Innehållsförteckning för May/June 2021 från Veranda

DESIGNER COREY DAMEN JENKINS 1 posed this rhetorical question during an interview for our “Designer Confidential” feature (pg. 73) in which more than a dozen top designers divulge their deepest professional secrets—think design fantasies, biggest mistakes, and the occupational hazards that drain their wallets (and fill their shelves). The most important question we asked: What do you wish your clients knew? Jenkins’s answer might as well be a tagline for this issue, our first-ever “designer issue.” After more than a year of adapting to new realities, routines, worries, and worldviews, why not live as beautifully as we can, while we can? The wisdom, humor, and reflection shared by designers featured in this issue deliver inspiration for living more beautifully in every sense. There’s the beloved author and philanthropist who knows…

Call it Bauhaus Nouveau: Boston artist Liz Roache’s Nepalese-made rugs reveal the raw beauty of hand-cut forms. In her Optimism collection for Maison Pierre Frey, silk geometrics on wool are assembled in colors culled from the Museum of Modern Art, where she once taught, and give exuberant voice to the abstract.…

ENGLISH DECORATING visionary John Fowler’s earliest memories are of arriving at glamorous parties swaddled comfortably in a rug inside his carriage. Later, as an unhappy teenager at boarding school, he would escape to watch Reverend Conrad Noel, vicar of Thaxted, replace the parish church’s dark and dusty furnishings with vibrant tapestries, flags, and carpeting in shades of red and seafoam. The process enthralled him, a spark, perhaps, to ignite his legacy of bestowing gutsy grandeur on old English homes for clients from Queen Elizabeth and Laurence Olivier to the Duchess of Devonshire. But Fowler had a particular—and now famous—gift for dress curtains. Wildly fanciful, he swathed windows in elaborate swoops and tails and monumental pelmets. (At one point, his orders alone reportedly kept passementerie firm B.A. Clarke Ltd. in business.)…

WHEN I WAS A BOY, I had a sort of a priori sense that, were I to let my bed go unmade before coming down to breakfast or, say, leave something around for someone else to pick up, there would be hell to pay. Firm handshakes, proper table manners, and conversing with adults were habits ingrained in my sister and me from a young age. I never tested it, nor did I rebel against the seemingly gargantuan task of the dreaded thank-you notes after Christmases or birthdays. It just wasn’t worth the trouble. And though it seemed at the time to be hideously cruel to have to live under such horrible oppression, today I gratefully appreciate my parents’ efforts to turn me into a polite young man. Manners go a…

BUTTERFLY MADNESS From 19th-century all-diamond brooches to the kaleidoscopic pivot by Belperron, Tiffany & Co., and others decades later, the winged jewels are as transformative as their radiant muses. MARSHY CRANES The serene, leggy birds appear in 19-karat gold as graceful symbols of fortune and happiness. PRIZED SWANS Among its admirers were Henry V, presumed owner of the 14th-century Dunstable Swan Jewel livery badge, and Italian designer Fulco di Verdura, whose fascination endures today at his jewelry house. HAPPY HUMMINGBIRDS When shown sipping “nectar” (as in these chromatic Anabela Chan earrings), their shimmering forms are reminders to savor life’s simple pleasures. STRUTTING PEACOCKS The birds’ showy plumage alone was a gift to Art Deco jewelers, who, in their shift to the natural world, leapt at the possibilities in such feathered…

Before he launched his eponymous line, Hector Finch was the respected authority on antique fixtures. At the age of 18, Hector Finch was already buying, restoring, and selling antique lighting fittings alongside his antiques-dealer father. By the time he opened a showroom in London in the early 1990s, Hector had a reputation for a deep knowledge of early electric European lighting. Designers and restorers of period properties relied on him for pieces of authentic provenance. Next, Hector began to produce his own designs. He created new fixtures for modern lifestyles, with clean lines incorporating cues from the past. Also known for exceptional colors, the range soon developed a strong following in the design world in Europe as well as the US. Twenty-five years later, the company celebrates its position as…

