REGENCY FURNITURE » Regency Furniture

Regency Furniture At The Clarence House

Admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:36:57 +0000

Antique Chandeliers Clarence House

Clarence House is located in London in the city of Westminster. For over 50 years it was the residence of the Queen Mother and was also the official residence of H.R.H. Prince Charles and Camilla until 2009. The house was commissioned by William IV and built between 1825~ 1827 by John Nash

The north wing (facing the north private garden and Green Park beyond) contains the apartments used by the Queen and Prince Phillip. The Queen uses the "Queen's Apartment" - which runs from the northwest corner to about the middle of that wing. In addition to the Queen's Bedroom, Dressing Room, Bathroom, and Sitting Room, is an AnteRoom (just outside the Queen's Bedroom), a private Dining Room (adjoining the Sitting Room), and a few smaller rooms near the NW corner. At that point her private suite connects to the Queen's Audience Chamber (facing the west gardens), then another good size room (name unknown), then finally the Royal Closet. Beyond the Royal Closet is the White Drawing Room, the first of the proper State Apartments on the west front.

Prince Phillip's suite is what was known as the "King's Apartments" in past reigns. In Victoria's time it was occupied by her mother the Duchess of Kent. Starting in the middle of the wing (where the Queen's Apartment leaves off) and headed toward the Mall is the King's Dressing Room (and bath), the King's Bedroom, Sitting Room, and Study. (Note: The names of these rooms have changed over time). Beyond the Study are two smaller rooms- the Indian Room and the Chinese Room, and the wing completes at the Chinese Dining Room which is at the northeast corner.

A wide corridor extends the full length of these apartments facing the Quadrangle, and on the Quadrangle side in the middle is the Queen's Staircase, flanked by two small rooms which I've been alternatively told were small libraries, or rooms for attendants.

Informati0n and Pictures gathered at Alexander Palace Forums.

English Decorating Regency Furniture Clarence House

English Decorating Regency Furniture Clarence House- The Garden Room

English Decorating Regency Furniture Clarence House- The Lancaster Room

English Decorating Regency Furniture Clarence House- The Desk In The Garden Room

English Decorating Regency Furniture Clarence House- The Hall

English Decorating Regency Furniture Clarence House The Horse Corridor

Regency Drum Tables

Admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:11:43 +0000

Regency Furniture- Walnut Drum Card Games Casino Roulette Table From Abbey Antiques Ebay

Abbey Antiques is selling a sensational burl walnut George III / George IV / Regency design games roulette table. The table stands on a very attractive burl walnut and carved gilt paw and wing foot tripod base with the paws with decorative Eros wings rising back from the feet. Each foot has a different figure or mask featuring a theatrical mask, a sitting frog and a lion. Rising over this are the splay burl walnut veneered legs and solid mahogany column with a faux burl walnut painted finish with a standard solid mahogany block. Rising over this is the circular drum table with six flush fit and push open and close drawers, each draw fitted with a different architect's style lecturn which folds up to store playing cards.

Abbey Antiques is selling this fabulous table for only $1,641 US Dollars.

In front of each of these drawers, in the top, is a lift up lid to protect your cards from view from across the table. You have to love that feature!!

Either side there are chip stores, each place marked by a diamond in different colours, matching or near matching the leather inlays on the lecturns. To the centre is a very decorative 'lazy susan' style spinning centre, the top cover having radial burl walnut veneers which match the panels to the top. On the reverse side is a green baize for card playing, the underside having an inset black, almost velcro covered centre piece and a third layer forming a mahogany polished layer. The table comes complete with chips and a roulette wheel!

A very nice quality and most unusual games table having excellent quality burl walnut veneers which would be very expensive, having a rich walnut colour. The roulette table is Italian made by "Treviso - Made in Italia" "Dal negro" and in solid mahogany with a chromium plated wheel to the centre.

Thomas Hope – Regency Furniture Designer

Admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:34:47 +0000

Thomas Hope

We are familiar with the interiors and furniture of Thomas Hope chiefly through his 1807 book, Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, and its exquisitely restrained plates composed of thin black outlines on white grounds, free of all shading, shadow, or color. And so, faced here with more than 400 color illustrations of the real spaces and objects, we are dazzled by their vigor and presence. The images are just as elegant as the ones in his book but, with their outlines filled in, even more impressive.

Thomas Hope was the eldest son of John Hope, a Dutch merchant of Scottish extraction and a member of a very wealthy and powerful family of merchants and bankers who had settled, four generations earlier, in Holland.

By the early 1780s the merchant bank of Hope & Co were in the business of raising large sums for kings and governments throughout Europe and in the United States of America, and were recognised as one of Europe’s greatest banking dynasties.

After the death of his father in 1784, Thomas shared his father’s fortune with his two brothers but appears never to have been active in the management of the lucrative family business, which remained the source of his considerable wealth. The fortune allowed him to devote fill time energy to the arts.

Hope's extensive travels in Europe, Greece, Turkey and Egypt inspired his interest in antiquities as a source of designs for Regency interiors, furniture and metalwork.

Regency Egyptian Revival Style Armchairs By Thomas Hope

Grand Thomas Hope Chair

After years of travel, Hope, at the age of twenty six, returned to acquire an Adam House in Duchess Street, Portland Place, London. This city was none other than the very city his family had fled to during 1794 in anticipation of the French invasion of Holland. The house was designed by Robert Adam, which he remodelled with a series of themed interiors. The colourful interiors of Duchess Street and of Hope's country house, Deepdene in Surrey, played a unique role in the history of collecting, interior design and display.

Both were open to select visitors, but his furniture reached an even wider public through his book, Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. Published in 1807, this book introduced the term 'interior decoration' into the English language.

Hope established himself in London as a scholarly collector of art, an interior designer and a patron of artists and craftsmen.

Records show how Hope’s considerable wealth enabled him to collect many paintings, sculptures, antique objects and books, which were displayed in the Duchess Street mansion and at the Deepdene, his country house in Surrey.

