Once every two weeks, Town & Country puts together an assortment of the best design news and happenings— everything from interior design projects that pique our interest and auctions of note, to any must-have products on the market.
The Final Getty Sale at Christie’s Ends with Wheatland
A year since the first installment, the Ann and Gordon Getty sale at Christie’s is coming to a close. Wheatland, the series’s third installation, will auction off the contents found in Ann Getty’s childhood home. Originally a farm located on the outskirts of a small agricultural town in Northern California, Getty turned her childhood home into her idea of an English country house. As most interior design enthusiasts know, hallmarks of this style include a mix of antique furniture and textiles, heavy use of fabric shades and lamps, with a dash accessories from the far east.
Within the sale, one may find an early George III Ebony and Chinese reverse-painted library bookcase (c. 1760), a pair of George II Giltwood armchairs (c. 1745), and a royal George III Ormolu-mounted white marble mantel clock (c. 1785-90.) Alongside a massive pair of Chinese export mirror paintings (c.1800), there are a few Dutch paintings that nod to Getty’s heritage. “Ann Getty’s discerning eye for beauty found its ultimate canvas in the Wheatland estate, where her refined taste harmoniously wove together history, art, and nature into a tapestry of timeless elegance,” Jonathan Rendell, Christie’s Deputy Chairman, Americas, said in the release.
A George III Chinese Lacquard commode is estimated to sell for $200,000 to $300,000.
A pair of early George III Mahogony and needlework side chairs.
Each installment of the sale is a direct emblem of the Getty’s style. There was a discerning taste in art seen in the Monet and Manet included in the inaugural sale that took place in October 2022, and through the Fortuny robes sold during the second installation, Temple of Wings, which took place this past summer. It is the sense of taste that nods to the past while sure to remain relevant in the future. Wheatland will be sold over one live auction in New York City on October 18 and 19, with a concurrent online sale ending on October 20.
For more information, please visit christies.com.
Martin Kemp Design Launches in the United States
The return of the fall season means one thing: multi-home families are back from time abroad and ready to renovate. Those at Martin Kemp Design know this well and have planned the debut of their first outpost in the United States accordingly.
St James’s Townhouse, London, UK by Martin Kemp Design.
For those who are unfamiliar, Martin Kemp Design is a London-based firm with an international presence (specifically in Europe and Asia) and whose clients are of the superyachts and chateau variety. But, this is no case for cold and stark interiors. Instead, the firm merges international luxury with the signature aesthetics and materials of the country where the project is located. For example, an expansive St. James townhouse in London is essentially a modern (and far more minimal) take on an English country house. The Bayview Penthouse in Guangzhou utilizes Chinese screen paintings through interior decor. A private jet they’ve designed for a Zurich-based client nods to the country’s ultra-luxe and streamlined designs with which the firm is synonymous. Martin Kemp Design’s CEO, Jemimah Graff, will be helming the US expansion and will be based in New York City.
For more information and inquiries, please visit martinkempdesign.com.
Architect Celeste Robbins’s First Book is a Lovenote to Modern Architecture
The magic of modern architecture (at least, for this editor) is its relationship with nature. Angular shapes often contrast free-form outdoor surroundings. The heavy use of windows plays with light (think of the Neuendorf House in Mallorca designed by architects John Pawson and Claudio Silvestrin). Above all, the open spaces allude to a lifestyle that lives with nature, not just on top of it. Come September 20th, Celeste Robbins, the principal architect of Robbins Architecture, will showcase her take on the style in her first-ever book, The Meaningful Modern Home: Soulful Architecture and Interiors (Monacelli Press).
This project features floor-to-ceiling windows and wood paneling, similar to her childhood home.
The book chronicles nine properties throughout the United States.
175 photographs by Roger Davies are of nine of Robbins’s projects located throughout the United States. For the classists, modern architecture is always thought to be cold. Robbins’s book makes the case that this take isn’t true, and, according to the press release, the designer believes her approach consists of a “holistic vision” that integrates architecture, interior design, and landscape. Davies’s first home was a mid-century modern house characterized by wood paneling, floor-to-ceiling glass, and flat roofs, all elements that continue to inspire her professional work. For someone who has lived in and worked with modern architecture, a book that celebrates the style is a promising one.
To pre order the book, please visit robbins-architecture.com.
Dior Maison launches New Line with Pierre Yovanovitch
Pierre Yovanovitch has always been in touch with the fashion world in some way. In fact, the Paris-based interior designer launched his practice in 2001 following a career with Pierre Cardin. Well into his career, Yovanovitch is a master of volumes, proportions, and use of light. Dior Maison tapped into his prowess, and the two have recently launched a new line of home accessories.
The line is a series of essentials, from trays to candleholders, pencil pots, and trinket dishes that have been coated in a darker palette and enhanced with embossed leather. There’s a bit of fun, too: a deck of cards designed by Roman artist Pietro Ruffo and a set of dominoes are also available. For Dior and Yovanovitch, the every day is certainly far from mundane.
Dior Rose Des Vents Tray
Dior Oak Wood Candleholder
Dior Oak Wood Tissue Box
