The Devoted Classicist Speaks

A Garden Room created by John Tackett Design
during a renovation in University Park, Dallas

It is hoped that all in the Baltimore area can join me on the evening of April 12, 2017, at Evergreen Museum & Library, 6:30 pm.  John J. Tackett will speak on the topic of the legendary firm Parish-Hadley and how it served as a training ground for me and dozens of other interior designers and architects.  I will also discuss current trends in residential architecture and design and take audience questions on the subject -- with cocktails and a light supper -- all in the beautiful Bakst Theatre in historic Evergreen Mansion, 4545 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21210.  The event is part of The House Beautiful Lecture Series of Johns Hopkins University.  Advance registration is required.  For more information and tickets, click here.

Parish-Hadley Book Launch

60 East 93rd Street, New York City.
John Russell Pope, architect, completed 1931.
Photo: Collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

October 13, 2015, marked the launch reception for the new book PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM by Brian J. McCarthy and Bunny Williams.  The Devoted Classicist, John Tackett, a contributor, was an honored guest along with the thirty others who have a chapter in the book.  The reception was held in the glorious Manhattan townhouse that is home to the noted antiquarian Carlton Hobbs at 60 East 93rd Street.


No sign of commerce marks the entrance to Carlton Hobbs, LLC.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.

That block between Madison and Park Avenue is one of my absolute favorites, the site of several of the city's most distinctive townhouses.  Number 60 was designed by architect John Russell Pope and completed in 1931 for Virginia Fair Vanderbilt.  Heir to the fortune her father made from the Comstock Lode and Big Bonanza mine, she was married to William Kissam Vanderbilt, president of the New York Central Railroad, until 1927.  Despite the financial reverses of many during the Great Depression, there were no economic hardships for "Birdie," as her friends called her, who divided her time between this house, another on Long Island, and a third in California. 


The main block of 60 East 93rd Street has three principal floors
with the set-back entrance not seen here.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.

The house replaced three rowhouses and was built of limestone.  There are three principal floors but the service areas are on seven stories of shorter ceiling heights within that space.  Originally, there were four 18th century paneled rooms (one was removed by a subsequent owner) with antique parquet floors (replaced after occupation by a school).  Decorative hardware in the antique style was made by Bricard in Paris.


The Dining Room as set up as display space for
antiques offered for sale.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.

After Virginia Fair Vanderbilt's death at age 60, the house was bought Bryan and Thelma Foy, she being the very stylish and rich daughter of auto manufacturer Walter Chrysler.  Then the house was occupied by the Romanian Mission to the United Nations before being bought by the Lycee Francais.  Carlton Hobbs bought the 50 room mansion for about $10.5 million in 2002 and spent two years in restoration.  Read more about the house in a past post of Daytonian in Manhattan.


Designers Brian J. McCarthy and Bunny Williams, authors of
PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM
address the guests from the staircase at the book launch reception.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.

In addition to seeing the interior of the house, it was a great treat to see some of my old friends and colleagues and meet new ones.  In addition to Brian and Bunny, who were there with their respective spouses Danny Sager and John Rosselli, there was Thomas Jayne, Michael Whaley (and wife K.T.), David Kleinberg, Nicholas Miles Pentecost, Libby Cameron, Kim Cruise, Nancy Porter, Carol Cavaluzzo, John Murray, David McMahon, and Paul Engel.  And it was so good to see Mark Ferguson with business partner Oscar Shamamian with their wives Natalie Jacobs and Llewellyn Sinkler.  Parish-Hadley "alumni" after my tenure included Douglas C. Wright, Todd Klein, James Andrew, and Thom Filicia.


A view from the staircase of some of those gathered for the book launch reception.
Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.

It was a great pleasure to see Peter van Hattum the spouse of the late Harold Simmons, my former "boss" who was such a great teacher.  And also attending was former employee from the early days of Parish-Hadley, Suzanne Earls Carr.  Sue introduced me to her guest, Bruce Budd, the esteemed designer who had worked for the late tastemaker Bunny Mellon; what a treat to meet such a talented gentleman!  Also in attendance was former Parish-Hadley client and great friend of Albert Hadley Rene Meyers who is practically part of the alumni group. One of my favorite decorative painters, Chuck Fischer, was there; he also has authored some fantastic pop-up books with his illustrations literally springing to life throughout the book.  And I spoke briefly to author of several books on famous decorators Stephen Salny.  Of course, there were many, many others and I am sure I am leaving someone out.  But it was fun and a good time was had by all.  Thanks to our host Carlton Hobbs and literary marketing & branding agent Jill Cohen with associate Lizzy Hyland.