Thomas's brother shared his passion with collecting, and became influential in many London societies connected with the arts.

Regency Style Egyptian Settee By Thomas Hope

In 1804 Hope opened exhibition galleries, after having had the Duchess Street house extended by one of the foremost architects and designers of the period, Charles Heathcote Tatham, where visitors paid for admission by ticket. The popular view of Hope was as ‘the Furniture Man’. There he was met with compliments and enthusiastic supporters; but also hostile critics. Hope’s ambitions pressed on regardless of criticism as he sketched designs for furniture, room interiors which he included in books Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (1807); Costumes of the Ancients (1809); Designs of Modern Costumes (1812); and posthumously An Historical Essay on Architecture, with the illustrations based on early Hope drawings (1835).

Hope's influence continued long after his death, partly because of his book. His designs appeared in trade journals and books on interior design, and though the Duchess Street house was demolished in 1851. In 1917 his collection was dispersed in a great sale at The Deepdene. This led to a renewed interest in Hope's vision for objects designed by him. Collections were displayed in Europe and the USA, reaching a wider public view.

Hope's style influenced the Regency Revival of the 1920s and '30s, and even Art Deco design.

Regency Style Greek Krater-Style Copper Vase

Buscot Park’s Regency Furniture

Admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:32:40 +0000

Buscot Park Hall- Pair of Ebonised Gilt chairs From The Thomas Hope Suite

Buscot Park is a glorious example of the Regency style. The estate was built by Edward Loveden Loveden between 1779 and 1783 for Edward Loveden Loveden. The house was inspired by the architecture of the great Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio. Most of the furniture here is of the Regency period, and reflects the revival of interest in that style in the inter-war years.

The entrance hall's gilt-metal chandelier from Barnsley Park

Most of the decorative scheme in The Hall is due to the 2nd Lord Faringdon, who inherited Buscot in 1934, and who acquired the celebrated suite of Thomas Hope furniture especially for this room.

The large ebonised and gilt couch, and the pair of chairs standing in front of the scagliola pillars, are in the Egyptian taste that became fashionable after the battle of the Nile (1798). They, together with the ebonised and gilt torchères, were made for Thomas Hope, the pioneer of Regency furniture design, and are illustrated in his Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (1807) as part of the furnishing of the ‘Egyptian Room’ at Duchess Street, his London residence off Portland Place.

The tripod-stand behind the couch, ebonised and gilt, with lion monopodia supports, is in the manner of George Smith, the cabinet-maker whose pattern book of 1808 (A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration) did much to popularise the Regency style.

At the far end of the Hall is a pair of ormolu-mounted French Empire side-tables in mahogany with marble tops. The tables carry Empire figures of kneeling cupids in ormolu, and Sèvres bleu celeste shell-shaped dishes of 1756, which were originally simply painted with flowers, but when mounted in ormolu,
the turquoise grounds and bird paintings were added (perhaps by Edward Holmes-Buldock c.1830).

The pair of amboyna and giltwood tables, with pineapple motif stems,supporting seventeenth-century panels of Genoese marquetry, reflect the antiquarian taste that became fashionable under the Prince Regent's influence, and were bought at the Hartwell House sale in the 1930s. The ormolu candelabra on the mantelpiece, their four-branched lights supported by winged figures, are
French of the Empire period, in the manner of Thomire. Either side of the chimney-piece are two eighteenth-century gout stools.

A cut glass chandelier in George III style In The Dutch Room

The Dutch Room was created out of two smaller rooms in the 1930s, during the 2nd Lord Faringdon’s extensive alterations to the house. The Dutch Room has a plasterwork ceiling and frieze made at that date in the Adam style. In this room exist a set of six single chairs, two stools and settee, is of the Chippendale
period. relief. Two satinwood commodes with concave fronts, inlaid with paterae, are closely related to Chippendale’s work in the neo-classical style of about 1775.

Between the windows is an unusual pair of side-tables of the Sheraton period, completely veneered with tortoiseshell, stained green and red. The oval mirrors above are giltwood frames with festoons of husks, paterae and ribbons which are supreme examples of the Adam style. At the far end of the room are a pair of fine inlaid cabinets. The highly elaborate tops of the cabinets,decorated with red-stained tortoiseshell and engraved bone, date from the mid-seventeenth century.

Regency Style Decorating -Buscot Park Sitting Room

The Sitting Room date from the 1930s, when the 2nd Lord Faringdon made extensive alterations to Buscot, intending to return the house to its original eighteenth-century appearance.

Regency Style Decorating -Buscot Park Sitting Room

As in the Hall beyond, most of the furniture here is of the Regency period. This style can be seen in the rosewood sofa table at the western end of the room, and the pair of rosewood card tables, with elegant lyre-shaped supports, made by the leading cabinet-makers of the day, Gillows of Lancaster. In the room eight single chairs with sabre legs, grained to simulate rosewood, exemplify a type of painted decoration characteristic of the period. The pair of Regency mahogany bergere chairs are a recent acquisition. The chandelier is a good example of a Regency glass ‘lustre’, and the gilt pelmet boards, with elaborate scrolls are of the same period, moved here from the Drawing Room at Barnsley Park, when Nash carried out his alterations there between 1807 and 1809.

Decorating With Vintage Trunks

Admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:26:37 +0000

Don't discount a vintage trunk the next time you run across one in an antique or second hand store. Decorating with trunks presents limitless opportunities around your home. Almost every decorating photograph involving trunks shows Louis Vuitton trunks, but you don't have to limit yourself to name brand luggage. There has been countless times where I have run across great looking rustic slatted wood trunks with old fashioned leather straps. Other trunks are all brass plated, making them just like a piece of jewelery in your home. Often times these trunks aren't overly expensive. Ebay has a number of spectacular trunks which are very affordable, making it possible to collect a few to stack up tall on a small feature wall. The brass hardware on trunks make them irresistible to me. I love the trunks like the one below which feature a combination of wood, brass tack details and leather.

