Having recently made her debut on Architectural Digest's exclusive AD100 list, Hadley Wiggins is a new name to know in the design world.
A new book celebrates the work of Parish-Hadley and the contemporary talents it influenced
Albert Hadley's sketch of the proposed new Library from Albert Hadley, The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer. The brass-trimmed, red lacquer library that Albert Hadley created for Brooke Astor is one of the iconic examples of twentieth century residential design. Although photos of the library were not published in this country until the 1990s, it has been the inspiration for countless reinterpretations and is etched in the mind of many devotees of both architecture and interior design. But relatively few know how the room appeared before the transformation. The BEFORE view of the room from The Finest Rooms By America's Great Decorators. Albert Hadley tells the story of how the new room came to be in Albert Hadley, The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer, so I will not repeat it in detail. But the summary is that Mrs. Astor wanted to improve the room and Mr. Hadley proposed making it into a true library that showcased her late husband's collection of books. The AFTER views are all from Albert Hadley, The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer. The existing 1920s interpretation of Louis XV boiserie was glazed a light honey color with portions comprised of shelving; it was completely removed, and the room gutted. The antique rouge royale chimneypiece was reused along with the furniture and the antique rug. The sofa and upholstered chairs had recently been done by Sister Parish in the classic chintz by Brunschwig & Fils "Portuguesa" in the colorway with brown stripes with stylized red flowers. So even the fabric remained on these primary pieces that coordinated so beautifully with the rug. Although the architectural details are simple, the execution of the brass trim is faultless and it provides such a brilliant contrast with the gilt stamped leather book bindings. The rich red lacquer finish, the result of ten coats of paint, ties it all together. Mrs. Astor was quoted as saying this was her favorite room and Albert Hadley, the same. The Childe Hassam painting over the fireplace Flags Flying on Fifth Avenue became involved in controversy when son Anthony D. Marshall sold it for $10 million and took a $2 million commission. He was convicted of grand larceny and sentenced to one to three years in state prison in 2009, but has been released on bail pending appeal. The Devoted Classicist attended Brooke Astor's 90th birthday celebration and predicted she would live to see her 100th. She died in 2007 at the age of 105. The apartment, which once was connected to her mother's residence, consisted of five bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, five fireplaces and six terraces on the 15th and 16th floors of 778 Park Avenue, was originally priced at $46 million. It finally sold in February, 2011, for $19 million to Daniel Forcart, 47, a Swiss investment manager in currency trading. The wonderful 2005 book ALBERT HADLEY: THE STORY OF AMERICA'S PREEMINENT INTERIOR DESIGNER by Adam Lewis can be purchased at a discount of 37% off the published price through The Devoted Classicist Library by clicking here.
Rooms with a View, Southport, Connecticut. The Dean’s List is a special tribute to Mr. Albert Hadley. Those creating this year’s vignettes include his former employees (who are now tota…
Photo - AD Italia
It's with a very heavy heart that I'm publishing this post, one that I hope will be a fitting tribute to Albert Hadley. As I'm sure some of you are aware, Mr. Hadley died early this morning in his hometown of Nashville. It's strange how very sad I feel, especially considering the fact that Mr. Hadley and I were barely acquainted with one another. And yet, I feel as though I knew him quite well. His work resonated with me like that of no other designer. And truth be told, no other designer has taught me as much about design and living as Albert Hadley did. There have been very few times in my life that I've been struck by the proverbial thunderbolt, but one indeed hit me while reading the Elle Decor cover story on Albert Hadley's Manhattan apartment (February/March 2000.) If there is such a thing as a perfect home, that was it. Yes, the rooms possessed more style and flair than most of us can ever hope to achieve in our own homes, but what mattered more to me was the apartment's complete lack of pretension. His home was just that: a home, one in which he surrounded himself with objects that had meaning for him or that simply struck his fancy. You could tell that nothing was chosen for show, but rather because it spoke to him. And in turn, his apartment spoke to me. One of my dreams in life was to meet Mr. Hadley. I was fortunate enough to have spent time with him on three different occasions. But before meeting him, we had corresponded by mail. Shortly after starting my blog, I sent out holiday cards that I had designed using a photo of Sister Parish goofing off and holding an empty Jeroboam up to her mouth. A friend suggested that I mail a card to Mr. Hadley, and so I did. He responded with a very gracious letter in which he wrote, "Sister Parish would be thrilled to be the Christmas card for "The Peak of Chic"! I don't recognize the photograph, but she's certainly belting it out." A few months later, I had a private meeting with him at his office. He was very generous with his time, answering all of the silly questions that I asked him. I was struck by his mild manner and his still-mellifluous Southern accent that seemed little affected after years of living away from the South. Seeing that I was a fellow Southerner, he was especially interested to show me framed drawings and sketches of the work that he did at Rosedown Plantation in Louisiana. I realized after that meeting that Mr. Hadley was not just a great designer, but a kind and courtly gentleman as well. That was not to be my only meeting with Albert Hadley. Close to four years ago, the editors at House Beautiful assigned me an article to write about a wonderful Manhattan apartment designed by Mr. Hadley and his then associate Harry Heissmann. (House Beautiful, April 2009.) Once again, I made