L.A. READER
Two new books for your SoCaLdesign shelf: Alan Mess‘s FRANK LLOYD WRlGHT: THE HOUSES (Rizzoli; $75) does an especially good job documenting Wright‘s Los Angeles projects, including the 1924 Ennis house (below). The Hollywood Hills icon, which elevated concrete from a structural workhorse to a medium of great decorative power, is crumbling because of weather damage and has been placed on the World Monuments Fund‘s 100 Most Endangered Sites list (wmf.org). The building‘s owner, the Ennis House Foundation (ennishouse.org), is accepting donations toward the estimated $12 million restoration cost.
On a frothier note, CLASS ACT, by Peter Schifando and Jean H. Mathison (Pointed Leaf Press; $95), profiles actor-turned-decorator Billy Haines. In addition to documenting Haines‘s glamorous signature style, it also shows how influential his furniture designs have become.
DISH ON THIS
Now that hotels have had success in tapping residential design talent (Jacques Grange, Michael Smith, Kelly Wearstler, et al.) to deinstitutionalize their decor, restaurants are following suit-and Vicente Wolf couldn‘t be happier. The Manhattan designer has concocted four restaurants since 2001, to much acclaim: Alto (below) and L‘lmpero, in New York City, and Diego and SW Steakhouse, in Las Vegas. "People want dining experiences that are more restful right now-not stadium rock concerts," says Wolf, who‘s made clever use of familiar tools-mirrors, lampshades, sconces, curtains, button-tufted upholstery-to revive the concept of intimacy in eating out. "It‘s amazing how calm these places seem to people," he says, "considering I‘m not that way at all."
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Velvet gold mine: New cutting techniques liven up the fabric synonymous with wintertime luxury. To the trade, clockwise from top left: MANUEL CANOVAS Genova and Sienna, at Cowtan & Tout, 212-6476900; DECORATORS WALK Velvet Dots, at F. Schumacher, 800-332-3384; ZIMMER & ROHDE Charleston, 866-627-6899; LELIÈVRE Mill‘sime, at Old World Weavers, 212-355-7186.
Let teatime transport you to the pyramids with Tiffany jewellery‘s Birds of the Nile pattern, hand-painted on Limoges porcelain ($900-$1,250 per piece shown here). 800-526-0649.
Flatmate: ETTINGER‘S English-made waxedhide alarm clocks ($120 each), threeand-a-half inches square, collapse neatly for travel. At Takashimaya New York, 800-753-2038.
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Interior designer THOMAS O‘BRIEN has been hard at work on three product collections launching this season, all embodying what he calls "warm modernism." Shown here: lamps from an extensive line for MARSHALL FIELD‘S, with which he first partnered three years ago (marshallfields.com). Last month O‘Brien unveiled more than 500 Vintage Modern pieces for Target (800-800-8800); his second grouping of boldly colored fabrics for Groundworks arrived in showrooms in September (leejofa.com).
Carolyne Roehm brings aTiffany earrings ‘s sensibility-and an eye for ribbons and other details-to elegant gift wrapping in her new volume, PRESENTATIONS (Broadway Books; $29.95).
CHRISTOFLE‘s silver-plate BY flatware has generous proportions, substantially weighted handles and a knife whose blade rests upright (five-piece place setting, $385). Call 877-728-4556 for locations.
CAROLE GRATALE finds endless inspiration for her patinated-bronze P.I. andirons ($4,500) and other custom metalwork in the designs of 20thcentury European artisans Jean Royre, Gilbert Poillerat and Diego Giacometti. At John Rosselli/ NYC, 212-593-2060.
T&CO. horseshoe charm and chain
Heart Clover Pendant
