A detail of the South Bedroom in the Bachelors' Wing of Waddesdon Manor, in Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, England. Image by John Bigelow Taylor from "Waddesdon Manor: The Heritage of a Rothschild House" (Harry N Abrams, 2002).1. A sheet of mirror.
2. Four slender lengths of wood.
3. A bit of fabric or wallpaper, sufficient in amount to cover said lengths of wood.
4. A staple gun or a container of fabric glue, lightly handled.
You can figure out the rest, yes?
"If our vacant society would do with less gilt upon their chairs, they might donate more gold to their store of wisdom."
So said Lillian Russell (1860-1922), actress, singer, and icon of American pulchritude.
The garden of 13 Rue Méchain, Paris, France, in the early 1960s. Image by Horst.
This fall and winter you doubtless will be poring over seed catalogues and gazing with lust upon coffee-table books packed with seductive gardens. But why not consider allowing a portion of your landscape go artistically wild?
Tastemaker Pauline de Rothschild (1908-1976) saw no reason to have the lawn outside her apartment in Paris cut to manicured perfection, so why should you? Yes, neighborhood associations get fussy over grass left long and billowing but if you craft such an escape from normality with care and thoughtfulness, surely the naysayers might see its alternative beauty. Especially if you, like the baroness, clip your shrubs (in this case, boxwood) to spherical perfection and keep things it all generally tidy.
Or consider the subversive landscaping of Alice Throckmorton McLean (1886-1968), a New York socialite. In the 1920s at Tulip Hill, her estate in St James, Long Island, she startled her friends by incorporating a garden of weeds. It wasn't planted intentionally, by the way. After coming across a large area overrun with species less-brave individuals would nuke into submission, Mrs McLean blithely installed a path down its center and let the weeds grow, prosper, and be admired.
"Unpunctuality is a thing that grows upon a man or woman and is thoughtless and unnecessary. It is an aggravation and inexcusable injury to others to waste their time by making them wait."
So said John Wanamaker (1838-1922), the American department-store king of days gone by.
I'm a bit older now, obviously.
Today's plans? Well-fought board games, good friends, Champagne, and hors d'oeuvre.
And, no, I'd rather not talk about those sea-green candles, okay?
A detail of the drawing room of Château de Champs. Image from "Les châteaux de l'île-de-france" (Collection Réalites, 1963).
Sometimes style is all about juxtaposition: A froth of country flowers softens a majestic Italian carved-marble vase at Château de Champs in France.
