The Golden Age of Hollywood included several design styles that shared similar traits. Two of my favorites were Art Deco and Hollywood Regency. Both include highly lacquered and/or polished finishes, the use of exotic woods, geometric motifs, luxurious, lavish, or soft fabrics, chrome, crystal, and anything that created a feeling of richness that was certain to impress your guests while they visited with you for cocktails and/or a lovely sit-down dinner. This time period was all about entertaining, there were no television sets, so conversation was king, and spending time with friends at home was how people socialized with one another.
In this Vignette what appears to be a small arm chair is actually a reproduction of the Dining salon chairs designed by Maurice Pre from the French Ocean liner “SS Normandie’s Dining Room. It is a classic example of the Art Deco style.
The large mirror and custom writing desk are both hand-polished Macassar Ebony and the elegant desk chair, an Art Deco inspired version of a Louis XVI style. Some of the accents include a small Lucite Table Lamp in a Chrome finish, and an ombre silk ground side panel embroidered with a 19th century silk damask design. To anchor it all, I used a sculpted contemporary black and white Moroccan area rug based on a geometric Kilim.
I used Edward Steichen’s black and white photographs to complement the overall design of the vignette; they reference some of the artists, poets, and actors, of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
The images include Agnes Meyer, a political and educational activist, and friend of Steichen’s, the artist Brancusi, Pulitzer Prize winner, Carl Sandburg, and the actress, Gloria Swanson.
