Is mirrored furniture missing, pal?

I was really surprised at some of the furniture (and combinations of furniture) when I looked at the origins of Hollywood Regency.

William Haines, Tony Duquette, and Michael Taylor used French period chairs mixed with everything, and they all developed their own contemporary pieces. Dorothy Draper mixed a lot of American/English period furniture with deco moderne, and David Hicks mixed English and contemporary/lucite. They all pretty much mixed any period antique with any contemporary piece without any compunctions. They also mixed color in ways we no longer do, so much.

There were a lot of crystal chandeliers and sconces, a lot of statues and porcelain museum mounted as lamps, a lot of white plaster, a lot of mirrors in antiqued (and some veined) finishes. There does not seem to be a lot of actual full mirrored pieces, at least originally. The clipped corner chairs and "bamboo" pieces weren't there, either. I think these trends were added later and were more mainstream.

The Regents also embraced a lot of materials that people have turned away from. Dorothy Draper used football fields of vinyl tile, and I have read things about Haines and Baldwin talking about using vinyl floors, plastic laminate and vinyl upholstery--and they all used a lot of wall-to-wall carpet.

Apparently the room with the large red chinese screen was originally completed between 1960-1964 and was untouched except for some reupholstery and minor tweaks. The picture I posted is recent and it was the first time that the room was ever published by the firm (which still exists).

It holds up pretty well for a 50 year old room, I think.

Palm Beach Regency is more of the same but with Grotto pieces (shell encrusted or shell themed); Plaster pieces (mirror frames, palm tree lamps); and rattan and wicker.

Speaking as one whose work takes her often into old Palm Beach (and those folks don't give a flip about current design trends, so most of their houses haven't been updated since they moved in), I very rarely see any of those items in what's left of real Palm Beach. Perhaps in newer houses in the wannabe north end, but definitely not in Palm Beach Palm Beach. Shells in the grotto in the garden, yes, but not so much in the house.

The houses that I have seen in Palm Beach proper have tended to be furnished very traditionally with the same furniture you would see further north. The only shells would be on the Chippendale:)

The grotto furniture is intended to be outdoor stuff, isn't it cement?

In terms of lighter "beachy" looking furniture, I associate that with winter condos and such. But I mispoke, too, I meant to call it Miami Regency. Or maybe I should call it Ft. Lauderdale Regency. :)

The grotto furniture is intended to be outdoor stuff, isn't it cement?

Most of what I've seen in PB is the real thing, often with a coral rock base. They don't do cement much. I was at a wedding there where the tent company managed to damage one of the coral rock balusters of the railing on the terrace and it was a very expensive mistake, because it took a lot to find someone who could carve an exact duplicate these days.

Thanks for clarifying.

Isn't there a proper name for that ...stone I guess it is in a way...

I looked up how I thought it was spelled and it is spanglish slang for a slovenly dirty girl, so I am way off base.

I've seen the stuff carved into architectural elements but I don't know that I have ever seen a genuine piece of the furniture in person, I think the stuff I saw was concrete on an armature. I can't tell on 1st dibs what is real and what is not either, but most of it seems to be based on Florentine forms, or kinda French looking.

Yes, oolite or oolitic limestone, although around here not many people would know what you meant, while everyone would understand "coral rock".

Forgot to say I don't like it in furniture--it's darned scratchy and uncomfortable to sit on, and everything snags, but Mizner and his colleagues didn't have practicality as their highest goal. :)

I am a chair junkie so I have some chairs that aren't so comfortable and two that would collapse if a normal sized person sat in them (tiny Aesthetic Movement gilded "bamboo" corner chairs), so I might like one just as a form--or for my masochistic tendencies. At least you can put books on them and such. I am also a lamp junkie and a lamp that you can't plug in or has no shade is not so good.

Just bumping for visibility.

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palimpsest mentioned Kelly Wearstler as a designer involved with reviving this style. Above you see an image from the Doheny neighborhood.

Here's her website's "residential" section--I have arranged for you to arrive in the Bel-Aire neighborhood. Click through this, then continue to the other places (listed below the photos).

Don't hold your breath--there is no kitchen here. That's your job.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kelly Wearstler residential designs.

Another name in Pal's revival list is Miles Redd. Although my Google search gagged on his own website, here's a House Beautiful story on his work in a Manhattan apartment. The kitchen in #15 of the slideshow may look very familiar to those who've been looking at the GW Kitchens forum for a while. But I don't think this is quite what Pal had in mind for the Hollywood Regency kitchen DAT. Or is it?

[House Beautiful] "The tiny emerald green kitchen is pretty much dipped in pigment. You went all the way!"

[Redd] "The kitchen existed. It was a good-quality laminate and I thought, Why replace this with a paneled kitchen? I knew it would paint beautifully and that a strong brush of color would make it exciting. I kept thinking: British racing green, the color of a 1962 Jag. But that turned out to be too dark. So we pumped up the color just a scootch and lacquered it to give it life."

Here is a link that might be useful: Slideshow of Miles Redd decor in Manhattan apartment, including green kitchen

Here's a restored Hollywood Regency kitchen. Kevin Oreck is the architect who redesigned it. The original was 1938 by Paul Williams in Bel-Aire. Clicking on the architect's name brings you to his website where he sez that the new kitchen is a consolidation of "smaller rooms designed for staff." Some of the original rooms before restoration are shown on Oreck's website also. The shot of the original kitchen reminds me of the Kathryn Hepburn kitchen and the Lunt kitchen I've posted previously. Not a glam kitchen; original was designed for real cooking, probably by servants?