John Tackett is a Branch of the Parish-Hadley Tree of Life

John Tackett's design for a Garden Room in a renovation of a 1930s
house in the Volk Estates area of University Park, Dallas, Texas.
Image: John Tackett Design and The Devoted Classicist blog.

I have known all about Brooke Astor's Money Room, a famous space now revered by traditional decorators and architects, for 35 years.  Blessed with the classic proportions of a top Pre-War Park Avenue apartment building and given more than just a bit of help by knowing what to play up and what to play down, the expertly edited room was a great influence on this impressionable twenty-something.  But by the time of my tenure, however, it existed only in this one transparent image below, part of a slideshow presented to Parish-Hadley clients on occasion to illustrate a point.

Brooke Astor's "Money Room" decorated by Parish-Hadley in the 1970s.
Photo: ALBERT HADLEY: THE STORY OF AMERICA'S PREEIMINENT INTERIOR DESIGNER

Mrs. Astor had given the name to a room in her apartment where she determined the beneficiaries of cash gifts from the Astor Foundation charities as well as from her own fortune provided by her late husband, Vincent Astor (son of RMS Titanic victim Jacob Astor).  The room was on the lower level, originally a separate full-floor apartment and later joined to her own with the insertion of an interior staircase.  Brooke Astor was about to leave on a trip the next day when she told Albert Hadley that he could redecorate the Drawing Room of her mother's former apartment if the work could be completed by the time of her return in only two weeks.  The whole Parish-Hadley office immediately sprang into action the next day along with their team of tradespeople and workrooms. 


The Dining Room of a new house designed by John Tackett
for a vacant waterfront site in Palm Beach, Florida.
The chairs are the "Jack" model by Bunny Williams Home.
Drawing by John J. Tackett.

The room was emptied and the furniture sent out for re-upholstery.  The walls were painted with a subtle yellow marble finish but the most memorable feature was the floor; the herringbone parquet floor was scraped and stained in two tones of varying zig-zag stripes, an innovation at the time.  An often over-looked feature of the room was the curtains hanging from big gilded rings on wood poles.  The curtain fabric, and the whole point of telling the story here, was a custom pattern that Mr. Hadley had just designed.  It was printed with a large scale, "Tree of Life" motif that resembled stylized embroidery in brown on natural linen.  The whole team labored diligently with designers Kevin McNamara, Bunny Williams, and Harold Simmons working late on the Sunday night arranging books and hanging pictures before Mrs. Astor's return the next day.  The room was a huge success but virtually unknown to the rest of the decorating world outside Parish-Hadley until it was published in 2005.


John Tackett's design for a new house on a secluded, wooded, hilltop site
in Nashville, Tennessee, is organized so all room benefit from the views.
Drawing by John J. Tackett.

This and many other stories about the company are told by thirty-one former employees in the new book released today, October 6, 2015, PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE; AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM.  As those who worked there earned the equivalent of an advanced degree in design, they are known as "alumni."  In an unusually high number of instances, the "graduates" went on to found their own firms.  Examples of their work, influenced by their Parish-Hadley education, illustrate the book.


John Tackett's design for a new house in Nashville features a service entrance elevation
that is pleasing to the owner who almost always uses this entrance as well.
Drawing by John J. Tackett.

Brian J. McCarthy had the idea for the book which had Albert Hadley's blessing before his death in 2012.  (Sister Parish died in 1994).  Bunny Williams volunteered her help in making the book a reality and they are listed as co-authors.  But co-editors would be more accurate as each chapter is told in the words of an alum.  In addition to chapters by Brian and Bunny, other well-known designers such as David Easton, William Hodgins, David Kleinberg, Michael Whaley, and Thomas Jayne relate their experiences at Parish-Hadley.  Plus there are others -- no less talented -- such as John Tackett, known to you all as The Devoted Classicist.

John Tackett's design for a new house in Miami Beach features a
circular Entrance Hall decorated with a Neo-Regency palm tree motif.
Drawing by John J. Tackett.

Not wanting to spoil the experience for those who will read the book, the decision was made not to reproduce any of the images from the book for this post.  As might be imagined, the book could have been published as several volumes but was eventually reduced to a usable 288 pages.  So here are a few of the John Tackett Design images that had to be cut from the final product. 

John Tackett's design for a new house on a minimal lot in Dallas was part of
a development of other homes of similar size and materials while otherwise being unique.
Drawing by John J. Tackett

PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM can be ordered at a discount from The Devoted Classicist Library, an affiliate of Amazon.  And if you do not have the 1995 book PARISH-HADLEY: SIXTY YEARS OF AMERICAN DESIGN or the 2005 book ALBERT HADLEY: THE STORY OF AMERICA'S PREEMINENT INTERIOR DESIGNER, these can be ordered by clicking on the title.   For additional features of The Devoted Classicist blog, see the regular on-line/web version here.   See more examples of my work by going to LABELS on the web version and clicking on "John Tackett Design Portfolio."   Also, see the photos on the Facebook page of John Tackett Design.



