A comment on Tuesday's post from Anonymous (see italics below) sent me back to my small store of 1970s magazines, (all thrown away when my previous school divested itself of its library) to find these photos. To my great pleasure I saw that I had on the first go-through flagged the article and only today did I see it was William Gaylord's own apartment that as Anonymous said made a "star" of him.
I lived in NYC, but got to know Billy and he was truly a charming, good looking, and very talented designer. He learned a lot from his friends, Tony Hail and Michael Taylor, but his "look" was totally individual. One of his best, and most unique, interiors was his own Knob Hill apartment that was photographed by Architectural Digest, and made a "star" of him! His early death was a great loss. Will.
So, tonight, over dinner I shall raise a glass filled with Malbec and gratitude to Anonymous.
The writer of the AD article, curiously weight conscious (perhaps afraid that all including himself could have crashed through the floor) stressed that the coffee table of stacked white-painted flagstone weighed one ton and the large cactus by the 18th century African thrones weighed in at 800-pounds.
It isn't hard to see why the decoration of this apartment set William Gaylord apart from his peers and mentors - it must have been quite a challenge - gobsmacking as the Brits would say. This is not traditional with modern thrown in as accents: this is a fully-fledged contemporary challenge top-dressed, as it were, with exotic tradition. Gaylord, 25 years old, had been an independent decorator for only two years when his apartment was published.
"I didn't want anything definable. My apartment could be 1930 or 2001. I designed the furniture and used really unusual antiques. Not just a French or an English chair. Instead I found the 18th century African throne chairs for the living room. In my office-dining room, I used Chinese ceremonial chairs. By the way, they are much more comfortable than they look."
Asked if his apartment was livable, Gaylord replied:
"It's livable for me. I usually work till all hours. When I come home I work at the table or read in bed. The living room is for entertaining, a white oval background for people with art and plants .... But when I first saw the apartment, I knew it needed a lot of help. It looked like an Americanized version of a 1930 French hotel suite. The tall French doors and parquet floors are nice, but the molding is plastic and the owners wouldn't allow me to remove it. It would have been absurd to treat it as a real French room."
Quite brilliant and truly a tragedy Mr Gaylord died young. This has been swanning around my head since I found the article:
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago.
Photos by Charles Ashley from Architectural Digest, May/June 1972.
Verse quoted from Where Have All the Flowers Gone by Pete Seeger.
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Your fabulous tour of 1970s interior design threw me at first but now I am getting my eye in. Yes, imagine Gaylord's apartment in the context of its time. It's difficult but it's groundbreaking as you said and I applaud that spirit, really. The cactus image is sublime. What are those things hanging from the ceiling in the first pic that look like packets of ladies' nylons?! I am sure you haven't the first idea either but good on him.
ReplyDeleteYes! that's what I like. I can see why it made him a star- and thank goodness He was recognized. It is the lightness- and timeless quality here, original creative juices flowing for oneself, you can see the joy here. Blue- even the plants look good especially love the 800 pound gorilla, there a few lamps too. As I look back to Spectre- again, this is sweetness and light (sweetness in the best possible way!) Could Spectre be the Kelly Wearstler of his day? I was drawn to that flagstone table immediately-and would never have figured. I missed this era designwise-and guess Jay Spectre is the name I would associate it with- I would have been 11 in 1970- graduating college in 82- and at the time totally in love with all things old and antique, William Gaylord was young aware and far beyond his peers of the day. Great great week of posts. thank you GT
ReplyDeleteI think this is charming: "The living room is for entertaining, a white oval background for people with art and plants .... " Designing rooms that make people look good and, of course, feel good.
ReplyDeleteLA, Rose, Terry - thank you all.
ReplyDeleteThe answer to your question, Rose, "What are those things hanging from the ceiling in the first pic that look like packets of ladies' nylons?!" is that it's a hanging bag sculpture by Claes Oldenberg.
LA - love your query about Spectre being the Wearstler of his day! I have yet to see a photo of her work that I like.
Terry - that's what it's all about.
If you hadn't told us these photos were from 1972, I never would've guessed they weren't taken yesterday. The pieces and room treatments truly are timeless. What an eye and sense of style William Gaylord had. Definitely a flower to be mourned.
ReplyDeleteBilly Gaylord's apartment was in the magical Chambord building on Nob Hill across from Grace Cathedral. Designed in the fin de siècle style of Paris the apartments they all had the unique oval living room and were architectural jewel boxes. After Billy was gone the building continued to attract interior designers including Jerry Lean of Dennis & Lean and Paul Vincent Wiseman.
