Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Mad Men Chinoiserie Style


Here in Season 3 Episode 7, the Draper's interior decorator shows Don and Betty their new living room complete with modern Chinoiserie breakfront, silk Dupioni drapes, a Dunbar Japanese influenced sofa, Murano vases, and a Drexel end table. The decorator is of course horrified when Betty brings home a Victorian fainting couch. Be sure to click here to see my post today on Style Redux on Mad Men fashion.





16 comments:

  1. Decorators must have worked awfully quickly back in 1963. When Don made his appearance, there was the sense that he was viewing his new living room for the very first time! Wonder how long that fainting couch will dominate the hearth?
    PS Was silk referred to as "Dupioni" during that period?

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  2. That fainting couch is just to funny!

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  3. Love the fainting couch...feel like I need one of those from time to time!

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  4. Chic-

    The sets and photography for this show (and its dialog) are fantastic.
    You can see from the peachy chaise longue and the tufting and color and exaggerated shape (SO VOLUPTUOUS) that the set designer knows precisely what he/she is doing and has a fantastic reference library and a great team finding all the perfect props and furniture.
    This is a great post--and it perfectly delineates why this show--and its sets and decor and lighting--are so superior and chic.
    cheers, www.thestylesaloniste.com

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  5. now i'm really jealous of betty draper!

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  6. Toby-Well, Don does spend an awful lot of time at the "office." I suspect you are right about the term "Dupioni" being a more modern term. It was probably called China Silk or India Silk or Silk Shantung.

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  7. Diane-Wouldn't being the set designer for Mad Men be a great job!

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  8. Kitty-She and I both went to Bryn Mawr!

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  9. Quite by coincidence, I was leafing through an issue of Town & Country for February 1951, and there was indeed a reference to "Dupioni" silk! But you're right to suggest that a decorator of the 60s would have called it Thai Silk (Billy Baldwin did). And equally true, that a decorator of the 60s through to the present day, would not care to be held responsible for THAT
    fainting couch...though it was ideal for Betty Draper to think her naughty thoughts upon.

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  10. I remember these orange velvet sofas too!......I am so giving away my age.

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  11. Sande-This Dunbar sofa is actually done in apricot silk and would have been a very sophisticated look.

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  12. Chinoiserie-

    Yes, to work on the team of Mad Men would be a treat, indeed. Top talents, working at the highest level.

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  13. Love these looks! Mad Men is such a great source of inspiration, I did a post as well on how to get the mad men look for your home.

    http://wellappointedhouse.blogspot.com/2009/09/screenspiration-mad-men.html

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  14. Gabrielle-Great examples. Thanks for stopping by.

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