Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2013 i ELLE DECOR

How different are American homes from European ones? While I remain a devoted fan of American decorating and American decorative arts, I have to admit that I often look at European interiors with a twinge of envy. And this issue, which focuses on homes in Ireland, England, and France (and one as far afield as Morocco, although even that has a distinctly Gallic air), has provoked more than a couple of jealous thoughts. The most immediate difference, of course, is architecture. American homes tend to lack the sweeping high ceilings, paneling, ornate plasterwork, enfilades of rooms, and striking patterned tile floors that are signature elements of so many of the homes we feature this month. But these homes, and their owners, provide lessons and inspirations that can apply anywhere. They…

CALL IT A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN. ITALIAN FASHION HOUSE BOTTEGA VENETA HAS COLLABORATED WITH THE CENTURIES-OLD GERMAN PORCELAIN MAKER KöNIGLICHE PORZELLAN-MANUFAKTUR ON A COLLECTION OF ELEGANT PORCELAIN-AND–BURNT-GOLD JEWELRY. THE GLEAMING STATEMENT PIECES FEATURE HANDCRAFTED MEDALLIONS CARVED WITH ANGELS, A TRIBUTE TO VENETIAN NEOCLASSICAL SCULPTOR ANTONIO CANOVA (BOTTEGAVENETA.COM). ELEVATED STYLE Harking back to the era when flying was the epitome of glamour, several airlines are making travel a study in style again. Finnish textile company Marimekko recently adorned the exteriors of Finnair jets with its iconic poppies, and the cabins with its punchy prints on tableware and blankets (finnair.com). For Virgin Atlantic, Vivienne Westwood has designed sleek flight-attendant uniforms in the airline's signature red (virgin-atlantic.com). And All Nippon Airways has commissioned Prabal Gurung to dress its attendants in outfits with…

He was part of Italy's second wave of modernists, but with his obsession with preservation and his love of the handcrafted, Carlo Scarpa (1906–78) could be considered the quintessential architect for the 21st century. He was a son of Venice and the Veneto, so for him history was as much in the air as oxygen, something essential and inescapable. In his first major project, the 1935 renovation of the Ca' Foscari palazzo in Venice, he placed an elegantly proportioned glass wall behind a screen of neo-Gothic columns, blending the past and the present. His renovations of the city's Correr Museum and the Accademia Gallery show that no detail was too small: the hinge of a display case, the structure of an easel. And throughout his career, Scarpa worked with the…

AT AUSTRALIA'S REVAMPED PRAHRAN HOTEL—NOT AN ACTUAL HOTEL, BUT A GASTROPUB IN MELBOURNE'S VIBRANT PRAHRAN NEIGHBORHOOD—IT'S TIME TO ROLL OUT THE BARREL. ENLISTED TO CREATE SOMETHING "OUTLANDISH," TECHNé ARCHITECTS DELIVERED WITH A FACADE OF 17 CUSTOM-MADE CONCRETE PIPES STACKED ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER. EACH OF THE WOOD-LINED ENCLOSURES IS OUTFITTED WITH LEATHER BANQUETTES AND PROVIDES A COZY NOOK FOR DRINKING AND DINING—FULLY VISIBLE TO PASSERSBY, OF COURSE. ACCORDING TO PRAHRAN CO-OWNER MATT MULLINS, THE TEAM LOOKED FOR SIMILAR PROJECTS AROUND THE WORLD IN ORDER TO LEARN CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES—AND COULDN'T FIND ANY. "WE WERE MAKING IT UP AS WE WENT ALONG," HE SAYS. BUT THE PUB, WHICH HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE THE 1940s, IS MORE THAN THE SUM OF ITS PIPES. THE PRAHRAN BOASTS THREE BARS, AND A SHADY,…

