Today I've been trawling through my collection of ancient magazines and in bound copies of House and Garden from 1985 I found pictures of rooms Geoffrey Bennison created in Paris for Princess Firyal of Jordan.
During the 1980s, the height of the English Country House style, decorating seemed awash is chintz, so today it came as a pleasure to find an interior as complex as any other done at the time, though without chintz, that did not repel in its sneeze-inducing mustiness or need a damned good tidying up.
Bennison's assistant (Geoffrey Bennison was already dead when the article was published) is quoted as saying "What was astonishing about Bennison was the way in which he involved himself in places on which he worked, and the important part that he devoted to the interpretation of a period."
The author of the article, Jean Marie Baron: "Thus at Princess Firyal's the dominant tone is Napoleon III but the ingredients are multiple. Beyond the sumptuousness that one might say was necessary, the initial mood that strikes one is that of comfort, a comfort that makes one wish to stay home, which was Bennison's intention."
Photos Oberto Gili
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Room envy.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous room and thoroughly up to date- exactly what I like. Oh, to have bound copies of HG- I have a much maligned collection with pages out, duplicates, missing issues, the works. I have an image of you(?no face though?) elegantly flipping through them. No fair. GT
ReplyDeleteThank you both.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful room and stands out amongst the English Country House decoration so prevalent in the 1980s precisely because it was not of that style. There is a Rothschild quality about it but doesn't feel suffocating. Nothing elegant about me, I'm afraid, but I do like leafing through my books.
"Nothing elegant about me, I'm afraid, but I do like leafing through my books." Maybe you should add that to your "About Me" spot! The room is timeless and welcoming. Love how the tree in color looks like art in the room.
ReplyDeleteHome before dark - how right you are about the tree. And maybe I shall add the "nothing elegant ....." comment to my profile.
ReplyDeleteYou are just being modest and are one of the most elegant men I know.......
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, even if you remain anonymous, thank you for the kind remark.
ReplyDeleteI must have that gothic-arched black japanned bookcase. To start. Thanks for sharing - I agree - that the Victorian/Napoleon III elements kick the room up above the standard English chintzified look of the 80s.
ReplyDeletehave you seen this?
http://www.observer.com/2009/real-estate/rumble-pierre-two-pincus-sons-vs-princess-firyal-jordan
I sold to Bennison, he got his talent from being a very good artist,which is why he stands out from the other decorators. He used to dress up in womens outfits on a Friday night and hitch hike down to his flat in Brighton.In London he lived in atop floor flat (pictured on the front of the Christies sale catalogue) and he had apair of binoculars at the window and bought off me in the street far below , by shouting 'turn it upside down,right show me the front and whats the best price?' Extrodinary man-I miss him.
ReplyDeleteTS, thank you. An extraordinary tale you've just told about, as you say, an extraordinary man - one of the best decorators of the 20th century. I have more about him and you have nudged me into going back to where I began my theme of a lost generation - with Geoffrey Bennison!
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