Decorating With Trunks -2002 Steven Klein Liya Kebede

Stacking Trunks- Some Ideas For Decorating With Trunks

Many times you can get trunks cheap enough that you can paint the details the color that coordinates with your interior.

Consider a stack of trunks in two tone colors. For Example - consider painting 3 trunks in a blue color range, say peacock, navy, and cobalt blue, and an orange trunk. Work with the color wheel to determine the colors.

Consider faux painting your trunks. Buy an overhead projector and copy a pattern on to overhead projector paper and paint on a geometrical pattern that appeals to you.

Make your walk in closet extra grand by setting one aside for a stack of old trunks. They make excellent storage while at the same time looking fabulous.

1920s Louis Vuitton ‘Malle Courier’ In orange Style Court Blog

Decorating With Trunks -Designer Tony Espuch

Decorating With Trunks - Darryl Carter Louis Vuitton

White Painted Furniture

Admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:09:25 +0000

Regency Empire Furniture Ideas

Picture Credit The Enchanted House Blog

Often times when people think about decorating with a particular color, they automatically gravitate by painting the walls that hue and accessorizing with coordinating furniture. There certainly isn't anything wrong with that approach, although for many people who adore bold pops of color they tend to be at a loss because they don't want it splashed on their walls.

Here is a room that shows us how to use color in a very sophisticated approach. They have done everything right! Some of the nicest designed interiors base their homes around high end architectural materials, and well chosen antiques that reflect the owners style. Many times these homes let the architecture speak for itself, and the furniture is often carefully chosen pieces of art themselves. A kitchen which has beautiful cabinetry doesn't need a dozen accessories, but rather one masterpiece bowl sitting on the counter is enough to say, "look at me, but REALLY look at the cabinetry" A minimal approach to decorating works. Approaching decorating this way, a person doesn't need a wide range of accessories, but nicer furniture that can hold a persons intrigue for a longer period of time.

Regency and Empire furniture does just that. Empire furniture is known for the outstanding mahogany veneer wood that appear so intricate in its natural design that a person is drawn in to take a closer look at the details of such a luxurious example of wood. Layer on top of the wood a few well chosen decorative ormolu accents, and you will have a piece of furniture that will stop you in your tracks several times a day.

In this space you can see that the architect looked at the space and figured out the design based on the architecture of the room. You can see their initial approach with how the floor is laid out. In this room you see the floors feature a checkerboard marble pattern in both black and white carrara marble. The pattern on the floor was brilliantly laid in such a way to distinguish two different areas. One which features one half of the room with a round table, and the other which highlights some antique chairs. You can see the oval or round table is an exceptional antique, either gold leafed or brass and has nothing on top of the table. This table most likely features a gorgeous marble pattern which speaks for itself, and doesn't need anything in addition.

The walls were painted in a simple gray beige, and glossy black doors with heavy hardware provide a rich yet simple look. The chairs seem to be the most brilliant feature of this room. Long hallways that connected one room to another has been seen in the most premier castles around the world. Here you see the opportunity for that design to be showcased here.

For the longest time, I gravitated away from white paint on furniture, because I have seen too many times how horrible "shabby" white furniture looks from amature painters. I think where many people go wrong with painting furniture is they don't determine the appropriate color for the style and age of furniture.

Would you ever paint an arts and crafts mission style chair a bright white?

Excellent Examples of ANTIQUE White Looking Furniture - French Directoire Console Table and Side Tables

White furniture looks very appropriate on Modern Regency styled pieces. If you think of designers such as Draper, Wearstler, and Adler, they have often used high gloss lacquer in their approach to white furniture. It would be a terrific sight to see a bombe chest in a high white gloss. A piece such as this gives off such a brilliant shine as if it was waxed for hours.

White also looks sensational on primitive furniture in a white that has beige or yellow undertones. I remember the first time I tried spray painting a piece of furniture in Heirloom white, I was amazed at how nice my piece of furniture looked in WHITE!

Swedish furniture is often painted, but never a stark white, rather with gray undertones. Many times the piece of furniture is distressed so heavily that the wood and the paint combination create a beautiful intrigue.

Too many people make the mistake of painting their furniture a color that belongs on the ceiling. They forget about distressing and glazing which gives it an antique appearance.

BRILLIANT White Empire Furniture by William Hodgins

White in my opinion has never looked better in my opinion on on Empire furniture. The additional furniture mounts or carved details are accented in brass or gold leafed makes the white paint even more special to look at.

In this photo by William Hodgins you can see two terrific chairs, which I think are actually gray painted but in the picture they show as white. The one chair is upholstered in a animal print where as the other chair is upholstered in a blue silk dot on white fabric. Both chairs are terrific examples of how a piece of furniture can be the focal point of a room.

A Close up of the Chair

A Close up of the Second Chair

A Close up of the Yellow Chair

Again here is the original yellow chair. The frame is painted in an off white and they chose a butter yellow upholstery fabric for the seats and the back rest. The brass furniture mounts add an extravagant touch which really makes this chair appear high end. Yellow can be extremely vibrant and a brilliant choice to base an interior around. Not only is it bright but very striking to look at.

Patterned fabric paired with a Regency or Empire chair can look very rich. Choosing something as basic as a white and yellow, or a yellow and gray, or a yellow and black pattern can make a chair look like a piece of art. Adding carved wood appliques which are spray painted in gold and finished off with gold leaf is a sure way of adding extra dimension to your antique chairs.

Here are my top three fabric choices for decorating with yellow against a white frame:

54 Wide Duralee Dalesford Yellow Fabric By The Yard

54 Wide Ticking Stripe Gold Ivory Fabric By The Yard

54' Wide Premier Prints Chipper Slub Corn Yellow Fabric By The Yard

Regency Georgian Furniture

Admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:40:10 +0000

George III -King of Great Britain and King of Ireland

George III (George William Frederick, 4 June 1738–29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801. He was then King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. He was concurrently Duke and prince-elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg ("Hanover") in the Holy Roman Empire until his promotion to King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was the third British monarch of the House of Hanover, but unlike his two predecessors he was born in Britain and spoke English as his first language. Despite his long life, he never visited Hanover.

