well read ~ part two

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” ~ Charles W. Eliot

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Hallberg & Wisely

Haynes-Roberts

J. Randall Powers

Jacques Grange

James Huniford

John Minshaw

John Saladino

Juan Pablo Molyneux

Kara Mann

Karin Blake

Lars Bolander

Lauren Gold

Luis Bustamante

Magnus Lundgren

Mary McDonald

Meichi Peng

Michael Smith

Michele Bonan

Miles Redd

Nina Griscom

Richard Shapiro

Robert Couturier

Sheila Harley

Steven Volpe

Suzanne Rheinstein

Ted Tuttle

Thomas Jayne

Thomas O’Brien

Tricia Huntley

Vicente Wolf

William Frawley

Windsor Smith

Yves Saint Laurent

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living with statuary ~ part two

“In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” ~ Michelangelo Buonarroti

Wishing you a joyous weekend!

John Saladino

Juan Pablo Molyneux

Lars Bolander

Luis Bustamante

Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

Meichi Peng

Richard Shapiro

Robert Couturier

Studio Ko

Suzanne Rheinstein

William Frawley

William Sofield

Windsor Smith

Yves Saint Laurent

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a palace for man’s best friend

Simply titled “Molyneux”, this book explores more than a dozen projects ranging from a Beaux Arts mansion in the heart of Buenos Aires to a Park Ave penthouse. Complete with Molyneux’s personal insights and strategies, this book is definitely going on my list of must haves. My favorite, the cover! It is a photograph of the Palladian Dog House Molyneux designed for a Kips Bay Showhouse. His client? Max, his beloved Scottie dog! At just 3 feet square, it is complete with real marble floors, artful tromp l’oeil painting (notice the scottie dogs!), a portico in front with Corinthian columns and a pediment. I better not show this to Mimi and Bella! They will want their own Italian Greyhound palace! (come to think of it, they are quite happy with a simple gaze out the back window!)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

photo of mimi and bella by me

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hotel claude passart

Today’s post features the magnificent Paris home of Mr. and Mrs. Juan Pablo Molyneux. Located in the Marais, the Hotel (in this case “hotel” means townhouse)  Claude Passart was built in 1618 and boasts the glorious opulence of the 17th-century. The extensive renovation was a pure labor of love as Molyneux explains in a 2004 interview with AD, ” I went totally out of control doing this place. It expresses the sum total of my knowledge. Everything I love is here; a historic setting; modern paintings; the most sophisticated Russian, Chinese, French and Italian furniture. This is the way I live-with a 52 inch plasma TV, the biggest I could find, hung against 16th-century boiseries. Listening to Louis Armstrong in a nearly 400-year-old listed building in Paris-it’s fantastic. Whoever walks into this house knows me. This is me.” The passion with which he speaks about his home and his life is truly inspiring…for me, it’s so tangible, I can feel the respect, appreciation and pure joy he has for his craft…please enjoy this masterpiece

above and below, photos from Juan Pablo Molyneux

below, Molyneux conceived the dining room as a singerie, with himself as a singe, or monkey. The wall canvases trace the designer’s education and conclude with him escorting his wife Pilar, also a monkey, to a ball.

below, photos from Architectural Digest

below, photos by Jeff Hirsch for New York Social Diary ~ Guests enjoy an intimate dinner in the Chinese lacquer hall

below, Guests in the library

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chateau du marais ~ juan pablo molyneux

I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with French history and culture…the seed may have been planted in third grade when I began studying French, in fact I can remember learning words in French before ever hearing them in English! Or could it be the two memorable trips to Paris? The romance of Versailles, the charming boutiques and restaurants of the left back, the artistry and energy of Montmartre…no matter the reason, I am 100% smitten with all things French, an official Francophile, so when I came upon this historic French Chateau with interiors designed by the one and only Juan Pablo Molyneux, I knew I had to share this discovery with you…

Known for creating interiors “rooted in history without being historical recreations,” Juan Pablo Molyneux lives and breathes architecture and interior design. With offices in New York City, Paris and Moscow, his residential, commercial and historic restoration projects take him all over the world. For nearly four decades, he’s been creating exquisite interiors that reflect his passion for all things beautiful.

So let us begin our exploration of Juan Pablo Molyneux with the Chateau du Marais. Completed in 1779 by Jean-Benoit-Vincent Barre, it is located on the bank of the Remarde river. Somehow, amid the moats and swans, the interiors still feel human and current…Molyneux finds a way to embrace history while creating truly livable environments…I find that to be a remarkable achievement…genius!

Please enjoy this lovely trip to the French countryside…

“The Chateau du Marais is a rare example of Louis XVI architecture whose magnificent structure is mirrored in the large reflecting pool and the surrounding moats. Anna Gould, who became the Duchess of Talleyrand in 1908, bought the castle in 1899 and began is restoration. In 1961, her daughter Violette de Talleyrand opened the park to the public; in its outbuildings she established a museum dedicated to her great granduncle, the famous diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand. Today her children, Anna de Bagneux and Charles-Maurice de Pourtales, carry on the restoration work begun by their mother and grandmother.” ~ Juan Pablo Molyneux detailing the history of Chateau du Marais

“My work is so much a part of my life that it has become a constant in my thoughts and actions” ~ Juan Pablo Molyneux

photos from Juan Pablo Molyneux

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