MS Design Maven: Bergdorf Goodman

Sunday, December 11, 2011

I'm Dreaming of a BLUE Christmas, Yes BLUE

I now love to coordinate unusual colors for Christmas wrappings, like these blues.

I can hear Elvis somberly and soulfully singing "I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree . . ."

I used to sit, literally for hours, studying my parents' album covers before I could read.
Elvis was a favorite in our house, especially at Christmas.
This album is one of the most popular Christmas albums of all times.
Listen to Elvis sing "A Blue Christmas" HERE.

Wait just a minute!
Something was so wrong that Christmas . . .

When I was really little, about three or four, my Grandmother Nanny did NOT have decorations of red on a green Christmas tree.

She had one of those, very much at the time "in vogue" and now again popular, silver trees with all blue ornaments and one of those revolving lights that was blue.

Holly Golightly Christmas Tree from the The Visual Vamp in New Orleans

Vintage Blue Ornaments, oh how I love vintage ornaments!

The wreath on her front door was flocked and had a big blue bow.

At that young age, I really wasn't wild about all her blue at Christmas. It just didn't seem right to me, but I will admit even then I loved the little blue glittered house in the Christmas village under the
family tree in our den.

Now I am thinking that having a blue Christmas is not such a bad thing . . .

Not with my friend and designer extraordinaire Nancy Price around.

In fact it is very beautiful thing.

Custom oyster shell and agate busts are part of Nancy's new wholesale line.
Nancy loves to employ local talent, and these are made in Jackson, MS.

Blue Agate

I first met Nancy more than ten years ago, when she was working on her first
St. Andrew's Designer Showhouse here in Jackson, MS, with me. I was smitten with her from the start.

Nancy had, and still has, the cutest short haircut I have ever seen,
while I have long hair.

Nancy Price, known affectionately as "Opalina" to many of her
South American suppliers. That is a story for another day!

Nancy and I also share a love of moss and roses, in
Opaline of course. Nancy had these scattered about her studio
when I visited.

In the hair department, I think it was a case of opposites attract, as we admired each other's hair, confessing that neither of us could wear the other one's hairstyle but wished we could.

But in the design department, we were
"birds of a feather."

Nancy designed a bathroom for that showhouse which I adored.

I loved the way she seamlessly integrated New Orleans old world antiques with modern, sleek elements and art to create a personal, unique, and collected look, exactly the design aesthetic I love.

And you can always tell that her
heart is really in it.
To me the most important talent that a designer can have is that ability to
pour your heart into it for your client.

I have been a fan of Nancy's ever since.

And have I mentioned that Nancy's signature in all that she does is blue?

One afternoon recently, I visited with Nancy in her studio in Jackson's historic Fondren district to catch up.

Nancy's skill at mixing elements is very evident in her studio/boutique.
Of course I love the large gold stump table!

Nancy greeted and treated me with a lovely blue labelled bottle of LaMarca Prosecco and matching blue glasses .

One of my questions for her was, "Why blue?"

Nancy, originally from South Louisiana, explained that as a child when she attended church she loved and admired the blue garments that Mary wore and that blue became her love and her inspiration, and now her signature.

Nancy's studio/boutique is well stocked with a carefully curated collection of antiques, art, custom designs, gifts and jewelry from around the world, oh, and of course items for creating your very own "Blue Christmas".

Nancy making selections for her clients and boutique

The mix of antique china, blue glassware, and architectural elements makes a beautiful and unique holiday table.

More opaline and stone

Nancy has a great selection of statement jewelry, in addition to carrying
Heather Moore's line.

Nancy and her elves have been hard at work creating a "Blue Christmas" for her clients.

I love the oyster shell trees.

In our part of the country, magnolia is fabulous for the holidays,
beautiful natural, glossy green on
one side and furry sienna brown on the other.

Earlier this year Nancy launched her own line, including furniture for Design Legacy and accessories, in Atlanta, New York,
and High Point.

In Atlanta she won "Best of Show" and in New York "Best of the Best Summer 2011" award for accessories from the American Society of Interior Design.