George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdoms, much of the rest of Europe, and places farther afield in Africa, the Americas and Asia.

Early in his reign, Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War, becoming the dominant European power in North America and India. However, many of its American colonies were soon lost in the American War of Independence, which led to the establishment of the United States of America.

A series of wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France, over a 20-year period, finally concluded in the defeat of Napoleon in 1815.

In the later part of his life, George III suffered from recurrent, and eventually permanent, mental illness. Medical practitioners were baffled by this at the time, although it has since been suggested that he suffered from the blood disease porphyria. After a final relapse in 1810, a regency was established, and George III's eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, ruled as Prince Regent. On George III's death, the Prince Regent succeeded his father as George IV.

Pair English Regency Georgian George III Armchairs

English Regency Georgian George III Armchairs- Pair of Chairs- Vintage Views Consignment, SWC-George III Satinwood Pembroke Table, c.1800 The Stanley Weiss Collection $9,500

A George III Giltwood Settee

A George III giltwood settee with a shell-carved crest rail above a padded back and seat and with foliate carved arms, raised on tapering leaf carved legs; the seat inscribed "217 Hornby", possibly the name of the cabinet-maker. Sold through Kentshire

19TH CENTURY ENGLISH GEORGE III MAHOGANY BOWFRONT CHEST OF DRAWERS BUFFET From Musing Antiques

19th Century English George III Mahogany Bowfront Chest of Drawers From Musing Antiques $2,800

Luxurious Italian Villas

Admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:41:59 +0000

I AM LOVE Movie - Italian Decorating - On The Set of I Am LOVE - Set in Milan

I Am Love was a 2009 Italian film directed by Luca Guadagnino set around 2000 in Milan. The film follows a haute bourgeoisie family through changing times and fortunes. The wealthy Recchi family are first and second-generation textile manufacturers in Milan and Eduardo Sr., the family patriarch, has decided to name a successor to the reins of his massive industrial company, and in so doing, surprises everyone by splitting power between his son Tancredi and grandson Edo. The movie features some beyond beautiful interiors which have both a Regency element to them with some underpinnings of Art Deco influences. Many of the scenes were shot in Villa Necchi Campiglio, a 1930s mansion in the heart of Milan designed by architect Piero Portaluppi. Tilda Swinton states in the DVD commentary to the movie that the villa was perfect because they were looking for a house “that was part palace, part museum, and part prison.” I think you will be blown away by the wood veneer walls, marble floors and drop dead

Check out Heathers Post on The Villa Necchi Campiglio , and Kevin Sharkey's Blog where the source of these pictures were featured.

I AM LOVE Movie - Italian Decorating - On The Set of I Am LOVE - Set in Milan

Italian Decorating - On The Set of I Am LOVE - Set in Milan

I AM LOVE Movie - Italian Decorating - On The Set of I Am LOVE - Set in Milan

Regency Decorating Ideas- Italian Decorating - On The Set of I Am LOVE - Set in Milan

Italian Decorating - On The Set of I Am LOVE - Set in Milan

High Quality Mid Century Furniture

Admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:09:44 +0000

Noemanyc is your source for antique furniture. They have a selection of beautiful Mid-century furnishings. Check back with their stock often and get inspired to redecorate!

Modern pair of club chairs1950s' AND Regency Style Mahogany Inlaid Pembroke Drop Leaf Table, Brass Hardware, 1940's

Antique Federal Regency Furniture

Admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 01:11:11 +0000

Stantonsburg Antiques specializes in period Victorian, Empire,Federal and turn-Of-the century furniture and lighting. Stantonsburg Antiques represents over 30 years of experience in antiques and adds to their inventory weekly. Check out their ebay store for great antique Federal Regency Antiques.

Empire Gold Gilt Carved Window Cornice c1850

French Empire Flamed Mahogany Desk wBrass Ormolu c1850

Antique Regency Furniture

Admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:15:39 +0000

Regency Mahogany Kidney Desk Desks Furniture Writing Canonbury Antiques

Canonbury Antiques is a small family run business with a massive warehouse and showroom just 25 minutes north of London near Potters Bar. Canonbury Antiques has been trading for nearly forty years, and selling on ebay for over nine. They carry many styles of furniture, and have a very stunning selection that will surely make your home unique.

Hollywood Regency Tripod Tables

Admin — Mon, 02 May 2011 04:37:43 +0000

Tripod tables borrow their good looks from the classic sets of old Hollywood. Tripod frames once held movie cameras, and historically were used to hold cameras and lights. These tables can bring some of the fascination of the 1930's into your home. Horchows lovely Hi Hat Table features an industrial design reinvented in brass with a hand-painted antiqued finish. The table can be stationed in your bathroom, bedrooms, and living rooms making them work anywhere in your home. The table top meaures 15.5 in diameter and operates with adjustable heights from 19.5"- 24"T. Tripod lamps have been especially popular in the last several years. Nova Lighting sells a simplistic looking tripod lamp. The overall look is very streamlined and elegant. The lamp has a high end dark brown wood finish mixed in with brushed nickel elements. The best thing about this lamp is the lovely oval shade, perfectly accenting contemporary design. CC Home Furnishings sells a classic light that looks as though it comes right off of the old Hollywood movie sets. The light design is a classic spotlight design sitting on tripod legs. The lamp is made out of steel, sheesham wood, glass, aluminum and iron. If you do consider decorating in the Hollywood Regency style;incorporating decor using the stylings of the tripod base will quickly give you the look of this glamorous lifestyle.

