Mark Hampton and the Single Fabric Scheme

A double-height Drawing Room
decorated by Mark Hampton.
Photo by Peter Vitale for Architectural Digest.

Having worked with a number of 'name' interior designers, I am often asked if there are formulas for decorating.  Yes and no.  There are some themes that are often used in developing an interior décor and one is what I have termed the Single Fabric Scheme.  Popular for years and still used today by both professionals and amateurs alike, the concept is based on choosing one particular fabric for a room and then using it on just about everything.  Success largely depends, as you might imagine, on the fabric.  Also, all of the furnishings and the architecture of the room must be able to be compatible with the unyielding effect of the material.  An example of the Single Fabric Scheme may be seen in this project decorated by Mark Hampton.


The Drawing Room of a townhouse
decorated by Mark Hampton.
Photo by Peter Vitale for Architectural Digest.

Featured in the April, 1983, issue of Architectural Digest, this Beekman Place, New York City, townhouse belongs to Dr. and Mrs. Lorenzo Mendoza of Caracas, bought by his parents in the 1940s.  Blessed with a big, double-height Drawing Room, the article said the house served as a family meeting place for the six children who were in school in the U.S.  Following the Sister Parish practice of providing three seating groups - themes of furniture arrangement will follow in future posts - a sofa faces the fireplace while two others flank the chimney breast.


The seating group opposite the fireplace
in the Drawing Room.
Photo by Peter Vitale for Architectural Digest.

The same silk damask from Brunschwig & Fils covers two of the sofas, two upholstered club chairs, a set of four slipper chairs, a pair of folding screens, a tufted pouf, the walls above the chair rail, and the swagged curtains of an enormous window.  Welcome relief is provided by a suite of nineteenth-century, gilded, Louis XVI style chairs and canapé covered in Aubusson tapestry.  Silk of a creamy pink color is used for a pair of round, draped tables and fringed accent cushions.  A rug made from multi-colored, patterned Stark carpeting also offers some variation in the scheme.


The Library of the Beekman Place townhouse
decorated by Mark Hampton.
Photo by Peter Vitale for Architectural Digest.

The Library overlooking the Drawing Room has walls painted with a glazed lacquer effect in dark green to match the linen velvet upholstery.  This would be considered a variation of the Single Fabric Scheme.  A patterned Stark carpet in dark green and cream also coordinates with the cream painted millwork and cabinetry.  Hampton's associate Lino Correia was credited in assisting in the additions and changes to architectural details.


The Master Bedroom decorated by Mark Hampton.
Photo by Peter Vitale for Architectural Digest.

The Master Bedroom is another variation of the scheme.  Although the same floral chintz is used for all the upholstery and bedspread, another fabric - a subtle strie - was used for the curtains.


The Dining Room decorated by Mark Hampton.
Photo by Peter Vitale for Architectural Digest.

It appears that the same bedroom curtain fabric was used for curtains in the Dining Room.  And it also appears that the same carpet from the Library was used again here.  Although the text makes no mention of the wall decoration, The Devoted Classicist guesses that it is the work of noted decorative painter Robert Jackson.  The elements of the fretwork pattern work out too perfectly not to have been custom painted for the room.


The Entrance Hall painted by Robert Jackson.
Photo by Peter Vitale for Architectural Digest.

The text does reveal that Robert Jackson painted the walls of the Entrance Hall with the Chinese-inspired design.  Robert was one of this country's best decorative painters in the second half of the century, and his work is always a delight to see.  (For a look at a room painted by Robert Jackson for two of my own projects, click here and here).

Is the Single Fabric Scheme a good approach to interior decoration?  As seen here, it cannot be carried through a whole house or apartment without at least some variation, room after room, but it can be an effective solution for one space in a residence.  The advantages of this approach are many; it is relatively easy, and if the designer's fee is based on a mark-up, bolts of an expensive fabric rack up a big commission fast.  But whether it is the best approach is a matter of preference.

Decorative Painting, Part 2

The Master Bedroom from a project by John Tackett Design.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn from SOUTHERN ACCENTS ON COLOR.

The Devoted Classicist is a great admirer of decorative painting, and this is the second of a series of essays, the first being back on December 26, 2010.  Shown here is the Master Bedroom of a house in the Volk Estates area of Highland Park, Dallas, Texas.  A view of the exterior and the renovated staircase in the stenciled Entrance Hall can be revisited on the July 28, 2011, post.  The suite occupies part of the existing house as well as the second story of one of the new additions;  in addition to the large bedroom, there are His & Hers Dressing Rooms, His & Hers Bathrooms, a Sitting Room, and an Office.  The wood chimneypiece was reused from the Garden Room downstairs (below the Sitting Room) and given a faux marbre finish. For the sake of variety and to give a coziness to the room with a big cove and tray ceiling, it was decided that a faux bois paneled decoration would be just the ticket.  The decorative painting was executed by the noted artist Robert Jackson and his team.

