Copper, Brass, Formica, Chintz!

First published 11/30/2012

A copper and brass artichoke I used to style a client's bar.

They're back! 
The fab four. 
Copper, Brass, Formica (yes, Formica), and Chintz!

Are you having a "danger, Will Robinson, time warp ahead" moment? 

Stir up childhood memories of Grandmother's house? 

Kitchen by Christopher Peacock

Copper's warmth evokes days of yore when we were civilized and sat at the kitchen table with a glass of red wine and read real cookbooks rather than blindly walking grocery store aisles crashing into unsuspecting middle-aged shoppers because someone is downloading the shopping list from a recipe ap. 

This actually happened to me in the spice aisle (I was the crashee, not the crasher). 

design and photo by Linda Pakravan

The copper backsplash above has a smooth, polished finish. I used copper hardware but in a hammered and aged finish. Mixing finishes is fine.

Hammered and aged copper hardware, Breckenridge.

Copper is perfectly at home in the kitchen but feel free to use it elsewhere.

***

Brass. Nix any thoughts of a WASPy New England high polish for this comeback. Finishes will be brushed, burnished, satin or antiqued. Or even left unlacquered to age and tarnish with authentic patina.

Don't you just love these brass balls spheres?

Formica. This was time warping for me but I got over it. Remember Gram's white Formica with cheesy gold flecks? The pattern that covered half of North America in the 60's? 

Formica White Sequin

Formica has shed her low budget ugly duckling status and emerged looking good. No brown seams and a real edge treatment. Added bonus, Formica is more eco-responsible than stone and much easier on the pocketbook.

Formica's 180/fx.

Chintz. Big floral printed chintz. Out of style for over a decade, I'm happy to see chintz making it back into the limelight. 

Fabrics and trims for a recent client presentation. Lee Jofa's exquisitely printed Althea polished chintz is the star player. Shown with Brunschwig and Fils' Bristol Check, GPandJ Baker's Moss Fringe, Fonthill's Marigot Weave (the blue), Lelievre's Berry Velvet (the green), Kravet's Elephant Border and Schumacher's Gainsborough Velvet (the red).

Love the elephant.

This time around the experts advise using a large printed chintz in a small way.

Or a little more, like this. But still, with restraint.

Julia Reed's New Orleans library. WSJ.

Chintz on everything was first made fashionable by English firm Colefax and Fowler. Lady Annabel Goldsmith's bedroom epitomizes the Colefax and Fowler style. I scanned this from my copy of Colefax and Fowler, The Best in English Interior Decoration by Chester Jones.

Easily in the top 10 of classic English chintz rooms. 

Annabel's was London's version of Studio 54. It opened in 1963, is named after the very same Lady. 

Lady Annabel Goldsmith, July 2012. The Telegraph.

Lady Annabel's second husband, Sir Jimmy Goldsmith, BBT (Billionaire Business Titan) liked it (the bedroom) so much "...he practically commandeered it, sitting there the whole morning, smoking cigars and working on business papers." (AD January 2012.)

It takes a man with the self-confidence of a Titan to do floral chintz, much less admit he hangs out for hours conducting business in his wife's bedroom.

Bravo. 

I suppose that came off wrong like I'm a sexist Luddite unable to download phone aps.....

What are your thoughts? Will this Fab 4 make it back in a big way? Please comment!

thanks for reading,

Linda Pakravan

Links for this unsponsored post: 

Christopher Peacock, Breckenridge Hammered Copper Pull, CircaLighting, Formica, Lee Jofa, Brunschwig and Fils,  GP and J Baker, Fonthill, Lelievre, Kravet, Schumacher, HouseBeautiful, Colefax and Fowler.