David Duncan Livingston Photography From Decor Pad

Reproduction Regency Furniture

Admin — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:43:11 +0000

English Regency Coffee Table

If you are a collector of classic English Regency furniture, then this lovely glass coffee table is up your alley. This table is designed with classic English looks featuring delicate shapely legs and stylish bamboo stretchers. This lovely antique reproduction table has been carved, sanded, and finished by hand and put together using traditional construction techniques. Sold by Laurel Crown Furniture, this table features solid Honduran mahogany wood, which has been favored by cabinetmakers throughout the centuries. Unlike the softer pine and the harder oak, Honduran mahogany is less brittle and more flexible, but what makes it particularly beautiful on this piece is the natural reddish-brown color, straight grain, and medium texture which are all accented by our gorgeous satin finish. This English Regency heirloom-quality table from Laurel Crown is certainly worth a second look.

Classic Regency Furniture From Elle decoration July 2010 From Little Frame Big Wall Blog

Mary McDonald’s Regency Styled Interiors

Admin — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 06:35:54 +0000

If you love Regency and Hollywood Regency styled homes, then you must study Mary McDonald's interiors. She is ranked one of House Beautiful “Top 100 Designers” and has been featured in publications including Veranda, Town & Country, Domino, House Beautiful, House & Garden and International Vogue. McDonald is a little different than the up and coming designers in that she embraces antique historical furniture and combines it with modern elegance. She seems to have an ability to work with bold color which most of us are afraid to approach. Her extensive travel in Europe and the Far East has granted her an eye for classic style which she incorporates with eclectic furnishings for a strong sense of glamour and sophistication.

For those who are interested in Hollywood Regency styles, Home Beautiful featured a yellow and grey interior with the greek key design and french chairs, and empire side tables. Mary McDonald's Bold and Theatrical Design- Home Beautiful details how designer Mary McDonald uses vibrant colors, dramatic details, and old-Hollywood glamour in the home of an L.A. movie mogul. House Beautiful 2010 features this stunning home upfront and in detail. See it in detail on her site.

Western Interiors November 2008 featured a home owned by Bert and Jennifer Salke in Beverly Hills that was designed by Mary McDonald. The home was designed around modern furniture. The walls were painted in a warm cocoa brown paint, and the surroundings combined two chaise longues at the rear of the room covered with ice blue fabric and a zebra ottoman which was placed in the middle. Modern Barcolonas were placed on either side of the room and anchored by the rug pattern which formed a walkway in between the two seating arrangements. Modern ghost chairs give the space more breathing room, looking almost invisible.

Rooms to Inspire In The City By Annie Kelly evokes stylish homes with cosmopolitan sophistication. Annie Kelly, editor-in-chief of the New York Observer Home magazine compiles the residences by leading tastemakers such as Muriel Brandolini, Peter Dunham, Jonathan Adler, and Mary McDonald. This inspiring medley ranges from Carolina Irving’s Upper East Side–chic New York apartment with custom molding influenced by Gothic architecture to Robert Couturier’s elegant residence with curved walls, decorated by Paulin Paris. Mary McDonalds guest home is featured and dressed in Hollywood Regency and Eclectic furnishings. When she bought an new home, she renovated this home and kept it for entertaining friends and family. McDonald's guest home, which is a few miles from her new home features amazing antique furniture, and a generous use of color, paired with unique carefully chosen accessories. Check out the pictures on Mary McDonalds site.

Regency Furniture & Decorating - Mary McDonald

Mary McDonald: Interiors: The Allure of Style vibrant interiors are explored and McDonald spills her secrets to the themes that that inspire her stylish decorating. From her own refurbishment of Buster Keaton’s legendary villa to a stunning range of client projects, McDonald carefully details the colors, fabrics, and accessories she uses to seamlessly pull each look together. Exquisitely photographed, this vivid book is a must for anyone who loves sophisticated, ravishing interiors

"Decorator Mary McDonald is known for vintage Hollywood movie-worthy houses,as seen in her new book Mary McDonald: Interiors (Rizzoli). She shares her tips for bringing a touch of glamour into everyday life." ~Family Circle

"Mary McDonald Interiors: The Allure of Style will be published this month by Rizzoli, featuring more than 250 photographs of some of the most glamorous rooms captured between the covers of a coffee-table book... Interiors seems to have elegance, romance, and flair buried deep within its high-gloss pages." ~Lonny

"Mary McDonald Interiors: The first book from the fashion-forward former milliner offers insight into her design philosophy of infusing spaces with drama, elegance, and plenty of customization." ~Tradtional Home

"This month, Rizzoli's new Mary McDonald: Interiors, the designer's first book, shines a gorgeous light on the Los Angeles native's work, a bring-it-on layering of exuberant color, theatrical gestures and obsessive collecting - executed with just enough poised elegance and formal composition to preserve order in the house." ~Veranda

Regency Furniture & Decorating - Mary McDonald

Home and Garden June 2002 Featuring Mary McDonald

Kate and Andy Spade’s New York Apartment

Admin — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:31:15 +0000

Kate Spade Handbags has become a world wide brand known for their punchy colors and elegant youthful looks. Kate and Andy Spade launched their handbags in January 1993. They started out mainly selling handbags, but eventully branched out into additional accessories and items for the home. Today they create everything from jewelry,shoes, bags, and home linens. In 1986, Kate, worked in the accessories department of Mademoiselle in Manhattan. It was at Mademoiselle, she met Andy Spade, and the two worked side by side in sales in a men's clothing store. While Kate and Andy have distinct styles, they come together with in unity in color and style. It comes as no surprise that these chic designers would have a home as stylish as their retail spaces. Along with interior designer Steven Sclaroff, there home was designed around exquisite furnishings and outstanding antiques.

Kate Spade Handbags

On one hand, their home features classic interior colors, such as grey, with white and gold picture frames, and classic wood antiques, while other rooms feature very bright wallpaper and punchy art.

What can we take from their designer home?

