The Kluge House Sale: A Decorating Master Class

The entrance hall - the wide-angled lens makes it look much larger in scale than reality; even the ceiling is faux-finished

When Sotheby's announced that they were holding their first on-site house sale in over twenty years (in the US), it was clear that this was going to be an Event. And is it ever.

Ideally Albemarle would be purchased by the National Trust and turned into a historical house museum of its time: the 1980s.

Patricia Kluge's gowns through the decades parade down the gallery

The house was designed from roof line to brocade bolster by David Easton for one of America's richest men, John Kluge, in the mid-1980s, the absolute height of go-go decadence and opulence. Just as with the vast Vanderbilt cottages of Newport, the estate has become a white elephant of sorts, and even though the house itself is suprisingly small, to update its air-conditioning system and maintain its grounds is a committment of millions.

Even the guns are the best of the best, engraved with John and Patricia's initials, and in their own Asprey cabinet,
estimate $330,00 to $500,000

Perhaps one of the things that dates the house the most is all the painted faux-finishes. From the marbleized columns to the antiqued ceilings, absolutely no surface was left unadorned.

The trompe l'oeil silk curtain panel wallpaper in the hallway and stairwell is a lot to take in, BUT on the other hand the space needed something that strong to balance out all the painted decoration.

The Salon - the fanlight of the Palladian doorway is mercury glass - a classic David Easton touch

All in all, the rooms are done beautifully and Easton ably created intimate, cozy rooms with museum-level furnishings.

The Dining Room - We all wished we had been able to see it by candlelight

A corner of the media room off of the entrance
The Chinese Verre Eglomise Panel in 18th century Rococo frame is a gem - Peter Lang, Sotheby's expert extraordinaire who did a commendable job cataloguing the furniture, pointed out an inscription in Chinese characters in the upper lefthand corner which are visible only because the mercury has worn away, translating to "Property of"

Serche Roche, eat your heart out - the grisaille painted masterbath had a pair of mid 18th century palm frond tables. Interestingly they bear a label from a 1935 Arts of France exhibition so perhaps they did directly inspire their 20th century counterparts, estimate $20 - $30,000

The lively carving of this dressing-room giltwood table gracefully exemplifies the naturalistic Rococo style

I had the huge good fortune to see the house with a group of design talents: architects James Carter, Richard Dragisic of Fairfax and Sammons, EEE reader favorite Gil Schafer, and designers Bill Brockschmidt and Courtney Coleman who met while working in Easton's office.

Courtney and Bill liked the library very much and thought David did an excellent job of making a potentially dark room bright and lively, although we all might have chosen a different cocktail table

Albemarle was the cornerstone of a historic house death march weekend and hearing the expert opinions of this crew was a fabulous experience. Bill and Courtney pointed out several classic Easton touches...

A bulls-eye window over the sink in a dressing room bath can be covered with a retractable mirror; a lot of the bathroom hardware was oversized in an Edwardian country house way

A major pet peeve - faux old books incorporated into side tables - Bill and Courtney have sworn they will never use them

Several pieces of Easton-designed furniture are included in the sale. Courtney rightfully pointed out how "designer-designed" furniture is underappreciated.

This pair of bookcase in the master bedroom, an homage to Colefax and Fowler no doubt, are a good investment to my mind.

A Giverny moment - this stunning view is seen from the master bedroom

After reading an essay in the sales catalogue by celebrated landscape designer (of whom I had never heard) George Carter, I couldn't wait to see the grounds. All the major rooms are arranged at the back of the house which faces onto a steeply terraced hill.

From every window, a blockbuster view of a dramatic fountain or somesuch greets the eye. However, it seems a very formal, articificial use of the outdoors - instead of embracing the bucolic rolling hills in the front (which there is hardly any view of from inside), the gardens have become something to look at from indoors. "Perhaps the Kluges didn't like to go outside?" one of my companions mused. The fabulous display of succulents by the pool reinforced that. "I'm not sure I'd want to roam around in my bathsuit near all those cacti," someone else said.

And if forced to choose just one item out of so many glories?
It would be this set of nine Chinese paintings in their original 18th century English papier mache frames from Stoneleigh Abbey, $80 - $120,000, pictured below in situ....

Easton cleverly designed the fillet bordering the walls after the pictures' frames

But I did come away with an Albemarle souvenir, or rather several. After Janet's recommendation, we repaired to the Kluge winery up the road and I came away with several Albemarle bottles of rosé....