Oxblood calfskin bag by Burberry Prorsum; burberry.com. Soho Square* burlap wallcovering by Crezana Design; crezana.com. Union Square* burlap wallcovering by Crezana Design; crezana.com. Rosewood-and-metal bangles by Sorab & Roshi; sorabandroshi.com. Luna Globe chandelier by Downtown; downtown20.net. Rivets* hemp wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries; phillipjeffries.com. New Safari camp chair by Ralph Lauren Home; ralph?laurenhome.com. Dalia stool by Arteriors; arteriorshome.com. Stella Bead* linen by Ankasa for Beacon Hill; beaconhilldesign.com. Lucente* nailhead trim by Samuel & Sons; samuelandsons.com. Neoprene eyelet trench coat by Burberry Prorsum from fall 2013; burberry.com. Caroline console by Celerie Kemble for Henredon; henredon.com. Malabar Hill shoe by Christian Louboutin; christianlouboutin.fr. Stud Stripe* jute burlap wallcovering by Celerie Kemble for Schumacher; fschumacher.com. Studded convex mirror by Blackman Cruz; blackman?cruz.com. *Available to the trade only. See Resources.…

WHAT'S NEW TO THE TRADE—FABRICS, FURNISHINGS, AND FABULOUS FINDS 1. Hubert le Gall's airy Polyedres light fixture gleams thanks to the petite halogen bulbs at its center. It measures 63" h. x 45" dia. and comes in two finishes: gold, shown, or white. 323-655-9193; jeandemerry.com. 2. The Heliodor collection of handwoven sisal wall coverings by Arte includes Cube, a geometric Escher-like pattern. It is available in eight colors, including, from left, gold, silver, and blue. 866-943-2783; arte-international.com. 3. Foliage, the latest fabric from Jed Johnson, is covered in a spirited embroidery evocative of Art Deco exuberance. The cotton-linen blend is available in six colorways, including blue-cream, shown. 212-707-8989; jedjohnson.com. 4. A cactus that designer Jiun Ho discovered on his travels inspired his Atacama table, which measures 30" h. x…

MAKING A SPLASH Kartell, which brought high design to plastic, is collaborating with Swiss brand Laufen to enter a whole new arena: the bath. Each accessory comes in four colors, plus clear. The stackable Sound-Rack shelving unit, top right, measures 29.5" w. x 21" h. x 10" d. and is $680. The 12" w. Rail towel racks, bottom left, are $99 each. The Max-Beam stool, shown in clear and three colors, measures 18.5" h. x 13" w. x 10.5" d. and costs $335. 212-966-6665; kartell.com WARM GREETING Emblazoned with graphic motifs, Tag's fade-resistant doormats are woven by skilled craftspeople in the coastal villages of southwest India from coir, a hardy and renewable fiber extracted from coconut husks. The Geometric mat measures 30" l. x 18" w. and costs…

THE ESSENTIAL LOIRE VALLEY The country code is 33. Take to the air. A wonderful way to view the area's châteaus is from the skies. Air Touraine (airtouraine.fr) offers helicopter and hot-air balloon rides. Think green. France's most creative garden festival is held from April to October at the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire (domaine-chaumont.fr); this year's guests include designer Patrick Jouin. Horticulture fans should also check out Château de la Bourdaisière (labourdaisiere.com)—its tomato conservatory holds 650 varieties. Go underground. Many of the area's ancient cave dwellings are now home to guesthouses, wine cellars, and museums. To see how they were once inhabited, visit the subterranean farms and chapel at the Rochemenier Troglodytic Village (troglodyte.fr). WHAT TO SEE Abbaye de Fontevraud, Fontevraud l'Abbaye; 2-41-51-73-52; abbayede fontevraud.com: This majestic 12th-century abbey served…

The entrance of a château near Orléans, France; the grounds were restored by French landscape designer Louis Benech. The house is flanked by lilac bushes and Atlas cedars, and Benech had the yews shaped into cones. See Resources. EVEN THE MOST intrepid buyer might find acquiring a down-at-the-heels late-18th-century château a daunting experience—all the more so if the landscaping around it has also been neglected. This was the situation facing a French couple who purchased precisely such a château near Orléans in the late 1990s. But when it came to reviving the grounds, they knew exactly what to do: They contacted Louis Benech, a French garden designer with an affinity for restoration projects. Benech has a reputation for creating landscapes that fit seamlessly into their natural surroundings. His career got…

