A trademark name in decorating, Parish-Hadley Associates, Inc. is one of the most influential and identifiable across America. Nurtured from the ideal pairing of its matriarch the late Sister Parish and the modernist Albert Hadley, the firm is a partnership with perpetual taste. This unique collection reflects the succesful collaboration between discerning collectors who owned most of the furniture and artwork prior to living in the apartment, and their decorators who knew how not to interfere with important works of art. In this instance, rooms of great clarity which are light and unadorned were realized in large part by the late Gary Hager, one of the most important talents ever employed at the firm.
A subtle geometry and neutral palette of soft linens and whites create a background for accents of fine English, French and Continental furniture. The blend of neoclassical and rococo, giltwood and mahogany, oriental and contemporary is superb. Disparate styles which are tastefully juxtaposed create an assured mark of elegance throughout the collection.
Consider the dining room, for example, whose lone window lacks the spectacular River views of the main rooms. In contrast to the apartment's otherwise light and airy treatment, midnight blue-glazed walls and a silver-leaf ceiling provide an unexpected backdrop for a rare English mahogany and parcel-gilt circular extension dining table by Jupe & Co. (lot 91, estimate $60,000-90,000) and a set of twelve Regency cream-painted and parcel-gilt dining chairs, reputedly formerly in the collection of the Marchioness Conyngham, which sport boldly patterned leopard upholstery (lot 90, estimate $40,000-60,000). The combination creates a daring foil to the otherwise understated elegance of the collection much in the way that the vibrant colors of the contemporary art jump spontaneously from the walls.
Biedermeier furniture, Anglo-Indian and Russian ivory furniture and an eclectic selection of objects including Murano glass, Asian artifacts and several groups of shagreen and ivory objects add to the mix to create an exceptional example of the Parish-Hadley style. The groundbreaking style of the apartment was specially-featured in an issue of magazine HG (August, 1988), and in Manhattan Style by J. Esten and R. Bennett Gilbert (1990). It also appears on the dustjacket of Parish-Hadley, Sixty Years of American Design (Little, Brown, 1995). A model of detailed consideration and impeccable, pared-down taste, this collection will undoubtedly inspire collectors and decorators alike.
Angus Wilkie
Consultant to Christie's and Contributing Editor to Elle Decor Magazine
A PAIR OF BRASS AND BAMBOO PROCESSIONAL STAFFS
Details
A PAIR OF BRASS AND BAMBOO PROCESSIONAL STAFFS
Each with foliate-cast handle and tapering stem with brass caps
60½in. (154.5cm.) high (2)
Each with foliate-cast handle and tapering stem with brass caps
60½in. (154.5cm.) high (2)