Happy Groundhog Day

Happy Groundhog Day

Happy Groundhog Day everyone. Meanwhile, here in South Florida it is summer 12 months a year. I am going to a Tennessee Whiskey Tasting and Barbecue tonight. I am bringing a bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select. Sounds like a fun evening.

Palm Beach Style

John Buckley - Veranda

I  love this chic spot in this Jupiter, Florida home. The photograph is Slim Aarons' "California Garden Party". The pillows are Fortuny and Sue Fisher King. The center pillow is "Venetian Alligator." Such a fun Florida touch.

Slim Aarons

Family Pool by Slim Aarons

 

I am a huge fan of the photography of Slim Aarons and have two at CCC. Slim Aarons was an American photographer known for photographing socialites, jet-setters, and celebrities. Interestingly, he never used a stylist or makeup artist. His most famous quote is that he liked "photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places." Many of his iconic photographs were taken in Palm Springs in the 1950s to 1970s.

The Chinoiserie Breakfast Room

Jonathan Adler - Elle Decor

Fashion maven Liz Lange's Palm Beach home is one of my absolute favorites, and I have posted on most of the rooms before. You can see it all here in Elle Decor.

The breakfast room is lots of fun too.

Classic Caftans

Frances Valentine

 

If I had to choose my favorite go-to pieces in my wardrobe it would be my Frances Valentine caftans. They are so fun and easy to wear yet make such a statement. They are incredibly comfortable. They are so quick - one piece and you are done getting dressed. They are flattering on everyone. These caftans are not that big tent like style and give a nice long line. Unlike some caftans, these are quite opaque and don't require slips and such in under. 

A Slim Aarons Christmas

Slim Aarons Christmas Swim 1954

 

I especially like my growing collection of vintage photography art - I think it suits the Palm Springs/Palm Beach vibe of CCC perfectly. With Christmas this week, I thought it would be fun to look at Slim Aarons' unique take on Christmas - generally with a resort vacation vibe. The photo above features his wife Rita BTW.

Chinoiserie in DC

Pamela Black and Don Love - Veranda

 

I had to share this fabulous chinoiserie filled apartment in Foggy Bottom in DC. Foggy Bottom is home to the Watergate, the Kennedy Center, the State Department, and George Washington University. I went to GW for law school, my late husband was living in Foggy Bottom when we met and until we married, and we were members of the Kennedy Center for decades.

Photography & Chinoiserie

Norman Parkinson

 This photo is by famed fashion photographer Norman Parkinson of French model Katherine Pastrie in a Bernard Devaux hat, circa 1960, in Queen magazine. I love everything about this. I collect vintage and antique hats and have a wonderful collection of Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, Bes-Ben, and many others. They really are works of art. 

But I digress. I have really gotten into decorating my home with framed photographs. I am finding more interior designers are combining chinoiserie and photographs by iconic photographers. It's a perfect juxtaposition and can add whatever look you are going for - glamorous, whimsical, sophisticated, playful, modern, or vintage. 

Slim Aarons/Palm Springs/CCC

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One of my favorite new pieces in my Florida home is my Slim Aarons photograph in the living room. It is entitled "Poolside Party" and it is circa January 1970.

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The iconic mid century modern Palm Springs home pictured in it was the backdrop for this and many of his most famous photos. 

The home was designed by Richard Neutra for Edgar Kauffman and is currently on the market for $17 million. This price tag would be a record for Palm Springs. 

Art Inspiration

Suzanne Kasler

 

OK, I officially have art envy - a gallery wall of Slim Aarons. The coral pink is a stunning wall color and so Palm Beach. I love the idea of art ledges so the art can be moved around and switched out at will. Note the white frames - I have started framing everything in white - so fresh, clean, modern and perfect for a Florida beach house. The mini bar is so fun - I always find myself trying to see what booze bottles are on bars. LOL. The only hard pass is the potted "plants" that I find downright creepy. 

Happy Memorial Day

Sailing Holiday by Slim Aarons

 

Stripes

Slim Aarons

 

This is a Slim Aarons I am thinking about adding to my collection - Bathers at La Concha Beach Club in Acapulco. My mother adored Acapulco and would often escape our long Chicago winters with a junket there.

I am drawn to all the stripes as I am stripe crazy. I especially love the way stripes pair with chinoiserie, a perfect juxtaposition to the soft lines of chinoiserie.

Rattan

Palm Beach Idyll by Slim Aarons

 

I am so delighted that rattan had made such a roaring return in interior design. I have always lived with it in my homes. My parents were in the Philippines for four years post WWII and brought back to the states a house full of rattan furniture with cushions covered in palm leaf and banana leaf prints. Then I started collecting vintage wicker in the Hamptons during college summers there and my first apartment in DC during law school was filled with the vintage wicker. And my daughter's nursery was all white wicker with cushions in Laura Ashley fabric. My home here has a vintage wicker chaise cushioned in a Mario Buatta fabric, several rattan bar carts, a vintage wicker elephant table, as well as many Amanda Lindroth wicker accessories.