High Point

And the beautiful design book Interiors, Southeast, which features Nancy's work on the cover and inside, was published this year.

I am thrilled to formally announce that Nancy will be launching her new design blog
"The Room Blue"
at the end of January 2012 in conjunction with her
second show in New York.
We shall have to pop another bottle or two
of the LaMarca!

I will keep you posted.

And in the meantime,

"You'll be doing all right with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue Christmas."

And this year, I will love that.

Another of Bergdorf Goodman's famouse Christmas windows,
this one in blue.
This year's theme is "The Carnival of the Animals".
photo by Ricky Zehavi

What colors are using for Christmas this year?

Do you like blue for Christmas?

Do you change colors from year to year or always use the same scheme?

photo credits: via House of Turquoise, The Visual Vamp, Country Living, Nancy Price,
Marilyn Storey, Ricky Zehavi for Bergdorf Goodman

See more of Nancy Price HERE
and watch for more information about her new blog
coming at the end of January 2012
THE ROOM BLUE

Also find Nancy on Facebook HERE

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

John Lyle and My Trip to New York, It's a Black and White THING

It's a Black and White THING --

John Lyle

and

My Trip to New York

I have been missing you my friends.

Mary Douglas Drysdale Black and White

Friday

Early, I mean really, really early, at a quarter until 3 in the AM, on Friday, October 28th I hopped, well actually dragged myself out of bed, to catch a flight to New York. My good friend and client Pam was already there waiting for me to arrive.

At the airport, I picked up a copy of the November Elle Decor for the plane ride.

I am a total magazine hound,

as you might surmise.

Thumbing through it, I was very pleased to make the acquaintance of

Frederik,

a chair designed by John Lyle.

What a coincidence!

I was looking forward to a visit

with John in New York.

I connected in Charlotte and arrived at Laguardia around noon. I had arranged for my car to take me by Pam's where I could run UPSTAIRS to drop off my bags and pick her up, and we could head straight to the D and D Building where we would only have a few hours to visit our long list of must visit showrooms.

The D and D (Decoration and Design) Building in New York
Sorry about the construction!

Elevator doors on one of the upper floors of
New York's D and D Building

Kravet and Lee Jofa were on our list of stops.

I found a great black and white rug and lots of black and white

fabrics, which I have sprinkled

throughout this blog.

Kravet Rug

Lee Jofa Meander in Granite

Pam and I enjoyed all the black and white at Ralph Lauren too.

Ralph Lauren's new One Fifth Collection

David Hicks for Lee Jofa Fiorentina in Domino

Ralph Lauren Showroom

But of course, the piece de resistance of our visit to to the D and D building was

the Holly Hunt showroom

where my friend from high school the very

artistic, outspoken, slightly irreverent

(well a bit more than slightly!),

designer John Lyle is represented.

His andirons and fireplace equipment are the best I have ever seen.

John Lyle's Starburst fireplace screen is a showstopper!

Making an andiron decision is too hard. We loved them all.
I do think I am just a bit partial to the Gates ones on top.

Pam and I looked, discussed, and planned until time was running short on our

abbreviated business day.

We had just enough time to grab a quick glass of champagne before it was time to hail a ride to our next stop in a yellow,

NOT a black and white cab.

I would have given anything to show up at John's studio in a black and white

VW THING just like the one John and his brother Bobby drove when I first met them. The car was cute and one-of-a kind

and so were they!

John Lyle

As John would say,

"How can you be content to

blend in with the crowd?"

I say, "Exactly!"

Of course, the Frederik chair greeted me in person as soon as I walked in the studio.
John was a bit surprised that we already knew each other.

John's studio, just across the river from the city with absolutely spectacular views of the city, was a breath of black and white fresh air.

John and his precious, bubbly assistant Heather showered us with southern hospitality New York style and served us more bubbly and showed us around.

John's associate Heather Moran and John in front of John's custom cabinet

In addition to all the perfect andirons and fireplace equipment at Holly Hunt, John also designs lots of great furniture, lighting, mirrors, and outdoor pieces that are

STRIKING

MODERN

CLEVER

PROVOCATIVE

Just like John!