1. The Spades know how to liven up their interior with a bit of color and lovely antique furniture. Every wall is covered in art, but the overall look doesn't look messy. Showcase art that feature sketches. There is nothing wrong with featuring a number of sketches and throwing in a colorful painting into the mix.

2. Pick up quality furniture. They mix classic regency styles with empire, and french, but all the furntiure works well with one another.

3. Upholstery, either on chairs or headboards is an opportunity to showcase a fabric. Go for bright colors, such as blue, pink or green and combine it with a gold frame. Did you see the silky blue and white Regency chairs with the Spades in it?

4. Work with the color wheel, and use opposite colors to make certain elements stand out. If you have a stunning red chair, feature it against a neutral gray wall. Using too much color is not recommended, because often times the house can look like a rainbow. Decide to throw in a little color here and there. If there is a specific fabric that you adore, decide to highlight your favorite items, and then decide on the walls, and the surrounding furniture.

5. Don't forget that small areas, can be highly decoative as well. Did you see the striped fabric in their hallway? An area such as this often is not decorated in most homes. Take advantage of the space, and highlight it with some black and white family photos.

Pictures from:

New York Magazine - The Spades New Bag- February 14, 2010

The Selby shot the Spades home for their site

Habitually Chic Blog Features Town And Country Magazine Pictures on The Spades.

Regency Furniture & Decorating Ideas- Kate and Andy Spade's New York Apartment

Kate and Andy Spade's New York Apartment

Regency Furniture & Style Decorating Ideas- Kate and Andy Spade's New York Apartment

GQ Interviews Kate & Andy Spade- Regency Furniture Ideas

Admin — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:26:38 +0000

GQ's Adam Rapoport hangs with husband and wife team Kate & Andy Spade in this episode of Style Innovators. A young star in the advertising world, Andy has been called "one of the great under-known geniuses of Western civilization." He was an equal creative and entrepreneurial force behind the Kate Spade and Jack Spade brands as the CEO and Creative Director. When the couple exited the labels, Andy founded a boutique creative agency, Partners & Spade, which allows him to do a little of everything he loves. From branding and advertising, to films and books, to art and interiors, through Partners and Spade, Andy lends his characteristic touch of cool authenticity to brands like J. Crew and AOL.

Over the course of the episode, Andy walks Adam through the world of Partners & Spade, starting in their part-gallery, part-studio, thoroughly bewitching Noho headquarters. Together they check out a couple of the firm's notable projects, including the J. Crew "Liquor Store" in Tribeca and the site of a new upcoming hotel in Soho, 111 Mercer. Andy also invites Adam into the Spade's Southampton and New York City homes where his unique aesthetic melds with Kate's to create stunning yet comfortable spaces. Later, Kate joins Andy and Adam in the their Upper East Side apartment where the couple discuss their move from downtown, their distinct design sensibilities and how they managed to work together so closely for all these years. Kate also talks about her decision to leave Kate Spade to raise their young daughter and whether or not she envisions herself going to back to work in the future.

Even Sarah Jessica Parker Shops At Second Hand Stores

Admin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 01:18:50 +0000

Sarah Jessica Parkers Home From Blue Butterflies Blog

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker revealed that she loves to go shopping in second hand stores. Aren't celebrities filthy rich to afford the brands that most of the public couldn't even dream of? The article by Contact Music said that Parker rarely goes shopping, but when she does, she loves to hunt for clothing that has a unique edge that she knows for sure no one else will display on the street. I suppose Parker is like everyone else, in that we all enjoy the hunt for great design that won't blow our budget. We all have a creative side to us, that wants to explore areas of design, without being married to something for the rest of our lives. Parker says that she can always find good prices and clothing that is unique- “I think these are the only stores where you know for sure that you can find something unique. ”

(Pictures of Sarah Jessica Parker's Home From Full House Blog, Sarah Jessica Parker January Elle 2011)

Campaign Styled Furniture

Admin — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 04:23:38 +0000

Have you ever stumbled across fine fold-able furniture such as cane backed chairs or box shaped chests and desks with brass handles on the sides? Chances are you might have run across reproduction campaign furniture. In the 60's and 70's many popular furniture manufactures such as Henredon reproduced this classic furniture which was originally designed in the 1700's. Campaign furniture was originally designed for the British army in the late 1700’s to take with them on the battle front. The furniture has good looks and a masculine style.

The British Army in the 1700s was the largest and most powerful in the world. In 1707 the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed, where both Scottish and English armies merged together to create the British Army. The Seven Years' War was a major military conflict that involved all of the major European powers at that time, and lasted from 1756 until 1763. Great Britain became a major powerhouse worldwide with the defeat of France in North America in the 1760s and the conquest of large parts of India they gathered up territory. The series of wars in the 17th and 18th centuries between the Netherlands and France left Britian the dominant colonial power in North America and India. Britain then lost much of its North American colonies after the American revolution. Read more about the Seven Years war at Wikipedia. The map was found at Wikipedia as well.

Campaign furniture was used by the British army during the late 1700's through the early 1900's in military campaigns through Burma and India. As a prideful symbol of glory, high ranking officers would set up their tents just as they would extravagantley decorate their homes.

They brought with them high quality knock down furniture which could be easily transported by ship. The furniture broke down to fit into tight spaces which then could be brought with them on the battle front.

Campaign furniture was constructed with the intent of travel, so you see today desks are comprised of saw horses, with long rectangular thin styled furniture with multiple drawers. The general idea of this furniture was it was made in such a way that it could be stacked one on top of another, without loosing any room. The portable safari furniture could be broken down into parts and packed up and transported to a new location and set up within a few minutes as they progressed in territory through the wars. British officers would be accompanied by hundreds of horses, elephants and camels which would carry the elaborate tent decor.

Campaign pieces have handles on the side of the furniture so they can be carried by two men, and recessed drawer handles so they can be stacked one next to each other without loosing space. The flat surfaces and box like features were made so no space was wasted in travel.