John Tackett's design for a new house in the style of a Creole cottage.
Drawing by John J. Tackett.

Parish-Hadley Tree of Life

PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE
is a new book to be published October, 2015.
 

There is a new book in the works, PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM, being developed by Brian J. McCarthy and Bunny Williams that will focus not only on the firm, but will also feature thirty-one of the former employees who have gone on to successful careers on their own.  Because of the unique learning environment created by Sister Parish and Albert Hadley, the "graduates" of Parish-Hadley are known in the design profession as "alumnae" with their experience compared to an advance degree in design.  Each of the 31 alumni interviewed have a chapter in the book giving a personal reflection of the firm with illustrations of their work past and present.

The Parish-Hadley story is an very unique one; no other interior design firm - ever- has produced so many designers who left to establish their own studio.  Brian had the idea for the book about eight years ago.  He developed an outline and discussed it with Mr. Hadley (who passed in 2012 following Mrs. Parish's death in 1994) who was very excited about the project.  But Brian's own book, LUMINOUS INTERIORS: THE HOUSES OF BRIAN McCARTHY, came first.  When Brian told Bunny about his idea when they were both at the Nashville Garden & Antiques Show, she was very enthusiastic and promised her full support.  The next week, Bunny was in a meeting at Abrams and happened to mention the idea; the publishers jumped on it, giving the book an immediate green light for Stewart, Tabori and Chang, using the same book agent Jill Cohen, art director Doug Turshen and creative team that both Bunny and Brian had used before on their own books. In addition to the very readable text, the book also promises to be visually interesting.  Advances in digital imagery will avoid the muddy results of historic black & white photos that have plagued design books in the past.  Plus there are many new color never-before-published images.

The image used for the book jacket (and that may change) is one of my favorites of the Parish-Hadley projects, the Living Room of Nancy Pyne in Peapack, New Jersey.  Both partners had a hand in the design and the result is quintessential Parish-Hadley -- comfortable yet refined and with an architectural sensibility in the furnishings without being too rigid.

The title of the book expresses Albert Hadley's appreciation of the traditional motif, the Tree of Life.  The mythology of the sacred tree dates back to a number of ancient civilizations including the cultures of pre-Islamic Persia and ancient Egypt as well as other Asian, European, and Native American beliefs.  The motif gained wide-spread exposure as a popular design on 17th century printed cotton bedcoverings from India, the palampores which often featured a Tree of Life as a central figure.  The Tree of Life motif was also developed in Persia and China in the 18th century with adaptations for the European market where various goods were marketed.  Crewel embroidery was also used to represent the motif in England, often a natural color wool yarn on a colored background;  a wallpaper representation of this was an Albert Hadley favorite.

And not insignificantly, there will be a short chapter on John J. Tackett that Devoted Readers will not want to miss.  Plans are for an October 13, 2015, release with Hearst Publications -- Elle Décor, Veranda, and House Beautiful -- hosting a gala launch on that date.  So there will be plenty more about the book in the magazines in the coming months.  But for those who cannot wait to see the book on store shelves, pre-ordering at a discount price is available here.

Harold R. Simmons, Jr.

 

The life of Harold Simmons, one of the great influences in my career, was celebrated today in East Hampton, New York.  He passed away peacefully in his home on August 12, 2014, after the challenges of hip cancer.


Peter van Hattum (left) and Harold Simmons (right)
at The Hampton Designer Show House,
11 May, 2004
Photo via Patrick McMullen.

Harold was formerly the Senior Vice-President at Parish-Hadley Associates in New York City where he worked for 21 years.  Among his many responsibilities, Harold headed the Design Studio which numbered as many as seven architects during my time there in the 1980s.  Each of us was responsible for one or more of the architectural projects underway, often of tremendous scope for clients such as Rockefeller and Getty, but always under the direction of Harold Simmons.

Hertenhof (Deer Court), Harold and Peter's home
that Harold designed and had built in East Hampton.
2009 photo via Black Tie Magazine.

Harold's knowledge in the fields of interior design and architecture was vast and of the highest level of taste, that combination being a relative rarity in the profession.  And there was never hesitation to share that knowledge.  The list of items to be considered was a long one, from the plan of the furniture to the balance of the lighting to the physical allowances for window treatments, and on and on.  But Harold Simmons knew all the answers and taught that same level of competency to his staff.


