WHITE CLASSICS /// IN THE MANNER OF SERGE ROCHE

Joyce Bryant -1954

Serge Roche inspired wall scone - Carole Gratale

Andre Groult

Bacall

Serge Roche console 

Conchita 1931 

Mark Bankowsky - Tall Four Panel Plaster Resin Screen

Serge Roche

WHITE L'Architecture du XX siècle en Hautes-Pyrénées /// Villa Noailles, Hyères by Robert Mallet-Stevens,1928

Villa Noailles

If walls could talk ... The story behind the Villa Noailles Villa Noailles is an early modernist house, built by architect R o b e r t   M a l l e t - S t e v e n s for art patrons Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, between 1923 and 1927. It is located in the hills above Hyères, in theVar, southeastern France.

Villa Noailles

Villa Noailles - The outdoor bed room!

Villa Noailles

Villa Noailles

J a m e s   L o r d, an American writer was a guest of Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles in the mid-fifties. In his book Picasso and Dora: a memoir he writes: 

"...an undistinguished cubist extravaganza of reinforced concrete set atop a high hill, within the ancient walls of a Saracen fortress. It had been designed in the late twenties by a fashionable architect named Mallet-Stevens, contained something like f i f t y  (50) r o o m s and was surrounded by a large garden." 

He recalls the room, where Marie-Laure tried to seduce him: "...a large salon at Saint-Bernard which had no windows but was lighted from above by a bizarre cubist skylight which occupied almost all the ceiling, adding to the sense of existing outside time in a stranded ocean liner." The beauty of the location did not help, however, the "redoubtable viscountess" in conquering his chastity.

Villa Noailles ceiling sky lights

Villa Noailles - Ocean liner elegance of the 20s

Villa Noailles 

A LIGHTER SHADE OF PALE - 6 professional tips

The popular believe is, that choosing white as the main color of a design scheme is the easiest “bullet-proof” solution. 

Far from it! Deciding to go for an all-white decorating scheme can be the beginning of a large set of problems. White rooms are much more complex than they appear, because there are no distractions. Every choice becomes critical. White can be very boring or cold and clinical. However, used in the right way, it can be a very dramatic color. 

Check out these 6 tips that can help you to create a dynamic all white interior.

///// ADD TEXTURES Avoid a sea of perfectly smooth white surfaces. Choosing textured furnishings and decorative objects in several tonal variations adds interest to an all-white scheme and avoids a stark and clinical feel. Stick to soft whites, then vary the tones for depth. Play with texture, such as matt finishes and limewashes, and add accents.

/////  WALLS Uses a variety of different paint finishes and add extra interest to white walls. White can hide imperfections in old walls, make tiny rooms seem larger than they really are and transform a dark area into a light and airy space. Uses a variety of different paint finishes and add extra interest to white walls. White can hide imperfections in old walls, make tiny rooms seem larger than they really are and transform a dark area into a light and airy space.

///// TIP: If you have old and imperfect cracked walls, keep them as they are and oppose them with high polished sleek finishes. 

///// WHITE ACCENT WALLS  Instead of the usual choice of saturated colors, white makes for an unexpected accent wall. A individual white wall can create a bright focal point in a room, can create an anchor to a seating area or showcase art.

A whiter shade of pale - White in Interior Spaces

Icon-Baby, the interior design blog 'a whiter shade of pale...'

1//   Mid Century Sonneman folded chrome chandelier here 

2//   Vladimir Kagan chair

3//   Vintage credenza by Ello Furniture Co, Chicago here 

4//   Grey painted reed console table by Gabriella Crespi, 1970

5//   Karl Springer’s Souffle Poufs - USA, 1980's

6//   DIY IDEA: Custom lamps made from vintage Foo-Dogs. Set on rectangle            lucite base with a black rod running vertical from lucite base and connects to        harp. The custom cylinder shades are hand painted. 

7//   Lucite Lounge Chairs by Gary Gutterman, 1970

8//   Vladimir Kagan Sofa USA 1980s 

9//   Heavy agate polished rock on a metal base. Willy Daro, Belgium, 1975 here.

Bianca & Mick Jagger

Procol Harum 

W h i t e r   S h a d e   O f   P a l e 

We skipped the light fandango

turned cartwheels 'cross the floor

I was feeling kinda seasick

but the crowd called out for more

The room was humming harder

as the ceiling flew away

When we called out for another drink

the waiter brought a tray

And so it was that later

as the miller told his tale

that her face, at first just ghostly,

turned a whiter shade of pale

She said, 'There is no reason

and the truth is plain to see.'

But I wandered through my playing cards

and would not let her be

one of sixteen vestal virgins

who were leaving for the coast

and although my eyes were open

they might have just as well've been closed

She said, 'I'm home on shore leave,'

though in truth we were at sea 

so I took her by the looking glass 

and forced her to agree 

saying, 'You must be the mermaid 

who took Neptune for a ride.' 

But she smiled at me so sadly 

that my anger straightway died 

If music be the food of love 

then laughter is its queen 

and likewise if behind is in front 

then dirt in truth is clean 

My mouth by then like cardboard 

seemed to slip straight through my head 

So we crash-dived straightway quickly 

and attacked the ocean bed 

Words by Keith Reid

A LIGHTER SHADE OF PALE - 8 Decorating Tips for White Interiors

///// White has the power to unify incoherent spaces.
White on the walls and floors harmonizes the space and creates continuity from one room to another. It encourages flow and makes a room quiet and relaxing to the eye.

///// On the floor, white makes a daring statement. White hardwood changes the entire look and feel of a space, creating an open, bright appearance. Painting floorboards in a white shade, will add to the illusion of space. For a white opaque finish on floorboards use Acrylic Enamel Floor paint in a low gloss. For a softer washed-white that highlights the timber’s grain, choose a wood wash paint.

///// White can soften architectural peculiarities.
If everything's painted white, then that odd pipe or ugly door almost magically disappears.

///// White makes old things seem more current. Do you have a divers mix of old furniture and only a limited budget? Get white paint and start painting your furniture. Mixing various styles and materials will create an interesting space with understated personality. Mismatching furniture, all painted white will work perfect together. Tip: make sure to select different shades of white and different effects like velvet, lacquer or crackle finish.

///// White upholstery can be practical. Let the white be lived in, even if you have children. Use pre-shrunk slipcovers in machine washable materials. Don't iron. Embrace the crumpled, imperfect look.

//// Use outdoor fabrics inside. Faux leathers, fur and suedes are also very forgiving. Use vinyl to give the sense of texture without sacrificing stain resistance.

///// Use white drapes. If you have young children, don’t cover everyday pieces in white fabrics. Instead choose white-linen curtains, which are much less likely to get stained, specially if you add a contrasting colored border to the bottom of the curtain, where the fabric grazes the floor.

///// To accentuate a room’s height hang long white drapes as close to the ceiling as possible.

/////Add rows of white portieres.

According to M.Smith, the "utterly simple curtains are made from 200 yards of pure white medium-weight Italian linen with a matte satin finish, hung with a glamorous drape from plain wrought iron rods."