The Artistic table at Hillwood

Now open at Hillwood is an exhibit I think most readers of this blog will enjoy, a tabletop exhibition by well known designers utilizing the museum's collections.  While the estate may be known for its amazing fresh flowers (found throughout the house and gardens), Marjorie Merriweather Post was also a passionate collector of porcelains and silver.

Six talented designers have been asked to create tabletop displays in the Dacha sourcing items from the collection. I was there Valentine's day for opening night to see the designers reveal their creations. Hopefully this little tour will whet your appetite to visit before June 10 when the exhibit closes!

The central table was actually created by museum staff exclusively with items from the collection down to historic placecards, matchbooks and ashtrays; A treat to see how Post entertained!

 As always one had to ask if the amazing fresh flowers were real they were so perfect.

The first table inside the door is done by friend of Hillwood, Timothy Corrigan. I saw Corrigan speak 3 years ago at Hillwood's fabulous spring lecture season (read that post HERE). Timothy sourced the silver, including those incredible candlesticks, from the Hillwood collection while everything else was brought in by him in order to create a Jardin Francais.  The porcelain, fabric, and wallpaper all come from collections he has designed for different companies.

Designer Charlotte Moss took inspiration from Post's summer home, Camp Topridge, and created a woodland picnic setting. Moss used china from the Hillwood collection and added silver and fabrics she had designed.  The lush picnic is situated under a lovely tent created from fabric from Charlotte's collection at Fabricut.

Noted author and designer (and blogger extraordinare) P. Gaye Tapp took inspiration from Le Style Pauline in creating her table setting which is a younger, fresher look at how to use fine tableware. Mixed in with precious china were more informal pieces that create a more approachable tabletop.

 Artist Jimmie Henslee, who created the lovely illustrations in her book How They Decorated, provided the backdrop creating a natural setting. Don't miss Gaye next month at Hillwood where she will discuss her book (Information HERE).

Designer Josh Hildreth teamed with Hutton Wilkinson to create a 'Tea for Tou-manova' I believe in reference to the famous ballerina, fitting considering Hillwood's connection with Russia. The Duquette inspired extravaganza is a feast for the eyes laid over a malachite printed tablecloth naturally.

Barry Dixon has created a beautifully serene tabletop for 'A Little Romance' with Post's beautiful purple crystal in front of a lovely screen by talented artist John Matthew Moore (who also created the most lovely painting you can imagine of Post's jewelry for the silent auction).

Lastly, Alex Papachristidis has created a very personal table for 'Le Diner Exotique' using Post's china with his own mother's silver and dining chairs lit by one of his favorite Christopher Spitzmiller lamps. The star of the table however is the lust-worthy faux lilac centerpiece by artist Vladimir Kanevsky (who coincidentally will have an exhibition at Hillwood next year which I'm VERY excited about).

I had the pleasure of hearing Papachristidis speak at Hillwood's lecture this past Tuesday and his passion for design is inspiring. Don't miss this creatively luscious display open in the Dacha at Hillwood until June 10, 2018.

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How They Decorated (P Gaye Tapp) and Why Blogging still Matters

Soon to be released (April 11, 2017) is "How They Decorated", a fascinating book by P. Gaye Tapp with forward by Charlotte Moss and published by Rizzoli.  I've been eagerly awaiting this book both because the subject is endlessly fascinating and because over the years I've become friends with Tapp through our blogs; You may know her better as Little Augury.

I've been studying my preview copy of the book and have been totally engrossed by these fascinating women who were each famous for their (many) style(s) which were well documented throughout the 20th century. Split into 4 sections the book categorizes these style setters (NOT trendsetters) by "The Fashionably Chic", "The Unconventional Eye", "In the Grand Manner", and "Legacy Style".  One of my favorite parts of the book is that they are covered not only by never-before-seen photographs but also charming sketches by Jimmie Henslee, Christian Berard, and Jeremiah Goodman which give the FEEL of a space more than a photograph ever can.

I (and Gaye) say these women were STYLE setters and not TREND setters because they marched to the beat of their own drummer.  They didn't follow trends, they set them.  Big difference; there is very little to be said of a trendsetter but so much to learn from a stylesetter.

So often lately I hear 'blogging is dead' and 'who cares about blogs'. I believe this may in part be a backlash to their popularity 10 years ago and also because so many blogs were created, following the TREND, that had no substance and nothing to say. Every business website one visits has a 'blog' section and those are indeed incredibly dull; they have nothing to say. However blogs still MATTER because they are written for the most part (at least the good ones) by people who are passionate;  Interested enough to put their thoughts and research out into the online universe, generally for free, because they're passionate about their subject.  Whether it be architecture, travel, history, style, or interior design;  Passion, Knowledge and Interest transcend trends. When bloggers cover a subject it's a 21st century technique of passing content - magazines for our century!  I have learned so much about the history of 20th century design through Gaye's blog and her book is a distillation of her many years of research on the topic. I bet if asked she could write another 10 volumes on stylish women (and I would eagerly await each tome)!

Anyone reading this blog, or Gaye's, will love 'How They Decorated' and should definitely include it in their reference library. Also be sure to follow her blog as she passionately covers the history of design. I learn something new from her every posting and now through her book!

Images Copyright from How They Decorated: Inspiration from Great Women of the Twentieth Century by P. Gaye Tapp, Rizzoli NY 2017

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