Peter van Hattum, Joan Worth, and Harold Simmons
at a charity event reception held at Hertenhof, 2009.
Photo via Black Tie Magazine.

Harold R. Simmons, Jr., was known as "Young Harold" in his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, because his father had the same name, Harold R. Simmons.  After graduating from Ole Miss, Harold worked for one year at the celebrated Memphis design firm owned by Kenneth Kimbrough and his partner Robert Bedford who insisted that he should get a degree from Parsons School of Design in New York if he wanted to be a design professional.  (Bobby Bedford, now in his mid-90s, is a cherished friend of mine because of the connection with Harold).


The Mausoleum of Emperor Diocletian, Spalato,
as drawn as a conjectural restoration by
Robert Adam, 1764.

After graduating from Parsons in 1965 and specializing in Interior Architecture, Harold first worked for the architectural firm of Alfred Easton Poor.  In 1966, he joined the decorating firm then known as Mrs. Henry Parish, 2nd, as the personal assistant to Albert Hadley.  Harold once told me that, on his first day on the job, he went with Mr. Hadley to an enormous apartment that was to be extensively renovated; Mr. Hadley began marking big "X"-es on the walls to be demolished, noting new locations for electric outlets on the walls, etc., all instructions soon to be lost when the construction process began.  Harold brought a level of order and professionalism to the office, contributing much to making it one of the most respected full-service design firms in the 1980s. 


View of the tomb of Caius Cestius by Piranesi.

After leaving Parish-Hadley in 1987, Harold joined his long-time partner Peter van Hattum (whom he had met his first week in New York in 1962) to found the firm Van Hattum and Simmons.  Their work included embassies in South America and numerous fine residences in New York, Washington, DC, and London, among other locations.  Also, their work was highly regarded in numerous Kips Bay Decorator Show Houses and Southampton Decorator Show Houses.  Harold and Peter were married in 2012.

The combination of charm, wit, and talent is far too rare, so it is especially sad to lose someone like Harold.  Memorial gifts may be made in honor of Harold Simmons to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, New York 11978.  My deepest sympathy goes to Peter, another remarkable individual, and their family.

HAROLD R. SIMMONS, JR.

1939 to 2014

REQUIESCAT IN PACE

Gracie Mansion

Gracie Mansion, official home of the mayor
of New York City.
Photo via Architectural Digest.

There has been a storm of Sharknado intensity in the social media this week about the donation of $65,000 worth of furniture from the mall/mail-order store West Elm for Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor of the City of New York.  Attention-getting headlines such as this one from Curbed New York, "De Blassios Swap 300-Year-Old Antiques for West Elm at Gracie," incited indignation that the comparatively uncouth new First Family of NYC would not appreciate the relatively lavish refurnishing untaken during the Bloomberg years, all paid for by private sources including a significant amount donated by Bloomberg personally.  But it must be noted that the West Elm furnishings were for the private quarters of the residence and were given to the Gracie Mansion Conservancy, the non-profit group that supports the historic and decorative aspects of the property.



The Entrance Hall in 1946.
Image via Corbis.

The Gracie Mansion Conservancy was founded in 1981 at the start of a $5.5 million renovation that was carried out 1981 to 1984 during the administration of Ed Koch.  Two interior designers at their peak of popularity, Albert Hadley of Parish-Hadley Associates and Mark Hampton of Mark Hampton LLC, were invited to donate their services to decorate the mansion.  Albert was to create a viable décor for the public rooms in the historic part of the house, essentially the Entrance Hall, Parlor, Sitting Room and Dining Room in addition to the State Guest Room suite.  Mark was to decorate the Visitor's Entrance Hall, the Banquet Hall, and the Ballroom, all in the 1966 addition designed by architect Mott B. Schmidt and named in honor of former Mayor Robert Wagner, Susan, who had worked towards the creation of the wing but died before it was completed.

A 1983 sketch of a hall by Albert Hadley.
Image via One Kings Lane.

I worked at Parish-Hadley in the 1980s and assisted Mr. Hadley in the aspects of the Gracie Mansion project that required architectural input from designing the improvements to the State Guest Suite to locating electrical outlets and reviewing construction plans as they impacted the interior design.  The sketch titled "The Hall" above may or may not have been intended for Gracie Mansion but it is indicative of the drawings Mr. Hadley used to convey his ideas for committee approval and stir up support from his deep-pocketed friends.  And it is from the same time period as his involvement at Gracie Mansion.


The Entrance Hall circa 1985.
Photo via City of New York.

Although Mr. Hadley was not opposed to painting the floor in two tones of gray as a checkerboard, the results as carried out under the direction of the Conservancy (and executed by a compensated family member of the committee) were too theatrical, including the marbleizing of the stair risers (painted out in a later refurbishing) and the non-relating compass star. 


