CHIC NOW: Alan Campbell

Alan Campbell through MP Interiors

I've always been a huge fan of Alan Campbell, China Seas, and Quadrille....and especially am fond of this "Mojave" wallpaper.  One of my professors at FIT was Albino Cimonetti, who, along with Harry Hinson, Jay Hyde Crawford, and Anthony Tortora founded Quadrille Fabrics. 

Sister Parish and Albert Hadley promoted Alan when he was first starting out, experimenting with batiks and tie dyes, which he used to make in his bath tub!  Follow him on Instagram!  DF *****

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Inspired by Mongiardino

Original sketches, D.F.I.D.

As you may know, we've been scouring the library- here in the home office- looking at books such as "Roomscapes, The Decorative Architecture of Renzo Mongiardino" 1993 Rizzoli - for further enlightenment and inspiration for the new Naples flat.  Above, you can see where, we added some "strips" of a discontinued Alan Campbell documentary print, called "Cross Creek" - which was adapted from a 19th century house of the same name, in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  This touch will add just the certain "off" look we are striving for- innovation being the mother of creativity- and I look forward to showing the finished look on DFS, so stay tuned!  Cheers! Have a great week- DF *****

Maquette for My New Living Room

Maquette for Dean

Here, you can see the maquette, or model, also known in Italian as a "macchietta"- which is the elevations taken from the sketched furniture plan, shown in yesterday's post.  Parsons School of Design students (interior design) were taught how to make these for many years- and luckily for me, I inherited the old PSOD faculty when I attended the Fashion Institute, in New York.  We had originally planned to have lacquered aubergine walls, but have opted to go with a satin finish in a mushroom colour called "Victorian Garden" by Benjamin Moore.  

My former "Living Room"

Above, you can see the new sofa, which I plan to use (see south elevation) but am deciding whether to use the same art with pair porcelains on brackets above it, or switch back to the "Versailles" gold sunburst mirror...what do you think?  (I have it sketched in above, in maquette)

 Above, the sunburst above my old settee- which now is planned to go on the east elevation (see maquette) -flanked with the granny smith apple green velvet painted oval back armchairs...

Spanish Louis XV style from Albert

This rug is still being considered

One can never have enough "Louis" !

And I think I will use the new painted jute rug- from Poetic Wanderlust, by Tracy Porter (see my earlier post on Tracy). See the furniture plan sketch in yesterday's post.  The teal and gilt painted armchair from Albert will look stunning with the casual Elizabeth Eakins meets Alan Campbell jute rug- !

Notice the Louis XV mantel, above, from famous Villa La Fiorentina- this was probably our inspiration (how iconic!) for the north elevation- and while I don't have such a grand ceiling height to work with (quel horreur!) I think it will add a wonderful bit of "architecture" to the room- and I feel that if Mrs. Parish had a "faux" fireplace in her Manhattan office, then so can I !  I LOVE the blue and white porcelain garniture on this mantel, and John Tackett, from the Devoted Classicist, posted the set when it sold- it went for a song- I still don't have a picture yet of our new mantel- but it's a Florentine piece, in a rich walnut finish with some gilding on the carvings- if we don't like the finish we can always paint it out- like AH did to the marble one in his cottage here- but I think the somewhat gaudy look will work with our pair of olive suede Louis XV style armchairs...stay tuned for more updates to come!  Cheers!  DF *****

More Alan Campbell Prints!

The Devil Wears Prada, (and sits on Alan Campbell)!

"Melinda" " Mojave" " Cintra"

OK, honestly, who wouldn't have their socks charmed off by these fresh and fun prints from Alan Campbell? I had forgotten that, starting in the mid eighties, I used his now discontinued "Cross Creek" in a circa 1830 house in Salem, North Carolina, and only two years ago used what was left of it (an old wing sample they had in the warehouse) in another 19th century house in Charleston, South Carolina. So I felt completely compelled to blog some more about how exciting and visually stimulating these fresh fabrics are. I just love them! They have chic and a sweet naivete' that we can all relate to these days. Here are three designs I chose to focus on for this piece. Love the sofa Miranda Priestly is sitting in, covered in Alan's "Melinda" print. How FUN is it? Can you handle it? ENJOY! DF *****

Alan Campbell

Alan Campbell makes these charming faux naive prints, which I've always liked and enjoyed. Parish Hadley discovered Alan, and launched his career. My friend Louise in Atlanta, a designer, and her mother Susan, along with Dottie Travis, also a talented decorator were also instrumental in helping Alan along with his brilliant career. Sister Parish loved using these on her fine french furniture back in the seventies, and I recently saw some of his pillows at the Lars Bolander shop in West Palm Beach.

On another note, I adore this room from John Tacketts blog, The Devoted Classicist, from an old house in Palm Beach called Montsorrel...this room has marble walls! Stephane Boudin and Bunny Williams have done work on the house. All very intriguing. Enjoy the day! DF *****