Friday, July 22, 2011

The Travellers: Albert Hadley and a Sunburst Clock

Photo by Michael Mundy for Parish-Hadley.
In the Horse Country of New Jersey, the area around Peapack where the owners of the beautiful old estates still insist on keeping their roads unpaved, was a very stylish house with a great room, perhaps my favorite of the Parish-Hadley living rooms done before my time there. 

Photo by Michael Mundy for Parish-Hadley.
Ornamented with classical pilasters salvaged from a local historic building, the pale gray walls and the dark-stained wood floor provided a great background for the furnishings in essentially just three fabrics:  a chintz, a silk, and a cotton.  Decorated in 1969, the room remained virtually untouched until the owner decided to scale down to a smaller house forty years later.  Albert Hadley was called back to edit and arrange the furnishings, one of my favorite being the giltwood starburst clock.

Photo by Simon Watson for "House Beautiful".

In the new house, a very simple clapboard Late Georgian dating to 1820, the two front rooms were combined to create a large living room with a fireplace at each end.  The walls were painted off-white again, but this time the wood floor was painted pale gray, a custom mixed color Albert Hadley calls Fog, and again left bare.  The chintz-upholstered Odom chairs were placed flanking the fireplace; the chintz had been discontinued so it was not replaced.   Other seating was slipcovered or recovered, however, with the exception of the great pair of Regency benches which still remained without refreshment of the painted finish.  The wooden urn lamps that had white shades when placed in front of the wallpaper screens in the former house, now have black shades to stand out at the bare windows.

Photo by Simon Watson for "House Beautiful".
This room is an example of decorating small, spare and chic.  And it cannot be said often enough:  buy what you love and it can be used over and over again.
The 1969 decoration appeared in Parish-Hadley, Sixty Years of American Design with photos of this room by Michael Mundy, and the new house with re-used furnishings was featured in the July, 2009, issue of "House Beautiful" magazine with photos by Simon Watson.


The 1995 Christopher Petkanas book PARISH-HADLEY, SIXTY YEARS OF AMERICAN DESIGN is out of print, but used and collectible copies can be purchased through The Devoted Classicist Library in affiliation with Amazon by clicking here.

18 comments:

  1. Both rooms are GORGEOUS! It is really an education to see how the same interior designer reuses some of the same furniture for the same client so many years later in a new house. Most others would insist on starting over fresh. John, I can really see the influence of The Master in your own work.

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  2. C.A.W., my whole time at Parish-Hadley was a great learning experience to build on since opening my own office. In addition to Mister and Madam, I also learned a lot from the vice-presidents, Harold Simmons and Bunny Williams. Thanks for your comments, Charlotte.

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  3. "perhaps my favorite of the Parish-Hadley living rooms" CawCaw comment is very interesting: seeing pieces re-tasked is a intriguing idea. I would enjoy seeing more of that.

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  4. I like the second from above photo. A darker floor and lighter walls and ceiling is a good combination.

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  5. I recognized those benches with the flaking paint when I saw them in HB and went looking for the original house in the book "Parish Hadley". Beautiful rooms, the original, and the latter ones, to me, seem typical of what happens as one ages and life changes - simplify but keep what is beloved.

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  6. Stunning - both rooms. Timeless too.

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  7. Terry, there will be more examples of reuse as The Travellers series will continue with posts from time to time.

    M.L.H.B., that combination is indeed a classic.

    Blue, I absolutely love those Regency benches. In the new house, the second bench was used at the foot of the owner's bed.

    Helen, isn't it interesting how some rooms remain attractive after 20, 30, or even forty years?

    N.N., there are lessons here for all of us.

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  8. Thanks for a nice share you have given to us with such an large collection of information. Great work you have done by sharing them to all. simply superb.

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  9. John, Both rooms are wonderful! Thanks for sharing. If I had to pick one to live in, it would be the second. So serene. - Jerry

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  10. Manish, thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.

    Jerry, it is great to hear from you! With the mobile version enabled on your Blogger site, it is difficult (if not impossible) to know about your Tumblr site. So I have added your second address to my Blog Roll and encourage my readers to check it out.

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  11. Very smart room, I'm developing a taste for Chintz. It should make a comeback!

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  12. P.G.d.B., there had been a mention that F. Schumacher & Co. was interested in reproducing/reissuing this chintz, but I am not sure that anything ever became of it. After this last period of widespread mis-use, I hope more designers will now be more open to the possibilities of chintz.

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  13. Speaking of how a room can be attractive after a long time: I once watched a program about a Belgian chateau, about 350 years old. It has a large salon with original silk wallpaper, and what a beautiful room it is! I think a room can always be attractive, it depends on how you design it.

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  14. I remember when the first room was initially published. Seeing it for the first time, it took my breath away. I pulled the pages and have kept them ever since, delightedly returning to them from time to time, always transfixed by the room's rigorous beauty, and asperity. I enjoyed seeing the owner's new digs, too. Similar aesthetic, different lense.

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  15. Too much attractive and beautiful yard stands. It is beautiful to keep in gardens. I am planning to put in home entrance. your idea is very unique, really like to appreciate.

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  16. Mike, there is a lot to be said for decor that stands the test of time.

    Reggie, some people would find either room too formal. However, I have a high threshold for decoration and see them as tailored but very comfortable.

    s.m.s., potted ficus trees are not seen in professionally decorated interiors as often as they once were. Although the scheme should not be dependent on potted plants, they can be a great addition to a decorative scheme. Thanks for your comment.

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  17. Rooms really awesome! You've done lots of excellent work! I hope your success.
    Cartoon coloring

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