Albert Hadley's conceptual sketch of the Parlor
at Gracie Mansion.
Image via One Kings Lane.

Albert Hadley's concept for the furnishing of Gracie Mansion was not unlike that carried out for the second floor rooms at the White House for the Kennedys that he had worked on twenty years before with Sister Parish, later becoming her business partner in the legendary firm Parish-Hadley Associates.  The idea was to take some historic pieces of Mid-Atlantic, if not New York, origin of the late 18th and early 19th century and supplement them with quality new furniture and comfortable upholstery to allow these rooms to be realistically used on both daily and official entertaining occasions, not a museum setting despite the historic nature of the mansion.  It was not unlike how the Kennedys used the Yellow Oval Room, Family Dining Room and the adjacent hallways in the White House, decorated to be attractive enough for distinguished guests but comfortable enough for family use.


The Dining Room at Gracie Mansion, circa 1985.
Photo via City of New York.

Despite being known later as the Albert Hadley Refurnishing of the historic part of the mansion, very little of the work he proposed was actually realized.  Although Mark Hampton seemed to have fared better in the Wagner Wing, the Conservancy committee approved but prevented most of Albert Hadley's contributions from being realized.  The Dining Room was the one space where Mr. Hadley's ideas were clearly evident.  All the furnishings were donated by Hadley supporters including the scenic wallpaper.  Among Albert's own donations, in addition to his time, were the simple gauze curtains hung from stamped gilt metal valances; the committee fought him on those, insisting much more formal window treatments would be better suited for the room.  The final straw was the fitted carpet;  the multi-colored striped carpet had been selected for the adjacent sitting room and a durable dark green moire-patterned plush-cut carpet was specified for the Dining Room.  When the carpet company brought the goods (donated because of Mr. Hadley) to be installed, some ladies of the committee made a last-minute Executive Decision to switch the goods as the rooms were of similar size and the striped carpet could be stretched a bit to make up the difference.  Since there was not any patterned fabric in the room, they thought the more colorful carpet was better.  By the end of the day, Albert Hadley officially resigned from the effort and the committee was left to "play house" as it wished.


The visitor's entrance to Gracie Mansion
showing the 1966 Susan Wagner Wing.
Photo by John Foreman for
the Big Old Houses blog.

Despite press reports to the contrary, Mayor Ed Koch did not live in Gracie Mansion on a regular basis, preferring his rent-controlled apartment in Greenwich Village.  A rule that allows that the only overnight guests may be the immediate members of the First Family and the official guests of the City of New York prevented Mayors Guiliani and Bloomberg from cohabitating there with their girlfriends.  Mayor Bloomberg did contribute some of his own funds, however, to the $7 million restoration in 2002 with the interior design carried out by his decorator of choice, Jamie Drake.  Those interiors may be seen as photographed by Architectural Digest here.


Gracie Mansion as it appeared circa 1900
(prior to the 1923 restoration)
Image from Bettman Archives via Corbis.

More can be read about the history of Gracie Mansion on John Foreman's Big Old Houses blog here and on the official website of the City of New York here.  In summary, the mayors bring their own furniture for their private rooms and it looks like the Gracie Mansion Conservancy arranged for this donation by West Elm to supplement the De Blassios' belongings although the furniture officially belongs to the Conservancy.

Brooke Astor on Mount Desert Island

Brooke Astor at Cove End, Mount Desert Island, Maine.
She is thought to be about 93 at the time of this photo.
Photo by Brian Vanden Brink for Architectural Digest.

With many photos of Brooke Astor's Park Avenue apartment and her weekend home, Holly Hill, in the news for the upcoming auction at Sotheby's on September 24 and 25, 2012, it was thought some images of her beloved summer residence would find some interest.  The Devoted Classicist has visited Mount Desert Island, Maine, only in the summer, but it is an absolutely delightful place. 

Brooke and Vincent Astor bought the house and its contents in the village of Northeast Harbor in 1953.  Looking out to Gilpatrick Cove, they named the property Cove End.


A view of Gilpatrick Cove from the terrace.
Photo by Brian Vanden Brink for Architectural Digest.

When the Astors first married, they had planned spending their summers yachting abroad, but changed their minds after the first year.  With other residences being more grand, the Astors were appreciative of the cozy informality of the summer retreat with several acres for gardens, and space to entertain friends.


The water side of Cove End, 1996.
Photo by Brian Vanden Brink for Architectural Digest.

