Another quick note on the Italian hospital posing as Roger Sterling’s office! His young bride might not know how to handle her liquor, but she’s clearly got an eye for architectural trends. His desk chair is an Eames, and the others are Eero Saarinen tulip chairs. Saarinen, a Finnish architect, is best-known for his simple, sweeping, arching structural curves—St. Louis arch, anyone?
He died in 1961, and a year later his masterpiece was open to the public—the TWA terminal at JFK airport, a structure Yale Architecture dean Robert A.M. Stern called ‘the Grand Central of the Jet Age’.
One can hardly think of a designer whose ethos is more suited to support (literally!) our SCDP comrades as they march into the future.
Mmmmm look at those tasty apricot-colored pillows!
Most homes built in the early 1900’s, like the Drapers, were relatively stripped down and lacked 18th century flourishes of the older homes. To achieve the traditional Colonial style during the mid-century, designers and homemakers were instructed to “paint the walls a soft tint such as ivory, parchment, green, or apricot.” Additional touches such as small period details, fabric, lighting, and small Colonial style furniture including tilt-top tables, the rush seated chairs, were encouraged.
“The draperies may be brightly colored and gaily patterned. The Colonials used fewer draperies than we do today, but, without marring the atmosphere, we may use, with good effect, pretty chintzes in the small patterns.” Suggested window treatments were often simple scrim or dotted Swiss with a white cotton ball fringe.
“During the 1920s, manufacturers flocked to the market with various pieces of furniture designed to satisfy this desire for tradition and stability. Such furniture as butterfly tables, Windsor chairs, and candlestands abounded. Vignette decorating strategies included a wingback armchair with a small splay-legged table for reading or enjoying the fire. Other pieces included drop-front secretaries and plate racks.”
Ah! Tradition and Stability, come get it while it’s hot!
Welcome to the Draper’s new living room (which I’m not too crazy about. It’s kind of like Kelly Wearstler on Thorazine! Bring back Dot!):
*A Chinoiserie breakfront — French name for ‘Chinese Style’ cabinet. Sometimes this style is called Chinese regency.
*Japanese influenced Dunbar couch — a low slung and brass footed couch is a staple of Mid Century design. I assume the ‘Japan’ twist are the sharp angled armrests.
*Dupoini Silk drapes — This is the shiny silk that’s also used to make prom dresses.
Look who we found lurking in Palm Springs: Foo Dog! He was hanging out in the eccentric desert palace of the ‘Jet Set.’
A writer and former lackey at a hip furniture store, Johnny Dale, snagged the image and sent it over with these thoughts about the Old Money / New Money / No Money voids Don finds himself in:
Pointless conjecture: Cooper’s office is blatantly Japanese themed; could the appearance of the Foo Dog here be intended to draw a parallel between Cooper and the menacing Felliniesque aristocrats of this episode?
And if so, what? I guess a case could be made that Cooper is the show’s representation of idly bohemian Old Money, in which case he certainly has a lot in common with Joy’s family and friends, and this Foo Dog would be a reminder to Don that no matter how high he rises in the world he’ll always be New Money, a low-born man who made his fortune by working.
I don’t actually believe that the placement of the Foo Dog was that intentional, though…I’m sure the real reason is that someone said “We need something for this shelf”.
Those cream ceramic lamps in Bert’s office are called Foo Lions (looks like it a maybe a Foo Horse). This is part of the whole Japonisme theme that accents Bert’s abode. To review: Japonisme is defined by intricate, flourishing, floating world aesthetic of ‘Oriental’ art. A bit of history that ties into another one of our favorite subjects: the World’s fair:
Parisians saw their first formal exhibition of Japanese arts and crafts when Japan took a pavilion at the World’s Fair of 1867. But already, shiploads of asian bric-a-brac—including fans, kimonos, lacquers, bronzes, and silks—had begun pouring into England and France.
By the turn of the century, Japanese graphic arts and textiles were all the rage in the States.