the journey up to the offices of Albert Hadley Inc., only this time I was armed with my tape recorder, pad, and pencil for an interview. I suppose that if there is to be one plum writing assignment in my life, that was it! Mr. Hadley was the best kind of decorator. His primary concern was to create homes for his clients in which they could live comfortably and live well. He catered not to his whims but rather to the needs of his clients. And most impressive to me was that he encouraged young designers to get educated in the history of design and the decorative arts. He believed that without this foundation of knowledge, decorating with any kind of authority is difficult at best. I realize that my tribute to Albert Hadley might border on hagiography, but death has not elevated Mr. Hadley to legend status nor design sainthood. He achieved that long ago during his exalted career. And it might seem hackneyed to say that his passing marks the end of an era, but in my mind, indeed it does. I feel fairly certain that the word "branding" never crossed Mr. Hadley's lips. And I do wonder if a humble, thoughtful person like Albert Hadley could succeed in today's world where never-ending self-promotion has become the norm. There are other masters of design practicing today, and for that we should be thankful. But there will only be one Dean of American Decorators, and for me, Albert Hadley will bear that title forever. Some of my favorite Albert Hadley and Parish-Hadley designed interiors: The Manhattan apartment of Albert Hadley. A mid-1970s era Manhattan living room in which Parish-Hadley used a mix of Alan Campbell fabrics. A Palm Beach guest house bedroom. (Parish-Hadley) A garden room at a Greenwich, CT show house. (Parish-Hadley) Brooke Astor's Manhattan apartment. (Parish-Hadley) The Manhattan apartment of the late Glenn Bernbaum of Mortimer's fame. (Parish Hadley) Mr. Hadley's former country house in Tarrytown, New York. A Manhattan bedroom designed for a bachelor. (Parish-Hadley) Decorated by a young Albert Hadley, this room appeared in a 1959 Vogue article, "Summer on a Shoestring". The guest sitting room of the Leonard Davis house, Palm Beach. (Parish-Hadley) The "Dog Sitting Room" in the guest suite of the late Brooke Astor's apartment. (Parish-Hadley) Mr. Hadley's Kips Bay show house room from 2001, "Homage to Van Day Truex". (Albert Hadley) Mr. Hadley's Southport, Connecticut house. All interiors photos with the exception of the first are from Albert Hadley: The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer by Adam Lewis and Parish-Hadley: Sixty Years of American Design by Christopher Petkanas, both terrific resources.
# PROJECT STONEGATEFun Fact: We bought this Stonegate Project with only my husband and realtor seeing the property! Due to the circumstances I was not able to see it in person before putting an offer in, but luckily, being in this field, I quickly visualized it's potential! Seeing the bay window in one of the rooms I immediately knew I wanted this to be Leoni's. It was my dream to have a reading nook which she now has as a little girl. Naturally I contemplated making the accent colour pink, b
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A new book celebrates the work of Parish-Hadley and the contemporary talents it influenced
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A new book celebrates the work of Parish-Hadley and the contemporary talents it influenced
Albert Hadley didn’t merely design intriguing and livable rooms—the Parish-Hadley partner also taught America what style was all about.
Dressing room in the Berlin Stadtschloss, 1848, by Eduard Gaertner
Design Office Inspiration! Enjoy a tour today of the interior design office of Leslie Hendrix Wood Interiors in Midland, Texas!
Photo - AD Italia
From the Hewing Hotel's Tullibee to Hi-Lo Diner, many new restaurants served up delicious design (as well as food).
Along with what color to paint their walls, clients often ask me if the trim needs to be painted white or if it can match the wall color. I feel like
Our entire industry is celebrating the great American interior designer, Albert Hadley (1921-2012). He was born in Nashville, TN and wa...
If you're a design enthusiast I'm sure you heard the sad news of Albert Hadley's passing last Thursday.. He was 91. Hadley, known for his ...
Funny enough, one of my favorite Parish-Hadley designed interiors is not Brooke Astor's library, although I do fancy it. Nor is it the yellow drawing room of the Paleys. Instead, it's the snappy-looking room seen above, one that was featured in Christopher Petkanas' Parish-Hadley: Sixty Years of American Design. What drew me to this Parish-Hadley room was not its leafy green vista, but rather the geometric-print fabric hanging on the walls combined with the blue lacquered bookshelves. To me, this room is so quintessentially American, comfortable in a crisp, chic, and casual way. Can't you just imagine what it must have been like to lollygag in this room on a Sunday afternoon? The book only mentioned that the solarium was part of a 68-acre Westchester County estate, something which left me wondering for years who owned such a lovely garden room. But now I know where this room is located thanks to the Sotheby's catalogue for the Brooke Astor auction. It's at Holly Hill, Astor's estate along the Hudson River. Finally, the mystery is solved, although I'm sure that quite a few of you knew who the homeowner was long before the auction catalogue was published. According to the catalogue, this is the Philosophers' Room, a fitting name for a room filled with such a collection of books. What struck me about the catalogue's photos, seen below, is how bright those blue bookshelves really are. I don't think they're being auctioned off, but the Roman marble head of a Satyr, perched on top of the bookshelf, is. (That too you can see below.) And wouldn't you love to see a close-up shot of the books? I can make out a few titles: The Flowering of the Middle Ages; Pearls: A Natural History; American Rococo, 1750-1775: Elegance in Ornament. But the other titles in the library? I suppose that in a way, the mystery surrounding this room endures. Image at top from Parish-Hadley: Sixty Years of American Design by Christopher Petkanas. The remaining photos courtesy of Sotheby's.