Sister Parish, who had decorated their weekend house in Westchester County (and a life-long summer resident of another Maine island, Isleboro), was called in to make it comfortable.  With the help of her business partner Albert Hadley, Cove End was 'freshened' over the years, but changed little before Mrs. Parish's death in 1994.


A tallcase clock in an alcove of the Entrance Hall
at Cove End, as it appeared in the July, 1996, issue of
Architectural Digest magazine.
Photo by Brian Vanden Brink.

Nancy Pierrepont, a friend whose late husband Brooke had known since childhood, continued to freshen a few rooms until an updating was undertaken in the mid-1990s under the direction of Mark Hampton.  A former Parish-Hadley employee for a short time (before working for David Hicks and McMillen before he opened his own firm in 1975), Mark kept the general Sister Parish approach rather than transform it into his own more regimented style.


The Living Room at Cove End as decorated by Mark Hampton.
Photo by Brian Vanden Brink for Architectural Digest.

The Living Room was a few steps lower than the Entrance Hall, giving it a higher ceiling.  This photo shows the results of the Mark Hampton scheme.


The Library at Cove End as it appeared in 1996,
after the refreshening of the Sister Parish scheme.
Photo by Brian Vanden Brink for Architectural Digest.

In the Library, the same chintz chosen by Sister Parish in 1980 was reused in a freshening by Nancy Pierrepont.  The fabric was specially printed to order from Scalamandre rather than change the scheme.


The Master Bedroom at Cove End as it appeared in 1996,
after the refreshening by Nancy Pierrepont.
Photo by Brian Vanden Brink for Architectural Digest.

The Master Bedroom also retained the Sister Parish decorative schemes, using a Brunschwig & Fils fabric for curtains, upholstery and bedhangings.


The new swimming pool garden at Cove End,
as it appeared in 1996.
Photo by Brian Vanden Brink for Architectural Digest.

A new Secret Garden utilizing native plants was added by landscape architect Morgan Wheelock to conceal the new swimming pool.  Mrs. Astor regularly used the pool for exercise until her advanced age prohibited it.

Mark Hampton died in 1998 at the age of 58, but Brooke Astor lived until 2007, surviving until the age of 105.  Her later years were not without problems, however, too complicated to go into detail here.  In 2003, Cove End was signed over to her son Anthony Marshall after he acquired power of attorney over his mother's assets;  he then signed it over to his third wife Charlene, whom he had met when she was married to a local Episcopal pastor.  A 2006 court order required ownership of Cove End to return to Tony Marshall.  Mrs. Marshall was not charged with any wrong doing and still owns some properties surrounding Cove End today.

The Brian Vanden Brink photographs appeared in the July, 1996, issue of Architectural Digest magazine;  a favored rate subscription is available here.

In one last try before publication of this essay to find if Nancy Pierrepont was still alive (a reader left a comment that she passed in 2004), it was found that several years ago The Downeast Dilettante had posted some great vintage photos and floor plans of Cove End on his blog, one of my favorites.  It may be viewed here.

White House: The President's Dining Room

Recent separate discussions on both the Sister Parish White House furnishing for the Kennedys and the use of scenic wallpapers brought The Devoted Classicist to think about the second floor Family Dining Room, sometimes referred to as the President's Dining Room, at the Executive Mansion.  Before the Kennedy residency, the space had been used as a Bedroom or a Family Room;  previously, the First Families went downstairs for their meals, and a room designated as the Family Dining Room occupies a handsome space with a vaulted ceiling just below this room.

The President's Dining Room is the space labelled 'Dining Room'
in this Second Floor Plan depicting the 1962 use of rooms.
Image from The White House Organization.

Mrs. Parish planned the second floor of the White House to be the home for the Kennedy family on much the same terms as she had done for clients for decades whether for grand Manhattan apartments or country estates.  Previous occupants had envisioned the second floor as homey, family quarters, but it was Parish-Hadley (as it was to become as Albert Hadley joined the firm at this time) -- with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy also advised by another great decorator of the day, Stephane Boudin of Maison Jansen, and a committee of wealthy benefactors to foot the bill -- who made it both comfortable and stylish.

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with son John, Jr., and daughter Caroline.
Photo:  John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.

The neo-classical chimneypiece, according to author and White House authority
 Patrick Phillips-Schrock is from the 1952 work of Lorenzo Winslow and
not from the McKim Mead and White renovation, is shown
in this photo dated December, 1961.  The concealed door can partially be seen
on the left, open to the adjacent space used for the children's meals.
Photo:  John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.

This view from February, 1962, shows a work-in-progress.
Photo:  John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.

Benjamin Harrison's china is set on the table
and three pieces from Andrew Jackson's
Biennais service is on the sideboard.
Note the trial chandelier.  April, 1962.

