Green and Yellow: Alberto Pinto and Kathryn M. Ireland

Last month, Walter and I visited Orchids Galore!: A Love of Living Color at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond.  It was more than a welcome respite from the extended winter-spring we’ve been experiencing.  The Conservatory was just filled with orchid blooms.  Some were romantic lady slippers;

others had flat, bright pansy-faces

or were strangely insect-like.

Many were slightly grandiose and worthy of old-fashioned corsages.

And they came in all sorts of colors: plummy browns,

luscious berries,

racy reds,

lipstick pinks,

and burnt oranges.

But I seemed to be drawn to ones that sparkled emerald and gold, smiled in summery lemon and lime and looked demure, even a bit hazy, in softer shades of jade and primrose.

 

 

 

They seemed to whisper “Spring is almost here” and hint at sunshine-filled days to come.

“Blue” is my predictable response to the perennial favorite-color question.  I tend to dress in varying tones of pink and red and brown.  And when helping others with their interior decorating, blues and greens or ivories and whites usually dominate.  But after our tour of Orchids Galore!, I realized how much I gravitate towards green and yellow in my own home… and in the work of others.

My rooms aren't quite as bold as this interior by Jonathan Adler!

But green and yellow crop up a lot... like in this vintage poster
in our otherwise sandy-red-and-French-blue bedroom.

Or the pretty combination of natural wicker and an olive-dark green print
from Pindler and Pindler that we've had for years.
(The rest of the room is creamy yellow, a couple pinks and red and brown.)

Antique Bavarian plates in the dining room showcase colors from
the Emerald City and Yellow Brick Road... but I think it's Hansel and Gretel, right?

And the guest bedroom sports Roman shades
in this old Laura Ashley paisley that we just love.

Two of my favorite designers: Alberto Pinto and Kathryn M. Ireland often use green and yellow with stunning simplicity.

Born and raised in Morocco, to Argentine parents, Alberto Pinto travelled widely in his youth and quickly established careers in photography and interior decoration.  He opened his own design firm more than 40 years ago.  Based in Paris, he and his team created rooms, even planes and yachts, which epitomized luxury and sophistication.  He was famous for his careful attention to detail and the grand scope of his commissions.

Alberto's dining room in his Parisian home
just glistens in darker-than-forest-green and golden woodtones.

And I don’t think anyone better understood the charm and livability of green and yellow, whether in an English castle, which feels intimate and opulent,

shimmering in a Geneva residence,

contemporary and serene at the Hostellerie de Plaisance in Saint-Emilion

or absolutely glamorous in Kuwait.

Alberto died unexpectedly in early November 2012.  But his sister Linda continues the exacting standards and palatial projects of Agency Alberto Pinto.

Kathryn M. Ireland was born in England, grew up in London and Scotland and moved to the U.S. almost 30 years ago.  After jobs in film and fashion, she started her eponymous line of lovely, somewhat feminine fabrics in 1997.

Kathryn's Quilt in Green

Kathryn’s decor is a little bohemian, pretty (without being too pretty) and completely accommodating.

Like Alberto, Kathryn regularly collaborates with other businesses, so in addition to her full-service interior design studio, she now has a collection of upholstery with Grange and new fabrics with Scalamandre.

Pennsbury,
a jacquard velvet from Kathryn's collection for Scalamandre

Senwick
an embroidered linen from Kathryn's collection for Scalamandre

And of course, she has gained a lot more attention as one of Bravo’s Millionaire Dollar Decorators.  You can shop for her textiles and antiques online or in person at her showroom in West Hollywood.

Although the formality of their styles is dramatically different, Alberto and Kathryn have obviously been inspired by other cultures.  They also share a penchant for layering patterns and colors.  They appreciate truly fine craft and know the power of beautiful objects.  Their designs reflect life well-lived.  It’s not really about money.  It’s about good food and friends and family, the chance to create beauty and joy in even the smallest of settings and the willingness to slow down and relish the moment.  It’s no wonder that, despite their world travels, both Alberto and Kathryn have called France home… at least for part of the year!

Of course, yellow and green is a universal combination, effervescent and tranquil: think of sun and grass; stone and leaf; pale moonlight and forest.  But it also seems especially rooted in Paris and Provence, Lorraine and the Loire valley, Aquitaine and Alsace.



Sugar, Sugar by Irene Suchocki

Le Petit Zinc by Irene Suchocki

I realize that few of us can afford the services of Agency Alberto Pinto or Kathryn M. Ireland Textiles and Design, but we can definitely read their books;

Alberto wrote several books, but Orientalism is perhaps the most fabulous.

