The Chinese porcelain is right at home in front of the Chinese mural painted in The John Volk House, Chapter 5.
Behind-the-scenes: Pearls of Palm Beach, Chapters 5-8!
How effortless it is to fall under the enchanting spell of Palm Beach! To me, there is something magical about the tall, manicured hedges that conceal many of the houses. You just know there is a treasure hidden behind them. I wanted my book, Pearls of Palm Beach, to feel like a private invitation into eight timeless and tailored houses… which indeed it is! As a designer, I find that I can read the personality, interests, and background of a homeowner just by seeing a few interior design details. I knew the houses I chose would introduce and reflect stunningly accomplished people who cherish their families and know how to entertain with polished finesse. To me, these houses are eminently inviting and mesmerizingly memorable!
Here is a little peek at the behind-the-scenes for the last four chapters in my book:
Chapter Five, John Volk House:
Cassandra, a dear family friend, extended a kind invitation to brunch for my family and guests that were in Palm Beach attending my son’s wedding. This is when and where I became inspired to write the book!
Cassandra instinctively knows how to restore and renovate historic properties while honoring their intrinsic charm and smart decorative appointments. This is especially true with her John Volk house. John Volk was a talented architect who came from New York to Palm Beach in the 1920s and is noted for his Bermudian as well as Georgian-revival style. The loggia walls were adorned with a bespoke shell crown moulding, which captivated me at that brunch. I asked Cassandra if I could photograph the shells… which then commenced the creation of my book!
My husband Stuart and I had the privilege of staying in one of Cassandra’s Nantucket houses for a week one summer. Painted on the dining room walls of her in town house, she commissioned a mural of the Hongs along the Pearl River in Canton, China in blues and golds, complementing the historic aspect of the house. In the dining room in Palm Beach, she had an artist use soft, muted colors for the bespoke trompe l'oeil mural of the Yangtze River, where she had just traveled, blending the muted colors within the house together like spices in a gourmet delicacy.
Lesson:
When you travel, think about bringing back the visions that inspire you. Recreate them in some form in your house. This is a delightful way to encapsulate your experiences.
I adore the handsome dining room in The John Volk House. If you look closely, you will spy the bespoke shell crown moulding in the distant green loggia.
Chapter Six, La Maison Jolie!:
A private invitation is to be cherished, and upon entering the former 18th Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney’s, charming Palm Beach abode, I just knew I was in for a treat. I relished the idea of sharing the experience with the readers of my forthcoming book!
The facade of the house greeted me with a sunny yellow paint color, along with a traditional french blue accent color on the doors and shutters. The moment that I met Mila Mulroney, Brian’s wife, I immediately felt her genuine warmth and charm. They also had their darling and very polite grandchildren visiting, who were page boys and a bridesmaid in the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle!
Mila has a gift for color, design, and fashion… and it shows. Upon entering the house, I instantly absorbed the comforting feeling of family and friendship. The predominant colors throughout the entire house were just yellow and blue, along with occasional touches of red. I felt as if I was in a Claude Monet painting: a field of scattered red poppies with a bright blue sky and the sunshine above! There was a lengthy sliding glass door in the dining room. It was wide open, exposing the terrace pool, as we photographed. Talk about bringing the outside in. It was a most glorious sight! Seriously decadent for a northerner visiting during winter!
Lesson:
Consider designing interior and exterior spaces using just two colors, and sprinkle in a complementary color as an accent. This technique translates especially well in smaller-scaled houses, where the thread of two colors knows no boundaries.
Such an attractive display of blue and white porcelain with yellow walls, and a pop of red, in chapter 6, La Maison Jolie!
Chapter Seven, Lake House:
When I first met Kit Pannill in Palm Beach, I instinctively knew she was from Richmond by her Virginian accent. Yes, indeed, we found out that we attended the same girls’ school! Lake House is the second John Volk designed house in my book, and this one sits splendidly on a property overlooking Lake Worth.
Kit’s late husband, Bill, was world-renowned for his daffodil hybridization, with over 200 varieties registered. And Kit is an extremely accomplished orchid, horticultural judge for the Garden Club of America. She designed the most magnificent orchid “slat house” on the island, and worked alongside Leta Austin Foster, the noted Palm Beach designer, to decorate much of her house. I started to notice the faintest hint and reference to flowers in various aspects of the decorative details inside Lake House… but nothing too overt. It was such a treat to secretly search for these references in unexpected places, such as the carpet pattern, porcelain, artwork, and even the antique chair seat upholstery. It was similar to a “Where’s Waldo” experience, enhancing the interiors with a personal touch.
Lesson:
Whether you are passionate about collecting something, or you have a hobby that gives you pleasure, think about having an understated nod to the same subject matter within some of the decorative details in your house. These personal touches are what distinguish a house with your personality.
Look closely at the petite flowers in the design on the antique Baltimore chair upholstery in Chapter 7, Lake House.
Chapter Eight, Pink House:
A pink Bermudian-style house, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean… well, just pinch me! Mary created this inviting house, along with the assistance of Leta Austin Foster’s design talent. The handsome fanlight above the front door on this twenty-year-old house adds a sense of architectural permanence.
Meeting Mary for the first time inside the spacious front hall, I felt like I had known her forever. She was off to a meeting at The Society of the Four Arts as the co-chair of the biennial gala. She knows how to raise money by hosting stupendous events- she is a seasoned hostess. The soft pastel colors both inside and outside of the house appealed to me. Mary and I are both blondes, and naturally, are attracted to muted spring colors. Usually, the colors in your wardrobe, that you gravitate to and that make you feel pretty, are the colors that work well for your interior design.
Mary has an extensive collection of Dodie Thayer cabbage-ware porcelain, which is SO Palm Beach! The collection added a marvelous pop of green color splendidly to the Gracie wallpaper gracing the dining room.
Lessons:
Think about colors that you are naturally attracted to wear in your wardrobe, and use them for inspiration in your design scheme.
Collect a particular kind of porcelain that speaks to your heart, and build on the collection. It can travel to any room, or any house for that matter, and is an instant starting point when deciding on a decorative theme or color scheme for a room.
The Dodie Thayer collection of cabbage porcelain in The Pink House Chapter 8, confirms one is indeed in Palm Beach!
P.S. If you enjoyed this newsletter, I do hope you will be inspired to read my new book, Pearls of Palm Beach. And, I would be most grateful if you would share this newsletter with a friend or two, and encourage them to sign up!
WELCOME, NEW SPONSOR!
There is nothing like a mother/daughter duo! Jeanne and Christie, from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, share a passion for the history of classic vintage pieces, which they hand-select for their clients. Some of their silver pieces are my kind of go-to gifts for bridal showers and birthdays.
