tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post8056158751358520346..comments2024-03-28T14:29:32.353-05:00Comments on The Devoted Classicist: Monticello's New CarpetJohn J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-12945111117306927162012-08-07T02:47:47.889-05:002012-08-07T02:47:47.889-05:00I am glad to visit your blog. its really great inf...I am glad to visit your blog. its really great information about new carpet and it is good for me before buy new carpet from market. <a href="http://www.carpetcleaning-sierramadre.com/" rel="nofollow">carpet cleaning sierra madre</a>M.Usmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14998218992035551231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-5772370393145158392012-07-26T13:40:51.033-05:002012-07-26T13:40:51.033-05:00Loi, I am glad we found each other's blog! I ...Loi, I am glad we found each other's blog! I once had a Manhattan townhouse architectural project where the decorator elaborately glazed (at an enormous cost) the panelled walls of the windowless Master Bathroom bright yellow to contrast with the black & white marble floor; the owners were not happy after moving in and living with it for a while. Yellow can be more tricky than most realize. Thanks for commenting.John J. Tacketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-28140461248122483272012-07-26T13:16:15.166-05:002012-07-26T13:16:15.166-05:00Hello, Devoted --
I am a new reader via Pigtown. ...Hello, Devoted --<br />I am a new reader via Pigtown. Delighted to find your blog, as I am a fan of Classical and Neoclassical architecture, design, furnishings, antiques, etc. Especially Scandinavian related. It's been too long since I've visited Monticello. I once had a bathroom painted chrome yellow.....with accents of black and white. Some days I loved it....some not. Think I'll visit Monticello this autumn to experience the yellow in person.<br />Cheers from DC,<br />LoiWoodside Parkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13981644571968878448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-29729513253443524322012-07-23T11:02:44.304-05:002012-07-23T11:02:44.304-05:00Thanks, Toby. Those are important points in evalu...Thanks, Toby. Those are important points in evaluating a paint finish. The small details can make a big difference in the overall effect.John J. Tacketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-30212461488713732372012-07-23T10:51:44.747-05:002012-07-23T10:51:44.747-05:00At risk of running this topic into the ground, whe...At risk of running this topic into the ground, when Nancy Lancaster's room<br />was first done up in the late 1950s the walls were very likely dragged<br />(this is discernible in the Derry Moore photographs taken before Mrs<br />Lancaster moved out) whereas the more recent finish is a very fine stipple,<br />less textured- and the color is more lemon than egg yolk. Probably of interest<br />only to eggheads like myself.Toby Worthingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05887066048372484464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-83754693144616514572012-07-22T15:27:54.881-05:002012-07-22T15:27:54.881-05:00Blue, as I am not certain in the case of Monticell...Blue, as I am not certain in the case of Monticello, I will withhold even guessing. I will share from my experience in consultation with museums, however, that the reproduction of paint formulas are sometimes prohibited for environmental and public safety reasons. <br /><br />And for all you Devoted Readers interested in the light reflective quality of the wall color, keep in mind that there is a skylight in the Dining Room. Although not seen in these photos, a corner of the skylight can be seen in one of the images in the earlier post, linked in the text (and the POPULAR POSTS sidebar).<br /><br />Thank you, Toby, for your comments. I value your contribution as an authority on John Fowler color and paint techniques (in addition to numerous other subjects).John J. Tacketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-43924688957112104102012-07-22T15:05:57.320-05:002012-07-22T15:05:57.320-05:00Reggie, as lines for general admission can be very...Reggie, as lines for general admission can be very, very long, I recommend being at Monticello itself when it opens, and saving the Visitor's Center (at the foot of the "mountain") for last. There are sometimes special tours that allow entrance to the Dome Room, for example, so you might want to look into that in advance.John J. Tacketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-29876796571571098022012-07-22T11:58:39.588-05:002012-07-22T11:58:39.588-05:00The walls of Mrs Lancaster's drawing room had ...The walls of Mrs Lancaster's drawing room had an entirely different effect,<br />being considerably less harsh than the Chrome Yellow selected for the<br />dining room at Monticello. As you point out, the Avery Row walls were glazed as opposed to being covered with straight undiluted paint. A former member of the Colefax & Fowler paint studio gave the formula as "a pale yellow undercoat, followed by a glaze mixture of lemon chrome, raw sienna, raw umber and black. Several coats of varnish were then applied, to produce a glossy finish."Toby Worthingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05887066048372484464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-58452134429571518002012-07-22T09:11:00.337-05:002012-07-22T09:11:00.337-05:00I am mad to return to Monticello, and also take in...I am mad to return to Monticello, and also take in Poplar Forest, which I have never seen, except on its website. Same goes for Montpelier. We are discussing an autumn visit to see each of these houses, and I am determined to make this happen. A reader of mine, LizaE, made the pilgrimage a month or so ago, and said it was divine. Thanks for this post, another one in your marvelous series. ReggieReggie Darlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04044215790585354363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-17400253664272094032012-07-22T07:36:14.899-05:002012-07-22T07:36:14.899-05:00I too had a similar conversation about the Brook S...I too had a similar conversation about the Brook Street room with Martin Wood but have wondered since how dissimilar the walls could be or even if it mattered. <br /> <br />What kind of paint was used in the yellow room at Monticello? Was it a kind of whitewash, tinted, a recreation of an 18th-century paint, or a modern latex? I cannot imagine that it would be a latex paint given its poor surface and opacity. <br /><br />Our room in Amsterdam, I mention above, was washed twice with dilute Chrome Yellow gouache, varnished.to a high gloss and had a lovely dappled life to it.Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07652670896513329236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-2421088209364319382012-07-22T07:20:52.261-05:002012-07-22T07:20:52.261-05:00John, thank you. I too feel we know each other tho...John, thank you. I too feel we know each other though, as you say, we have never met - not yet at least. I think I was the first to add you to a blog-roll and it was I think because you and I had already corresponded and I learned from you. <br /><br />I haven't any plans to stop this blog - the conversation than ensues is much too interesting for that.Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07652670896513329236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-51225928670965093892012-07-22T00:42:39.162-05:002012-07-22T00:42:39.162-05:00Columnist, I have wondered about certainly seems t...Columnist, I have wondered about certainly seems to be the location of a missing painting. (We know what I mean, don't we?). I don't know the answer. Perhaps someone will fill us in.John J. Tacketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-46629333699544270642012-07-22T00:39:12.098-05:002012-07-22T00:39:12.098-05:00I agree; it's a great color. The room can ha...I agree; it's a great color. The room can handle it. Thanks, Mary.John J. Tacketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-28745110598104690092012-07-21T23:15:32.694-05:002012-07-21T23:15:32.694-05:00I commented on picture placements in one of your r...I commented on picture placements in one of your recent blogs about the White House, and here too I am surprised by the strange arrangement above the alcove. Perhaps it's a work in progress?<br /><br />The carpet is beautiful, and its colours and that of the walls are very complementary.columnisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03764365428633038329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-9275378418481984392012-07-21T22:41:45.272-05:002012-07-21T22:41:45.272-05:00I Love that yellow. Thanks. MaryI Love that yellow. Thanks. Marymaryhttp://mjhdesignarts.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-76864972431258270952012-07-21T21:12:12.996-05:002012-07-21T21:12:12.996-05:00Dean, I think the chrome-yellow in Monticello'...Dean, I think the chrome-yellow in Monticello's Dining Room is like the artist paint color, just like you could mix (or squirt from a tube). It has a clear brightness that can really reflect light beautifully.<br /><br />A few years ago, I had a conversation with Martin Wood who wrote a book on both John Fowler and Nancy Lancaster. I asked him about the paint color of the famous room, and was it me, or had the color changed between the first time that I saw it in the mid 1980s and the last time, about 20 years later. He told me that it had indeed been repainted, or I should say reglazed, which consisted of a base color, translucent glaze, and glossy finish. Martin said that, despite trying to replicate the original, the result was not a match. <br /><br />But to answer your question, the yellow at Monticello and the yellow of Nancy Lancaster's room are not comparable, in my opinion. But there are some Devoted Readers that might have an interesting opinion; let's hope they'll comment.John J. Tacketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-777031879453062642012-07-21T17:35:46.763-05:002012-07-21T17:35:46.763-05:00John,
How would you compare or contrast this color...John,<br />How would you compare or contrast this color to the Nancy Lancaster room at Colefax Fowler, London? The rug interpretation by Mr. Harvard is so beautiful, would love to see it "in person". I still vivdly recall when I apprenticed at The American Museum in Britain at Claverton Manor, near Bath, and the director, Mr. Ian McCallum had his office there painted in this brilliant chrome yellow. Dean FarrisDean Farrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11651467227402717540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-71712264013908929402012-07-21T09:48:51.860-05:002012-07-21T09:48:51.860-05:00Thank you, Mark. Although Monticello is a house t...Thank you, Mark. Although Monticello is a house that I would appreciate even if it were empty, I applaud their efforts for making the presentation as educational as possible.John J. Tacketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-67355316600918170332012-07-21T09:17:18.426-05:002012-07-21T09:17:18.426-05:00Most visitors to Monticello don't realize that...Most visitors to Monticello don't realize that what the tourist sees was not quite what a visitor in Jefferson's own time would have experienced. There's a most interesting little book, edited by Merrill D. Peterson in 1989, titled "Visitors to Monticello." It's a collection of recollections of Monticello visitors through the years, including when Jefferson was living. And what comes through loud and clear is that while Monticello was probably America's most elegant house, it was under perpetual construction. In any given year, it seems, there was at least one area of the house being remodeled or repaired, and of course it is that endless tinkering that makes the house such an inspiration today.Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-61207561205139985232012-07-21T08:02:26.337-05:002012-07-21T08:02:26.337-05:00Blue, while I have nothing against a neutral schem...Blue, while I have nothing against a neutral scheme in general, I feel the neutrals have been grossly over-represented by the shelter magazines trying to appeal to a Do-It-Yourself readership. And, of course, it is interesting to note that the adjacent small dining room, used in warm weather, has a neutral scheme.<br /><br />But before we leave the topic of acquaintances, I feel I know you because of your wonderful blog "The Blue Remembered Hills" although we have never met face to face. I think you were the first to add The Devoted Classicist to your Blog Roll, and the stats show that a significant number of readers still come via your site. With some popular blogs recently ending (despite one having a great deal to say and another perhaps having little interesting to say anyway), let's carry on the conversations, shall we?John J. Tacketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-17619161808399587482012-07-20T23:52:54.837-05:002012-07-20T23:52:54.837-05:00This is a glorious room and one I have never seen....This is a glorious room and one I have never seen. We had a chrome-yellow room in Amsterdam which glowed as does the dining room at Monticello - a wonderfully alive colour. <br /><br />You remember, I think, the popularity of yellow in the 1980s? Nancy Lancaster's Brook Street salon was a revelation when it was first published and gave rise to many a bastardized version. It was the era of faux finishes and it got to the point when if I felt that if I saw another "Tuscan" faded wall finish or a washed and glazed yellow room I'd start breaking something. Now yellow is not often seen but the room above proves, at least to me, how contemporary it can be. <br /><br />It was shortly after the rage for yellow that everything turned neutral - Lynn Revson's place by Mark Hampton sticks in my mind as the beginning of the demise of colour.Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07652670896513329236noreply@blogger.com