Timeless Interiors is Kathryn's lastest.

splurge on some pieces of Alberto’s tableware

Bread and Butter Plate from Les Perroquets from Alberto Pinto

Alberto's Envol pattern (Tea Cup and Saucer)

or Kathryn’s fabrics;

Tulip in Nuevo Yellow by Kathryn M. Ireland

Paisley Stripe in Green by Kathryn M. Ireland

Casablanca by Kathryn M. Ireland

and maybe attend an Extreme Balance Retreat, which Kathryn and friends conduct at La Castellane, her estate in southwest France.

I also encourage you to search out photographs by William Curtis Rolf, Rebecca Plotnick and the Robertsons at Obvious State (formerly known as Little Brown Pen).

And for a completely low-budget vacation, watch Midnight in Paris.  The first fifteen minutes is like a green and gold ode to Paris.  Owen Wilson is one of Woody Allen’s most charming characters, literally mesmerized by the city, past and present.  And in a party scene, you can just make out the lovely boiserie panels, in pistachio and gilt, at Deyrolle – the landmark taxidermist and natural curiosity shop.

By the way, Orchids Galore! closed recently, but you can still get your flower fix at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Orchids of Latin America, through April 21.  And finally, if you have a home project in mind, consider introducing green and yellow to your life!

More Mushroom Musings

Packing up Christmas is a forlorn task – a chore that consumes more energy… physically and emotionally… than “decking the halls”.

Perhaps it’s the general malaise of January.  Our wintry skies appear gloomy and unnecessarily gray.  And it takes an enormous effort to reinstate a regular routine:
moderate culinary treats;

run household errands;
respond to belated emails and phone calls and mail.

While some folks struggle with the blues during that hectic stretch from Thanksgiving to New Year, it is usually the aftermath that makes me melancholy.  I miss the sparkle and mysticism and general busyness of the Christmas season.  I mean, when else is it completely acceptable to fill our homes with glitter, glitz, felt and wired ribbon?  Not to mention the emblems and characters of storybooks and folklore?

Mushrooms are popular for trimming the Christmas tree or dressing a traditional Buche de Noel (in meringue, of course).

 

Contact Mackenzie Limited, in Maryland,
if you're not up to baking, rolling and decorating your own yule log cake.
They also make delicious mushroom tarts... delivered right to your door.

Like so many of our Western customs, rituals and iconography involving mushrooms were adapted over centuries, from ancient, pagan ideas of winter and the supernatural, to conform with Christian beliefs and the development of national identities, until they became entrenched in our yuletide celebrations and cuisine… in the very concept of modern Christmas.  Legend attributes Santa’s ability to fly to Amanita muscaria, the fanciful, red and white, toadstool-shaped mushroom, which is indigenous to the pine forests of northern Europe and the pages of fairytales.

My funky little ornament and this trio of mushrooms come from Medusa Copenhagen in Denmark
and are designed by the mother-daughter team of Maj-Britt and Rie Bidstrup.

But in truth, mushrooms, especially edible ones, have long been recognized, throughout the world, as a gift of nature and a symbol of good luck, peace and prosperity.

So mushrooms seem like the perfect decorative start to 2013.

Caitlin Hilton just opened her Etsy store, Caites Plates, in December.
She paints her comical illustrations on simple, white porcelain.
For decorative use only, not food safe.

They add wit,

Shrooms Salt and Pepper by Jonathan Adler

warmth

The Mushroom Duvet Cover and Shams from West Elm and

Benjamin Moore's Morrel (AF-125) make for a cozy guest room.

and whimsy

Mushroom Pouf from Anthropologie

to our homes.  Plus, for the last two months, I’ve been obsessed with this charming print from Duralee’s Delfina Collection and am determined to use it somewhere soon!

Pattern 21025 is 95% cotton and comes in "Burlap" with mustard and blue accents,

"Aqua and Cocoa"

and "Moss" with red and burnt orange.
The repeat is about 12" vertically and horizontally.

Mushroom motifs are especially effective when the scale is a little out of whack.  The more miniature reinforces their enchanting, otherworldly qualities.

Pincushion from Foxtail Creek Studio

Terrarium accessories by Foxtail Creek Studio

Felt mushrooms fit for Thumbellina... by Feltville

And pastel ornaments for Christmas or Easter or any party favor, also by Feltville

The Maze and Vale Tiny Forest linen-cotton print shows how "little" can make a big impact.
Australian artist, Leslie Keating, screenprints her fabrics using natural dyes and fibers.

