street walking

Dutch Treats ...

                                                      and other inspirations from my travels

THE NEW YORK YACHT CLUB

ARCHITECTURE-WARREN & WETMORE

Walking down the streets of New York I often keep eyes down to avoid any missteps but when I am with my friend Anthony there is no looking down.  His enthusiasm for anything architecture is contagious and any outing with him is sure to enlighten  on some amazing building or detail I would have overlooked.

The crest over the Yacht Club entry

Nautical details  on the Yacht Club facade are positively dripping with carved seaweed and clusters of seashells.  

A premier example of Beaux Art architecture in America,  the facade  has a trio of amazing windows carved in limestone to resemble the sterns of Dutch Sailing ships of the 17th century-  I suppose that's in remebrance that New York was at one time New Amsterdam settled by the Dutch.

PETER STUYVESANT

 Dutch Director General of New Amsterdam 1647-1664

until it was ceded to the British and renamed New York

AMSTERDAM-HOLLAND

A city of canals and museums Amsterdam is one of my favorite towns.

The colors of Amsterdam are the colors of Rembrandt- a palette I love to use

in my interior projects

REMBRANDT-self portrait

As shown in ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

PHOTOGRAPHY ROGER DAVIES

The colors of Rembrandt

INTERIOR DESIGN-RELA GLEASON

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST NOVEMBER 2011

PHOTOGRAPHY ROGER DAVIES

Just a few steps down the street ... 

The Harvard Club

ARCHITECTURE- McKIMM  MEAD & WHITE

Designed  in the style of late 19th century architecture at Harvard,  I find it interesting that the brick work is laid in a Flemish bond pattern.  Is that too a tribute to the Dutch settlers of early Manhattan ?

STANFORD WHITE
Also known as an architect of the Shingle Style

These "cottages"  were a nod to simpler living.  Stripped of fussy details of Victoriana they were rarely winterized as they were only used during the warm summer months.

Isaac Bell House Newport Rhode Island

Architect Stanford White

Stanford White was shot to death at Madison Square Garden , a building of his own 

design, by millionaire Harry Thaw, husband of actress Evelyn Nesbitf.  White was 

known to have an 'unusual' attraction for young girls who would swing for him in 

his studio on a red velvet swing. 

He had a relationship with Evelyn Nesbit when she was only sixteen.  

Harry's murder trial was the scandal of the early 20th century.

JOAN COLLINS 

as 

Evelyn Nesbit

1955

THE GIRL IN THE RED VELVET SWING

Annisquam Light House- Cape Ann Massachusetts

My personal design and living style was strongly influenced when I visited one of these shingled "cottages" on Cape Ann north of Boston. The view from the upstairs windows overlooked the old lighthouse. It was furnished with family antiques worn to a beautiful patina and threadbare Persian rugs tossed casually on simple wood floors.   Canton china and silver sailing trophies  lived side by side with a beaten up old lobster pots. 

The Clipper Ship REVERE

by

DUNCAN McFARLAN

@1850

Ships like The Revere sailed from Boston to China, their hulls full of lumber and other commodities to sell in the far east. On the return journey Canton china was loaded on board as balast.  Today the beautiful blue and white pieces are prized and collectible.

A Shrimp Dish

specifically for serving shrimp

George Washington's favorite

An oversized soup tureen

In the 1890's the US government began requiring that all imports be stamped with the country of origin.

MADE IN CHINA 

 does not appear on the bottom of authentic Cantonware making it easier to date.

All production stopped between 1839-1860 because of the Opium Wars so it's likely that most Cantonware came to the US before 1840. 

INTERIOR DESIGN RELA GLEASON

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST - NOVEMBER 2011

PHOTOGRAPHY ROGER DAVIES

 A fabulous meal is about more then just the food

Use your beautiful treasures...  

 they become more treasured as they 

make every occasion a special occasion!

TREASURES FROM MANY PLACES

One of my favorite parts of travel is finding 

a treasure to bring home 

INTERIOR DESIGN RELA GLEASON

The most interesting interiors are multi-layered and

reflect those who live in them. 

Choose unique and special accessories with personal meaning.

 "Tchatchkes" from a catalog don't do it.

