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‘Style’ is notoriously inexact when applied to the decorative arts, and when we’re asked for something in Regency style, I suspect that our clients think we’re a bit obtuse when we engage then in a round of 20 (or more) questions, trying to ferret out what it is the client actually requires. Typically, Keith and I tend to think in terms of historic chronology- that is, Queen Anne style, say, matching the reign of Queen Anne. The English Regency is particularly difficult, as connoisseurs generally count a period far broader than the brief 9 years from 1811 to 1820 when the Prince of Wales acted as Regent for the incapacitated George III.

Arguably, the Regency began nearly 30 years earlier, when the Prince of Wales achieved his majority and set his own aesthetic stamp with the guidance of his architect Henry Holland. With Holland’s design, construction, and decoration of Carlton House, the Prince’s London residence, the future Regent’s taste was firmly established in the French fashion that Holland himself favored. The chairs illustrated, possibly from Carlton House, are attributable to Francois Herve, an émigré craftsman preferred by Holland. An elaborate French style may have been preferred by the Prince, too, as it was a break with the then notoriously dour atmosphere of Windsor Castle, the favored residence of his father, George III.  The contrast with Windsor had political implications also, as the aesthetic came to represent the Whig modernity of the Prince’s allies, contrasted with George III’s Tory conservatism. Ironically, the Prince had to moderate his interest in all things French to avoid any political association with the excesses of the French Revolution. Although frequently at odds, the Prince of Wales and George III found common cause in support of the ancien regime.

We just posted on our Facebook page an album for our range of bespoke Contemporary Classics pieces, all, incidentally, with a discount of 30% during our Summer Sale.

These wonderful ‘green’ pieces are all handmade here in the Bay Area, using only sustainable materials and built to rigorous quality standards.  As mentioned, the entire range is bespoke – meaning designs can be adjusted to fit any space requirement or design style.  With this option, you truly are getting a ‘one of a kind’ piece when you order one (or more, we hope!) of our Contemporary Classics.

What’s worth reprising, though, is our interview with our good friend Diane Dorrans Saeks and published in California Homes. Please, read on and enjoy!

It’s been 30 years that Keith McCullar and I have been together, and it was in moving into our first domestic abode I met his mother, JoNita. She and Keith’s father Noel assisted with Keith’s move in, and I must say helpfulness has been a cornerstone of the relationship I’ve enjoyed with both his parents.

Mind you, Keith was never in danger of becoming less than the apple of his mother’s eye, but for all the years I knew JoNita, she was never anything less than kind and hospitable- and fiercely loyal to Keith and his brother. If ever there was something either of them needed, if it was inconvenient for JoNita, it was never apparent. I’m wrong there- we did once ask that she not wear diamond jewelry whilst we were all of us in Rome. She steadfastly ignored us. Despite our worry about how we would weather the predations of the gypsy children at the entrance of the Forum, I was, mea culpa, glad that all gypsy eyes and legerdemain were focused on a pair of German tourists, whose manifest camera gear made them seem a more inviting target than JoNita.

In retirement, Noel and JoNita moved to Black Lake near San Luis Obispo, and both played a lot of golf, something Keith and I took up to spend time with both of them. JoNita couldn’t hit much of a drive- or line up with the flag- but once she finally did make it to the green, she was lethal and nearly unbeatable on short par-3’s. Though her illness made it impossible for her to play for the last several years, I must say, my favorite foursome will always be Keith and both his parents.

It is often said but now for me imminently understandable that someone remains in spirit, as JoNita now remains with me.

Next door to one of the world’s best purveyors of period fabrics, Kathleen Taylor’s proximity cannot help but influence us. In fact, we frequently adorn our pieces with cushions made from her period textiles.

We try, though, to use period appropriate new fabrics wherever possible, and that doesn’t mean ‘olde English’ needlework more redolent of grandmother’s 1930’s vintage parlour than anything known in the 18^th century. While you would have gathered from my earlier blog that we might be unable to use Fortuny, we do nevertheless find ourselves using Colony from time to time, and although briefly absent, we are happy to see that in San Francisco, they are now represented by Shears and Windows.