OFTEN DESCRIBED as the most beautiful house in Ireland, Russborough is certainly the longest: Its granite façade stretches 700 feet. Designed by German-born architect Richard Castle, the Palladian building dates from the 1740s and was commissioned by Joseph Leeson, whose father had made a fortune in brewing and property speculation. On coming into his inheritance, Leeson decided to buy himself both a seat in parliament and a seat in the country, in County Wicklow. Soon Russborough was filled with treasures acquired during Leeson's two Grand Tours across mainland Europe. The rooms in which these were displayed offer outstanding examples of 18th-century Irish craftsmanship, with mahogany parquet flooring and elaborate plasterwork covering ceilings and even walls—all on shining display since 1978, when the property first opened to the public. As befitted…

ROBERTO BEGNINI Despite his two Italian residences—including his apartment in Rome's historic Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, featured on page 136—Roberto Begnini isn't tied to his native country. Recently he's been spending time in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, where he's restoring an early-20th-century house, which he is turning into a small hotel. Casa Roberto (casaroberto.uy) is scheduled to open its doors in November, with four rooms in the wunderkammer style of his Roman residence. The building will also house an interior design studio and a gallery that sells vintage and contemporary furnishings from around the world. The landscape architect behind the gardens at a Loire Valley château (see page 128) has taken on projects around the world, from Chicago to Egypt to New Zealand. But the core of his work lies…

LET IT POUR Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek has created a set of geometric pitchers with Art Deco flair. Ideal for serving drinks or displaying flowers, his Facet jugs range from 9" to 13.5" h. Made of white-glazed ceramic, they cost $1,688 each; silver-plated brass versions are $3,128 each. 212-473-2500; thefutureperfect.com 1 / SUSPENDED ANIMATION Woven by Colombian artisans displaced by guerrilla warfare, the PET hanging lamps by designer Alvaro Catalán de Ocón take their name from the recycled plastic bottles from which they are made. Nine styles are offered in various colors and sizes. Prices range from $235 for small to $475 for extra-large. petlamp.org 2 / BLACK BEAUTY Inspired by a midcentury bureau with reeded detailing and playful drawer pulls, designer Bunny Williams has created her…

ARCHITECT SERGEI TCHOBAN, WHOSE BUILDINGS ADORN BOTH HIS NATIVE RUSSIA AND HIS ADOPTED BERLIN, HAS CONSTRUCTED THE STRIKING TCHOBAN FOUNDATION MUSEUM FOR ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING IN THE GERMAN CAPITAL'S PRENZLAUER BERG AREA. THE STRUCTURE HOUSES HIS COLLECTION OF WORKS FROM THE 16TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT, AS WELL AS TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS. ITS CONCRETE FACADE WARRANTS A CLOSE LOOK: IT IS INSCRIBED WITH SKETCHES OF ROTUNDAS, COLUMNS, ARCHWAYS, AND OTHER DETAILS (TCHOBAN-FOUNDATION.DE). PALACE INTRIGUE Venice dazzles with antiquities, but that doesn't mean a new hotel can't be just as resplendent—especially when it's an Aman resort housed in a 16th-century palazzo. Situated on the bank of the Grand Canal in the San Polo district near the Rialto Bridge, the Aman retains much of its original interior decoration, including extravagant gilding, historic frescoes, and…

When Joseph Fratesi explains the ethos of Atlas Industries, the furniture design and manufacturing firm he founded a decade ago with Thomas Wright, he quotes Pritzker Prize–winning architect Peter Zumthor: "He said that the best spaces just make you feel good." That could be said of any interior that includes Atlas's tables, desks, bed frames, folding screens, and cantilever chairs. Built from a seductive combination of hand-oiled hardwoods, glass or stone, and cold-rolled steel, every piece is made to order. Perhaps best known for their eminently versatile AS4 modular shelving systems, Fratesi and Wright, who do all the designing and much of the metalwork themselves, have been anointed by design heavyweights such as Steven Harris, Deborah Berke, Michael S. Smith, and Amy Lau. "Joseph and Tom are a triple threat—they…

