Saturday, August 4, 2012

Drama at Home

Some lessons from Whistler's Peacock Room.
In Washington...[Michael S. Smith] discovered a similar treasure trove of Gilded Age splendor: the Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery of Art. Awash in rich Prussian blue and turquoise-y green laced with gold, the dining room was hand-painted in the 1870s by James McNeill Whistler for British shipping magnate Frederick Leyland. The over-the-top details were sparked by the owner's collection of Chinese porcelain. "I love the controlled exoticism here—the mix of blues and greens accented with gold gives it an Art Deco feel," said Mr. Smith. "Whistler's extreme point of view is what makes this room feel so ahead of its time. Although it's immersive, the décor inspires a number of takeaways. You could do a very modern reinterpretation of this scheme by using wallpaper or paint in that peacock blue, and then adding gilded touches and blue-and-white accents." (Read entire article.)
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