When I was at the Stars of Design dinner recently, I not only sat next to Mario Buatta but also interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield. I had never met him before and found him to be utterly charming and full of life. He mentioned that he just attended a screening of the 1957 film Designing Woman starring Lauren Bacall and Gregory Peck which made him laugh out loud the entire time! Of course I had to check it out and even though Lauren Bacall plays a fashion designer and not an interior designer, it was her apartment that was “very chic” as Gregory Peck declares when he first sees it. This photo, courtesy of Cathy Whitlock and her great blog Cinema Style, is the only one I could find and it doesn’t even do it justice. It was very elegant and full of an interesting mix of pieces and is definitely worth checking out. You might even get a good laugh out of it too!
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What an exciting evening you had. Oh to only rub elbows with those great design giants. I know I’ve seen this movie, but now you have been wanting to find it again. Thanks for the re-introduction. Good stuff ~
Wow! Very exciting!!
xo Laura
It is indeed a great movie. I also liked the apartment Lauren (and Betty and Marilyn) share in How To Marry A Millionaire. Even when it’s empty and Lauren can only offer her ‘potential catch’ a glass of milk, it looks fabulous and she the epitome of elegance.
ooh, hadn’t heard of the film but older movies are my favorite. i’ll be looking for it. that coffee table must be about the most unusual piece in that room. 🙂 very glam.
fantastic! CHEERS! Michele
Thank you for the movie recommendation. Here are 2 for you: ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ is a truly terrible movie, but the sweeping shots of a NYC brownstone’s interior while Jennifer Connelly wanders around checking out her newly finished renovations are worth the rental cost.
‘Miss Potter’ with Renee Zellweger. The interiors and gardens (of 2 different apartments and a country mansion) are meant to be “period” but they have a contemporary appeal that is more stylish than what I usually see in movies set in present times.
Hope you can enjoy!
Being an old movie fan, or, a fan of old movies, I stumbled upoon your blog today. I think I’ll subscribe to it. Being an artist, I’d like to read your musings on art. I don’t know if I’ll be commenting or not, though, as I sometimes tend to be ‘habitually cheeky.’ 😉
I can only hope that Cary’s pants – a full 8″ over the ankle – are a plot point and not a fashion statement!
I have been encouraging myself to get into old films with my recent Netflix subscription.
@Nicole I have seen both those those films and agree on the merit of the interior designs. I didn’t see the contemporary appeal in “Miss Potter” but think I’ll need to revisit it.
My recommendation: “Auntie Mame” — fabulous interiors!
Jennifer-
Thank you for the referral to this film.
I keep saying I’m going to make a list of all the films that have amazing interiors, but haven’t quite gotten there yet.
David @ Ashfield Hansen Design
I guess that the concept of “chic” has evolved a bit since 1957: could anything else “chic” be added to that room–except, perhaps, a zebra rug? Thanks for the movie tip. Mary
I love the site Cinema Style. It has some great photos of Mia Farrow and her pixie cut. Ironically, I just added a bunch of Audrey Hepburn films to my queue. I’m in the mood for all things classic.
Netflixing it now. Thanks for the suggestion.