Oval Room Blue, Farrow & Ball “We did an entire paneled trim in a living and dining room in this color. The clients were really nervous, but the rooms turned out to be their favorite spaces.” —JOE LUCAS Sunshine, Benjamin Moore “Over the years, I have returned again and again to this particularly vibrant shade of yellow. Aptly named, it’s the color of the clearest brilliant sunny day, and it’s always a delight!” —JAMIE DRAKE Brinjal, Farrow & Ball “In our tiny house in Sag Harbor, I created a cocoon vibe by painting the TV room’s trim, walls, and ceiling a deep aubergine.” —KATIE LEEDE Bali, Benjamin Moore ↓ “I once had a client who was nervous to veer away from neutral or white walls, but the family room needed…

“Depressing greige will give way to colors that brighten your mood.” —TIMOTHY CORRIGAN “Horizontally hung mirrors should never happen.” —JOE LUCAS “I like a sprinkle of postmodernism here and there, but I could live without what I call ‘Pinterest Regency’: all soft curves, dusty colors, white oak furniture, and enough houseplants to fill the nursery section at Lowe’s.” —NICK OLSEN “Accent walls.” —JAMIE DRAKE “Please no more disposable design. Build things to last for generations.” —BETH WEBB “Shiny gold fixtures. They can come off a bit Russian oligarch. Choose unlacquered brass instead.” —KATIE LEEDE “Ball pillows.” —DAVID NETTO “Rose gold is totally fine for cell phones, but these light fixtures and knobs I’m seeing in kitchens? I just cannot.” —COREY DAMEN JENKINS “Tiny, postagestamp rugs.” —NICK OLSEN Every dining room…

Join the VERANDA BOOK CLUB! Read along with us as we select a book each month and chat with the author. Find out more at veranda.com.…

Layers of Color & Pattern AFTER A YEAR AT HOME, I think people are craving a lot more color. They are more open to the vividness of the world and paying attention to the hues and imagery that make them happy. And a happy host is the single best way to transform a table and transport guests. Sure, sometimes I wonder if I have too much going on, but it always delights me. —LULU POWERS, Los Angeles, CA Classic White NOTHING IS MORE beautiful than crisp white 100 percent linen and candlelight. I love doing pretty piping or roping at the bottom of a tablecloth for texture or a fine embroidery for delicate color. Adding old silver and garden-cut flowers is a look so classic, it never falls out of…

When a new era of party bravado descends, will we replace standard soirees with high theater and epic occasions? As the Champagne chills, three imaginative ways to champion the cause…

LEGENDARY LARGE CATS The Jeanne Toussaint–inspired panther for Cartier first appeared in 1914 on a diamond timepiece. The creature was again summoned in 1948, this time by the Duchess of Windsor, whose ideas for a brooch elevated the jewelry house’s emblem-to-be to three-dimensional glory. THE KINGLY RAM (AND ITS MASTER) Respected for its command over its environs, the majestic mountain dweller arrives today in a coral, diamond, and cabochon creation by David Webb, whose own reign over the wild is just as masterful. His 1957 dragon bracelet famously went to Elizabeth Taylor, sparking a rare menagerie of animals of his creation, from zebras and monkeys to frogs and elephants. PRECIOUS RHINOS Designer Julie Parker’s collection for Assael depicts some of the world’s most endangered animal species, including this yellow gold,…

“I am a Lutyens fanatic,” confesses Tom Kligerman about the famed British architect, whose more than 800 commissions include country houses, war memorials, bridges, and public buildings—and of course, his most ambitious: the design and construction of a new Indian capital city, New Delhi. For Kligerman, the astonishment of Lutyens’s work here (begun in 1912 and involving 19 journeys) lies first in its grandeur. “It’s a city built to impress,” he says. But the Brits are good at that. More stunning is the architect’s embrace of traditional materials and motifs. Here you find red and gold sandstone instead of marble and classic columns with ornate Moghul carvings at their caps. “These are buildings with a foot in both continents. It’s amazing,” he says. To see the master’s hand at work…

MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY Los Angeles often conjures visions of glamorous Hollywood parties, but the spaces in which those events were held were not open to everyone. In the early 1940s, it was nearly impossible for Black Angelenos to find a welcoming event space for any sort of celebration. “Back then, Black people weren’t welcome in restaurants or hotels. Even if you found a venue that would allow you to come, you weren’t treated well,” says Gayle Beavers, president of the Wilfandel Club and granddaughter of cofounder Della Williams. “The Wilfandel stood as a representation of the original hospitality house. Our doors were always open.” Founded in 1945 by two pioneering women, Fannie Williams and Della (no relation), the Wilfandel Club began as an organization of Black women seeking to promote “civic…

“RISK IS PART OF BEING A GOOD decorator, and if you’re a really good decorator, you’re not afraid of it,” says David Netto. “The risks I fear are shipping delays, somebody backing their car over a plaster chandelier stored in the garage, a vase I thought was so clever up high falling on a child, clients getting divorced in the middle of a project…but not creative risk.” Celerie Kemble agrees. “It isn’t the concept itself that keeps me up at night. Risk comes in when, for instance, I just assume a craftsman can do what I am thinking when, in truth, it may not be doable. But I am ready to roll with the punches when I screw something up, because the more risks you take, the better the design.…

THE ILL-ADVISED TREND “Okay, okay. I confess that I temporarily got caught up in the old-world, Tuscan, Venetian-plastered-walls look of the early 2010s. Replete with the autumn colors and, yes, doilies. Cringe away. It seemed so right at the time, and so very wrong looking back now.” —COREY DAMEN JENKINS THE SMALLNESS OF VINTAGE “Before I went out on my own, my boss bid on a pair of vintage parchment tables for a client’s bedroom. We were unsuccessful at auction, so I was told to have them reproduced with a big artist who did amazing parchment work. I copied the dimensions right out of the auction catalog and ordered away. When they arrived at the office, my boss called me to the loading dock and said, ‘Um, what are these?’…

BOLD MOVES Interior design: Ceara Donnelley Ltd. Co.; cearadonnel ley.com. Architectural design: Glenn Keyes Architects; glennkeyesarchitects.com. Landscape design: Glen R. Gardner; gardnerla.com. Contractor: Richard Marks Restorations; richardmarksrestorations.com. Floral design: Gregory Blake Sams; gregoryblakesams.com. Pages 82–83 Table: Jean de Merry; jeandemerry.com. Chairs: Downtown; downtown20.net. Chair fabric: Kravet; kravet.com. Chandelier: Baker Furniture; bakerfurniture.com. Base rug: Studio Shamshiri for Christopher Farr; christopherfarr.com. Paneling paint: Arsenic and Pale Powder by Farrow & Ball; farrow-ball.com. Sconces: Soane Britain; soane.co.uk. Antique tulipieres: Wynsum Antiques; wynsum.shop. Candelabras: Georg Jensen; georgjensen.com. Page 84 (bottom) Painted flooring and Venetian plaster: Stephanie Poe; poeartisticdesign.com. Console: Fuller + Roberts Co.; fullerroberts.com. Checkered bench: 8 Holland Street; 8hollandstreet.com. Portrait: Vincent J. Musi; vincentjmusi.com. Sconce: David Duncan Studio; davidduncanltd.com. Ceiling lighting: Derive; derive-vienna.com. Vase: Kelly Wearstler; kellywearstler.com. Wall paint: James White by Farrow…

…by the yard, panel, and fine print. A cheeky new crop of trompe l’oeil fabric and wallpaper animates centuries of ceramics, from Chinese Art Deco vases to Imari plates. Formal garniture and robust vase bouquets arranged on “shelves” make for fanciful, modern exhibits—and a china collection for the ages.…

JOY MOYLER: What is your superpower? QUINTEL GWINN: Connecting—bringing people together. I’m a “social architect,” always thinking about who would benefit from meeting someone new and doing my best to make that happen. JM: A “social architect,” I like that a lot! Let me see your nails; I know you love a good manicure. Is it important to you that your nails match your lipstick, like they do today? QG: I smile a lot and talk with my hands even more, so I like them to make that color connection. JM: Is color something that prompted your interest in design? What led you on your design path? QG: I love color, I love art. I remember drawing at a very early age. I took every art class I could take…

