many homes.
The yellow continues down the central corridor. Notice how Delano and Aldrich broke up the long hallway by creating different spaces with archways -a great architectural trick.
At the end of this long hall is the oval dining room with original marble flooring. Jenrette choose the chocolate brown walls to match the floor and they help bring out the decorative trimwork to best advantage.
Looking back towards the hall, through tall polished mahogany doors,  one catches a glimpse of the beautiful curved stair.
Stairs such as these are always the focal point of such elegant houses. Notice the greek key trim bordering the stair runner.
The library uses the rounded bay but is rather larger than the dining room below as it is a rectangular and not an oval room.
The carriage house behind, which was converted into a residence years ago, features this beautiful Adam-style fireplace from 1800 by master woodworker Robert Wellford.
A small sitting room, which was combined with a small bedroom to create a beautiful guest room, features lovely neoclassical painted paneling. I love the marble surround and quiet wood mantel which integrates into the paneling.  Classical houses such as this always make my heart sing, how about yours?
Read more about the house and the full compound of buildings at Daytonian in Manhattan.
All images from the book Adventures with Old Houses by Richard  Hampton Jenrette featuring photographs by John M Hall and not my own.