If you can't make it down to Virginia, click here for the virtual house tour courtesy of Sotheby's, or if you're longing for more David Easton, pre-order his book Timeless Elegance here.

Paige turns a page

It's official - Paige Rense Noland is stepping down from the formidable heights of Architectural Digest. Although it's no surprise that I think it's time for a change, I'm also a great admirer of Mrs. Noland's exceptionally long success at keeping AD at the top. Click here for the scoop courtesy of The Observer.

For designers who want to work at the tippy top, AD is still the place to attract new clients and thrill current ones - even with Gerard Butler's naked feet appearing on its cover.

In the spirit of the much missed Decorno, what do you think? Who should be the next editor-in-chief?

Click here for an interview with Paige and founder of Page Six (and family friend), the late great James Brady.

Photo by Steve Paige

Castaing Outtakes - Take #1

There have been a few whisperings as to whether The World of Madeleine Castaing will have any unfamiliar material in it - after all her country house Lèves has been profiled dozens of times. I believe there will be more than a few surprising moments in the book, but the verdict, of course, will rest with you. Here is the first of a few or several posts with photos that weren't able to make it into the book.

One of the most important and first client relationships Madeleine had was with Mme Alec Weisweiller. While her husband was off watching his prized stable of horses win blue ribbons, Francine assumed the mantle of patroness, with Jean Cocteau as her prime benefactor.

Madeleine collaborated with Francine on all her residences, including the Paris hotel particulier pictured here. Francine's husband Alec preferred the established elegance of the eighteenth century to Madeleine's Balzacian romance, so the society decorator brothers Barroux were called in to fit out the main reception rooms, including the dining room and salon.

But elsewhere, Francine and Madeleine went wild. The top photo shows Francine posing in her red silk velvet bedroom. Don't miss the "borne" off to her left.

courtesy Maison et Jardin, February 1956

Here is the fumoir where guests repaired after dinner or stopped off on their way to the double-height bar below. The mouflon-head snuff box on the tray table terrified Francine's young daughter Carole.

Who says Facebook is a time sink? I found this photo, credited to Mark Shaw, c. 1960, on Fashion Images of the 20th Century - a great place to while away an hour or two.

The Blooms of May and Madeleine

As the MC book is in the final editing stages, the bloom is slowly returning to my cheeks. In this world of instant gratification, thank you for your patience and for returning to a dark house over the past several weeks.

EEE is back home -BUT only for a few days as I'll be tripping down South to check out Sotheby's spectacular Kluge sale in person with a full report.

P.S. The cover and book design were done by Sam Shahid who also did the Valentina and Jeremiah Goodman books. I think he and his team did a superb job at capturing her romantic and evocative essence.

Auction Spotlight: Jayne Wrightsman's London Duplex

You can imagine my heart skipped a beat when I first heard about this upcoming sale. "Simmer down," my in-the-know friend told me. "It's not the Important Stuff." As I'm not in the market for a BVRB III lacquer commode or Marie Antoinette's letter opener, this information did nothing to dampen my anticipation.

Don't miss the 18th century dog bed in front of the fireplace

For as you all know, Jayne - whom most of us have already fetishized for her exquisite eye - worked with the illustrious decorating firm Jansen, who in its day was pretty much synonymous with "impeccable taste". The collaboration of these powerhouse aesthetes is unquestionably one that deserves to be studied and one that yields many lessons and ideas, from furniture plans to passementerie.
Like an ormolu-mounted Blue John urn brimming with peacock feathers, a look that could be replicated albeit with a more humble receptacle...

While the house itself has been emptied and the contents warehoused stateside, these lovely photographs by Fritz von der Schulenberg give us a peek into the Jayne-Jansen magic.


And for my china-smitten friends....

If we were invited over chez Jayne to fete some visiting dignitary, Meissen "Fliegender Hund", lot 195 $20-30,000, might enliven our place setting for dinner...
with less is so much more Sevres white and gilt porcelain for dessert, lot 199, $2 - 3,000

But for an intimate ladies lunch with just you, Jayne and Jackie,
your coq au vin might be served on these charming Dior plates, lot 202 $1,500-2000

Click here to browse Sotheby's e-catalogue or purchase the print version to see more delectable interior images.