GLAMOROUS GATORS AND CROCS Four decades after Mexican actress María Félix made coveted pets of the shimmering reptiles with her Cartier necklace commission, Bibi van der Velden doubles down on their fierce glamour with a yellow gold pair, each snapping tightly to a Tahitian pistachio pearl. The alligator’s body even swings and curves as if gliding through water. CROUCHING FROGS The Aztecs saw the amphibians as symbols of fertility, casting gold likenesses out of wax molds (presumably to be worn by women of childbearing age). Today’s evolutions are more festive affairs—whimsical, ruby-eyed, and proudly bearing gifts. SLY JELLYFISH Daria de Koning’s contemporary earrings celebrate the creatures’ unique translucence, replacing the moonstone-and-diamond-studded body of Jean Schlumberger’s 1960s Tiffany & Co. brooch (inspired by friend Bunny Mellon’s brush with a jellyfish in…

LIKE SO MANY OF THE THINGS I HOLD DEAR, I first discovered the artistic potential of the humble vegetable while I studied in Paris. It was during my Renaissance art course at École du Louvre that I became acquainted with the fantastical works of Giuseppe Arcimboldo. His portraits of the seasons were remarkable in their renderings of vegetables and incredibly expressive—the hands of autumn made from turnips, with their astounding life and elegance, rival any of the great masters. I had also begun to explore the wonders of the topiary. The French, I was quickly learning, have a knack with secateurs, no doubt an inheritance from the great Baroque garden designer André Le Nôtre. In his magical Parc de Sceaux, for instance, the vertical geometric forms add both lightness and…

CEDRIC HARTMAN LAMPS “His exquisite task floor lamps are my go-to for their quality and precision. The 91 CO model is my favorite.” —JAMIE DRAKE cedrichartman.com TWIGS PHEASANT WALLPAPER “This never dates. It looks like the endpapers of old Florentine books.” —NICK OLSEN johnrosselli.com A CHESTERFIELD SOFA “This is something that both my female and male clients can easily agree on.” —COREY DAMEN JENKINS centuryfurniture.com SILK MOSS FRINGE AND CAMBRIDGE TRIM “There has to be a pillow with this fringe and a Samuel & Sons Cambridge trim too.” —YOUNG HUH samuelandsons.com A LOUIS XVI S IDE CHAIR “I love the neoclassical structure. It feels clean and fresh paired with more fanciful pieces.” —MARY MCDONALD chairish.com KALLISTA’S FOR TOWN FAUCET “Perfect for large pots and pan clearance. And if God is…

ATLANTA INTERIOR DESIGNER BETH WEBB’S words are as true of perfecting a well-designed room as they are of perfecting a memorable meal. For both, a detail-oriented elevation of the core ingredients—not simply their combination as laid out in a recipe—yields a truly spectacular finished product. Here, Webb and Rod Gower, director of business development at Signature Kitchen Suite, serve up virtuoso advice for acing your entertaining endgame. 1 Safeguard your farmers’ market haul. Standard refrigeration’s “dry cold” can kill the flavor and longevity of even the most thoughtfully sourced produce. A better option, says Gower, is the evaporator system that comes with each SKS refrigerator. “These keep humidity in the mid 30s, which is perfect for prolonging the life of garden-fresh vegetables, fruits, and cheeses.” Another smart solution: inverter linear…

IT TURNS OUT YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN. That is precisely what New York decorator Todd Romano did in 2016, returning to his birthplace of San Antonio after three rollicking and successful decades in Manhattan. Not only did Romano boomerang back to his hometown—and to the Monte Vista neighborhood he’d known since boyhood—but he settled down in a singular house he’d had his eye on for roughly a quarter of a century. “My parents lived a few blocks away, and I’ve always loved this neighborhood,” he says. The house, a modest two-story Georgian Revival structure on a low rise set back from the street, was designed in 1936 by Atlee B. and Robert M. Ayres, a father-and-son architecture firm best known for their municipal structures throughout south-central Texas and for…