ReplyDeleteBilly's apartment was unique as he was, thank you for remembering him.
Bingo!!!
ReplyDelete(Evidently your files are in better shape than mine!)
I am so glad you found the pics. Now you can see why I refered to them. And the rooms were as pretty, and comfortable, as the pictures.
He was so very talented! "where have all of the flowers gone" indeed!
And if you have seen a picture of him, added to his talent and charm, you could see why I fell (secretly, or at least not professed) in love with him!
I was a buyer of furniture at Lord & Taylor in NYC (It was an execelant Department, although very Traditional) at the time. And, baised on the photos in AD, and when I met him on a visit to NY, I asked him if he would do a small collection of furniture for L&T.And a model room! Of course he enthusiactly said Yes.
The furniture, baised of the furniture in his own Apartment was made by a now gone firm that did unusual and distinctive things in Oklahoma City, named Keller-Williams. The Room (I am looking for photos of it) was fabulous, but
the furniture was very expensive for department store sales so it unfortunately was not a success. But then, we were way ahead of the times!
But the important thing for me was remaining a friend of Bily, and following him in a move to a newer and grander apartment (also in AD I think -- can you also find it?). I, by then, had gone on to a different job that fortunately took me to San Francisco twice a year, so Billy and I remainded friends.
Boy, have you brought back memories! "Where have all of the Flowers (and our youth) gone?"
Will
PS: While I am telling all: The last two photos that you showed, in the "A interior dramatist" posting, show two armless chairs and ottoman in white. They were "inspired" by a custom sofa, that I "designed" while at L&T.
ReplyDeleteThe design was taken from somthing that I had seen in some european magazine. I had the custom sofa, and two ottomans, in my NYC apartment and Billy saw it there, and he "copied" the design. After it was photographed in the above article it made the rounds and was done by a lot of people!
Will
Ms Boutell - thank you for your comment (and the next set of connections) which led me to your most excellent blog. I have added it to my blog roll.
ReplyDeleteDear Will, you were in my mind, as I said in my post yesterday, as I raised my glass to absent friends over dinner last night. I thank you, sir, for your last two very personal comments and for setting me on track. I have found one more article about Mr Gaylord and very surprising it is, but more of that next week. And you are right about him being good looking - there is a small black and white photo in one of the magazines.
ReplyDeleteDear Blue,
ReplyDeleteThank you for including me on your blog roll! I was fortunate to meet Billy Gaylord when I worked for Shears & Window. He was very attractive and polite. That was a golden time in San Francisco design with Tony Hail, Michael Taylor and John Dickinson. It is wonderful to reflect on it.
Best,
Kendra
What a bit of loveliness you have created here, Mr. Blue. So glad you decided to come back to blog world. This conversation would not have happened without you. Saw your comment at Architect Design. So here's another glass of brandy and, yes, another slice of cake.
ReplyDeleteIn responce to Rose C'est La Vie's question about "thoes things hanging from the ceiling(in the first photo), that look like packets of ladies Nylons": It was a "hanging plastic bag Sculpture by Claes Oldenberg"!
ReplyDeletePlease beleive me, it looked better in person than the photo! will
Home before dark - thank you. The cake really is tasty, though I say it myself.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - I can imagine that sculpture was totally off the wall, if you'll pardon the pun. I rather liked it.
Oh no, I should recognise a Claes Oldenberg when I see one.
ReplyDeleteI was honored to live with Billy when he first moved to San Francisco. We had met in Dallas. We had an apartment on Russian Hill which Architectural Design featured. We remained friends for many years, and he called me to come over two days before his death. He wanted me to have a few items which we had shared together as memories. I still miss him.
ReplyDeleteBilly and I lived together for a number of years. We lived on Russian Hill, and our apartment was featured in Architectural Digest. It had a beautiful working fireplace looking out over the Golden Gate Bridge. He was such a creative young man,and he was taken long before he could express his full genius. To this day I still miss him.
ReplyDeletei sure do miss my uncle Billy, he was truly one of a kind....thank you all for the kind words about my uncle!!
ReplyDeleteJohn Gaylord
thank you for the kind words about my uncle Billy !! he was a one of a kind, i will always miss him greatly
ReplyDeleteJohn Gaylord
i sure do miss my uncle Billy, he was truly one of a kind....thank you all for the kind words about my uncle!!
ReplyDeleteJohn Gaylord
i sure do miss my uncle Billy, he was truly one of a kind....thank you all for the kind words about my uncle!!
ReplyDeleteJohn Gaylord