To say that Iva S.V. Patcevitch was in the fashion business may be a bit of a stretch, but seeing that he was a former president and chairman of Conde Nast, I would assume that he knew a little something about fashion. And by the looks of his Manhattan townhouse, I think we can safely say that he and his wife knew a lot about living stylishly and elegantly. Decorated by the lady of the house herself, Mrs. Patcevitch, nee Chesbrough Lewis, was a well-bred socialite, member of the International Best Dressed List, a decorator, and mother to Minot Amory and the late Chessy Rayner. By the looks of things, I would say that Mrs. Patcevitch was no dilettante decorator.
Take the drawing room, at top, for example. According to the article, Mrs. Patcevitch believed that "an important room should be dominated by one color extravagantly used in either a subtle monotone or in a statement so swackingly bold that the room can tolerate no other hue." Obviously, the drawing room is an example of the subtle monotone school of color. The walls, curtains, and sofas are covered in a strieed aquamarine silk from Paris, with the shade of blue echoed in the silk covered chairs and the throw pillows on the sofa. For a little shimmer, you have the gilt moldings, the gilt trumeau, and those modern chrome and glass side tables. And in a move that is, well, swackingly bold, the bench in front of the fireplace is covered in a vivid citron hued silk. The look is a bit formal in a European kind of way, but I'd also add that it looks comfortable too. Why this style of decorating fell out of favor, I'll never know.
Now on to the charming dining room. Mrs. Patcevitch loved floral prints, in case you couldn't guess. That gorgeous blue floral chintz covered walls, chairs, curtains, valances, and a screen. And of course, I love the Porthault table linen which really looks smashing with that chintz. The one thing I could do without is that acoustic tile ceiling, but I'm assuming that it was cutting edge for the time. Note too the terrace beyond with the classic dark green treillage.
Like the drawing room, the library is dominated by one color, only this time it's a luscious red. Venetian red velvet covers the walls, while the red toned Aubusson rug intensifies all of that red in the room. I think that this room is a knock-out, but I also wonder if it looked even better at night without the harsh light. Just a thought.
This was the lucky son's room. You know that I love nothing more than a tented room. That crazy Portuguese rug was a bold gesture, but I think it actually works with those bright stripes.
And what has to be my favorite room in the home (and probably the smallest) is the elevator. The walls are lacquered Venetian red with grisaille musical monkeys painted on them. I've never really been a fan of simian-themed decor, but this space may have made me a convert. Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!
(All images from House & Garden, August 1966)