For the centuries-old Swiss watchmaking firm Vacheron Constantin, early May was the perfect time to host an alfresco dinner at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The purpose of the event was twofold: to inaugurate the museum's retrospective of the work of light artist James Turrell, which the company is sponsoring, and to toast the opening of a new Vacheron Constantin boutique on nearby Rodeo Drive. The evening began with champagne and hors d'oeuvres at the shop, where the in-house watchmaker demonstrated his craftsmanship. A fleet of Mercedes S-Class cars then chauffeured the guests to the museum, where L.A. luminaries entered through Chris Burden's dazzling Urban Light installation, made of 202 restored vintage street lamps. Event planner Bronson van Wyck had situated a 144-foot-long, mirror-clad dining table parallel to…

"I'm influenced by my own imagination," says London-based designer Anouska Hempel. Her life certainly sounds like the stuff of fiction. The New Zealand native was an actress and Bond Girl before remaking herself as an interior designer and hotelier and marrying financier Sir Mark Weinberg. In the 1970s, Hempel almost single-handedly invented the boutique luxury hotel when she opened the theatrical Blakes in London, complete with a room inspired by Chinese opium dens. The globe-trotting decorator, who also designs couture, is creating a collection for Ghurka that includes handbags, furniture, and even tents. As she says: "If you can design well in one area, you can design jolly well everything." BY INGRID ABRAMOVITCH COUNTRY LIFE • The English country home is coming back in a big way. For years there…

In September, it's time to put away the grill and return to the kitchen. So many of us are heading back to work or to school, and chicken Milanese makes for the perfect weeknight supper—it's a crowd-pleaser that is as popular with adults as it is with youngsters. With a little advance preparation, you can make this dish very quickly. This recipe is a variation of a staple of brasserie menus all over my native France: veal Milanese. As in that dish, the cutlets are breaded (I add pulverized almonds to the coating for crunch) and finished with a pinch of acidity—capers and lemon juice. In this pan-frying method, they are browned in a thin layer of olive oil, which is much healthier than deep-frying. At the end I add…

One of the oldest known maps of Havana hangs in the entry hall of a grand apartment on Paris's Left Bank. The map dates from 1723 and once belonged to Sir Thomas Phillipps, considered by many to be the greatest book collector of all time. Phillipps amassed some 40,000 volumes and 60,000 manuscripts, and coined the term vellomaniac to describe his fixation with vellum manuscripts. The term could just as easily apply to this home's owner. "It's an apartment made by a man who very much likes books," his close friend, the English antiques dealer Piers von Westenholz, says with understatement. "His home is really a series of libraries." Indeed, about the only place you won't find a bookcase is in the bathroom. Located in the heart of the ultra-chic…

In the living room of Roberto Begnini's apartment in Rome's Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, the antique trunk and 1920s portraits are Chinese, the lithograph is by Miela Reina, and the watercolor is by Cristiano and Patrizio Alviti; the tiled flooring was installed in the 1930s. FACING PAGE: The living room's pair of armchairs came from the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, the red-leather chair is from the 1930s, and the sofa is covered with a Tunisian cotton blanket; the bookcase is custom made, and the antique rug is Iranian. ROME IS A CITY OF PALACES. THE ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GOVERNS from the Palazzo Chigi, the president from the Quirinale; the Senate meets in the Palazzo Madama, the Chamber of Deputies in the Montecitorio. The Trevi Fountain abuts the Palazzo Poli.…

TALENT PAGE 62: Atlas Industries (845-391-8855; atlaseast.com). TREND ALERT PAGE 72: Oxblood calfskin bag, $2,995, from fall 2013, by Burberry Prorsum (212-407-7100; burberry.com). Union Square burlap wallcovering and Soho Square burlap wallcovering, both to the trade from Crezana Design (631-283-3101; crezana.com). Luna Globe chandelier, $6,800, by Downtown (310-652-7461; downtown20.net). Rivets hemp wallcovering, in gold on navy, #5700, to the trade from Phillip Jeffries (973-575-5414; phillipjeffries.com). Rosewood-and-metal bangles, $850 ea., by Sorab & Roshi (203-869-5800; sorabandroshi.com). Dalia stool, $600, by Arteriors (877-488-8866; arteriorshome.com). New Safari camp chair, $5,025, by Ralph Lauren Home (888-475-7674; ralphlaurenhome.com). Neoprene eyelet trench coat, $10,000, from fall 2013, by Burberry Prorsum. Studded convex mirror, $6,300, by Blackman Cruz (323-466-8600; blackmancruz.com). Stud Stripe jute burlap wallcovering, in ivory/silver, #5006110, by Celerie Kemble for Schumacher (800-523-1200; fschumacher.com). Malabar…

