Mongiardino for Princess Firyal, London

A proposal for the two long walls of the grand salon
of the London house of Princess Firyal of Jordan from
ROOMSCAPES

The genius of decorator Renzo Mongiardino, 1916 to 1998, was rooted in his early architectural and theatrical design experiences, creating fantastic thematic interiors, often from only a shell.  An example of his interpretation of an Orientalist theme was carried out for the London house of Princess Firyal of Jordan.  The house in the fashionable Belgravia section had been cleared of most detailing by the previous owner.  It is comprised of two houses from the first half of the nineteenth century joined by a high-ceilinged hall that was formerly a stable but converted to a ballroom with high oeil-de-boeuf windows and balconies at each end. 


An early conceptual study for the grand salon.
from the Mongiadino monograph
ROOMSCAPES

According to an article in the May, 1987, issue of Architectural Digest, Mongiardino told the princess, "You're a beautiful Oriental woman, why not an Oriental house?  It's right for England.  It's in the culture.  It's Brighton!"



Two different schemes for the four walls
of the grand salon by Renzo Mongiardino
for Princess Firyal of Jordan's London home.
ROOMSCAPES

Mongiardino developed two schemes for the grand salon.  Both schemes divided the walls into three sections, but the interpretations varied with the scheme in the first four drawings in the series shown above being more neo-classical.  Exhibiting three large eighteenth-century French tapestries against a background of vivid red-pink damask, this scheme was not selected to be realized.  The chosen scheme, shown in the bottom four drawings in the series, has lengths of silk printed in gold with different oriental motifs like celebratory banners.  The proposal shows these flags of variegated violet alternating with coral, malachite green with ivory, and topaz with blue, but only a deep dusty rose for the banners was used in the room as realized.  The round windows, with two false windows added at each end when the balconies were closed off, are anchored with a decorated band.  The wainscot is dark slate blue overlaid with a damask motif in ochre and silver-gray taken from a painting by Gentile Bellini.  Above the wainscot, stretched silk is hand printed with a trellis grid containing pale green medallions.

The grand salon as photographed
by Derry Moore. appearing in the
May, 1987, Architectural Digest.

Both the location of the entrance stairs and the fireplace varied from the drawings in the version realized.  Thickly quilted slipcovers of cap form cover all the seating in the Derry Moore photo that appeared in the 1987 magazine. 



The grand salon as photographed
by Walter Russo for the 1993
Mongiardino mongraph
ROOMSCAPES
 

A paisley print fabric with the appearance of antique shawls covers all the seating in the grand salon as shown in the book ROOMSCAPES, THE DECORATIVE ARCHITECTURE OF RENZO MONGIARDINO published in 1993.

The small salon as photographed
by Derry Moore, appearing in
Architectural Digest, May, 1987.

"The small salon was draped with bold striped silks to create a military tent," Mongiardino explained in the article.  A window effect is expressed by an 1886 panoramic painting of Jerusalem.


The hall as photographed
by Derry Moore, appearing in
Architectural Digest, May, 1987.

Entrance to the grand salon is made from a hall with the openings glazed in mirror.  The lower walls are covered in 19th century Chinese Export silk and the upper walls are stencilled in an intricate Orientalist pattern.  The wall lights, designed by Mongiardino, have a marbleized finish.


The dining room as photographed
by Derry Moore, appearing in
Architectural Digest, May, 1987.

The wall covering in the dining room is hung rather than fixed as upholstery.  Rich green velvet is embroidered and appliqued with gold, hanging tapestry-like from a marbleized cornice.  An 18th century marble chimneypiece with pietre dure insets gives an architectural presence while 18th century famille rose porcelain and a fanciful Venetian glass chandelier provide additional color.  Exotic whimsy is provided by a set of gilded wicker chairs.


The sitting room
as photographed by Derry Moore, appearing in
Architectural Digest, May 1987.

The focus of the sitting room is a gilt-bronze chimneypiece designed by Mongiardino, flanked by a pair of English chairs, circa 1685.  The painting is "An Intercepted Correspondence, Cairo" by J.F. Lewis.  Bookcases are painted with a red tortoiseshell finish against upholstered walls of silk velvet with appliqued paisley motifs.

A tempietto in the garden.
Photo by Derry Moore appearing in
Architectural Digest, May 1987.

Born Leirjal Firyal Irshaid in Jerusalem in 1945, she was married to Prince Muhammad bin Talal, the younger brother of the late King Hussein of Jordan, from 1964 to 1978 with the marriage ending in divorce.  Keeping the title of Princess Firyal, she became the companion of the billionaire Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos from the late 1970s until his death in 1996.  In a 2009 dispute with the sons of her companion Lionel Pincus (now deceased) involving the combined apartments they shared in the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan, it was alleged that there was a history of her having rich boyfriends paying for her lavishly decorated residences.  Not only did Niarchos pay for the London house, it was reported, but also her apartment in Paris, decorated by Geoffrey Bennison (see the post on The Blue Remembered Hills blog).  In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of various cultural organizations, Princess Firyal serves as Jordan's Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States, a diplomatic envoy appointment she received in 2007.

Princess Firyal
at the 2008 Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame Induction.
Image:  contactmusic.com

 

MONGIARDINO a new book by Laure Verchere

Devoted Readers will be interested to know that a new book about Renzo Mongiardino by Laure Verchere titled MONGIARDINO has just been released by the art & lifestyle publisher Assouline.  It may be purchased at a substantial discount from the published price here.