Mrs. Parish's off-white damask seat upholstery is shown here
along with a Waterford chandelier in a circa 1962 photo
by National Geographic Society.
Source: White House Historical Association.

The room was presented as a showcase Federal period furniture made in Maryland, no doubt acquired with the recommendation of Henry Francis DuPont, another influential advisor to Mrs. Kennedy.  (Mr. DuPont, the wealthy collector and perhaps the country's most revered antiquarian of the day, was the founder of the Winterthur Museum of Decorative Arts and the chairman of the newly formed Fine Arts Committee for the White House with Jacqueline Kennedy as honorary chairperson.  DuPont was major force in introducing quality antiques to furnish the State Rooms on the main floor, replacing the largely department-store-quality furniture with fine examples that were gifted or bought with donations).  The chimneypiece on the east wall was replaced by a circa 1815 mantel by Robert Wedford of Philadelphia.  Silver purchased by Andrew Jackson was displayed on a sideboard adorned with an American eagle portrayed by a satinwood inlay.  Silk curtains in two shades of blue were hung inside the openings so as not to obscure the window trim with an assymetric form based on a historic document design.  The main feature of the room, however, was a spectacular scenic wallpaper, circa 1853, depicting the American Revolutionary War that had come from a house in Baltimore.  The first image shows the more finished scheme, rather than an antique rug, a contemporary carpet with a subtle flamestitch pattern was used, and the damask chair seats were changed to tooled white leather (perhaps both being influences by Boudin) adding to the effect that it was a stylish private residence instead of a museum despite the high quality of furnishings.

Image from PARISH-HADLEY:  SIXTY YEARS OF AMERICAN DESIGN.

President William Henry Harrison, in office for only 32 days, broke from tradition and used this room as his bedroom;  he died of pneumonia here in 1841 and most of the predecessors returned to using the bedroom across the hall.  Along with the adjacent corner room, the suite was used by the Prince of Wales in 1860 during his Buchanan administration visit and became known for a time thereafter as the "Prince of Wales Room".  In 1861, Mary Lincoln installed the furniture from the Philadelphia firm of William Carryl now associated with "The Lincoln Bedroom";  their beloved eleven year old son Willie died in the elaborate bed just months after the decoration of the room was complete and President Lincoln was embalmed in the room three years later according to AMERICA'S FIRST FAMILIES by Carl Sferraza Anthony.

Photo:  Library of Congress.

This 1898 view of the room shows how it appeared when used as a bedroom during the McKinley Presidency, photographed for the first time. First Lady Ida McKinley had it painted pink and spent most of her time during her White House occupancy.  The painting above the two brass beds pushed together is of their daughter who had died two decades earlier.

Photo:  Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing.

Some of the Victorian decoration was removed for Alice Roosevelt's use as a bedroom as seen in this 1902 photo.  During a meal with the Nixons about 70 years later, Alice Roosevelt Longworth remembered that she had her appendix removed in the room. Sister Ethel's bedroom is glimpsed through the open door.

Photo:  Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing.

Photo:  Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing.

A daughter of President Taft also used the space as a bedroom as seen in these circa 1911 photographs.  The idea of stylish comfort is beginning to show in the decoration of the room.

Photo:  Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.

As seen in this 1948 view of the room prior to the reconstruction of the White House, the Trumans daughter Margaret used it as her Sitting Room.  The piano leg's breaking through the floor was one of the factors that contributed to the decision to completely gut the mansion and rebuild it within the shell.

Photo:  Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.

The reconstruction deleted the chimney breast as shown in the 1952 photograph taken as the work was not yet completed. Also the doorway that had been adjacent to the fireplace was removed as that was the First Lady's Study on the other side of the wall.

Photo from the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.

The reconstruction provided an elliptical end at the entrance to the room that served as a device to visually center the fireplace in the room.  A concealed door on the left leads to a closet.  The corresponding space on the right is also used as storage, but accessed through the hall to the corner room used by Margaret Truman as her bedroom.  The West Sitting Hall, used as a Living Room for the First Family, is seen through the doorway.

President Johnson at the head of the table with his advisors.
White House photo.

President Johnson, right, with his advisors.
White House photo.

Despite the enormous differences between the Kennedys and the Johnsons, there were no widespread changes of the White House decor, as shown in these photos of President Johnson meeting with his advisors in 1967.  In fact, the work that had already been ordered by Jacqueline Kennedy proceeded and was installed during the Johnson Administration.  (The exception was the Oval Office which had furnishings that were installed during the trip to Dallas;  President Johnson kept the curtains by Stephane Boudin but brought in the same desk he had used since his days in the Senate, added a console that held three televisions so he could see all the major networks at the same time, and eventually changed the red carpet to gray).