MAIL The Tuxedo Park, New York, home in your story "Game for Anything" [June] is a colorful escape from the sterile and the staid. These rooms encourage comfort and conversation. It's refreshing to see a variety of colors that reflect warmth and sophistication at the same time. Lauren D. Hall, Punta Gorda, FL This time you've outdone yourselves. Your June issue is loaded with taste, subtlety, and inspiration. Naturally, I have a personal favorite: John Saladino's work in "Repeat Performance" is masterful. He continues to raise the bar in design excellence. And ELLE DECOR continues to make me happy. Esther Horvath, Dallas, GA Although I will agree that decorator Todd Alexander Romano's New York City apartment is timeless ["Dressed to the Nines," June], the photo of him smoking a cigarette…

In the middle of the 19th century, Napoleon III, ruler of the French Empire, appointed urban planner Baron Haussmann to tear up the warren-like, medieval streets and houses of Paris and replace them with the orderly boulevards, stately apartment buildings, and trim parks we know today. The project was ferociously divisive, but it proved to be a boon for Charles Marville, an ambitious magazine and book illustrator who had recently taken up the developing medium of photography. Marville's early pictures of artifacts in the Louvre, the sculptures of Chartres Cathedral, and other works of art and architecture soon won him a commission from the city to document the old, fairy-tale Paris that was rapidly disappearing. Marville's richly detailed photos offer a rare glimpse of a city in dramatic transition—often, literally,…

DURABLE, COLORFUL, AND EASY TO CLEAN, FORMICA LAMINATE—KRAFT PAPER THAT HAS BEEN DIPPED IN RESIN, COATED WITH MELAMINE, COMPRESSED, AND HEATED—IS ALL AROUND US, AS ILLUSTRATED BY FORMICA FOREVER (METROPOLIS), A CELEBRATION OF THE COMPANY'S CENTENNIAL. PACKED WITH IRRESISTIBLY KITSCHY VINTAGE ADS, THE BOOK DETAILS THE MATERIAL'S MANY USES, INCLUDING IN THE INTERIOR OF THE QE2, IN KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS ACROSS AMERICA (REMEMBER THE UBIQUITOUS BOOMERANG PATTERN?), AND IN ARTWORK BY CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTS ZAHA HADID AND FRANK GEHRY. GRAND INTENTIONS If it weren't for William Kent, would there even be a Downton Abbey? The 18th-century architect, furniture maker, landscape designer, and painter created extraordinary Italianate and neoclassical villas and townhouses for British aristocrats seeking quarters worthy of their Grand Tour finds and newly sophisticated tastes. In the process, Kent defined…

1 In the loft office of Will Kopelman's streamlined West Hollywood apartment, vintage Bertoia chairs face a desk that was purchased in the 1960s by Kopelman's father. 2 Antiques dealer Liza Sherman layered the study of her midtown Manhattan home with an abundance of vintage pieces. These include a French banner and floor lamp, and an Anglo-Raj cotton quilt that hangs between ceiling beams, all of which date from the '40s; a metal cantilever chair is from the '50s, and the painting on the desk is by makeup and visual artist Linda Mason. A dressing-table chair appears to float near the top of the room. 3 Interior designer Charles Spada filled his Paris-inspired Boston loft with artworks and books; he designed the study's bookshelves and pullout desk, the leather office…