While the extraordinarily-large draws us into the story.

Mushroom Forest Coffee Table by California-based Thomas Wold.
Thomas crafts custom case goods and humorous furniture,
often pieced together from found objects and recycled shapes.

Mushroom Garden Stool from the Winterthur catalog

Trump Floor Lamp by Arteriors was recently featured in House Beautiful.

The image of the mushroom is recognizably commonplace and compellingly strange.  And the most appealing accessories somehow capture this dichotomy of mundane and magical.

Alberto Pinto's mushroom illustrations are beautiful,
but it's really the faux bois border that completes the fantasy.
Sous Bois Dinner Plate #4

Sous Bois Dinner Plate #5

Sous Bois Dinner Plate #6

The Fungi Lamp, by German designer Andreas Kowalewski, is constructed out of simple nylon webbing

and looks amazing when lit!

The juxtaposition of clean, white stoneware and cast pewter
is perfect on the Vegetable Dish by Vagabond House.

Joel Philip Myers served as Design Director at Blenko Glass through the 1960s,
and his creations, such as these decanters, combined function with fashion and fun.
Check out Culture Object for a stunning selection of Blenko and other Mid-Century glass.

Even these place card holders from Williams-Sonoma add a bit of enchantment to everyday life.
Use them to label food on a party buffet or book and magazine stacks in a personal library.

Lamps, particularly lamps of the 20^th century, intrinsically mimic that familiar cap-and-stem shape… some more literally than others!

Cypriot Glass Lamp by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Clement Massier,
c. 1895-1910, blown and iridized glass, lustered ceramic base with bronze fittings,
from the permanent collection of The Corning Museum of Glass

Rattan Amanita Lamp, designed for Alessi, by brothers Humberto and Fernando Campana

Pair of vintage Laurel Lamps from Maurice Beane Art & Design in Richmond, Virginia

Maze and Vale's Gathering fabric looks like a collection of spores
or dissections of mushroom gills.
Seen here in mustard... it's a wonderful match to the Laurel lamps.

Filaments of New York specializes in restoring and selling Art Deco and Mid-Century light fixtures.  And it’s a great place to indulge any mushroom cravings.

A Murano glass mushroom light,

two Italian, etched glass table lamps,

a pair of traditional student lamps

and these absolutely exquisite ceramic lamps... all from Filaments of New York.

You can visit them in Greenwich Village or online to seek guidance and shop for fabulous and surprisingly affordable lamps.

Keep in mind that fungi-inspired décor can avoid the kitschy or quaint.

Elizabeth Lyons Glass Mushrooms

Chanterelle ceramic vase from Janus et Cie

Iconic Chanterelle glass vase was designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Finnish lifestyle company Iittala.

I adore these Shady Side Candlesticks by Lindsey Adelman.

Detail of Shady Side Candlesticks

Stunning, early-20th century mushroom vase by Swedish ceramicist Wilhelm Kage.
Originally trained in decorative painting,
Wilhelm served as creative director of the prominent Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory
from 1917 until 1949, and influenced generations of Scandinavian potters and designers.
This vase is available for sale at the Jason Jacques Gallery in New York.

But I have to admit that, when it comes to toadstools, as in most things, I’m usually attracted to the quirky;

Pair of cement, fungi-forest lamps from Harris Kratz Antiques

pretty;

Benjamin Moore's Mushroom Cap (177)

animated;

Shroompers' Morella,

Rinus

and Rosepe are the sweetest wool felt dolls, only 2-3" tall,
brought to life by Canadian artists Charlotte Kolff and Damon Langlois.

and splendidly lush.

Instead of creating realistic, botanical guides, Art Nouveau artists, like Maurice Pillard Verneuil,
looked to nature for ornamental patterns: sinuous, sumptuously-colored and imaginative patterns.

These specific plates from his 1897 L'Animal dans la Decoration pattern book
(Lucans et Champignons, above, and Oiseaux, below)
are in the permanent collection of the New York Public Library.
But you can purchase originals of your own from Grey Heron Prints in Georgia.

Walter’s favorite mushrooms are Meiji's Chocorooms… those bite-size crispy, cracker-like cookies covered in milk chocolate.

The Japanese confectioner makes similar sweets in chopsticks and tiny Christmas-tree cones, but Walter swears they just don’t taste as good.  There’s something about that mushroom shape, like an elfin umbrella or pixie parasol, that makes all the difference.

So munch on Chocorooms.  One at a time, please.  And add a few mushrooms to your home décor for a little fun, and lots of luck, in 2013.