His Inox New York line of stainless steel furniture is at Donghia in

the D and D building.

John's Tobey desk with inlaid black and white marble

John's Edward Table

John's Michael Bench

My client Pam Walton and John
We have used black and white in her home.

John's Icon II Mirror

Matthew Desk in onyx shagreen with bone trim

Lee Jofa Palmavera Silk in Noir

John's Butler Console, Parchment with Ebony Trim

John's Christofi Outdoor Bench

John's Scroll Table

At the end of our studio visit and a great dinner, John agreed to meet us for a Sunday outing.

Saturday

Pam and I wasted no time on our trip! We were up early and ensconced at

ABC Carpet and Home when it opened Saturday morning.

Just a bit of the tons of great industrial elements on the
first floor of ABC Carpet and Home.

One of the very delicious courses that Pam and I devoured was the Roasted carrot and avocado salad with seeds.
This salad is highly recommended by Martha Stewart.
And I highly recommend the cookbook "Home Cooking with Jean-Georges."

While we were having a truly delicious, organic, several course lunch at the James Beard award winning ABCkitchen there, I received a text from John
asking how we liked the snow.
SNOW?
It had just been drizzling rain when we arrived.

Luckily we had our umbrellas for the blizzard when we finally struck out

for the Metropolitan Museum.

Steps of the Metropolitan Museum during the Saturday snow

Pam and I loved seeing Georgia O'Keefe's "Black Iris"
in the ongoing Stieglitz exhibit.
We have used an art print of this painting and
several other O'Keefe's in Pam's Media Room.

I loved "Odalisque in Grisaille" by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ca 1824-34

Sunday

Up bright and early, AGAIN! I am NOT a morning person!

But I am determined, with Pam's help,

to make the most of every minute in New York.

We head off to meet John, and for the first time my Facebook friends

Connie Lee of Doris Leslie Blau

and Kevin McLaughlin of

Mae Downs & Company at the special

Fortuny event at Bergdorf's

that I blogged about several weeks ago.

It was fun and very exciting to meet Connie Coco and Kevin Tru for the first time.

John arrived in Halloween attire,

Andy Warhol OR was it Carol Channing?

John Lyle, Kevin McLaughlin, Connie Lee. Marilyn Storey, and Pam Walton at Bergdorf's

Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa Groundworks Flair in Noir

I also checked out Kelly Wearstler's accessories while we were there.

Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa Groundworks Sea Urchin in Noir

Like me, I think Kelly also has a hand fetish.

Then we were all off across the street for brunch/tea at the Plaza's Palm Court.

It was rather surreal and fabulous.

Lee Jofa Felci Linen in Black
Could any fabric be more frondily appropriate for our visit to the Plaza's famed Palm Court?

Andy/Carol aka John Lyle at the Plaza's Palm Court

Of course tea included black and white cookies!

Lee Jofa Mulberry Family Silver Linen in Black and Creme
Well, just perhaps this one, since several of us had High Tea Service at the Palm Court.

Then, alas it was time for me to jump in another

NOT black and white cab

and head back to the airport,

but not before we all said our goodbyes and promised to make it an annual and

expanded design event!

Won't you join us next time?

Perhaps we shall make it a

black and white ball . . .

But then again, we ALWAYS have a ball!

I have been loving all these black and white rooms since I got home . . .

And I can't wait to pour over Celerie Kemble's new book that is just out since my trip

"Black and White, (and a bit in between)"

When I got home from New York, I had to complete an unscheduled but very exciting project that kept we away all last week. I can't wait for a blog show and tell very soon. . .

In the meantime, I am getting ready for a Thanksgiving Harvest Feast,

or should I say

Thanksgiving Harvest Pheasant?

Tell me what you think of black and white design. Do you like just graphic black and white, or do you like to soften it a bit by adding a few pops of another color(s)?

The first two photos are rooms designed by John Lyle in Jackson, MS.