Here is a link that might be useful: Restored Hollywood Regency house and kitchen

I think Kelly Wearstler is channeling Tony Duquette in that room. His grew a bit more organically, so hers looks a little "merchandisy" to me --being picky.

The Miles Redd reminds me of Billy Baldwin.

I like the Paul Williams rehab.

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Bumping up. I look forward to seeing this one.

Here's another of the designers Pal listed for us

Here is a link that might be useful: Jonathan Adler interior designs website

Hello, Mom!

Here's the link to the active DAT thread, on the Conversations side of the Forum

Here is a link that might be useful: Design around the Hollywood Regency Style (Conversations side of the forum)

Dorothy Draper's lobby at Hampshire House:

I keep trying to educate myself by spending time studying this style using leads from Palimpsest's postings. Here's an article on Dorothy Draper in NYMagazine.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dorothy Draper article

Anthony Baratta has been mentioned in something I read--a practicing designer who uses Hollywood Regency concepts. Actually found some of his kitchens on his website.

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The website is very interesting. Go to Projects and find a number of different Baratta designs using the style. I don't think the modern rooms have the opulence of the traditional and classic ones.

Here is a link that might be useful: Anthony Baretta--go to the Projects department on website

Here is a link that might be useful: Ode to Dorothy Draper

At least a little bit of kitchen is here, in the "residences" section but I can't get the photo to show up. It's colorful and in the middle of the 52 image set.

There are also products for sale, including chairs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dorothy Draper Company website

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This thread is a terrific source of information on this style (especially for somebody like me, with no experience/grounding in Hollywood Regency.) Thanks to everyone who is doing such a great job of contributing to it...lots to read and enjoy here.

so, mudhouse, are you concocting a design...If I can, you can...

Florantha, not so far! I've been trying to restore our pink bathroom floor (wow what a brain cell killer.) I may have to absorb this style through the terrific rooms being presented by others, I'll see.

I've just started really reading and looking. These rich, luxurious, and sometimes opulent materials are like a foreign language to me, but they're very beautiful. I'm so impressed with the striking designs presented so far, and hope others are finding the thread on the Conversations side, (click here.)

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This website has some biographical material as well as a vision of old Hollywood. Go to "Interiors" to find things to study :-)

One taste:
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Here is a link that might be useful: William Haines Designs

Look at (Jonathan Adler Designs a Westchester House( article in House Beautiful which contains a dining room and kitchen for us to examine. 'Cheeky' is the adjective of the day.

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Cheeky' Jonathan Adler Westchester House

Cheeky Chinese Chippendale chairs bump!

Does this kitchen design work? I find a lot of Hollywood Regency elements but the totality doesn't work for me.

from the Traditional Home "Our Most Beautiful Kitchens" slideshow
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Here is a link that might be useful: Traditional Home Most Beautiful Kitchens

Wow. That is one really bad kitchen.

I agree Florantha, the combination is bad --it even makes the okay elements that make it up look bad imo.

I got a solicitation in mail for a subscription to Traditional Home, so I thought I'd look at the website. Generally the mag interests me. But that kitchen! I kept looking and asked myself, "What's wrong with me?" But all I could come up with is, "Nuthin' wrong with me, there's somethun' wrong with this kitchen!" I don't understand why it rated a place in the beautiful kitchen queue.

Another William Haines article, with three room illustrations. Wadaya think about this color combination? And dig that marquetry floor!

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Here is a link that might be useful: Architectural Digest article on Wm. Haines

Now that would be quite a kitchen. Hmmmm.

I love those colors in the William Haines photo above. Drats, just about the time I'm starting to get a fuzzy feel for some of these famous designers, this thread will wind down. I guess that means I'll have to keep working on it, regardless.

I'm a little encouraged that even I can see the orange-oval-island Traditional Home kitchen above doesn't work well. Does make you wonder how it made the cut.

I don't know whether this is an official Hollywood Regency company or not, but here is a recent kitchen I found while clicking around following Haines links. Design Babylon is Brett Valenstein of Los Angeles.

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The slideshow shows strong HR symptoms. Try testing yourself as you watch it...what are the core HR elements you can recognize?

Here is a link that might be useful: Design Babylon / Brett Valenstein portfolio

Use of strong color in major components (in some rooms), mirrored table, animal print rug...

--Is there such a thing as "controlled eclecticism"? if so, it's there

--dramatic lighting

--a sense of playfulness, yet elegance presides

--Mideast and Far East allusions

--actual Regency items or allusions

--And what is the term for those bendy lattice grids that I find in Hollywood Regency on chair backs, drapes, floors, ceiling trim, &c?

Florantha, I think the word you're looking for is "fretwork."

I had list similar to yours. I think there is definitely some whimsy in Hollywood Regency, especially in its later incarnations. I think there was a desire to evoke the luxury of exotic locations. It comes through in the chinoiserie, but also I also saw a lot of palm motifs (which I guess could just be Southern California, but has an exotic feel), and I found a banana motif chandy. Then there's the animal prints and animal images. A bit whimsical but also exotic and luxurious.

Monochromatic or two-color schemes.

Elaborate woodwork somewhere in the room features or in the cabinetry.

Real wood somewhere in palette.

Downright artificiality somewhere in the mix.
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Fretwork, eh? Okay. Is there such a term as "fretwork patterned linoleum" or "fretwork patterned fabric"? or is it just called "fretwork linoleum" or "fretwork fabric" which are oxymorons?