I am always on the lookout for unique new and vintage rattan and wicker pieces for my Florida home and love the way they work with chinoiserie. I have two pieces on pre-order I am anxiously awaiting.

Has anyone picked up this book on the history of rattan?

Rattan by Lulu Lytle

It looks wonderful. Here is a picture from it. 

From the book Rattan

And in my home.

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The Living Room CCC Style

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 Here are some shots of my living room - I hope you enjoy. Above is the Slim Aarons, a perfect vibe for my home.

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Palm Beach/Palm Springs

Colony Palm Beach

 A beautiful vignette featuring de Gournay Colony wallpaper created for the hotel, a fabulous wicker chair in mint green, and an elephant desk. I love the monkey. And below another Slim Aarons I am using at CCC. He was Palm Springs and environs as opposed to Palm Beach, but a perfect aesthetic for my home.

Slim Aarons

Christmas Florida Style

Slim Aarons

This picture (although taken in California, not Florida), captures for me what it's like spending Christmas in a tropical climate. Having spent my Christmases in either the Chicago or the DC areas, this is definitely a change, but a wonderful one. 

My huge Slim Aarons piece is framed and hung - pictures to come soon. Miraculously, my wallpaper hanger has been at the house this week and finishes today. The timing has not been the best, but I am thrilled that the house projects will be all done as of today with no more workers here. My Christmas present!

 

Slim Aarons

Chairish

I had a great day yesterday. I decided I definitely want a Slim Aarons for CCC. Slim Aarons was an American photographer known for photographing socialites, jet-setters, and celebrities. Interestingly, he never used a stylist or makeup artist. His most famous quote is that he liked "photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places." 

My daughter Kate who has a great eye helped me choose one for my home - he had quite a large body of work to say the least. I ordered a 40 inch by 60 inch without frame so it should make quite a statement and also decided on the framing. The one above is not the one I chose, but look how great it looks with ginger jars, Greek key, seashells, and orchids. I will share more details down the road. 

Today I am finalizing all the art placement for my day Thursday. So it's art week at CCC pretty much.

Slim Aarons photo in a vignette by Amanda Lindroth

And a Slim Aarons photo of Oscar de la Renta - check out the blue and white, rattan, and blue and white Chinese garden stools. It looks like it was taken today.

Oscar de la Renta by Slim Aarons

What a great photo.

 

Saturday Inspiration

Slim Aarons

 I had so much fun yesterday looking at Slim Aarons photographs and even came across one with a Chinese pagoda pool house! And thanks for all the comments that the other photographer I was searching for is Venice's Clyde Butcher. I am excited to visit his gallery especially since it is a few minutes from me. Here he is photographing in Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, one of my favorite places.

Clyde Butcher

My handyman is coming over shortly to finish up a few things and my art installer is coming here on Thursday, so I am getting down to the short strokes with projects around here. So great!!!

Amanda Lindroth and Old Florida

Tommy Bahama/Kayu

I had a lovely day in the garden yesterday and got lots done. I did take an hour to come inside for a great Zoom presentation by Amanda Lindroth. I find many of these interior design zooms I get invitations to are a waste of my time and I either leave it or multi-task, but this one was wonderful. She spent much of it talking about growing up in Florida in the sixties and seventies and Florida style and of course the Bahamas where she is based now. She talked about....

*Jack Rogers sandals that I live in - 

Jack Rogers - Southern Living

*Slim Aarons photography and vintage Lilly Pulitzer. Amanda mentioned the smell of the Lilly Pulitzer store because of the unique smell of the fabric and how when you shopped at Lilly in Palm Beach they would wrap your purchase in a cellophane bag with ribbons matching the fabric you chose. 

Slim Arrons - Vintage Lilly Pulitzer

*The John Deering estate in Miami that I would love to visit -

Vizcaya

*I was fascinated to learn that she grew up in a stark Danish modern house as did I as our styles now are very similar and not at all like the homes we grew up in. She said she had to learn about pattern and color because her mother slipcovered everything in white cotton duck. The house I lived in during law school was very grand and in the summers the owners pulled up all the antique oriental rugs and covered all the furniture in white cotton duck. It's a great look. Bunny Williams does this in light blue in her Punta Cana home.

Bunny Williams

*Since moving to Florida, I rarely buy cut flowers and Amanda mentioned how in the Bahamas they are very hard to come by and very expensive, so she cuts palm fronds and bougainvillea and gardenias from the garden. I have lots of palms and bougainvillea, and would love a gardenia bush, but have read they are difficult. I would love to plant one near the lanai to enjoy the smell while sitting out there.

Gardenia

 *That every room needs books even if you don't read them  - I'm not sure she meant the kitchen and bathrooms - LOL - but I agree.

Bunny Williams

There are so many more gems to share I think I will do a Part 2 of this post. Hope you enjoyed it. And that cute little raffia pouch pictured at the top arrives today in the mail.