The bed, a discontinued model by Mark Hampton for Hickory Chair which was given a glaze painted finish on site, was chosen by collaborator Josie McCarthy who also specified all the fabrics.  John Tackett Design provided a full size template for the bed canopy (and pleated valances for the windows and French doors) to work with the embroidered fabric from Chelsea Editions.  The photo, which originally appeared as part of an 18 page article in Southern Accents magazine, is from the book Southern Accents on Color, available here.  And yes, the magazine editor and photographer did move the candle wall sconces and watercolor portrait for the shot!

Staircase Renovation

The renovated stair with a new balustrade by John Tackett Design compliments the original style of the house.  The custom stencilled decorative painting was executed by the late Robert Jackson and his crew.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn.

As a continuation of the series of posts on the house in Volk Estates, University Park, Dallas, the improvements for the main staircase in the Entrance Hall are presented here.  Although the house was built in the Tudor Revival style in 1934, it had been remodelled in the 1950s with many of the original details replaced by more modern and eclectic features.  The Fifties iron stair balustrade was the first thing noticed on entering the house, and it was the feature at the top of the list that the new owners were most eager to change.

A BEFORE view of the Fifties balustrade showing the new oak handrail.
Photo by John Tackett Design.

New wood balusters, newel and handrail were designed to compliment the architecture and comply with safety requirements.  The curve of the stairs was continued above, with the floor opening altered and a curved second floor partition added to redefine the space.

An IN PROGRESS view showing the new balustrade and the altered floor opening to continue the curve.
Photo by John Tackett Design.

These changes led to a reconstruction of the entrance to the second floor bedroom located above the main entrance.  Although the bedroom had an attractive triple exposure, the original locations of the doors prevented a comfortable placement of furniture.  The new plan proposed by John Tackett Design shown below was realized, relocating the entrance to a large walk-through closet that also provided acess to an adjacent second guest bathroom and guest bedroom (not shown).

The Proposed Plan of the renovated second floor Stair Hall and the Guest Bedroom.
Drawing by John Tackett Design.

On the exterior, the unique original oriel window of Douglas fir, copper, and leaded glass placed against the exterior wall of random Texas fieldstone and diaper-patterned brick makes the house memorable.  The original architect was Clyde H. Griesenbeck, noted for his picturesque Tudor manors in both University Park and adjacent Highland Park.

An Exterior view of the main entrance with the Guest Bedroom above.
Photo by Steve Clicque from THE HOMES OF THE PARK CITIES, DALLAS:  GREAT AMERICAN SUBURBS.

The 2008 book THE HOMES OF THE PARK CITIES, DALLAS:  GREAT AMERICAN SUBURBS may be purchased through The Devoted Classicist Library at a discount of 37% off the published price and the option of free shipping by clicking here.

Decorative Painting, Part 1

An overabundance of mediocre to just plain bad decorative painting has somewhat soured the design profession and the general public to a great degree.  But special painting, ranging from simple glazing to trompe l'oeil, can provide a layer of interest in a very personal and unique way.  In this example by the late Robert Jackson, the artist incorporated a variety of techniques to decorate the walls of a dining room of an architectural project of mine in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, decorated by Bunny Williams.  Robert took my design for pilasters that provided the framework for a new bay window in this room and a new breakfast room adjacent, and gave a decorative rhythmic layout to the otherwise plain dining room.  While the lower panels are consistent in design as a trompe l'oeil panel with vines of morning glories, the upper panels are each a different romantic landscape view.  The overall effect, like the rest of the house, is one of charming sophistication.  There is a formality without stiffness, a trademark of Mr Jackson's work. For eight years in the 1950s, Mr Jackson developed his technique in England working for the legendary Oliver Messel and John Siddeley.  Robert Jackson enjoyed a long career of decorative painting, usually commissioned by noted New York City designers who appreciated his versatility and his knowledge of various styles and periods, especially 17th and 18th century French and Italian paintings.  

I have been fortunate to have had several phases of architectural design work to improve this stone Georgian Revival style house from the 1930s on a lovely site on a private road out the Main Line from Philadelphia.  (And I have been even more fortunate to have helped with additional residences for this couple as well, all beautifully decorated by Bunny).  This is the clients' primary home and my association was made even more a pleasure because both the husband and the wife were so involved and interested in the project, a situation that is not always the case.  Working on this wonderful house with Bunny, Robert, and fabulous clients was a treat for the devoted classicist.

The photo by Tom Leigton appears in the book Modern Murals, Grand Illusions in Interior Decoration by Caroline Cass, published by Whitney Library of Design.