Innehållsförteckning för Fall 2019 från MILIEU

Early in my career as an interior designer, long before I had the idea to start MILIEU, I knew about—and admired—Min Hogg. She, of course, was the legendary founding editor of The World of Interiors, a magazine that exactly reflected who she was as a person and as a designer. Min, who I am proud to say became a friend of mine, passed away in June, and I want to dedicate this Fall issue of MILIEU in memory of her. Min was what I like to call a true “seeker,” someone who, at heart, is a freethinker. In the pages of her magazine, she featured designs she liked, rooms and homes that she thought reflected the character of their owners, the fabrics and materials and furnishings she thought mattered. She…

As a media sponsor, MILIEU was pleased to be part of the celebrations at the opening night gala on July 27 at Lotusland in Montecito, California. The occasion marked the completion of the largest renovation and restoration to date of the botanical garden’s Japanese Garden, one of its most popular and evocative attractions. “Memoirs of a Garden,” as the event was billed (echoing the famous novel, Memoirs of a Geisha), revealed the extensive work that was done on the lovely garden, including the restoration of its waterfall, the replanting of the dense bamboo forest, and the relaying of pathways that wind through wisteria vines and Japanese maples and cherry trees. Committee members included Angela Scott, who MILIEU has featured. Chairs for the party were Belle Hahn, Nati Smith, and Setenay…

INTERIOR DESIGN OFTEN requires compromise and diplomacy. What a designer may envision for a room may not be what the client wants. It’s a matter of taste, aesthetics, colors. Choices require decisions. Going on some twenty-five years now, though, Charlotte Moss has continued to design multiple homes for this couple, America’s former ambassador to Italy and his wife. They and Moss apparently possess innate diplomatic skills given the design harmony that prevails among them. “I’ve been very lucky in my life and profession,” says Moss, “because I’ve had clients who give me carte blanche on a project and others who like to collaborate. In this case, with this couple, it’s been a total collaboration for a long time. They know what they like and they know what they don’t like.…

AS ONE OF the top names in contemporary Christian music, Grammy winner Chris Tomlin spends months at a time on the road—sleeping on tour busses, eating lousy food, and missing his wife, Lauren, and their two young daughters. It’s no wonder, then, that when the last gig has been played, all he really wants is to go home. For the last few years, that home has been the Franklin, Tennessee, property the Tomlins call “Peacefield,” history buff Chris’s homage to President John Adams, who called his Massachusetts farm by the same name in the 1770s. Peacefield is an apt name for these twenty-five acres of rolling hills that feature graceful trees and a calm, beautiful house at its center. But the process of acquiring the place wasn’t exactly relaxing—even though…

With its charming courtyards, shaded alleyways, and windowed views into beautifully decorated spaces, the La Cienega Design Quarter of Los Angeles looks more like an elegant residential neighborhood than a commercial mecca. But, despite its cozy curb appeal, the area is home to more than fifty retail and trade-only decor showrooms, including Una Malan’s, one of the largest, yet most intimate. Born and raised in England, Malan decided as a child—before ever visiting California—that she wanted to live in Los Angeles as an adult. Something about the sunlight and the glamour of the city always beckoned. After working as a talent agent and, then, as an interior designer in London, Malan finally moved to Los Angeles in 2007 and worked for The Rug Company, eventually becoming their West Coast manager.…

Hidden in the Hollywood Hills is Laurel Canyon, the location for a candlelit dinner at the home of Amy Neunsinger, in May. Hosted by Neunsinger, Brooks Morrison, vice president of design and merchandising for Moore and Giles, Sabine Rothman, a creative consultant, Lulu Powers, L.A.-based “entertainologist,” and noted textile designer Peter D’Ascoli, MILIEU had the honor of attending, alongside design industry notables. The décor was as memorable as the food. And, frankly, the colors and patterns at the party certainly rivaled those of Los Angeles’s dramatic Laurel Canyon. Peter D’Ascoli worked as a textile designer for Diane von Furstenberg prior to launching his own textile business in India. Through Furstenberg, he met the iconic Madeleine Castaing (1894–1992), spending time at Castaing’s beloved shop, which clearly left a lasting impression. The…

SOME DESIGNERS WANT their work not to be seen. While they are willing and eager to determine the mood and look of a home, they may wish to achieve that without drawing attention to themselves. “When we work with an architect of this caliber, we don’t want to leave our signature or make a statement,” says Serge Castella, the Spanish interior and industrial designer. “We’re happy not to be noticed.” Castella and his design and life partner, Jason Flinn, who collaborate on every house project for which they are commissioned, are not evincing false modesty. “We want the clients and everyone who comes here to notice the actual design of the house, the artwork on the walls, and take in the views of the sea in the distance,” says Flinn,…

