DAWNRIDGE + SFERRA: A LUNCHEON TO REMEMBER!

When I opened an email a few weeks back from Ronda Carman of All the Best, I let out a serious squeal of delight at the invitation to attend a small lunch at Tony Duquette's Dawnridge as a part of Sferra's 120th Anniversary Celebration...

duquette's use of mirrors to expand the little jewel box of a home is genius

It was - as we all kept noting - like a designer's Disneyland with rooms so rich in color, texture, pattern, extravagance, glitter, gilding and purely fantastical design I quite honestly didn't know what to do with myself! I could have spend hours (maybe even days!) immersed in all the detail, and found myself in good company surrounded by inspirational designers and bloggers alike.

ronda carman, lori dennis, tracy porter, paloma contreras, anne sage and me!

stacy kunstel, clinton smith, ronda carman, and scot meacham wood. legendary designers barclay butera and suzanne rheinstein

Our fabulous host, Hutton Wilkinson, along with Ronda, set a beautiful table for us to relax and dine at...



The linens were (of course) by Sferra, and provided such a colorful setting in the lush backyard!

tobi fairley and kyle knight. stacy kunstel and the impeccably chic jan showers

On the way out, I stopped for some pics in my favorite room, which I'll post up on the coco+kelley facebook page later this week! Let's just say the amount of green malachite put me over the edge in the best possible way. 

I cannot thank Ronda enough for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only see such a stunning home, but to spend an afternoon with some of my design idols and talented company! It was such a dream. I can't wait to share more of my LA adventures with you too! This trip has been absolutely surreal...

*SFERRA’s 120th Celebration at Tony Duquette's Dawnridge. Photos by Andreas Branch for Patrick Mcmullan

INTERIORS TO INSPIRE: DECADENCE WITH DUQUETTE

Today we are going to go on a new kind of tour. Not so much the traditional home tour I usually discuss, instead, today we are going to rummage through the archives of famed designer Tony Duquette. Don't fret my loves, before I'm done here I plan on leaving you armed with how to get his look, for your home.

Let's begin by having a peek at a few of his spaces...

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You see, Tony was best known for "More is More". You won't find any sparsely decorated spaces with Tony's stamp on them. His are the kind out of story books; rich with mind boggling layers and details. Every room calls to nature in some way or another (or entirely) .

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It was in the 30's is when his career took off. Tony started in costume and set design, then naturally it evolved into creating magical spaces for everyday people instead of just for the dreamlands of movies. But he really did it all; costumes, sets, (especially) jewelery, interiors, there was nothing his creative mind didn't fiddle with.

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Tony was native to Los Angeles, he lived and practiced there for his entire life. He was married to Elizabeth Johnstone for 46 years before she died in 1995. He died 4 years later due to heart complications.

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With such complex layers of design going on, let's start by breaking down the dominant characteristics of his work before we attempt our own version...

* Rich textures, including plenty of velvet.
* Opulent metal work, detailed scrolls and woven patterns.
* He's quite attracted to jade green and uses it in nearly each space.
* Leopard print, reptile skins, mounted beasts... these all live in his master plan.
* Asian influences.
* Finishing touches are down-to-the-last-detail, usually scrolling and delicate, tiny and indiscernible through a camera lens, but in person, the texture lives in the details.

(Niermann Weeks wire chandelier, gilded screen, red velvet chair, green left:RL Alpine Pool ,green right: F&B Chappell Green)

(malachite box, sunburst mirror, birdcage, ceramic garden stool, orchid arrangement, mica wall covering.)

While his spaces are certainly indulgent and probably and not realistic for everyday life, they are definitely something we can draw deeply from, infusing our homes with sparkle (like that incredible mica wall covering!) and saturated color palettes including cardamoms and mints. Love it.

xoxo,
-Julie

*learn more details about Tony here.