Stacking chests were often made in 2 parts, which could fit into smaller spaces. Everything in the 17th and 18th century was made better than it is today. The chests had hand made dove-tailed construction with solid wood drawer bottoms and sides reinforced by interior quarter round molding and hefty center struts. Chests featured brass-bound mountings on all corners and sides for beauty and strength. One of the most spectacular features of campaign styled furniture is the large amount of brass hardware that give it that elegance and sophistication.

Much of the British colonial furniture was made from teak. Teak has strength to resistant extreme weather variations, as well it was widely available at the time making it easier to produce. British campaign antique reproductions can be seen in rosewood and leather.

In the 60 and 70's modern furniture manufactures such as Henredon made a line of Campaign styled furniture with Asian influences called Artefacts which many people choose to repaint to suit their decor.

George III, The King of Great Britain 1761-1762

George III In his in coronation robes

Regency Furniture and Decor Ideas -BEYOND Stunning Brass Telescope with Tripod

Can you believe this grand Telescope w ith a Tripod iS ONLY 74 dollars? It would be the showcase of any home. It is not only decorative but functional.

Antique Campaign Dressers

If you are looking for some relatively inexpensive Campaign looking furniture, consider this round side table.

Regency Furniture & Decor Ideas- Great Side Tables

Simply Spray Paint this tri fold round side table in gold. It sells for a bargain price of only 40 dollars . (I touched these pictures in photoshop to give you an idea of how stunning they would look in black or gold) You cannot beat the price point!

Regency Styled Furniture Ideas- Campaign Furniture

Get the Campaign Look with this round accent dining table. It is a substantial piece that can work on either side of your bed, or in the living room, dining room or entry way. Fold one side down and push it against the wall, or have both sides up in a living room setting. Paint an outline around the legs for a regal campaign look. Paint this set a gloss black,blue, or red and finish it with brass hardware.

These lovely foldable director chairs can be easily painted and make good accent chairs for a true looking campaign theme.

Table lamps with arms give a antique impression that would be perfect for your desk. They are lovely to look at while being functional at your computer desk.

Fairmont Table Lamp, or the Pharmacy lamp feature an arm which is extendable than the normal upright table lamp. Their good looks and classic appeal would be perfect in any regency styled home

The Death of General Wolfe (1771) by Benjamin West, depicting the Battle of the Plains of Abraham

I particularly love the colors of this painting. You can see the mustard yellows combined with the browns, and the colonial greens and blues. Bright primiary colors accented with gold show a regal palette.

This lovely metal stand could be dynamite in any room. It measures 25.8 x 13.8 x 28.2 inches and features a marble top

Silver campaign tables Flessas Design New York, NY

These lovely silver campaign tables have a fleur de lis detail and are brushed with black black bottom trays. Located at Flessas Design on Madison Avenue

Campain LIKE Furniture- Paint it, and adorn it with Brass

This table can easily fit into a home decorated in campaign furniture. For 200 dollars, this table could be painted in black, green, red, or white, and accented with shiny gold brass to give it that regent look.

Suzanne Rheinstein’s Regency Chaise Longue Sofa

Admin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 01:38:10 +0000

Suzanne Rheinstein has been noted as one of LA's top designers along side established designers such as Michael Smith, Barbara Barry, and Waldo Fernandez. Suzanne Rheinstein is owner of LA based Hollyhock, an extravagant antiques store which features a variety of high end furniture, art and decor. Rheinstein is known for her special attention to incorportaing luxurious antique furniture, with special attention to Gustavian, Edwardian and Regency Styles. Beyond her store, and her new book, At Home: A Style for Today with Things from the Past, Rheinstein also has a fabric line with Lee Jofa. Suzanne Rheinstein's Manhattan Home made the cover of Elle Decor for the month of November 2010 featuring an upscale Gustavian designed residence in New York. Her Georgian 1914 Revival home in Los Angeles features classic Federal style looks with stunning Regency Furniture. The overall period look can be seen in Rheinstein's striped custom slipcovers made of Scalamandre's Brompton Stripe, a blue and cream silky cotton. Rheinstein's walls were painted in an aqua and accented with beige / wheat curtains while the floors were left bare for the photo. Above all the stunning antiques in her Georgian home was a black English Regency Chaise Longue, which featured splayed feet and a black ebonized finish, particularly styled after Duncan Phyfe furniture.

The Recamier sofa can be traced back to Jeanne-Françoise Julie Adélaïde Bernard Récamier who was a Frenchwoman, and influence in the political circles of the early 19th century. Juliette Récamier lived during very exciting period in history and knew many monarchs. She knew Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, dined at the table of Napoléon I and even knew the future Napoleon II as a child. Born in Lyon, France she was married at fifteen to Jacques Récamier, a rich banker more than 30 years her senior.

The récamier was named after her as she posed elegantly on one to have her portrait painted in 1800. Rumors circulated that she once had an affair with Lucien Bonaparte, (younger brother of Joseph and Napoleon Bonaparte ).

Jeanne-Françoise Julie Adélaïde Bernard Récamier

Juliette Récamier Painted by François Pascal Simon, Baron Gérard, 1802. Picture courtesy of The Romantic Query Letter Blog

Regency Styled Furniture - Juliette Récamier

A récamier has two raised ends, and nothing on the long sides. It can be compared to a lit bateau (which is like a sleigh bed) but a récamier is made for a sitting room where as a lit bateau is made for the bedroom.

Regency Styled Furniture - Chairs from Madame Récamier's salon

Regency Style Furniture - Veranda Summer 1996

Regency Styled Furniture- Charleston Style, Then and Now By Susan Sully, John Blais

Charleston Style, Then and Now

A chaise longue is basically an upholstered couch in the shape of a chair that is long enough to support the legs. It is also sometimes written and identified as "chaise lounge", which was once wrong, but it has been used so frequently in America that it is no longer incorrect. Today a chaise longue, or lounge also refers to a long reclining chair such as you could see at a pool.

