More Blue (and Leopard too)

My favorite combination as of late is a clear shade of blue mixed with leopard print. I blame it solely on this soon to be released book, The World of Madeleine Castaing, seen above. To be fair, though, I guess I should blame not only Emily but Ms. Castaing as well.

Perhaps this is why I can't seem to get a certain Parisian apartment out of my mind. This too was another discovery in my copy of Architectural Digest International Interiors (are you sick of me mentioning this book yet again??) This apartment was the home of antiquaire Jean Pierre Hagnauer and his wife. At one point in his career, Hagnauer had been a decorator, having trained under the legendary Georges Geoffroy. Hagnauer counted Jean Cocteau and Jean Marais as clients, but eventually the lure of being a full-time antiques dealer was too great and he left decorating behind for good.

The home, like most of the others in the book, is worldly and refined. But I think that what sticks with me is the color blue woven throughout the apartment. It's such a beautiful backdrop to the fine paintings and artwork, the rare specimens of furniture and bibelots, and some really great leopard print pillows. Before I finish this post, though, I thought I would include Hagnauer's decorating wisdom. Truly, these are words to live by:

*Above everything else, respect the thrust of the architecture. Do not decorate a vintage 1930s apartment in a Louis XV manner nor make a Pop statement in some Louis XIII chateau.

*Reject those trends of the moment that force interior designers to accept objects of poor quality under the guise that they are "amusing."

*Reject any literal and painstaking recreation of historical periods. In the long run such an approach can only be static and boring.

(Castaing cover image from The World of Madeleine Castaing by Emily Evans Eerdmans, to be published by Rizzoli. All other images from Architectural Digest International Interiors, Pascal Hinous photographer.)