NO EXCUSE IF YOU CAN'T TRAVEL FAR FROM HOME

Get all kinds of inspiration at a local flea market

Tibetian vendor 

at 

The Alameda Flea Market

African Kuba Cloth 

found at a flea market used on 

ottoman seat

 "Little Bo Peep" 

shops the  flea market

Interesting things

Interesting people

INTERIOR DESIGN RELA GLEASON

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST- NOVEMBER 2011

PHOTOGRAPHY-ROGER DAVIES 

Influences from the Netherlands to China 

and a mix of high-low 

The art of travel is the art of SEEING....

                                                                        Bon Voyage

The art of seeing

Living Green

GREEN -  The color of life -          

                                       a symbol of hope and fertility, 

                                       the color of inexperience and youth, 

                                       of jealousy and sickness- 

                                                   the best and the worst of life- 

........from the Old English word 'growan'-

                                                meaning to grow 

Leafy greens ,  fresh and enticing on the Green Grocer's shelf

INTERIOR DESIGN-ORLANDO DIAZ

The fresh green of the rye grass centerpiece 

brings the room to life

With March and St Patrick's Day around the corner the pinks and reds of February have faded into the

the fresh greens of spring...

 Shamrocks ,  the symbol of Ireland

Green as a color is a neutral that mixes well with everything.  

Straight from nature gorgeous color palettes evolve

The dusty grey of  stone and the taupe of weathered

 wood have high contrast to  green grass and moss 

A soft pink stone house is set off like a fine jewel 

against a velvet field of grass

The bright colors of Gypsy wagons are even more vibrant

against the green of the field they are encamped on

Giving new meaning to GREEN ROOM, artist Neil Jones
finds inspiration sleeping in his vegetable garden in London

Ruins of an ancient castle gather moss alongside the

 natural boulders buried into the surrounding soil

"A rolling stone gathers no moss" 

...so plant a boulder or two in a shady corner 

of your garden. 

 Moss will grow where other things may not flourish.

There is much lore around the color green

Supposedly the pigment in green M&M's is an aphrodisiac

The ancient Egyptians believed it was the  color of power and protection

The God,  Isis is known as "The Great Green"

Look at the picture below and see if you don't agree that the set coloration was inspired by the ancient painting of Isis 

CLEOPATRA 1963
Starring
ELIZABETH TAYLOR
AND
RICHARD BURTON

Where are those M&M's ???

Notice that Cleo is wearing GREEN- now the Egyptian national color

The movie however, was a disaster on many levels.


A $2 million dollar budget became a $44 million budget ($300 mil in today's dollars)
and bankrupted 20th Century Fox


That's a whole lot of 'GREEN'


Liz almost died during the filming and the love affair between her and
Richard Burton became an international scandal that destroyed their two existing marriages

RICHARD BURTON

ELIZABETH TAYLOR

These photos were  taken when the actors were very young and quite "green"

Their gorgeous faces could make us all "green" with envy

Richard  presented Liz with a Bulgari Emerald broach upon their engagement.  The rest of the set was hers shortly after they were married.  

EMERALDS- the most precious of all gem stones symbolize hope and optimism- 

certainly a good way to start a marriage but not sure it worked for Taylor-Burton

Napoleon had the bed in his army tent draped in Emerald Green,

Perhaps  he learned of the symbolic power and protection of the color on his campaign to Egypt.

How chic is the combination of leopard carpet, Indienne print cotton and Emerald green taffetta silk ?!?

Madame Castaing would have approved.

INTERIOR DESIGN- MADELEINE CASTAING

DESIGN- ROSE TARLOW

A mix of  Prussian blue glassware with lettuce green ceramic 
plates, has added sophistication with the a
dispaly  of green Hydrangeas

The crisp freshness of these white radishes could 

have inspired the rooms below

INTERIOR DESIGN -FRANCOIS CATROUX

INTERIOR DESIGN-ROSE TARLOW
A  neutral white setting comes to life with bold strokes of green 
that also counterbalance the bold graphic
 quality of the artwork

Mixing different shades of green in interiors adds a layered 

interest visually, as it does in great landscape design

LANDSCAPE DESIGN-JACQUES WIRTZ.

My personal all time favorite landscape architect

Some look better in green then others


Who says it's not easy being green ?


Fear not the Ides of March


Wishing you all the best of luck

Rela