12 THINGS HE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT This fall, New Yorkers will get their first glimpse of W57, the pyramid-shaped tower apartment building that audacious young Danish architect Bjarke Ingels is planting beside the Hudson River. The project, which occupies a city block, will incorporate a courtyard replica of Central Park—"just 15,000 times smaller, like a bonsai," Ingels says. Only two years after establishing a New York office for his firm, Bjarke Ingels Group (known as BIG), the 38-year-old architect has an American staff of 65 and projects across the U.S. and Canada. He has also found time to write a book, Yes Is More, in which he articulates the importance he places on architecture that makes people happy. "I think every project, no matter how quotidian, has the potential to…

From ancient Egypt to colonial America, artists have used plaster, one of the world's most versatile materials, to make intricate sculptures and architectural ornaments. In the 20th century, designers such as Frances Elkins and John Dickinson became renowned for producing whimsical white plaster furnishings and light fixtures. The material isn't without drawbacks, most notably its fragility. Today, manufacturers use plaster as well as similar looking but more durable materials to create objects and furniture with the signature chalk-white look. Such pieces are popular for good reason, says designer Barrie Benson: "They can make a stiff room feel a lot more casual." Plaster-like pieces usually have a strong handmade quality and a heavily textured finish—appealing elements for almost any interior, traditional or modern, says designer Stefan Steil. "They can bring a…

There may be some eight million visitors to the Loire Valley every year, but few experience it quite like French writer and historian Gonzague Saint Bris. For eight days each summer, he and his family board a raft and sail down the Loire River. Along the way, they drink white wine and sleep on sandy islands. "The châteaus were meant to be seen from the water," he asserts. "You really get the best view from there." The châteaus in question are very much the region's main draw. In total, there are more than a hundred. Some resemble forbidding medieval fortresses, while others display breathtaking finesse and beauty. A handful are immense and world-renowned. Several smaller ones have been transformed into hotels, offering guests the opportunity to live like nobility, if…

Waking up to the mesmerizing calls of the muezzin in the heart of the ancient maze that is the walled old town of Marrakech, Morocco, is a poetic existence; add a toddler and a big black Labrador named Cricket, and the situation gets complicated. "We lived in the medina for five years and loved it," recalls Caitlin Dowe-Sandes, who along with her husband, Samuel, owns the Moroccan tile company Popham Design. "But if you have a demanding job and a family, it's hard work. We started to crave a different lifestyle, one where we could walk to our daughter's school or park our car in front of our house." Not to mention that they were itching to find a new project. "Sam was not going to let me rearrange all…

French fashion designer Yvan Mispelaere was looking for something different in Paris. He had lived in his share of late-19th-century Haussmannian flats, with their wedding-cake moldings and stout marble fireplaces, and he says, "I longed for a loft." He thought of looking around the Gare de l'Est in northeast Paris, a quartier in transition that had served for more than a century as the city's epicenter for artisan workshops. Mispelaere, who has worked for some of fashion's most influential companies, including Valentino, Prada, Chloé, and, most recently, Diane von Furstenberg, had discovered the area in the early 1990s while searching for leather craftsmen to work on animal skins for the designer Claude Montana. When he revisited the area a few years ago, he was charmed by how it had evolved.…

Salta mini onyx box by Airedelsur, $240; jalanmiami.com. Inlaid stone–and-brass box by Celerie Kemble for Maitland-Smith, $837; maitland-smith.com. Aberdeen Apple iron-and-brass container by Arteriors, $270; arteriorshome.com. Ovar Finial ceramic box by Plantation Design, $175; plantationdesign.com. Norton small rattan box by Made Goods, $295; jaysonhome.com. T-Handle eggshell lacquer box by Steven Gambrel for the Lacquer Company, $850; thelacquercompany.com. Chevron Egg stoneware box by Waylande Gregory Studios, $295; fortyfiveten.com. Arnett silver-plated brass box by Ralph Lauren Home, $695; ralphlaurenhome.com. Santorini Pandora porcelain box by Jonathan Adler, $98; jonathanadler.com. Serratura wood-and-metal box by Fornasetti, $395; barneys.com. Malachite round Limoges porcelain box by L'Objet, $165; l-objet.com. Crystal box by Moser for Asprey, $735; asprey.com.…