CORRECTIONS In the Summer 2019 issue of MILIEU, we unintentionally omitted a credit on pages 92 and 93. The rug shown in the image is a custom silk and allo rug from CAROL PIPER RUGS, carolpiperrugs.com. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. COVER Photography: Simon Brown, simonbrownphotography.com. Upholstery, pillow covers, garments: Melanie Williams, melaniewilliams.co.uk. Skirt made from Ventura Pk velvet, 14546.602, CHRISTIAN FISCHBACHER, fischbacher.com. Waistband Velvet Border, Color: Blush, JT030020001,JIM THOMPSON, jimthompsonfabrics.com. Hanger cover in Hide Society leather, Color: Blush, 7024/07, JERRY PAIR LEATHER, jerrypairleather.com. FROM THE DESK OF… Page 38 (Clockwise from left) Orleans etagere, Kathryn M. Ireland’s Pied a Terre Collection for THE PERFECT ROOM, theperfectroom.com. Grazing, acrylic on canvas, mounted on board, 520 3 720, PATINA COLLECTION, patinacollection.com. Early nineteenth century blooming George III…

Tammy Connor Based in Charleston, South Carolina, award-winning interior designer Tammy Connor has built her reputation on creating timeless, classic interiors that are infused with a casual Southern elegance. She founded her namesake firm in 2000, and since then, she has received numerous awards from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, where she is now a member of its Southeastern Board. Charlotte Moss With over thirty-four years in the business of design, Charlotte Moss has received numerous honors, including the New York School of Interior Design’s Centennial Medal, Housing Works’ Groundbreaker’s Award, and The Royal Oak Foundation’s Timeless Design award. Charlotte has used her experience to design collections of furniture and upholstery with Century Furniture, fabrics and trims for Fabricut, carpets and sisals for Stark Carpet, china for Pickard,…

I count Long Street in the small Cotswolds town of Tetbury as one of my favorite destinations—not just in England, but in the world. Along this town’s main street is a dense array of antiques stores and specialty shops, all of which beckon every time I walk the route. While the town was once famous, centuries ago, for its wool and yarn gathered from the sheep that roamed the surrounding hills, today it is one of the best destinations for antiques. The town bustles year-round with elegant country housewives and antiques hunters from abroad. Just a decade or so ago, the town was filled with lots of small antiques shops that carried cheap and fun things to be had, but many of these establishments went out of business. In the…

Michael Thonet (1796–1871) is considered the inventor of bentwood furniture. Though he began his career in 1819, by setting up his woodworking shop in Boppard (Rhine Gorge), Germany, it wasn’t until the 1830s that he started experimenting with taking strips of veneer, boiling them in glue, and molding them into chairs. He soon perfected the technique for “furniture made of bent wood” which brought him to the attention of Prince Metternich, who invited him to Vienna in 1842. Thonet played a significant role in furnishing the Palais Lichtenstein, the Palais Schwarzenberg, as well as the Café Daum. By 1859, Thonet had his first breakthrough with Chair no. 14, the so-called Vienna coffee house chair. It consisted simply of six parts, which facilitated streamlined production. The innovative bending technique allowed for…

IN THE INDELIBLE opening scenes of The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews twirls and sings in an Alpine meadow with spectacular 360-degree views. The home that interior designer Susan Ferrier created for her clients in Charlottesville, Virginia, may be sited at a lower altitude, but the location is no less remarkable for its unrestricted vistas and abundant natural daylight. “I feel as though the earth rumbled, this house came up out of it, and we had to rise up to meet it,” says Ferrier, from her Atlanta office and studio. The parcel—a piece of land historically used as a dairy farm—was a rare find that its owners purchased while looking for a beach property. As Ferrier recalls, her clients were convinced that this property would grant them the kind of…

LULU LYTLE’S FAVORITE decorative element in her London home is one over which she has little control. She doesn’t choose it, but always welcomes it when it appears. “Because we have three teenaged children, there is a constant stream of teenagers coming through the home,” says Lytle, “and I can’t tell you what a lovely sight that is every time I come home and find them, sitting in the rooms, talking, eating, having fun together, gathered at the kitchen table. That my children’s friends feel welcome here is a very, very nice feeling. It means that our house is an open one.” As a co-founder and creative director of Soane Britain, Lytle is used to having an open mind when it comes to design. Years ago, she and her then-business…