Photo:  National Archives and Records Administration.

Although it appears that only the rug has changed in circa 1970 photo of the Nixon family dining in the room, the curtains were replaced around 1968, duplicating the previous design.

Photo:  The White House Museum Organization.

At some time later in the early 1970s, the influence of Clement Conger, the new White House Curator, can be seen in the change of carpet, a recreation of a historic document design. Along with Edward Vason Jones and design consultant Sarah Jackson Doyle, who had worked with the Nixons since 1965 (according to The Richard Nixon Foundation), First Lady Pat Nixon refurbished both private family rooms on the second floor as well as public rooms on the main floor.

Photo:  The Richard Nixon Foundation.

This circa 1973 view, again of the Nixon family dining, shows the carpet but few changes otherwise from the Kennedy scheme.

Photo:  National Archives and Records Administration.

When Gerald Ford became President in 1974 after the resignation of Richard Nixon, he became the only person to hold that office who was never elected President or Vice-President by the Electoral Colllege.  Although President Ford may be best remembered for granting Nixon a Presidential Pardon for his role in the Watergate Scandal, this writer associates him with the one who removed the scenic wallpaper;  he just could not bear it and had the walls painted yellow.  Ironically he is shown here raising a glass to the First Lady;  after a long-running battle with alcoholism, she was the founder and first chair of the board of directors of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction.

Photo:  Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.

In Bicentennial Year of 1976, the Fords are shown with guests Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the yellow painted room.  That thermostat between the Queen and the President was always there, apparently, but not so prominent with the design of the wallpaper.  The reproduction carpet is replaced with an Oriental rug.

First Lady Rosalynn Carter is at the head of the table with the President's mother, Lillian,
opposite.  Daughter Amy is in the plaid shirt on the right.
White House photo.

By the time of this circa 1978 photo, the Carters had reinstalled the scenic wallpaper.  Rosalynn Carter's decorator was Carleton Varney, known for his bold use of color.

Photo from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library.

In this photo dating from 1981, the room is set up for a dinner honoring Charles, Prince of Wales.  The second mirror, duplicating the one over the mantle, is too high on the wall, a position especially noticeable with the sideboard removed.  An empire pier table is placed between the windows, now with damask curtains covering the trim, presumably designed by the Reagan's decorator Ted Graber.

Photo from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library.

The room as it usually appeared during the Reagan years is seen in this 1986 photo.  The rug and chair seat upholstery seems to be the same from when the Fords decorated the room.

Photo by the Historic American Building Survey.

The  1992 photograph by the Historic American Building Survey shows the room as it appeared during the occupancy of Barbara and George Herbert Walker Bush, sometimes referred to as Bush 41 as he was the 41st President.  The Bush's decorator was Mark Hampton who apparently made little if any changes to this room.

Photo from The White House Museum Organization.

When the photos of the redecoration of Hillary and Bill Clinton's White House by Little Rock, Arkansas, decorator Kaki Hockersmith became public, they were a sensation.  But not generally in a positive way.  The consensus was that the design lacked an understanding of the scale and history of the White House and how the residence was used.  This time, the scenic wallpaper was not removed, but covered by a pale green fabric. This photo dates from about 1997.

White House Photo of  President George W. Bush with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice,
by Eric Draper.

Laura and George W. Bush, Bush 43, employed Fort Worth, Texas, decorator Kenneth Blasingame to essentially erase all the Clinton decor.  In contrast to the previous schemes, Laura Bush's decor was not controversial, but not particularly newsworthy either.  In this room, it seems the shield-back Hepplewhite dining chairs remain, but the chintz upholstery was changed to a more period-correct horsehair with decorative swag nail-head trim.  Also, the reproduction carpet pattern from the Nixon administration returned.  A golden yellow damask is now covering the walls.

White House photo by Peter Souza.

With the exception of photos of the Obama Oval Office, few photos have been released to reveal the interior design schemes of Santa Monica, California, decorator Michael S.Smith. Although Smith is involved in a number of commercial fabric and furniture lines, he clearly had not yet decorated this room as shown in this 2009 photo of Michelle Obama with Nancy Reagan.  The placement of the mid-19th century giltwood mirror above the mantle also dates from the Laura Bush-Kenneth Blasingame decoration.

More information about the White House can be found at the official White House website and the White House Historical Association.  Non-official sites such as The White House Museum Organization and the Facebook Group, White House Fanatics, are also sources of information.  The ground-breaking book DESIGNING CAMELOT: THE KENNEDY WHITE HOUSE RESTORATION by James Archer Abbott is the ultimate reference for the subject.