A short sofa from the Empire style having arms of unequal height connected by a back with a sloping top, is called a méridienne.

Duncan Phyfe (1768-1854), New York

Duncan Phyfe (1768-1854), New York , Recamier Sofa with Winged Paw Feet, Mahogany and ash, gilded, with die-stamped gilt-brass mounts and bolster buttons, brass line inlay, and gilt-brass castors. Courtesy of Marinni Live Journal

Regency Furniture - Suzanne Rheinstein's Regency Chaise Longue Sofa Picture From InCircle Entree

Regency Furniture - Suzanne Rheinstein's Regency Chaise Longue Sofa Picture From Southern Accents 2009

Rheinstein's living room furnished with Regency Furniture - From House Beautiful

Taken From House Beautiful November 2000 Issue

Regency Furniture - Taken From House Beautiful November 2000 Issue

Rheinstein has been quoted saying it is better to buy quality one-of-a-kind pieces, and decorate around them "Fewer but better things, painted surfaces, a mixture of furniture styles, a personal art collection and attention to comfort, colors, textures, details and light."

We couldn't agree with her more.

The secret to great design is precisely as Rheinstein suggests- Designing around a few pieces of fabulous furniture.

Well made statement piece truly are show stoppers on their own that all that is needed is a few well chosen accent pieces to finish a look to get a magazine quality highly-decorated home.

Antiques have great bones, and outstanding style in compared to modern furntiure. Hepplewhite and Sheraton antiques which are often known for their clean lines and exotic wood veneers.

Purchasing staple pieces such as a set of regency styled chairs and a quality accent couch can go a long way in a room. Period convex gold framed mirrors, and medallions grace the walls of Federal styled interiors. Oriental rugs, or sea grass natural rugs can also warm up a room and help define furniture.

Suzanne Rheinstein revealed some of her timeless secrets in the April issue of Home Beautiful in 2002, .....

Viewpoint- "Patterns add dash to a room and contrast with solids. They're a must for a family to really "live"

Optimal Upholstery- "Prints look best on simple graphic shapes with exposed legs

Major Mistake"Big Florals, plaids and stripes on a patterned rug"

Chintz of choice- " Cowtan & Tout's Lilly & Auricula, especially in Aqua"

Top Toile" Clarence Houses Scenes d' Egypte. I love documentary prints."

I never Tire of- " Traver's Mandeville paisley linen. It's french and classic and comes in great colors.

The Ideal print- What Robert Kime has already done! Hand- screen fabrics inspired by vintage textiles

Summer- "Curtains in a pale green Salome linen by Rose Tarlow for Scalamandre"

Winter- "Brunschwig & Fils Le Lac is charming and colorful

Living Room- " Fauteuils make a lovely frame for prints"

Bedroom " Use a soft print for walls and curtains"

Deck the Walls - Grosgrain ribbon defines edges in the small entry hall"

Pattern on Pattern- "Why not? Think Drama a la' Diana Vreeland"

Foreign Intrigue- " I love suzanis and Indian Block Prints

Whats new? "Thick block printed linens used wrong side up"

Never Ever- "Too many florals and plaids in the same colorway or disparate jarring prints in one room"

Do visit Hollyhock's web site to see antiques, upholstery and decor items for sale

Her current book At Home: A Style for Today with Things from the Past, features six distinctive homes that express Rheinstein sophisticated elegant style. The book also features both of her own homes in Los Angeles and New York. Rheinstein's book is beautifully photographed, and shows an inspiring volume of her own work, in which she mixes Gustavian with Edwardian and Regency with ease.

My Hollywood Regency Table MakeOver

Admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:58:59 +0000

Traditional buffets and sideboards are more commonly being repurposed as entry tables, and tv consoles. If the design is right, why not? This typical hollywood regency table before was ordinary, but with a coat of white paint and some detail painting, it has been transformed into something very classy and modern.

Since my husband and I moved to a new home town, we are also getting used to shopping in new areas and trying out new products. I have been painting furniture for several years, and I picked up a new oil paint a few weeks ago that I just cannot get enough of. Our regular hardware store is a good 40 minutes from our home, so I decided to try some of the brands at our local hardware store down the street. It was a tremendous blessing as the new oil paint has become the easiest to apply and nicest finish paint product I have tried in years. The paint is from Zinsser, which is branded by Rustoleum. 1 Gallon Zinsser Cover Stain which I prefer in oil can be tined with a number of select shades. Most oil paints take a good 2 days to fully dry, but this brand dries to a touch within an hour, or less. I have found I can apply multiple coats which is not typical of oil paint, but often will have to leave the sanding until the next day. The consistency is also pretty thin, which is not typical of oil paints. Often times oil is very difficult to work with, because it is very thick and hard to clean up. Even though every type of paint has some clean up time, this brand is easy to apply, and cannot be scratched off easily. Most of my furniture tends to be painted in the beige and gray undertones which give my furniture the classic looks often found in genuine antiques. Typical Hollywood Regency colors call for glossy white, or bright whites but don't be afraid to work with tones of gray's and off whites. The best thing about this paint, is it can be TINTED MOST ANY COLOR!

(It is extremely important to wear a quality mask, not just a cloth respirator when you use this paint. it contains harmful chemicals that can cause lung damage) TRUST ME!!! I Found Out~

Hollywood regency style is known for it's glitz and glamour, so the lines of the furniture are of supreme importance when pulling together this style. Hollywood Regency styles often have detail in the overall design, but a sense of restraint when it comes to overly ornate designs. It meets detail half way between modern styled furniture and overly ambitious rococo styles. Bamboo furniture is a very common classic Hollywood Regency style. Chairs are often painted and finished by accenting the details in gold. The secret to pulling together a very regal design is not to skip on finishing the accents. Pull out your small detailing brushes and accent the smallest details which will have a huge impact on the overall design.

Hollywood Regency Table Makeover Before

Hollywood Regency Table Makeover