On A Tangent

In the Boles family, my mother and I are known for beating a dead horse. Years after an event or situation, we're still talking and debating about it. (And usually, that's when my father picks up the newspaper and stays out of the conversation.) Sometimes, we're just not able to let something go. And over the last few weeks, the something- or rather, the someone- that I can't let go of is Michael Greer. I've written about him from time to time through the years, but lately I've been on a Michael Greer roll. His work was incredibly chic and elegant. There was a dramatic flourish to many of his rooms- and you know how drama never ceases to fascinate me. I wonder if Greer was the Miles Redd of his day? Take a look at Greer's Manhattan apartment. What do you think?




A view of his terrace at night. The awning with the wooden tassels is right up my alley.




His unbelievable bedroom. The walls were covered in beige silk and framed in black painted half-round molding that was supposed to mimic iron supports. The ceiling was also covered in fabric and trimmed with a Roman motif braid in order to look like a tent.



A desk vignette in Greer's bedroom.



The Salon with Louis XVI and Directoire antiques. Those triple arches led to the dining alcove.





Additional views of the Salon.




Trompe l'oeil paper lined the walls of the foyer. Greer employed trompe l'oeil effects often in his work.



The foyer stair. The carpet, designed by Greer, was pale gray.



The bathroom. That fabric on the walls? Trompe l'oeil painted against gray walls. I'm completely taken with that floor. Those faux iron supports look to be painted.



(Greer photo from Inside Design by Michael Greer; all other photos from America's Small Houses: The Personal Homes of Designers and Collectors by Henry Lionel Williams and Ottalie K. Williams.)