Sunday, February 21, 2016

Notable Homes: Guignécourt

 
The entrance to Guignécourt.
Image:Guillixon
"Notable Homes" is one of the re-occurring series of posts for The Devoted Classicist that features an architecturally significant residence and its furnishings.  The stylish San Francisco-area estate Guignécourt, also known as Guigné Court, and decorator Anthony Hail was the subject of a popular previous post, here.  And there was a second post here.

Guignécourt
Image: Sotheby's
The eccentric owner Christian de Guigné, 4th, listed the property for sale at $100 million with a contingency for life residency; after no takers, the price was reduced to $39.9 million with the exclusive-use condition removed.
Christian de Guigne, 4th, left, with his parents and brother Charles, 1961.
Photo via Yahoo!
Built 1913 to 1916 to designs by architects Walter Danforth Bliss and William Baker Faville, the gardens were later refined by Thomas Dolliver Church and the interiors were improved by Anthony Hail in the early 1960s.  According to the Guillixon listing, the property offering at 891 Crystal Springs Road, Hillsboro, is still active.  But the story for those interested in the decorative arts is the Christie's auction of contents coming up in New York on March 24, 2016.

There are a number of very handsome rooms, but none are more stylish than the Pavilion at the swimming pool.  Although the furnishings from the Anthony Hail era are worn and the décor is not entirely intact, it is still a space worthy of note.

The Pavilion at Guignécourt, 2015.
Image: Christie's.
The walls of the Pavilion at Guignécourt are covered with
hand painted Chinese wallpaper dating from the 18th or 19th century
figured with a mountainous landscape.
Image: Christie's.


A pair of gray-green velvet sofas.  Lot 134.
Image: Christie's
A pair of Chinese black lacquer and gilt tables
with pierced fretwork and a plinth base.  Lot 137.
Image: Christie's
 
A Ningxia carpet from West China, 18th century.  Lot 141.
Image: Christie's

A set of four Italian chairs, grain painted and parcel gilt,
black leather upholstery, early 19th century. Lot 148.
Image: Christie's.


A pair of console tables with a terracotta dolphin-form support
and green marble top and base.  Late 19th/early 20th century.
Lot 139.
Image: Christie's.
A Chinese model of a garden pavilion,
gilt-metal and cloisonné enamel.
19th century. Lot 147.
Image: Christie's.
A George II longcase clock,
blue and gilt-Japanned, circa 1730.
(The works and case associated).  Lot 149.
Image: Christie's.
Despite the high quality of architecture and the numerous beautiful rooms, there is no guarantee of ever finding an appreciative buyer for the house.  Certainly the land is desirable, but this sale of the furnishings is not a good indication that there has been interest in the house itself.  Judging from the seemingly senseless demolition around the country lately, there is a hunger for opulent mansions that lack patina and any history of former owners.  Perhaps this sale at Christie's will attract the attention of a buyer that sees the potential of this Sleeping Beauty.
 

19 comments:

  1. We are a dying breed...like rap that killed disco, modernism has killed classicism. I fear your second to last sentence is a real death sentence as spoken by an Oracle. I live in a true historic pavilion, and believe me...but a sprinkling extant would understand the thrill of living within a folly set in a garden. All now so blindly march to the tune of the editors of magazines and TV show decorators...no one studies, reads or respects history & architecture or celebrate the past in present...UNIQUE died, and BORE has risen! On a side note...your fabulous!

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    1. T.S., this is one case where I hope to be proven wrong. Thank you for your compliment and comment.

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  2. Fascinating! My husband grew up with Christian.....and grew up going to that house.....often. He remembers it; but wasn't paying attention the way WE would have! He swam in the pool.....and "loved the pool house!" when I questioned about the Chinese wallpaper.....not much.
    This kind of taste was pretty common in San Francisco and environs in the days of this house.......good grief! Everywhere there was taste and style.....Frances Elkins; Syrie Maugham,fabulous architects......taste and style reigned.
    My husband went to debutante parties....(at least 3 of them) at Filoli!!
    The Matson's house...dear Lordy! (the parties were completely decrorated by Tony Duquette!!!!! ( later in life, became our dear friend!!)
    Tony remembered every detail of all of them!
    I am hoping " The Swan" is wrong about this.....I have hope! I have hope someone with taste and money will buy this treasure....and preserve and restore.
    (The Swan lived in a lovely pavilion that I lived in also; in Pasadena... copied from a French 'pavilion' outside Paris) before her divine present one!)
    Anyway; it did not help that Christian IV put that gorgeous treasure on the market with that ridiculous price and more ridiculous stipulation that he could live there.
    p.s. Hutton Wilkinson, Tony Duquette's protege, always says....."every night I pray that people with taste get money; and people with money get taste"!!!

    Let's hope for someone with money and taste......to rescue this treasure. So it won't be lost.....Let's all pray!!! J.T. I don't want you to wrong much of the time; this time you and I and even The Swan want you to be proven wrong!

    What a total treasure!

    Penelope

    ps how about those sofas with that wallpaper? I could die! I am getting the catalogue. May bid!

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    1. What a superb quote!
      "every night I pray that people with taste get money; and people with money get taste"!!

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    2. Thank you! Isn't it? Hutton Wilkinson!
      Buy his new book about Elsie de Wolfe and Tony Duquette! It is right up your alley!

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    3. I am not big on novelized biographies, but I am certain this two book set THE WALK TO ELSIE'S is an interesting read. It is difficult to find, even at the $250 price, so it must be popular.

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  3. Oh dear! I have already said that 3 years ago! OH well! At least I am consistent! I will be bidding! At the auction! I pray for the house!!!

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    1. You gave some new and valuable info, PB. I am happy that you took the time to comment.

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  4. Sometimes...when whispers become shouts...a wish comes true! So here's a SCREAM...that yes, a wonderful Soul, an individual of Taste...comes along and rescues a Grande Dame of Legendary Beauty.
    Having a Saint in the family who was Canonized in 2000 - perhaps my prayer will be answered!

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  5. Mad about those Italian chairs! It's very seldom that one encounters grain painting in 2 different colours (there appears to be a green inset banding?) nor, now I think about it, grain painting on furniture having that particular structure. Very bold and unexpected.

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    1. Yes, I do love those chairs. The green bands look like they may imitate stone insets. The chairs show up better in the photos of the room in the earlier blog posts. Likely an Anthony Hail contribution, I would guess. Take a look at the Christie's catalog for some other interesting sets of chairs as well. Thank you for commenting, TW.

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  6. Chic stuff. Chic indeed. So perfect in the house, it's a shame to see it go. (PS, made for the worn Chinese rug)

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    1. D.E.D., the catalog states that the rug is approx. 14' x 14'-7" -- a great starting point for the decoration of any room, isn't it? Thank you for commenting.

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  7. I had a friend who worked at Tiffany in SF- "Madame" de Guigné was his client and most of his job consisted of solving the problem of keeping her enormous diamond ring from spinning on her tiny hand-at least that was his story

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  8. Thank you for the fantastic post. The home is beautiful and what amazed me most was the fact that it sits on 47 plus acres in Hillsborough one of the most exclusive areas in the U.S. with Burlingame right next to it.
    It's no wonder he was asking over $100 million for it originally.
    Let's hope someone does appreciate it's heritage and purchases the home. The one saving grace it does have is that San Franciscans seem to appreciate history more than their neighbors to the South who tear down anything over 5 years and put up ghastly Mega mansions

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